With the desert locust infesting an area of 30 million sq km in 66 countries and constantly migrating over political boundaries, multilateral contact between countries for locust control is unparalleled. The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation is at the hub of efforts to combat the locust -- probably the only globally integrated endeavour against an insect. The FAO began taking an active role in locust control in 1951, promoting coordinated efforts between countries and regions. This helped to increase the earlier average recession period of 6-7 years to 16 years until 1977. The 1978-79 plague, which affected large parts of the world, was also brought quickly under control through international action coordinated by FAO's desert locust control committee. A monthly desert locust bulletin that keeps tabs on locust upsurges and movements worldwide, is distributed by FAO's locust office in Rome.