Main highlights from FAO regional conferences

FAO regional conferences are held every two years to discuss with member countries development priorities in the region. The Director General, Jacques Diouf, attended the opening of several of these conferences stressing the challenges to be met in each region in order to achieve rural development and food security. Below are the main recommendations and topics discussed during the different regional conferences.

Among the issues discussed during the 23rd Regional Conference in Africa, held in Johannesburg from 1-5 March 2004, was the implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) of NEPAD, focusing on several aspects, among which the establishment of regional food security reserve systems in Africa. A contribution, presented jointly by FAO and WFP, made a series of recommendations of which the establishment of food reserves as part of regional food security within trading areas. Conclusion and recommendations regarding the Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) for Food Security in Africa, were also made stressing that NEPAD should direct its efforts on direct national public investment and official development assistance towards the control of water in order to have the greatest possible impact on food security and poverty reduction.

The main recommendations made to Member States during the 27th FAO Regional Conference for the Near East, held from 13-17 March 2004 in Qatar, were centred in strengthening regional cooperation initiatives and networks such as the Near East and North Africa Regional Network for Agricultural Policies (NENARNAP), give urgent attention to water resource management, improve food control systems through a proper regulatory framework and reinforce national agricultural research.

The 28th Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean, held from 26 -30 April 2004 in Guatemala, tackled technical items that ranged from Food Security as a Strategy for Rural Development, Economic and Social Development to the International Year of Rice (2004) as well as the FAO Strategic Framework for Bridging the Rural Digital Divide. Key emerging issues were discussed, including: the deepening of multilateral agricultural reform; the necessary agricultural adjustment to globalization; employment opportunities for the rural population; new technologies to sharpen the agricultural competitiveness of Latin America and the Caribbean; and the impact of these issues on the development of the agri-food and rural sectors, their recent evolution and a look to the future.

Among the topics discussed during the 24th FAO Regional Conference for Europe which took place from 5-7 May 2004 in Montpellier in France, was Food Safety and Quality in Europe, notably the aspects concerning quality, nutritional balance, the importance of agricultural land and cultural heritage. In this sense, a series of recommendations were made including capacity building through campaigns in the European Region to improve rural men and women's knowledge concerning food safety and quality, improved flow of information and communication, especially between the different levels in the agri-food systems and chains, ensuring equal access to resources for men and women as well as increased advocacy to ensure (rural) women's participation in bodies responsible for food safety and quality standards and legislation among others.

Ministers of agriculture from 43 Asia-Pacific countries, intergovernmental and international non-governmental organizations, and development agencies attended the 27th FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific, held from 17-21 May in Beijing, China to discuss the way forward to reach food security and the eradication of hunger in the region stressing on several topics that ranged from Rice in Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development in Asia and the Pacific, Food Security strategy for the region, to the International Year of Rice. A Roundtable for financing development, was also organized in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank.

Representatives from NGOs and CSOs in each region also met in NGO/CSO regional consultations immediately preceding the different FAO regional conferences. The outcomes of their deliberations were presented to the plenary of the regional conferences.

To read the documents prepared for each regional conference, please click here.

To read the declaration of the NGOs/CSOs in each region please click below:

Africa
Near East
Europe
Latin America and the Caribbean
Asia and the Pacific