ROME, Italy, March 16, 2016/APO (African Press Organization)/ —
FAO Regional Conference for Africa, convened on a biennial basis, is an official forum where African Ministers of Agriculture and their colleagues in charge of related sectors, including Food Security and Nutrition, meet to debate on challenges and priority matters related to food and agriculture, with a view of promoting regional coherence on global policies and political issues.
Being the highest governing body of the Organization at the regional level, the Regional Conference for Africa is essential for ensuring the effectiveness of the FAO regional work in serving Member States and Regional Economic Communities but also for setting its priority areas of work and budget for the following biennium.
What: The 29th Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Africa will discuss issues around the theme “Transforming African Agri-food systems for inclusive growth and a shared prosperity”.
Who: Ministers of Agriculture from the region take actively part in the Conference along with high officials from FAO and the host country. Representatives of regional, intra-regional and international organizations, civil society and the private sector are welcome as observers to the sessions of the Conference.
When: 4 to 8 April 2016, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Where: Sofitel Abidjan Hôtel Ivoire.
Programme
The Conference will begin with an Experts’ Meeting from 4 to 6 April 2016, which will focus on Regional and Global Policy and Regulatory Issues, in particular Public Private Partnership for Inclusive Growth as well as Trends and issues in food and agriculture for regional and national action in the context of the SDGs. Issues related to the Work Programme, the Budget, the Decentralization process and the multi-year programme of work of the Regional Conference will also be discussed, among others.
Three thematic side events on 6 April 2016 will include: Successes in Nuclear Applications: African VetLab Network and Sterile Insect Technique by FAO/IAEA Division; Development of an Action Programme to Address Food and Nutrition Challenges in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) by FAO; and a high level discussion on the Follow-up to the 2006 Abuja Declaration on Fertilizers for an African Green Revolution by AUC/FAO.
The Ministerial Plenary Session will officially open on 7 April and a Ministerial Roundtable will take place on 8 April 2016 to discuss “Strengthening national and regional capacities to effectively implement commitments and increase investments made at national and continental level for the eradication of hunger and the transformation of food systems in Africa for an inclusive growth and shared prosperity” as well as means to strengthen solidarity between countries, enhancing South-South Cooperation and also boost the Africa Solidarity Trust Fund (ASTF)”.
The Conference will be preceded by a Regional consultation of Civil Society Organizations, from 1-2 April 2016, at Hôtel Belle-Côte, Abidjan.
A joint FAO-Côte d’Ivoire Press Conference will close the Regional Conference on 8 April 2016.
