Press Releases

1. Japan extends its congratulations to Mr. Tomio Shichiri, Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Afghanistan, on his being awarded the B.R Sen Award on July 5, which is presented to FAO field officers who have made outstanding contributions to technical cooperation in the countries where they are assigned, in appreciation of his contributions to expanding FAO’s activities in Afghanistan.
2. Mr. Shichiri has also been making significant contributions to promoting Japan’s development cooperation in the agricultural field through FAO in Afghanistan. The Government of Japan expresses its respect for Mr. Shichiri’s dedicated activities over many years.

(References)

• (1) The B.R. Sen Award was established by FAO in 1967 to commemorate the achievements of former FAO Director-General (1956-1967) Binay Ranjan Sen, who transformed FAO from a study organization to a development agency. The award is presented to FAO officers who have contributed to technical cooperation in the field in the countries where they are assigned. An award ceremony is held at the FAO Conference, which takes place every second year. Of the awards granted to FAO staff, the B.R. Sen Award boasts the longest history.
• (2) At the 40th Session of the FAO Conference in July this year, Mr. Shichiri was jointly granted the B.R. Sen Award for 2015 with Ms. Fatouma Seid from Djibouti, in appreciation of Mr. Shichiri’s long-running contributions and his achievements relating to water management in Afghanistan. The award ceremony will be held on July 5 (local time; early morning of July 6, Japan time) at the FAO Conference currently taking place in Rome.
• (3) Mr. Shichiri is the third Japanese FAO official to be granted the award. In 1994 it was conferred on Mr. Seiichi Etoh, then an FAO fisheries expert, and in 2007 it was conferred on Mr. Shin Imai, then the FAO’s Regional Coordinator of the Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS) in Asia.