Regional Dialogue for Cooperative Development in the NENA Region
28/10/2024

Background
Agricultural cooperatives, Producer and Professional Organizations (PPOs), and Water Users Associations (WUAs) in the North Africa and Near East (NENA) region play a crucial role in supporting small-scale family farming, which is vital for the regional economy. Recognized as a strategic sector, agriculture benefits significantly from the contributions of cooperatives and other forms of collective action. They can help address common challenges faced by NENA countries, such as limited access to arable land, water scarcity, soil salinization, high production costs, market access issues, technical knowledge gaps, and climate change.
The FAO has a longstanding commitment to supporting cooperatives, PPOs, WUAs, and other forms of collective action in the NENA region. This work is primarily carried out at the country level and within subregions. The FAO's approach includes consultative work, capacity development, advocacy and networking, knowledge generation and sharing, and support for the enabling environment. Most specifically, creating an enabling environment is a critical area of FAO's work, assisting governments in revising and developing policies and legislation that support cooperative development. This also involves facilitating policy dialogues and capacity development to help organizations engage in negotiations and understand regulatory impacts.
A recent important opportunity to enhance policy dialogue in the region has been led by the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA). Notably, the ICA, through its regional office for Asia and the Pacific, organized the 11th Asia Pacific Cooperative Ministers' Conference in 2023, focusing on “Partnerships between Government and Cooperatives for Cooperative Resilience, Sustainable Development, and Inclusive Growth in Asia Pacific and the Middle East and North Africa region”. This approach aims to include cooperatives in national development plans, recognizing them as key partners in achieving sustainable and inclusive growth.
On this basis, FAO-RNE and ICA Asia Pacific plan to collaborate to follow up on the Ministerial Conference’s final declaration, enhancing the strategic dialogue between governmental bodies and cooperatives. The FAO and ICA have a longstanding collaboration at global, regional, and country levels, and this initiative represents a further step towards making cooperatives and other forms of collective action key actors in achieving the 2030 Agenda.
Objective
The Regional Dialogue aims to improve the enabling environment for cooperative development, enhance their capacities to transform rural and agrifood systems, and contribute to food security, nutrition, and sustainable development in the Near East and North Africa region.
Technical Roundtable
A virtual roundtable with technical experts from Ministries of NENA countries, cooperative representative organizations, FAO Country Offices, FAO Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa, and ICA Africa and Asia-Pacific Regional Offices, along with other agencies. The session will be held online on October 28, 2024, from 10:00 AM to 12:15 PM Cairo time.