THE FUNCTION OF THE FAO REGIONAL OFFICE FOR AFRICA

A special window to be opened where overall responsibilities of the Regional Office including its units will be dealt with. The window shall start with the Regional Office as described below, then the units as reported in the RAFnews.

The functions of RAF include mainly the following:

• To provide the member governments with technical assistance and advices as they may request, through services by technical officers or specialists and consultants on short assignments. RAF has therefore to act as a specialized advisory body to the member governments.
• To organize general and technical meetings, workshops, seminars and training courses in agricultural fields for the purpose of building national capacity for policy formulation, agricultural development planning, technology transfer and for offering opportunities for exchange of experiences and lessons on important agricultural issues in the Region.
• - To undertake field studies in order to comprehend and identify the major constraints to agricultural progress, and to design appropriate solutions. In doing so, RAF ensures that multidisciplinary approaches are adhered to for programmes and projects implemented with FAO assistance.
• To assist member governments in identifying funding sources for agricultural projects, to develop cooperation with regional technical and financial organizations in order to gather increased support for sector projects and programmes in the region.
• To enhance cooperation between countries in the areas of development policies and programmes, technical and economic cooperation, as well as the use of regional and national institutions; provide assistance for the establishment of regional information exchange networks and for strengthening their technical cooperation.
• To support FAO country Representatives in the region, such as in the provision of advices on regional policies affecting their host countries; when required, to assist them on high level issues of policy negotiations; on their request, to field regional technical officers or consultants for country assignments, to provide them with necessary support in their new operational responsibilities relating to field projects.
• To organize the FAO Regional Conferences for Africa and conduct the Sessions of FAO Regional Commissions for Africa, in close collaboration with the technical divisions at FAO Headquarters.
• To issue technical publications providing up to date technology in agriculture, forestry and fisheries for the benefits of agricultural technicians and institutions in the countries of the region.

In discharging the above-mentioned functions, RAF cooperates closely with technical divisions at the FAO Headquarters. RAF’s activity programme is funded either from FAO regular budget or from extra-budgetary resources.