The Regional Office for the Near East of the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations will organize, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture of Syria, a meeting on “Wildlife Conservation and Protected Areas Management in the Near East Region” in Damascus, Syria during the period from 25-28 May, 2009. 

It is worth to note that the situation of wildlife in all the countries of the region has decreased especially due to an unsustainable management which makes easier poaching and hunting and to the suffering of wildlife from many technical, environmental and institutional problems. It is necessary to closely associate forest and range management in the region with the management and conservation of wildlife resources. 

In this context, the main objectives of this regional meeting are to: (i) Update information and knowledge on wildlife conservation and protected areas management in the region; (ii) Promote socio-economic activities and enhance cooperation between technical staff at central and local level, rural population and other stakeholders including NGOs; (iii) Establish a framework for effective coordination and networking of focal points in the Region; (iv) Define and suggest new strategies to enhance wildlife conservation and protected areas management in order to ensure sustainable development of this sector in the Region; and (v) Brainstorm on possible guidelines and priority areas for FAO assistance for wildlife and protected areas management in the Region. Among expected outputs are the recommendations to countries on wildlife and protected area policies, regional projects in support of sustainable management of wildlife and establishment of regional newsletter. 

The meeting will be attended by technical experts in wildlife and protected areas from twelve countries of the Region (Algeria - Egypt - Iraq – Jordan - Kuwait - Mauritania - Saudi Arabia - Sudan – Syria - Tunisia and Yemen), in addition to ten regional and international NGOs.