Asia and the Pacific Regional Conference (APRC) is a biennial event that is conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to share FAO’s work and experience on the specific regional priorities and areas of technical focus and get feedback from a broad range of stakeholders and member countries; foster greater ownership of the APRC outcomes, and promote a more inclusive dialogue between FAO and all stakeholders in food security, nutrition, and agriculture in member countries.

This year, the forthcoming 35^th APRC will be conducted in Bhutan during 17-20 February 2020 with the aim to discuss FAO’s work and priorities for the member countries in the region in the areas of food security, nutrition, and agriculture.

Since this conference is very important for developing countries like Afghanistan, a high-level delegation from FAO Afghanistan and the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock (MAIL) will attend the conference to represent the country in the event. Prior to the APRC, FAO Afghanistan conducted an in-country consultation workshop with key partners from the Government and civil society organizations to identify Afghanistan’s priorities and needs.

“Given that over 50% of the Afghan population is under the poverty line, more works and stronger partnerships are needed to tackle this problem in Afghanistan. This conference is a great opportunity for us to further discuss the improvement of agriculture and food security in our country”, said H.E. Mahboobullah Nang, Deputy Minister for Agriculture and Livestock, MAIL.

“The food and agriculture sector is very important and the key to the development of the country. We are happy that a high-level delegation from Afghanistan is participating in this event to represent the country. This consultation workshop is therefore held to ensure that our interests are well-reflected in the conference”, said Rajendra Aryal, FAO Representative in Afghanistan.