LEBANON – The Lebanese Republic has officially assumed the chairmanship of the Near East Group at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) for 2026, during the group’s regular meeting held on Wednesday, February 4, at the King Faisal Hall in the FAO headquarters in Rome.

Part of the meeting was dedicated to the handover ceremony, during which the chairmanship officially passed from the delegation of Kuwait to the Lebanese delegation, while Iraq was selected as the group’s Vice-Chair.

The ceremony included speeches by the FAO Director-General, the independent Chair of the FAO Council, and the Permanent Representative of Kuwait, as the outgoing Chair, in addition to a speech by Lebanon as the new Chair of the Near East Group.

In her speech, Ambassador Carla Jreissati expressed "thanks and appreciation to the sisterly State of Kuwait for its responsible and effective leadership during its previous term, especially amid the complex regional and international challenges of the past two years."

She emphasized Lebanon’s commitment to continue working in a spirit of consensus and cooperation, strengthen the group’s unity, and follow up on priority issues, particularly institutional reforms within the organization, while taking into account the development and food priorities of Near East countries.

Member states attending the meeting congratulated Lebanon on assuming the chairmanship, affirming their full support and stressing the importance of collective action and ongoing coordination to strengthen the region’s role in decision-making within the FAO.

Lebanon’s assumption of the Near East Group chairmanship comes at a critical time, requiring enhanced regional coordination on food security, sustainable agricultural development, and addressing the impacts of climate change, reinforcing Lebanon’s active role in relevant international forums.