 I am indeed honored to have been given the opportunity to address the 55th Asia-Pacific regional conference through these virtual meetings on behalf of Tokalab. I thank the government of the Republic of Bhutan for agreeing to host this regional meeting and also commend FAO for the excellent planning that has been accorded this inaugural virtual APRC conference. I would also use the opportunity to thank the FAO for the technical support it has been able to offer Tokalab since the 32nd session of APRC in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia in 2014. It has indeed enabled household vegetable gardens and quality small-scale traditional domesticated livestock farming from TCP project in agriculture and food security. However, a high reliance on rainwater to sustain these food production activities can be a challenge when drought takes effect. On Bochea, Tokalab has its unique challenges. Not only is it a small island developing state, but it is also an agile nation with a total land area of 12 square kilometers barely eight meters above sea level. Our land is predominated by coconut plantations due to our soil pores, nature, making it very infertile. Amidst living the daily sweats of changing climates and rising sea levels, Tokalab now faces the uncertainties of the global pandemic caused by COVID-19. Need I therefore say that Tokalab is one of, if not the most vulnerable people in the world. Honorable Chair, it has been well said by the incoming director general of FAO Mr. Q. Dong Yu that there is no security without food security. And that WHO are already warning that COVID-19 could be with us forever. The implications are our environment security is at risk, our health security is at risk, and our food security is also at risk. According to FAO reports, up to 80 percent of people living in vulnerable contexts rely on some form of agricultural production for their survival. As alluded to above, what little land Tokalab has is used for growing food. However, our biggest land is the sea. We have been harvesting our inshore coastal fisheries as main food and protein sources since the days of our ancestors. In this space I wish to again acknowledge FAO for its kind technical assistance. So its safety at sea project that provided increased awareness to the dangers at sea and on our traditional fishing grounds. Our coastal fisheries does however, is still in need of modern expertise, development and guidance from FAO and the wake of what is now becoming a global food security crisis. Honorable Chair, I am with the understanding that the incoming FAO Director General, Hugh Dong Yu, does not only bring new ideas to his new role but also new solutions to the different challenges and uniqueness in context of FAO member countries. In these difficult times of multiple global crisis, one has to be serious about national food security. As the representative of Tokalab, I bring forward a humble plea in order to ensure Tokalab's long-term survival as a people and as a low-lying international nation with a total population of 1,400 divided up almost equally inhabiting three islands. Small-scale hydroponic farming can prove huge potential for ensuring Tokalab's food security. I have been seeing the positive impacts of such small-scale new farming methods in neighboring small island states which leads me to believe that innovative technology can prove significant benefits as a solution to addressing our food security.