African Civil Society Consultation for the FAO Regional Conference Accra, Ghana from 07 to 08 December 2017
The next African Civil Society Consultation for the 30th FAO Regional Conference will be held from 07 to 08 December 2017 in Accra, Ghana. This important meeting will be hosted by the Network of Farmers Organizations and Agricultural Producers of West Africa (ROPPA) and organised by the Steering Committee of (a global network of) Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the region, entrusted by FAO, in accordance with the principles of autonomy and self-organization.
The FAO Regional Conferences are the highest forums and governing bodies of the Organization at this level, and usually take place once every biennium.
Civil Society Consultations are meetings organized autonomously by and for civil society actors in the region, prior to the FAO Regional Conferences. They aim to bring together civil society organizations representing different sectors to discuss specific items on the Conference agenda and key issues of relevance to the region.
In recent years, CSOs have been able to participate, through spokespersons, in FAO Regional Conferences during technical and ministerial sessions. Given this participatory role, regional CSO consultations are held regularly prior to the FAO Regional Conferences to ensure broader engagement and support in FAO regional policy discussions and decision-making. Recent experience has shown that by sharing with governments their analysis of regional issues related to FAO’s strategic objectives, CSOs contribute to enriching debates prior to FAO decisions on regional priorities and planning of activities undertaken by the Organization with the countries. Since 2014, these Regional Consultations of Civil Society are an integral part of the conference process.
This consultation will involve representatives of civil society in a balanced representation from across different constituencies, in addition to geography, gender and groups, that have been identified as per the main groups of FAO beneficiaries, ensuring that the diverging interests, voices and concerns of society are included (Small farmers, artisanal fishers and fish workers, pastoralists and herders, forest dwellers, ethnic minorities and indigenous peoples, the landless, agricultural/ rural workers, women and youth, urban poor, consumers, NGOs, etc.).
To participate in this consultation please fill out the form via the following link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1…