The 33rd session of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) Regional Conference for the Near East (NERC) will meet under the theme ‘Promoting food security, blue growth and empowerment of small-scale farmers and women in North East and North Africa (NENA) region'. The conference will discuss, inter alia: the contribution of livestock to food security in NENA; implementation of the Blue Growth Initiative in the region; and the empowerment of small-scale farmers and women. Conference participants will also be briefed on the regional office's progress in implementing recommendations made at the previous regional conference, and discuss programme and budget matters. The meeting will focus on FAO priority activities in the region, including the decentralization process, as well as achievements regarding the three regional initiatives: ‘Building Resilience for Food Security and Nutrition'; ‘The Regional Initiative on Small-Scale Agriculture for Inclusive Development'; and ‘Water Scarcity Initiative.' The Conference will start with a three-day meeting for Senior Officers designated by their governments, followed by a Ministerial Meeting on 12 and 13 May 2016. FAO regional conferences are held in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Near East and North Africa, and are convened on a biennial basis to discuss priority issues for agriculture and rural development.  

dates: 9-13 May 2016  
location: Rome, Lazio, Italy  
contact: Mariam Hassanien  
e-mail: Mariam.hassanien@fao.org  
www: http://www.fao.org/about/meetings/nerc33/en/
 tp://www.fao.org/3/a-mq016e.pdf