Building upon a series of regular briefings to Member States accredited to FAO and based in Geneva, Ms Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett, FAO Geneva Director, invited the Permanent Representatives of four Caribbean member States (Bahamas, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago) for an update on the upcoming 36th Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean (LARC) scheduled to take place in Managua, Nicaragua from 27 to 29 April 2020.

A detailed presentation on the preparations for the upcoming conference was made by Mr. Julio Berdegué, Assistant Director General for the Latin America and Caribbean region and his team by video link from the regional office in Santiago.

Mr. Berdegué highlighted that the upcoming conference will have a different format to previous Conferences so as to be more inclusive and to focus on the main issues.  As part of the plenary there will be four panels focusing on: a) Health diets for all; b) Prosperous and inclusive rural societies; c) Sustainable and climate resilient agriculture; d) Improving FAO’s capacities to serve Member Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Mr Berdegué also informed that methodological changes were proposed in order to strengthen the Regional Conferences as a governing body that delivers concrete results as per request of Ministers and Representatives in Rome and the FAO Director-General Mr Qu Dongyu. “There will be more focus on dynamic discussion panels and side events and less time on formal matters”, he emphasized.

FAO Director-General, Mr Qu Dongyu, has indicated that Regional Conferences taking place this year must be a space for real and profound dialogue that deliver concrete recommendations and results.

The briefing in Geneva was part of the more inclusive approach to ensure that all stakeholders are involved in the planning of the Regional Conferences.

Related links

More information on FAO’s Regional Conferences is available here.