Very exciting launch of the Group of Friends of Food Security in Vienna today, ahead of the World Food Day (#WFD) tomorrow. The Group of Friends of Food Security in Vienna has been endorsed by the African Group following a proposal from the Permanent Mission of Sudan to establish such a group in Vienna. The Group of Friends of Food Security is an informal mechanism to support the efforts of the Vienna-based Organizations and their Member States in the key areas related to food security, which is deemed crucial for advancing the SDGs – in particular #SDG2 “Zero Hunger”. 📢 “The launch of the Group of Friends of Food Security in Vienna is a call to action for all of us. We need to mobilize resources, enhance partnerships, and develop proposals that can support research, capacity building, and technical cooperation. The first co-chairs, Sudan and Italy, symbolize the unity and diversity of our efforts, bridging the global North and South to address this universal challenge.” - extract from my remarks at the launch event. Food Security is one of UNIDO's main priorities and goes well beyond #SDG2. Other SDGs - #SDG8, #SDG9, #SDH12, and #SDG15 - directly impact food security and food systems. Joint efforts are indispensable in achieving the #SDGs on a global scale - leaving no one behind. Which is why it was a pleasure that today's event included many of my colleagues from the Vienna-based organizations. Other speakers at the launch included H.E. Mr. Rapulane Sydney Molekane, Ambassador of South Africa, on behalf of the African Group; H.E. Ms. Debora Lepre, Ambassador of Italy and co-Chair of the Group of Friends of Food Security; H.E. Mr. Magdi A. Mofadal, Ambassador of Sudan and co-Chair of the Group of Friends of Food Security; Ms. Ghada Wali, Executive Director, UNODC; Ms. Najat Mokhtar, DDG and Head of the Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Mr. Driss El Hadani, DDG, United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA). The issues addressed by the Group of Friends of Food Security interlink well with the upcoming World Without Hunger Conference (#WWHC) taking place 5-7 November in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, jointly organized by UNIDO, the Government of Ethiopia, and the African Union Commission, with technical assistance of FAO. ❗ register now: https://lnkd.in/dr4tN33W