Strengthening Civil Society Organisations’ Engagement in FAO Near East and North Africa Region

The Near East and North Africa (NENA) region faces persistent food security and malnutrition challenges. Heavy reliance on food imports makes the region vulnerable to shocks, exacerbated by conflicts, instability, and climate change. As a consequence, communities are facing challenges to feed themselves.

In collaboration with FAO Regional Office for the Near East, member countries have identified four priorities on which to focus FAO action plan in the Region:

Regional Priority 1: Rural transformation and inclusive value chains

Regional Priority 2: Food Security and healthy diets for all

Regional Priority 3: Greening agriculture, water scarcity and climate action

Regional Priority 4: Building resilience to multiple shocks.

Accordingly, FAO supports NENA countries in sustainably increasing agricultural production, preserving natural resources, boosting rural development, and reducing food loss and waste.

Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) play a crucial role in advocating for sustainable practices and supporting vulnerable communities. Collaboration between CSOs and FAO can significantly enhance the impact of regional priorities.

To achieve this, UNIMED is conducting a survey on behalf of FAO in 14 NENA countries to map CSOs. The survey aims to identify interrelationships of CSOs and other key organizations and uncover linkages and gaps in FAO regional priorities.  The survey’s result will be a relational map at regional level.