February 28, 2024
The city of Casablanca in Morocco hosted the consultation of African civil society on February 21 and 22, 2024 as part of the 33rd FAO regional conference for Africa.
This important meeting was organized by the Moroccan Union of Farmers under the direction of the Steering Committee for the consultation of African civil society organizations (CSOs), composed on the occasion of Via Campesina, PAFO, ROPPA, MIJARC, in accordance with the principles of autonomy and self-organization.
The meeting recorded the participation of 42 representatives of national, regional and international CSOs of peasants, rural women and youth, fishermen, agricultural workers, breeders/pastoralists, processors, Indigenous Peoples, cooperatives, consumers and NGOs, coming from 20 African countries to discuss not only relevant issues on the agenda of the Regional Conference, but also the relationships, challenges, demands and proposals of CSOs to FAO and to governments.
Civil Society Consultations are meetings organized, autonomously, by and for civil society actors in the region, before the FAO Regional Conference. They aim to bring together civil society organizations, representing different sectors, to discuss specific items on the Conference agenda and key issues relevant to the region.
This consultation resulted not only in a declaration addressed to the FAO and governments, but also the identification of the 3 spokespersons who will represent CSOs at the 33rd FAO regional conference from April 24 to 28, 2024 in Rabat, Morocco. The conference also recorded the designation of new members for the steering committee of the next consultation which will be held in two (2) years.