Chapter 7 The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Mustapha Sinaceur Your Excellency, Mr. Nadir Hamada, Minister of the Environment and Sustainable Development, Your Excellency, Mr. Habib Benyahia, Secretary General of the AMU, Mr. Walter Erdelen, Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences, UNESCO, Mr. Hama Arba Diallo, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, Mr. Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Excellences, ambassadors and diplomats in Tunisia, Dear colleagues from United Nations agencies and programmes, Ladies and gentlemen, It is a great honour for me to address you at the opening of this conference in my dual capacity as representative of the FAO and as resident interim coordinator of the United Nations agencies in Tunisia, and to express my great satisfaction in being able to participate with you today at this international conference organized by UNESCO on the theme of The Future of Drylands. Allow me to salute this initiative enthusiastically as one of the flagship events in 2006, which the United Nations has declared the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. The subject is the future of drylands! It is in fact a crucial issue that concerns the future of not only these zones but also the world in general. Why is that so? First, because the so-called drylands cover 40% of the Earth’s surface and are spread throughout the continents; they are home to a wealth and diversity of ecosystems in over 100 countries; and they fulfill environmental functions that affect the entire planet. Secondly, because they are home to two billion people, who for the most part live under conditions of poverty. And, finally, because of their fragility linked to the rarity of its water resources, they are also subject to degradation, which has increased in recent years, reaching proportions that have become a major concern Resident Interim Coordinator, Agencies of the United Nations System C. Lee and T. Schaaf (eds.), The Future of Drylands. 21 © UNESCO 2008