NEW DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL OF OPERATIONS AT FAO DESCRIBES

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 UN ROME 000011 SENSITIVE SIPDIS USDA FOR DOUVELIS; TREASURY FOR MORRIS; NSC FOR C.PRATT; AID FOR F.MOORE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL EAGR ECON EAID FAO UN KBIO SUBJECT: NEW DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL OF OPERATIONS AT FAO DESCRIBES REFORM PROGRESS AND FIELD STRUCTURE ASPIRATIONS ¶1. (U) This message is sensitive but unclassified. Not for dissemination outside the USG. Summary -------------- ¶2. (SBU) During an introductory meeting on January 29, FAO's new Deputy Director General (DDG) of Operations, He Changchui, described to the Ambassador his work priorities and reflected on FAO's ongoing reform program - the "Immediate Plan of Action" (IPA). While not responsible for the reform portfolio, per se, DDG He will be responsible for implementation of many of its largest components. A palpable culture of reform has taken root among staff, he said, but measurable results will take years to achieve given the enormity of the task. Not surprisingly, DDG He focused on the operational functions at FAO, believing policies now had to be translated into results on the ground. The Ambassador cautioned against expanding FAO's field presence before headquarters reform is consolidated and successful. Likewise, the Ambassador supported efforts by FAO in the field to coordinate with other agencies to support countries in their food security planning. In general, DDG He brings much technical and field experience to the job, and appears committed to strong communication and coordination among key partners in agriculture and food security. End summary. Reform Taking Hold at FAO -------------- ¶3. (SBU) During a January 29 introductory meeting with FAO's new DDG of Operations, He Changchui (bio info at paragraph seven),the Ambassador reviewed the state of play on IPA implementation and queried on DDG He's role in the process. DDG He confirmed that the DDG for Knowledge, Jim Butler, would retain overall responsibility for IPA implementation, even though the Operations portfolio would carry out many of the largest reform projects. He said he was honored and excited to fill the new DDG slot, and noted that signs of a new reform culture was proliferating at FAO. Training and reform meetings were a constant backdrop, while planning is "no longer the responsibility of only FAO elites" - it is now a participatory process involving all staff. Still, he cautioned, FAO's reform plan is the most comprehensive ever attempted in the UN system. More than one third of the roughly 120 Director-level jobs had been cut, he reminded, and "time was needed" for reform to take root. Responding to the Ambassador's point that extending from three to five years the IPA implementation period sent the wrong signal, DDG He agreed that the organization needed to implement quickly to succeed. Quoting the Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu, DDG He said energy to conduct warfare is usually strong only during the early battles. Focus on Coordination -------------- ¶4. (SBU) DDG He stressed that as the head of FAO's regional office in Bangkok for the past eight years, he focused on delivering results to member countries and their agricultural communities. Last November's Food Summit, he agreed with the Ambassador, succeeded due to international adoption of the five Rome Principles for Sustainable Food Security; but, those principles, he stated, must now be translated into action on the ground. Inter-agency cooperation is key, DDG He said, noting his close work in Bangkok with the Asian Development Bank, the UN ROME 00000011 002 OF 003 International Fund for Agricultural Development, and the Association of South East Asian Nations to jointly respond to country needs. This cooperative approach, DDG He hoped, will feature in FAO's newly empowered regional conferences to be held later this year, including a conference for Asia in September hosted by the Republic of Korea. To the Ambassador's query whether the Asians had a CAADP-like (Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Plan) framework that the U.S. and others could support, DDG He noted that most Asian states had food/agriculture development plans already in place. The challenge, he felt, is to identify comparative advantages of the organizations involved and foster coordination between them and host governments. DDG He encouraged USG participation in the upcoming FAO regional conferences. Role of FAO Field Structure -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Pointing out that his first substantive task in his new job was to sign a joint appeal with WFP for assistance to Haiti, DDG He again turned to FAO's role in the field. It was necessary, DDG He said, that FAO's operational arm is properly "balanced" with the knowledge arm, so FAO is capable of delivering on policy mandates agreed by members. The external evaluation of FAO, he said, noted that there was "too much emphasis on headquarters and policies" rather than results in the field. Decentralization, he added, should be enhanced, as FAO seeks to improve capacities of developing country practitioners. Responding, the Ambassador noted it was crucial for FAO's headquarter performance to be improved promptly, after which targeted field assistance and best practices can be identified and communicated - within existing resource limits. FAO must bolster its credibility across the board, and effectively communicate where it has competitive advantage to support country led food security planning and implementation, she added. How well FAO reforms its core functions and headquarters management will impact decisions on FAO's field presence, she concluded. Comment -------------- ¶6. (SBU) DDG He seemed enthusiastic about establishing a warm working relationship, and made numerous complimentary remarks about U.S. leadership in the food security field and at FAO. From his statements and from private comments from his counterpart DDG, we expect DDG He to be a positive managerial force in FAO's top ranks and help deliver meaningful reforms. Given DDG He's experience in FAO's Bangkok office, it is not surprising that he is focused on delivery of products and services at the field level. With the IPA's endorsement of additional decentralized authorities and decision-making to Regional Conferences and country offices, he clearly believes this view is supported by the Membership. However, it would appear from this initial meeting, that the new DDG may be overly focused on expanding FAO's field presence, which we know is costly and in need of further attention. We are encouraged by his recognition of the importance of coordination with other agencies, and we would be wise to consider having USG representation at FAO's regional conferences. At an appropriate time, we may also encourage DDG He to visit Washington, or arrange meetings with senior visiting USG officials in Rome. In any case, we will be working closely with both DDG's to ensure the IPA is implemented in a positive, timely, and cost-effective manner. Bio Information UN ROME 00000011 003 OF 003 -------------- ¶7. (SBU) He Changchui, a national of the People's Republic of China, has worked for the United Nations for 21 years, all but five of them in various field offices. His most recent job before returning to FAO's Rome headquarters office was as Assistant Director General in FAO's regional office located in Bangkok, Thailand. Dr. He joined FAO in April 1998 as Chief of the Environment and Natural Resources Service, Sustainable Development Department, at Headquarters in Rome. DDG He has a B.Sc. degree in Physics; a M.Sc. degree in Integrated Survey Planning (Agriculture Remote Sensing) and a Ph.D. degree in Physical Geography (Geo-informatics Applications). He is a Member of the International Eurasian Academy of Sciences. Dr. He started his career in 1975 as a Research Scientist in the Chinese Academy of Sciences, focusing on geo-information applications to environment and natural resources management. In 1983, Dr. He was transferred from the Chinese Academy to the State Science and Technology Commission of China, where he held senior positions, including that of Deputy Director-General of the Department of Basic Research and High Technology, and, concurrently, was in charge of the National Remote Sensing Center of China. From August 1988 to April 1998, Dr. He served as Chief Technical Advisor before becoming the Section Chief, Environment and Natural Resources Division at the United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Pacific. During that period, he led the development of a number of regional strategies and programs on environment and natural resources management and pioneered an operational inter-governmental cooperation network on space technology applications (remote sensing, GIS, satellite meteorology and ICT) for sustainable development for the Asia and the Pacific Region. He is married with two sons, one a computer scientist working in Silicon Valley, California, and the other studying in Australia. COUSIN