ICARDA, UNDP, EU Unite for Climate Action and Food Security
ICARDA, UNDP, EU Unite for Climate Action and Food Security
Date
June 12, 2025
Published by
ICARDA Communication Team
Category
News
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Photo Credit: FAO/Belén Gutiérrez Carmona
Brussels, June 12, 2025 - Leaders from around the world laced up their walking shoes for a very special kind of diplomacy: the European Union (EU) Walk for Climate. Among them was ICARDA’s Director General, Aly Abousabaa, walking side by side with policymakers, diplomats, and UN officials, all united by one shared message: climate change demands action, and it demands it now.
At the front of the walk was Michael Haddad, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Regional Goodwill Ambassador, whose story of resilience brought a deeply personal dimension to the day. Despite being paralyzed from the chest down, Haddad has completed extraordinary physical challenges to raise awareness for climate action. His presence was a moving reminder of the strength of the human spirit and the urgency of the cause.
“Persons with disability are among the most negatively impacted by climate change and conflict, especially in the Arab States region,” said Haddad. “I am happy to support UNDP’s focus on leaving no one behind in its endeavour to expand collaboration on the issue of food security, which is more important than ever today, across our region.”
Aly Abousabaa, ICARDA’s Director General, echoed this message:
“Partnerships like these are essential. No single organization or country can face climate change alone. It is through science, collaboration, and shared commitment that we can turn today’s challenges into opportunities for resilience and food security, especially for the most vulnerable communities.”
Photo Credit: FAO/Belén Gutiérrez Carmona
After the walk through Parc Royal, the delegation was received at the Royal Palace by Her Majesty the Queen Mathilde of Belgium, an advocate for global development and the Sustainable Development Goals. The conversation turned to the growing strain climate change places on vulnerable communities, particularly in the Arab States region, where water scarcity, food insecurity, and conflict are deeply intertwined.
Photo Credit: Belga
During the discussion, ICARDA outlined its work developing climate-smart crops, restoring degraded lands, and advancing water-efficient farming in dryland regions while combining cutting-edge research with local knowledge to strengthen food security where resources are most scarce.
The day continued with a closed-door Food Systems Transformation Roundtable at the UN House, where ICARDA, UNDP, UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), and senior EU officials engaged in frank, solutions-focused conversations. The discussions emphasized that no one actor can solve these challenges alone; research, policy, private sector innovation, and regional cooperation all need to come together.
Bilateral meetings followed between ICARDA, UNDP, and key EU institutions, where discussions explored how to deepen scientific cooperation and expand the kind of research that directly supports vulnerable communities facing climate pressures.
The day closed with a reception hosted by the Embassy of Lebanon, celebrating the strong ties between ICARDA, Lebanon, the EU, and the wider Arab region. As ICARDA’s Director General shared in his remarks:
The EU Walk may have been short, but it reflected the growing international resolve to confront climate threats, secure food supplies, and work together in support of communities on the frontlines of these challenges.
ICARDA’s Delegation:
Aly Abousabaa, ICARDA Director General and CGIAR Regional Director of CWANA
