The incumbent director-general of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Dr Jacques Diouf, will be the sole candidate in the November 2005 election for head of the UN agency, FAO announced today (Wednesday).

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


Dr Diouf was nominated by his country Senegal and co-sponsored by Mali. At the date of closure of nominations on 8 April 2005, no other country had presented a candidate.


Dr Diouf’s candidacy was endorsed by the executive council of the African Union in Addis Ababa in March 2004, by the foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Conference in Istanbul in June 2004, by the third assembly of the heads of state and government of the African Union in Addis Ababa in July 2004, by the conference of heads of government of the Caribbean Community in Grenada in July 2004, by the council of the League of Arab States in Cairo in September 2004, by the ministerial meeting of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf in Kuwait City in October 2004, and by the Latin America and the Caribbean Group in Rome in November 2004.


The 187-nation biennial conference of FAO will elect the director-general at its next session on 19 November 2005.


Dr Diouf was first elected as FAO director-general in 1993 by 90 votes against 72 and re-elected in 1999 by 137 votes against 26.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Before becoming the head of FAO, Dr. Diouf was Senegal’s ambassador to the United Nations in New York, and secretary-general of the Central Bank for West African States at its headquarters in Dakar (Senegal). Secretary of state for science and technology in the government of Senegal, he was also member of parliament and chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. Earlier Dr Diouf was executive secretary of the West Africa Rice Development Association and of the African Groundnut Council.

Just Food Excellence Awards - The Benefits of Entering

Gain the recognition you deserve! The Just Food Excellence Awards celebrate innovation, leadership, and impact. By entering, you showcase your achievements, elevate your industry profile, and position yourself among top leaders driving food industry advancements. Don’t miss your chance to stand out—submit your entry today!

Nominate Now