Strengthening ties with the Belgian Region of Wallonia

Namur - The Board of Directors of the Walloon Public Service for Agriculture, Natural Resources and the Environment (SPW ARNE) invited the FAO Liaison Office to present the Organization’s work and exchange on enhancing future cooperation at the local level.  

Raschad Al-Khafaji, Director of the FAO Liaison Office in Brussels, expressed his gratitude for the invitation, and underscored the excellent collaboration the Organization is enjoying with its Member Belgium at the federal level, as well as the cooperation of the Liaison Office with local entities in the country.  

He then presented the Organization's mandate, its Strategic Framework 2022-2031 as well as its flagship initiatives.  

He highlighted three FAO initiatives in particular: the Green Cities Initiative, the Digital Villages Initiative, and the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS). 

Additionally, the Director emphasized that FAO produces a significant volume of publications in French and invited the Board to take full advantage of this rich body of knowledge, alluding in that context to the Organization’s E-Academy.  

The Board of Directors expressed its appreciation for the presentation and underscored its interest in expanding the current collaboration with FAO.  

The meeting agreed to join efforts towards further strengthening collaboration in areas of FAO’s mandate including the dissemination of FAO’s French-language materials in Wallonia.