SUVA, June 4 -- Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama is scheduled to fly to Rome, Italy on Thursday to receive a United Nations award for the Pacific island country's fight against hunger, local newspaper the Fiji Sun reported.

Given by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN, the award recognizes that Fiji has reduced the prevalence of undernourishment from 6.6 percent in 1990-1992, to 4.5 percent in 2014-2016.

Bainimarama has confirmed the trip to the newspaper.

According to Inia Seruiratu, Fiji's minister for agriculture, rural development and national disaster management, Bainimarama was invited by the FAO to attend the Special Events on " recognizing notable and outstanding progress in fighting hunger".

"In June 2013, Fiji was awarded a diploma for having made good progress in fighting hunger and for having reached ahead of time the MDG (Millennium Development Goals) hunger target," Seruiratu said.

The result has confirmed that Fiji has reduced the prevalence of undernourishment from 6.6 percent in 1990-1992, to 4.5 percent in 2014-2016, he added.

The Fijian prime minister is also expected to be part of a panel to share Fiji's experience on the work of the FAO with small island developing States in capturing new opportunities and strengthening partnership for concrete actions.