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
NENA countries share experiences at the 17th International LANDNET Workshop and the 2nd Edition of the Interregional Dialogue on Family Farming
10/09/2026
The joint 17th International LANDNET Workshop and Second Interregional Dialogue on Family Farming brought together more than 150 participants from over...
AI applications move from experimentation to practice in agrifood systems across the NENA region
03/09/2026
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) convened policymakers, researchers, development partners, private-sector representatives,...
Egypt Hosts 2026 FAO-IPPC Regional Workshop to Strengthen Plant Biosecurity and Protect Food Security in the Near East and North Africa
02/09/2026
Egypt is hosting the 2026 FAO-IPPC Regional Workshop for the Near East and North Africa, bringing together plant health experts and representatives...
West Bank: Herders have received 3.3 million vaccine doses from FAO and Ministry of Agriculture to safeguard livestock and income
02/09/2026
Jerusalem/Cairo – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Ministry of Agriculture have now delivered...
FAO calls for accelerated action on drought resilience, land restoration and sustainable rangeland management in the Near East and North Africa
28/08/2026
As the seventeenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17) concludes in Mongolia,...
FAO advances regional cooperation on drought resilience and combating desertification at UNCCD COP17
24/08/2026
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa (RNE), in collaboration with...
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Gaza Strip: Only 3 percent of Gaza’s cropland remains accessible and undamaged, new assessment finds
18/08/2026
Rome - Only 3 percent of the Gaza Strip’s cropland remains both accessible and undamaged, according to
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FAO webinar highlights youth leadership in forestry and rangeland management across NENA and the Mediterranean
12/08/2026
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) convened a webinar to mark International Youth Day under the theme Different Contexts,...
West Bank: FAO and Denmark announce scaleup in conditional cash assistance for crop cultivation to 2 400 Palestinian youth farmers
12/08/2026
Approximately 2 400 youth-led farming families in the West Bank have begun receiving conditional cash assistance to support cultivation of thousands...
Multimedia
Recent reports
Forests and rangelands in the Near East and North Africa
2026
This fact sheet provides a snapshot of forests and rangelands in the Near East and North Africa, emphasizing their value for rural economies, biodiversity,...
Securing dryland futures Harnessing the water-energy-food-ecosystems nexus through nature-based solutions in the Near East and Africa
2026
This policy brief explores integrated approaches to strengthening dryland resilience through sustainable land-use planning and the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems...
Rural advisory services in fragile and crisis-affected contexts in the Near East and North Africa region Evidence from five case studies
2026
This issue brief examines the role of Rural Advisory Services (RAS) in supporting resilience, recovery and social cohesion in fragile and crisis-affected...
Household apparent intake and obesity in Iraq A case study using the Iraq household socioeconomic survey, 2012 and 2023
2026
Obesity is a growing global public health concern, with particularly high prevalence in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region driven by rapid...
Hatchery, nursery and grow-out techniques for the flathead grey mullet (Mugil cephalus)
2026
This technical manual provides practical guidance on the hatchery production of the flathead grey mullet, Mugil cephalus, a high-value, low-trophic...
Voices of cooperators: A collective journey through the agrifood systems in the Near East and North Africa
2026
Voices of cooperators: A collective journey through the agrifood systems in the Near East and North Africa region brings together first-person stories...
The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2026 Blue Transformation: turning vision into impact
2026
The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2026 provides the latest evidence-based information and insights on challenges, opportunities and solutions...
Case study on the Digital Villages Initiative in Mauritania A potential scaling model towards rural digitalization
2026
Mauritania is entering a new phase in the digital transformation of its agrifood systems. Following a February 2026 mission by FAO’s Regional Priority...
Empowering small-scale farmers through digital innovation: Insights from the Near East and North Africa region
2026
The report Empowering small-scale farmers through digital innovation: Insights from the Near East and North Africa region examines how digital technologies...
Food policy monitoring in the Near East and North Africa region, 2nd Quarter 2026 | Bulletin The effect of conflict on the region’s food systems
2026
Global food commodity markets remained relatively stable during the second quarter of 2026, despite heightened underlying pressures stemming from higher...
Good practices for emergency preparedness, response and resilience in the Near East and North Africa region
2026
This brochure presents 14 good practices for emergency preparedness, response and resilience in projects implemented across the Near East and North...
Intercropping through conditional cash assistance in the West Bank Expanding food and fodder production on underutilized agricultural land
2026
Cultivable land in the West Bank remains significantly underutilized, particularly in olive orchards where low planting density leaves large areas available...
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...