FAO Regional Conference for the Near East (NERC38)
Al Ain, United Arab Emirates, Senior Officers’ Meeting: 24 – 26 March 2026. Rome, Italy, Ministerial Meeting: 20 April, 2026
About The Conference
The FAO Regional Conference for the Near East (NERC), established in 1948 in Cairo, is FAO’s statutory governing body for the region. In accordance with Rule XXXV of the General Rules of the Organization, it provides a forum for consultation on regional priorities within FAO’s mandate, informs programme and budget planning, reviews performance, and reports to the FAO Council and FAO Conference. It meets once every biennium.
The 38th Session (NERC 38) will review 2024–2025 results and set priorities for the next biennium, focusing on resilient and climate-smart agrifood systems, desertification and drought, supply chains, bioeconomy and circular innovations, financing and resilience. It aims to provide clear regional guidance and strengthen partnerships to advance sustainable agrifood systems and food security in line with FAO’s Strategic Framework and the 2030 Agenda.
The 38th Session of the FAO Regional Conference for the Near East (NERC38)
NERC38 Sessions
Virtual Event
Analytical Support Tools for Evidence-Based Agrifood Systems Policies: Insights from the FAO Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa
26/03/2026
This session will present the analytical support provided by the FAO Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa (RNE) under...
Virtual Event
Global Partnership Programme for Transboundary Animal Diseases (GPPTAD): A Call to Collective Action
25/03/2026
Transboundary animal diseases (TADs), including avian influenza, African swine fever, footandmouth disease, lumpy skin disease, Rift...
Virtual Event
Strengthening Plant Health Systems to Safeguard Crop Heritage and Agrobiodiversity in the NENA Region
24/03/2026
The Near East and North Africa (NENA) region has exceptional agrobiodiversity and valuable crop genetic resources that...
Agenda Highlights
Regional Priorities
News
FAO Regional Webinar: Investing in plant biosecurity is a strategic step to enhance food security and agricultural sustainability in the region.
21/05/2026
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa held a regional webinar entitled...
FAO marks World Bee Day with honey harvesting event in Jerash
19/05/2026
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in cooperation with Beit Al‑Asala Al‑Turathi and in collaboration with national...
Webinar delves into food safety during natural disasters
18/05/2026
Natural disasters are becoming more frequent and severe, with profound consequences for food systems and public health. Floods, earthquakes, droughts,...
Arab Region Food Systems Transformation Meeting advances coordinated action on resilience, water scarcity, and sustainable livelihoods
15/05/2026
National Convenors and stakeholders from across the Arab region convened in Cairo, Egypt, for the Arab Region Food Systems Transformation Meeting, part...
FAO collaborates with King Saud University, National Livestock and Fisheries Development Program, the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA) and Saudi Reef to advance small ruminant breeding systems in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
06/05/2026
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in strategic partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Water and...
FAO launches regional initiative to strengthen cooperative ecosystems for agrifood systems transformation in the NENA region
05/05/2026
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa (RNE), convened the first virtual meeting...
FAO supports Jordan’s efforts to establish a National Forum for Rural Advisory Services
05/05/2026
Under the patronage of His Excellency the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Saeb AlKhreisat, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations...
FAO brings NENA countries together to tackle child labour in agriculture
04/05/2026
FAO convened a regional technical meeting on child labour and family farming in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region on 4 May 2026, bringing...
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FAO and Japan strengthen partnership to boost food production in Sudan’s River Nile State
04/05/2026
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Government of Japan, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency,...
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Gaza Strip: All remaining herders receive cash assistance to sustain livestock and protein production through joint FAO, ECHO and Irish initiative
30/04/2026
More than 2 000 herders in the Gaza Strip – every herding household with at least one sheep or goat that survived the conflict – have received conditional...
FAO launches of consultative sessions to promote climate-smart agriculture
26/04/2026
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) launches the second phase of consultative sessions aimed at promoting climate-smart...
Sudan: New FAO assessment warns of escalating food and livelihood crisis
26/04/2026
A recent report issued by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Conflict in the Near East region adds pressure on fragile agrifood systems, FAO Director-General warns
20/04/2026
The 2026 conflict in the Middle East is adding further pressure on fragile agrifood systems and global supply chains, threatening the availability,...
FAO Launches an awareness program for rainwater harvesting and water consumption rationalization in across Al-Karak, Tafila, and Ma'an Governorates
19/04/2026
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in coordination with the Ministry of Education, launched an awareness program...
Private Sector Dialogue Highlights Critical Role of the Private Sector in Advancing Agrifood Transformation and Climate Resilience Across the Near East and North Africa
14/04/2026
Private sector entities and development partners convened today for a dialogue on “The Role of the Private Sector in Agrifood Transformation and Climate...
FAO and the Rotterdam Convention Secretariat Strengthen Regional Capacities for Sustainable Pesticide Management under a One Health Approach in NENA
14/04/2026
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the Rotterdam Convention Secretariat, held a regional virtual...
Cross-regional webinar spotlights practical pathways to advance women’s economic empowerment in agrifood systems
13/04/2026
Held under the International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026, the first in a series of cross-regional webinars explored how the Voluntary Guidelines...
Strengthening plant health systems in NENA: FAO supports Egypt–China digital innovation dialogue
09/04/2026
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), through its Regional Office for the Near East and...
FAO Senior Officers’ Meeting strengthens regional commitment to sustainable agrifood systems
28/03/2026
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concluded the Senior Officers’ Preparatory Meeting of the 38th Session of the FAO...
Multimedia
Recent reports
Innovating rural advisory services in the Arab region: A compendium of practices
2026
Innovating rural advisory services in the Arab region: A compendium of practices showcases innovative experiences that demonstrate how rural advisory...
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Meeting report on training and sensitizing communication practitioners Antibicrobial resistance (AMR) reporting and risk communication, August 13–14, 2025
2026
This report documents the proceedings and outcomes of a two-day technical workshop held on August 13-14, 2025, designed to train and sensitize communication...
Advancing sustainable locust management Central region annual report 2025
2026
This report provides a comprehensive and systematic overview of the technical activities, training programmes, workshops and field operations implemented...
Food policy monitoring in the Near East and North Africa region, 1st Quarter 2026 | Bulletin Empowering youth
2026
Global food markets showed slight recovery in early 2026, but ongoing geopolitical tensions and climate variability continue to pose risks to food security,...
Global Agrifood Implications of the 2026 Conflict in the Middle East Impacts on energy and fertilizer trade, and food security
2026
The escalation of conflict in the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Middle East has sharply increased risks to global energy, fertilizer, and agrifood...
Agricultural Inputs and Commodity Price Bulletin in the Syrian Arab Republic November 2025– Issue #47
2026
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in the Syrian Arab Republic monitors agricultural inputs and food commodity markets and releases the "Monthly...
Food policy monitoring in the Near East and North Africa region, 4th Quarter 2025 | Bulletin Building resilience to drought
2025
Global food markets remained broadly stable in late 2025, with the FAO Food Price Index easing slightly in November and staying below last year’s level....
Practical guide for the management of native tree and shrub nurseries in Saudi Arabia
2025
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA) of Saudi Arabia have...
Mapping and proposal of action plan to promote investment for the transformation of agrifood systems in the Near East and North Africa region
2025
The transformation of agrifood systems in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region is critical to addressing food security, environmental sustainability,...
Near East and North Africa – Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2025 Statistics and trends
2025
The 2025 Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition reveals a stark deterioration in food security across the Arab States in 2024, where hunger...
Regional mapping of anticipatory action capacities in the Near East and North Africa agricultural sector
2025
The Near East and North Africa (NENA) region faces a growing number of complex, overlapping and compounding hazards that are undermining livelihoods,...
Gaza Strip: Time-critical support to farming households to help reactivate local agrifood production and restore conflict-affected livelihoods Project profile, October 2025
2025
With funding from the Occupied Palestinian Territory Humanitarian Fund, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is supporting...
Food policy monitoring in the Near East and North Africa region, 3rd Quarter 2025 | Bulletin Financing the transformation of agrifood systems for food security and nutrition
2025
The Near East and North Africa (NENA) region faces a fragile food security landscape, shaped by inequality, conflict, climate extremes, and price volatility....
Empowering women in Egypt's livestock and dairy subsectors A gender-transformative approach to climate resilience and economic inclusion
2025
This report, titled Empowering women in Egypt's livestock and dairy subsectors – A gender-transformative approach to climate resilience and economic...
Food safety and quality in the Near East and North Africa Mapping drivers, challenges and imperatives
2025
The FAO RNE has developed a comprehensive report that maps the food safety and quality landscape across the NENA region. Utilizing the One Health Approach...
Agricultural value chain assessment in Iraq 2024
2025
The objective of this report is to show the results of the overall programmatic food systems or value chain approach used, complementing the individual...
Reimagining sustainable returns on investment for planet and people A Near East and North Africa regional approach to ecosystem restoration and development solutions - White paper
2025
This white paper presents a strategic response to the environmental, social, and economic "poly-crisis" affecting the Near East and North Africa (NENA)...
Support economic growth through optimized agricultural value chains in the West Bank
2025
From 2016 to 2025, FAO supported 22 000 small-scale farming families in the West Bank—35 percent women—through a USD 19.9 million project aimed at boosting...
Dunum by Dunum With support from Canada, FAO has developed a model for optimizing agricultural value chains and transforming the West Bank agrifood sector
2025
We are summarizing the achievements of the Canada 406 project after nine years of operation. Now that the project has come to an end, we have designed...