 We have planned these sessions to be for about half an hour, and we will start with my colleagues, Mr. Mario Ludbeckin, the assistant director general and regional representative of FAO for the region of Latin America and the Caribbean, which will give us an overview of the work we have done this day. Mario, the floor is yours. Thanks, Stefanos. I will speak in Spanish. Ms. Amina Mohamed, Secretary-General of the United Nations, ladies and gentlemen, national convocers and representatives of the Latin American and the Caribbean, colleagues of the United Nations agencies who are with us. Naturally, I am pleased to address you in the closing of this intense dialogue day and the continuation of the summit of the United Nations on food systems in which we have identified a high political and institutional commitment for implementation of national route pages, fundamental actions to concrete the goals of 2030. Throughout these days and in other spaces of discussion, we have analyzed how the region has registered some progress in reducing the figures of hunger and food insecurity. According to our last estimates, it is that they record around 3 million people less in the region that suffers from hunger. It is good news, but naturally not enough because we still face important challenges and gaps linked to food systems which could make our response capacity difficult. In this context, the transformation of food systems becomes an immediate necessity and adds importance to the process of investments and the political and development agenda must be articulated to accelerate the progress of the development objectives. We have crossed a line and we all know that half of the time for 2030 so that the need to accelerate our progress is really urgent. To maintain these current trends, we will only have a very low percentage of people who will be on their way to their fulfillment and the current rate will only reach 30% of all countries on the ODS-1 on progress while hunger continues with higher figures in 2005. Yesterday, in a work session, our Secretary General, Amina Mohamed, consulted us specifically on figures, objectives and actions to continue advancing the efforts to fulfill the 2030 agenda in Latin America and the Caribbean. And we must be more concrete and tangible. In 2023, the United Nations Group for Sustainable Development defined six transitions that can generate catalyzed and multiplicative effects to accelerate the fulfillment of the 17 ODS and, of course, the food systems. From the technical assistance we have provided in close collaboration with the Food Systems Coordination Center, the Regional Work Group and the resident coordinators of the ODS who are here with us, I would like to highlight the advances that we are observing in the follow-up of the implementation of the roadmap in the countries of the region. We made a gradual progress in the definition of action plans, monitoring and assignation of resources, which is reflected in a solid commitment by the national authorities such as Intercambiaro and Dialogaro today. I highlight experiences from some countries such as Costa Rica, Guyana, Bolivia and I could name another who are already integrating the transformation of the food systems in their public policies, strengthening the governance in this framework, but we must make it a systematic and sustainable way, which is one of our great challenges. Although the needs and dynamics are unique in the countries and in the region I would like to recognize the collective agreements that are being reached by governments consolidating demands at the level of their regional groups, and that is why I could refer to SIGC, to the CARICOM, to the Amazon countries, to the CELAC. It is undisputable that the financing of SEPENI is a fundamental role in the advance of our goals. That is why we highlight the need to strengthen cooperation processes and promote greater access to the mechanism of financing available in the region, including the scope of financing of sustainable development goals for food systems. We recognize the importance of strengthening the communication between the different ecosystems of support for the scope of food systems and to promote monitoring and evaluation to measure the advances in the route. It is necessary to promote a greater incidence of multisectorial, regional and international space. This year, Latin America and the Caribbean will be the seed of multiple initiatives. We can refer to the Global Alliance against the global poverty of the G20, the plan of food security, the new plan of food security of CELAC, but that must be oriented more and more to add capacities and efforts towards the fulfillment of the goals of sustainable development. One of our risks is to be dispersed and lose the capacity of action and the result that has to be given with the multiplicity of actions. In addition, we think that in a few months, in October, we will have COP16 in Colombia. In 2025, we will have COP30 in Brazil, which allows us to connect better with the climate challenges, with the challenges and the contributions linked to the agro-food systems. In a few weeks, we will activate, for example, an active training chapter in collaboration with the Center for Food Systems of the United Nations. We are organizing a first course where young people from different countries in the region will participate, the young people in the Youth Meeting. With a look at the next summit of the future of the United Nations in September 2024. We must advance in this to contribute to the preparation of a next generation of leaders of the future committed with Latin America and the Caribbean, but also internationally committed because this region must play more and more actively in the international scenario. The responsibilities that we assume for this new period are currently greater and you have talked about it. We must address the current and future challenges in a more efficient way, with solutions that are more innovative and better coordinated. We have our support to transform the commitments in actions, effective actions that allow us to concretize the agro-food systems desired for 2030. Thank you very much. Thank you very much, Mario, for presenting what this region is doing and how good the UN collaboration it is. And I want to acknowledge in front of the DSG, I'm not doing this because we are in Latin America, that the cooperation between FALWFP and other agencies in this region is a benchmark for other regions. And allow me to say, Mario, but don't say this to my headquarters that it's even a benchmark for headquarters coordination. So I would like now to go to our next speaker, which is actually the core of what we are here and it's representing the group networks of the National Convenience. I mean, talking, of course, on his behalf, but you know that this meeting is happening because we want to strengthen the National Convenience. So I would like to give the floor to Mr. Fernando Vargas Perez, the Vice Minister for Agriculture of Costa Rica to pass some messages to the Deputy Secretary General. Minister of the floor is yours. Good afternoon to all of you. And to all of you, it's a pleasure to be in this activity, Mr. Stefano, Mr. Domario, Mrs. Lolan. In the name of the recent coordinators of Latin America and the Caribbean, I would like to express our greetings to the Secretary General of the United Nations, Mrs. Amina Mohamed. And our thanks to the organizers of the COP and the group of the original work of food systems. Yesterday we participated in a parallel event during the regional economic forum for Latin America and the Caribbean. The event discussed how the convergence of the climate agenda and the transformation of the food systems can accelerate the implementation of the SOEs. Today we have had a very fruitful meeting with the presence of the representatives of the governments, civil society, the private sector, and the financial institutions. Today's discussion focused on areas that are related to the transformation of the food systems. This includes the update of the national route pages, the ecosystem of support, the convergence between the food systems and the climate action. The financing of the food systems is also included in the topic of the day. I would like to summarize some of the points that emerged in this meeting. Despite the many challenges faced by the region, including inequality, the effects of climate change, the efficient functioning of the food systems and the increase in the cost of healthy diets, the region has shown leadership in the transformation of its food systems. With the support of the hub of food systems and the regional work group of food systems of the UN, many countries have updated their national route pages, including the food systems within their national strategies. Many countries are also developing implementation plans and assigning resources to support the food systems through multi-actor mechanisms. We receive national invocations through the hub of convergence initiative, which takes advantage of existing mechanisms to link the route pages of the food systems and the climate action. As the objective is to complete the vision presented in the call to action carried out by the Secretary General of the United Nations in the first moment of balance of the last year. We hope with interest in implementing this initiative, which should adapt to the specific needs of each country and we trust to have the support of the UN system so that it leads to results that support the goals of the Agenda 2030 and the Paris Agreement. The countries of the region have informed, have informed improvements in terms of hunger reduction, however, malnutrition and obesity are mainly increasing as a result of the increase in the cost of healthy diets and the impact of climate change. The countries have shared their experiences in managing malnutrition and have emphasized the importance of addressing the corporate responsibility and the role of the private sector in supporting the transformation of the food systems as an important factor in the transformation of the minors. The countries have also talked about important issues in the region to address the transformation of the food systems and food security. In particular, the schemes to guarantee safety for the small farmers, the school food programs, the family agriculture, the local production, the public purchases, the diet and food etiquette and the reduction of the loss of the minors. The national convocations and the realization of COP 30 in Brazil as an important opportunity. Laura, point us. To maintain the momentum around the food systems and the climate. In this sense, we also applaud the Brazilian leadership of the International Alliance to share poverty and hunger that we identify as a great opportunity for the region. We emphasize the need to have platforms that involve all the actors of the food systems, in particular the civil society, the private sector, the indigenous peoples, the women, as key actors in the transformation process of the food systems. It is crucial to involve young people in the transformation agenda of the food systems with the participation of regional leaders and it is encouraging to see that COP is financing the formation of new leaders in this sense. The youth of the region are organized and coordinated, taking advantage of the existing opportunities to be included in this agenda. We receive very positive efforts that begin to be seen in terms of financing this agenda. However, the financing is still a great challenge for countries to be able to advance in the implementation of their food policies. We appreciate COP's commitment by organizing these regular meetings as an important tool to share experiences and to empower countries in the transformation of the food systems. Finally, I just want to say that we hope to continue our commitment with COP and the regional work group in the preparation for the second moment of balance in 2025, the future summit that will be held this year, COP 29 and COP 30 in Brazil. Thank you very much. Thank you very much, minister. And now with other due, I will give the floor to the UN Deputy Secretary General, Ms. Amina Mohamed, for her closing remarks. Deputy Secretary, floor is yours. Thank you very much, Stefanoz. Vice Minister, thank you so much for your leadership, but also for sharing with us some key points from the discussions that have come today on how we address hunger, malnutrition, the diets, but also the importance of involving young people at the center of this. Mario, of course, my partner in crime on food systems, thank you for the combined efforts that you've shown on your leadership for the UN system, but in particular, the Rome-based agencies who made a promise to accompany countries on this journey of the food systems, thank you so much. Excellencies, food system, national conveners, dear colleagues, this is my first meeting of national conveners on the food systems, and it is a great honor, and I'm very excited about being here in Latin America and the Caribbean in the meeting that is being held in Chile. Important because it was this region that gave us the most interaction, an interrogation of these pathways when we had the summit three years ago. It benefited by raising the ambition, but also making us understand the reality on the ground and that transformations had already started in Latin America and the Caribbean long before we were talking about the summit, so thank you to this region for that. At the Food Systems Summit, many of you also showed exemplary leadership, and that was at the stock take for food systems transformation in your countries. The success of the stock taking moment was an indication of the global recognition of the urgency to transform food systems for the acceleration of the SDGs. It showed that countries have upscaled the food system transformation agenda in their national sustainable development plans, and we saw tangible action. Yet we also know that there are many gaps as we heard today from the two speakers before me. During the last two months, the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, thank you Stephanos, has convened regional meetings for collaboration and exchanges, and this is from Beirut to Geneva, and today here in Santiago, meetings also in Addis Ababa and Bangkok that will follow. These gatherings are pivotal in shaping our collective vision for more sustainable, equitable, healthier and resilient food systems. It is an indication of the acceleration that we need to make with the SDGs by 2030. The network of national conveners is growing. It is also getting stronger, and it is the best asset that we have for the Food Systems Summit process, ensuring the implementation of all the national pathways. It is also imperative that this really is done with the collective support that you have from the UN at headquarters, but also our Rome-based agencies and our resident coordinators who provide the support to country teams at the country level. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, you've all demonstrated resilience and determination in advancing this agenda. I'm aware that throughout the day that you've also discussed many important issues from the pathways to climate action and financing, and again here, this region is holding the leadership for the G20, but will also be holding the leadership for COP30, and we're excited about that and what it portends for the ambition of connecting financing to food systems. I know that the region has also demonstrated the stories of innovation, resilience and collaboration. From grass-root initiatives, indigenous people to sub-regional partnerships, the momentum of the change is palpable. However, we still have much work to do. We have to build on this momentum and redouble our efforts to drive change. It has to be more than the meetings that we hold and more about the investments that government can make, that government can leverage from the finance sector, the private sector, to make sure that we reach the ambitions of the pathways. As the Secretary General called for action on the food systems, we must strengthen governance systems, harness the power of science technology and innovation and ensure access to finance. Vice Minister, you talked about the insurance and the importance of that being available for those who face the vulnerabilities to climate and to reducing food. Financing and investments at scale are essential to food systems transformation, and I underscore here investments. This is not charity. This is in building a better tomorrow with everyone included. And it's important for this region that houses the inequalities that we see around the world, the greatest of here in this region. Today, only half of the governments who submitted voluntary progress reports on their national pathways indicated progress in assessing finance gaps for food systems, and very few embarked on costing their national pathways. Without these, it will be difficult to succeed. Without these, we do not know where the financing gaps are or where to scale up. It is the same message that I've been giving for baseline data that is so essential on the SDGs for knowing where we're coming from, where the gaps are, and what we need to do in the next six years. We must also ensure collaboration with international financial institutions and set up public private investments for food systems transformation. I had the privilege of speaking to the private sector here in Chile, and I believe they have some good ideas on how we can bring this full value chain to fruition for the systems transformation. Finally, we must act on the links between food systems, climate, and other transitions for the acceleration of the SDGs, some of that coming from the digital and the connectivity that is required for us to make best use of first skills that are needed. Extension work today in agriculture and livestock does not need to be in the presence of one another. It can be used on the electronic platforms we have for women to interact with the markets, financial services on a phone. These are digital initiatives and solutions to bring women closer to the market. And of course, we see that e-commerce is a very big platform for now and for the future. I believe it is in Latin America that we saw this work most successfully during COVID. We must also use the opportunities coming out of the momentum that was created in COP28 with the UAE declaration on sustainable agriculture, resilient food and systems, and climate action. The UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, ably led by Stefanos, will continue its work on supporting you to accelerate the implementation of your pathways. You can count on our full support and that of the Secretary General. In doing so, the coordination with our RCs and the UNCTs in your country with the support of the regional assets of the UN system will be crucial. Together, we do have the power to shape the future of food systems and create a world where no one goes hungry, where farmers and indigenous people, women and youth thrive, and where the planet flourishes. It is important to reflect on the journey and progress that the countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have made in transforming their food systems and encouraging the engagement of the region in our global village, the world. Ladies and gentlemen, the next stock take will be in 2025, possibly in a country in the south ahead of the important milestones for the SDGs. In 2025, it's also a big year, where we will see the fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, which will be hosted by Spain. Member States have also agreed to convene the World's Social Summit. In 2025 will also be a year when countries, including those in this room, will be asked to submit their updated NDCs, the National Determine Contributions, to be economy-wide ahead of COP30 in Brazil at the end of the year. At this junction, let me just congratulate everyone and look forward to working with a sense of urgency to use the opportunities to create a brighter future for everyone. Gracias. Thank you very much, Madam Deputy Secretary-General. I would like also at this moment to acknowledge the online participation of a number of colleagues, and I thank them that they have stayed with us. Some of them are also connected from other time zones. And I would like DSG to kindly ask you if you could do a last favor for us, together with Ms. Lola Castro, Minister Vargas Perez and Mario, if you could go at the center of the room and we can have a photo with the conveners. Thank you, thank you.