FAO director stated he was knowledgeable his contract wouldn’t be renewed due to allegedly breaching impartiality guidelines.
Printed On 2 Oct 2026
A senior UN company director has stated that he misplaced his job as a result of he criticised Israeli insurance policies in Gaza.
Ben Davis, who had been Director of Rural Transformation and Gender Equality on the Meals and Agriculture Group (FAO), informed AFP information company on Wednesday that he was knowledgeable in July that his contract wouldn’t be renewed as a result of he had allegedly breached impartiality guidelines.
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He stated that he was accused of organising weekly silent protests on the Rome-based organisation.
“They accused me of organising these moments of silence on the scenario of hunger and famine in Gaza,” Davis stated.
Davis was additionally criticised for a report he labored on about meals availability in Gaza and humanitarian legislation, revealed in Could.
“We have been informed to take it down,” he stated. “We weren’t allowed to make any references to humanitarian legislation.”
‘Sport of human rights’
FAO Director-Normal Qu Dongyu appeared to warn FAO workers on Tuesday that “we don’t mean you can play the sport right here of human rights”.
He was talking in public feedback made at first of a filmed session on forestry.
“In fact, human rights is essential, however now we have the human rights company in Geneva,” he added. “If you wish to take care, go there.
“That’s why some senior members play the political recreation right here, I fireplace him … You must comply with the FAO structure … You might be in opposition to workers rules … However I’m a really delicate individual, I didn’t fireplace that many,” he stated.
“I’ll fireplace extra individuals if they’re in opposition to the legislation,” he added.
FAO didn’t reply to an AFP request for remark.
Requested if he thought the director-general’s feedback have been about him, Davis stated “completely”.
“He has already scolded me in public prior to now for being too political.”
Davis additionally stated he was “involved” concerning the director-general’s feedback on firing extra individuals.
A whole bunch of individuals attended the moments of silence at their peak, whereas now there are solely 30 to 40 individuals approaching a weekly foundation, he stated.
Israel’s genocidal conflict on Gaza has killed over 74,000 individuals since October 2023, and no less than 1,431 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli assaults for the reason that so-called ceasefire between Hamas and Israel was agreed upon in October 2025.
