Former UN FAO Director Appeals Dismissal Over Gaza Protests

Benjamin Davis, the former Director of the Rural Transformation and Gender Equality Division at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), is appealing his dismissal after 26 years of service. Benjamin Davis alleges that Director-General Qu Dongyu requested his termination on September 30 in retaliation for his advocacy regarding starvation and famine in Gaza.

Davis claims he was accused of breaching impartiality rules for organizing weekly moments of silence at the FAO headquarters in Rome and for co-authoring a May report on food availability and international humanitarian law. He alleges the FAO removed the report from its website following pressure from the United States and Israel, and that an Israeli diplomat filmed the staff protests.

Director-General Qu Dongyu defended the dismissal of a senior member, accusing the individual of playing a "political game" and warning staff that human rights advocacy belongs at the human rights agency in Geneva rather than the FAO. Qu threatened to fire additional employees who violate staff regulations or the FAO constitution.

While official documents cite breaches of international civil service standards regarding impartiality, Davis maintains he was disciplined without due process for advocating for the right to food. The case is currently undergoing the FAO internal justice process and may be escalated to a UN tribunal.