Towards the launch of the Arab Forum for Rural Advisory Services (AFRAS)

As part of its efforts in support of the Arab Forum for Rural Advisory Services (AFRAS), FAO facilitated the organization of a roundtable discussion aimed at clarifying a set of issues related to the establishment process of the regional Forum, including, inter alia, type of governance structure, relationship with the Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS) and establishment of country fora. 

In this perspective, three members of AFRAS namely Ms Wafaa El Dikah Hamzé, Senior Advisor for International Cooperation and Policy Development at the Ministry of Agriculture in Lebanon, Mr Nizar Haddad, General Director of the National Agricultural Research Center of Jordan (NARC) and Ms Valentina Sommacal, Rural Institutions and Services Expert at the FAO regional office for the Near East and North Africa, engaged in a technical conversation with the leadership of GFRAS and its regional fora benefiting from their insights and experience in relation to the above mentioned issues. 

"The roundtable provided a unique opportunity for the AFRAS delegation to take stock of the various networks' experiences, best practices, and to understand hands-on solutions. AFRAS is a dire need for the ARAB region's advisory services, and it is highly welcomed by the global regional networks.  Having a seat at the global level is a win-win opportunity for the Arab Region," noted Ms El Dikah Hamzé. 

Participants in the roundtable discussion included representatives of the Board and Staff of GFRAS, the Africa Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS), the Agricultural Extension in South Asia (AESA), the Asia-Pacific Islands Rural Advisory Services Network (APIRAS), the Caribbean Agricultural Extension Provider's Network (CAEPNet), the European Forum for Rural Advisory Services (EUFRAS), the Latin American Rural Extension Network (RELASER), the North American Agricultural Advisory Network (NAAAN), in addition to representatives of the United States Agency for International Cooperation (USAID), Bureau of Resilience and Food Security. 

The outcomes of the roundtable discussion will be shared with the wider AFRAS in the context of a virtual meeting and will inform deliberations on the next steps towards the official launch of AFRAS.