The Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA) participated in the just concluded 33rd FAO Asia Pacific Regional Conference (APRC) held last March 7-11 in Putrajaya Malaysia.
The FAO APRC , convened every two years, is the regional governing body of FAO, and as such, has an important role to play in governance for policy coherence for development in the region, and discussion of global priorities as they relate to the region. This year’s APRC focused on the following topics : State of Food and Agriculture in Asia Pacific region including future prospects and emerging issues in the framework of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Revitalizing the rural economy through enhanced linkages between small scale agricultural production and value chains, Promoting national nutrition policies and investments and. Blue Growth (Aquatic Resources).
The FAO APRC is open to member states and UN bodies as well as to observers such as civil society organizations (CSOs).
CSOs delivered a statement during the ministerial segment of the FAO APRC and 2-minute interventions in each of the plenary sessions. The statement and the plenary interventions were results of the CSO consultation held March 5-6 , the week-end prior to the FAO APRC itself. The CSO consultation is a self -organized meeting meant to gather key actors from different constituencies and countries to discuss key topics pertinent to the region, evaluate what FAO has done in the previous biennium (according to what was agreed upon at the previous Regional Conference), and discuss on specific agenda items of the Conference. The CSOs also take stock of what has been done in view of the call of actions they have made in the previous biennial meeting.
The CSO consultation was co-organized by the International Planning Committee (IPC) and the CSO AdHoc Committee for FAO Engagement (AHC) and conducted in close coordination with the Partnerships Offices of FAORAP. AFA was a member of the Steering Committee of the CSO Consultation.
AFA was represented by Sophal Chhong and Morn Loek from Farmer and Nature Net (Cambodia), Altantuya Tseden-ish from National Association of Mongolian Agriculture Cooperatives, and Esther Penunia, AFA Secretary General.
Click here for the CSO statement
Click here for CSO intervention on State of Food and Agriculture
Click here for CSO intervention on Results and Priorities for FAO in the Region
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