Partners
As an intergovernmental organization, FAO works with a large range of partners. To collectively address the Millennium Development Goals in Asia-Pacific, the FAO regional office has a long-standing and close cooperation with:
- UN system organizations such as the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
- Regional integration organizations such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF)
- Other development partners such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Asian Productivity Organization (APO), the Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)
In addition, the FAO regional office in Bangkok has been active in the promotion and strengthening of regional associations composed primarily of parastatal bodies drawn from the Asia-Pacific region such as:
- the Agricultural and Food Marketing Association for Asia and the Pacific (AFMA)
- the Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI)
- the Asia-Pacific Association of Forestry Research Institutions (APAFRI)
- the Asia and Pacific Rural and Agricultural Credit Association (APRACA)
- the Regional Network for the Development of Agricultural Cooperatives in Asia and the Pacific (NEDAC)
In the Pacific, the FAO Subregional Office (SAP) works with national governments and other stakeholders to identify priority areas for national and regional assistance. The biennial meeting of FAO South West Pacific Ministers for Agriculture aligns FAO assistance with the priorities of the region.
FAO SAP works closely with the Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific (CROP) on various projects. They include the Pacific Expert Group on Food Security and Climate Change, established by FAO and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) in October 2008. Three CROP agencies - the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) and SPREP - have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with FAO SAP.