STORY: FAO celebrates Chinese Lunar New Year
SHOOTING TIME: Feb. 2, 2024
DATELINE: Feb. 3, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:36
LOCATION: Rome
CATEGORY: CULTURE

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the FAO
2. various of the event
2. SOUNDBITE (English): QU DONGYU, FAO Director-General

STORYLINE:

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) held a high-level event at its headquarters in Rome on Friday to mark the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year.
   
Gathering hundreds of representatives from Rome-based diplomatic corps, Italian authorities and FAO, the event was the first such celebration of the traditional Chinese festival within the organization.
   
FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu highlighted the importance of recognizing and appreciating diversity in his speech.
   
SOUNDBITE (English): QU DONGYU, FAO Director-General
"And for this international year of solidarity, international year of the future, 2024, let's build on historic lessons, experience and look forward, build a bright future."

Stressing the importance of cooperation and solidarity in the face of global challenges in uncertain times, Qu called for collaboration without boundaries and keeping food and agriculture among the top issues of the international agenda.
   
FAO's chief economist Maximo Torero told Xinhua that the organization will keep working with China and other countries as part of the UN system.
   
Highlights of the event included performances of traditional Chinese Tai Chi, tea-serving rituals and paper-cutting art.
   
The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution in December to list the Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, as a UN floating holiday in its calendar of conferences and meetings starting from this year.
   
According to the Chinese lunar calendar, this Year of the Dragon starts on Feb. 10.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Rome.
(XHTV)