Civil society organizations (CSO) from Asia and the Pacific have concluded a two-day virtual meeting in preparation for their participation in a major multilateral conference aimed at charting a course for the region’s food security and agrifood systems transformation.

The CSO participation in FAO’s 36^th Session of the Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific (#APRC36) aims to concentrate positions among the civil society organizations in anticipation of their contributions to discussions at the APRC – a biennial gathering of some 46 FAO member countries from across the region.

In parallel, an online consultation amongst private sector entities is ongoing. Representatives from the private sector will, for the second time, have seats at the FAO’s regional governing body session. The APRC-36 will be convened in hybrid mode in Dhaka, Bangladesh, 8-11 March 2022.

While the APRC is a formal meeting of FAO’s Member nations in Asia and the Pacific, CSOs and private sector representatives participate as observers, and are invited to make interventions during the Conference. The CSO consultation process in the Asia-Pacific region has evolved since 2010 with broad-based support from the regional civil society community and FAO. The innovative private sector consultation and participation was encouraged by FAO Director-General QU Dongyu, who was elected to the post in August 2019, and the move was considered very successful during #APRC35, two years ago.

Collective wisdom for Asia-Pacific conference

“From the experience gained together, I am convinced that taking due consideration of the views of civil society stakeholders in this region will enhance and broaden FAO Member nations’ decision-making authority,” said Jong-Jin Kim, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific, during his opening remarks to the CSO meeting. “I am confident that your collective wisdom will contribute and enrich the discussion which should contribute to sound conclusions and recommendations for endorsement by the distinguished Ministers and Heads of Delegations.”

The addition of private sector voices, along with those of the CSO’s, will help FAO’s Members and their policy makers better define the actions needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, particularly those related to ending hunger and poverty, Kim added.

The CSO meeting was attended by 47 participants who represent various constituencies including small-scale producers, fishers, pastoralists, indigenous peoples and landless organizations, rural and agricultural workers, women and youth organisations and NGOs.