The Sultanate chaired the virtual Regional Consultative Technical Meeting for the Near East and North Africa, to discuss the Covid-19 pandemic impact on Agriculture and Food Security in the Near East and North Africa Region. The meeting is organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

            The meeting was chaired by Dr. Ahmed bin Nasser al-Bakri, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries for Agriculture.

         The first meeting discussed three topics, namely, managing trade as a key element of the region’s food security strategies, protecting and enhancing agriculture and local value chains and building resilience to multiple shocks – addressing Covid-19 in fragile contexts.

           The meeting aims to discuss and mitigate the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on food security and agriculture in the region, in addition to the necessary procedures for agriculture and food systems in the region to become healthier, more resilient, more inclusive and sustainable. The meeting will help define how member states, FAO and involved institutions together develop and implement a response to mitigate the effects of the pandemic in countries of the region.

            The Sultanate is chairing the Regional Consultative Technical Meeting for the Near East and North Africa, to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic impact on Agriculture and Food Security in the Near East and North Africa Region on the 2, 15 and 23 July 2020.ONA