Politics

MBABANE – An effort by His Majesty King Mswati III has come to fruition, as Eswatini signed the Host Country Agreement with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.

The signing, which took place at the FAO offices in Rome, fulfils a commitment made by His Majesty King Mswati III during his visit to the World Food Forum in 2024.

The King had emphasised the urgent need for collaborative efforts to combat food insecurity and malnutrition, especially affecting the youth and women of Eswatini.

This milestone, therefore, paves the way for the establishment of an FAO representation in Eswatini, furthering the country’s commitment to food security and sovereignty.

The ceremony was witnessed by Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Senator Pholile Shakantu, Minister for Agriculture Mandla Tshawuka and other senior government officials.

The agreement was officially signed by Prime Minister (PM) Russell Mmiso Dlamini, yesterday.

The minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation commended the King’s role which led to the country attaining the FAO Host Country Agreement.

She said: “This is the King’s initiative and the fruits of his effort. We are happy that the country delivered within 12 months and Eswatini was commended for the execution within this timeframe.”

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Office to be ready by January 2026

MBABANE – The Kingdom of Eswatini is on track to have a fully empowered Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations office by January 2026.

This is a direct result of the personal intervention by His Majesty King Mswati III to combat implementation delays. The Prime Minister, Russell Mmiso Dlamini, confirmed that the recently signed Host Country Agreement in Rome will dramatically shorten the turnaround time for critical food security projects in the country.

Eswatini has a long history of cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), but previously, the local office was led only by an assistant representative. This meant all major decisions regarding support for various priority projects had to be initiated and referred to the FAO regional office in Zimbabwe, a process that often led to frustrating delays in implementation.

The crucial change in this arrangement came after His Majesty the King was invited as a Guest of Honour by the FAO director general in 2024. During the visit, King Mswati III personally requested an upgrade of the country’s office so that it could be occupied by a full-fledged representative.

This change was aimed squarely at enabling ease of doing business and reducing the turnaround time for decision-making on important development projects in Eswatini.

The DG accepted the request and undertook to ensure that the necessary processes would be expedited, leading to the signing of the Host Country Agreement in 2025.

*Full article available in our publication.

Prime Minister Russell Dlamini and Dr Qu Dongyu, FAO Director General after signing a Host Country Agreement with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations at the FAO Offices in Rome, Italy.

Prime Minister Russell Dlamini with Dr Qu Dongyu, FAO Director General.

Prime Minister Russell Dlamini and Dr Qu Dongyu signing the documents.

(L-R) Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Pholile Shakantu, Prime Minister Russell Dlamini, FAO Director General Dr Qu Dongyu and Minister for Agriculture Mandla Tshawuka.