FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific

FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific
Name	FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific
Abbrev	FAO RAP
Formation	1949
Type	Intergovernmental conference
Status	Active
Headquarters	Rome
Region served	Asia and Oceania
Parent organization	Food and Agriculture Organization

FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific is the apex policy forum of the Food and Agriculture Organization in the Asia–Pacific Islands region, convening member nations to coordinate agricultural, fisheries, forestry and rural development responses. It brings together ministers, senior officials and experts from India, China, Japan, Australia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Philippines, Thailand and other member states to align regional strategy with global instruments such as the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement, and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. The conference interfaces with technical bodies including the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the World Food Programme, the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Bank.

Background and Mandate

The Regional Conference was established within the statutory framework of the Food and Agriculture Organization to implement mandates emanating from the FAO Conference, the FAO Council, and sectoral commissions such as the Committee on Fisheries and the Committee on Forestry. Its mandate includes advising on regional interpretations of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, the Codex Alimentarius Commission standards, and cross-cutting instruments like the Convention on Biological Diversity. The forum promotes coherence with multilateral processes including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change deliberations, the World Trade Organization negotiations, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Organization and Membership

Membership comprises FAO member nations located in Asia and the Pacific Islands, including sovereign states and entities represented at FAO governing bodies such as New Zealand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Cambodia, Viet Nam, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Brunei Darussalam, Singapore, Timor-Leste, and Fiji. The Regional Conference elects a Chair and Bureau drawn from national delegations and coordinates with the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific based in Bangkok. It liaises with regional institutions such as the Asian Development Bank, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, the Pacific Islands Forum, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation where agricultural and food security issues intersect.

Meetings and Agenda

Plenary sessions are convened biennially in line with FAO statutory processes and have been hosted in capitals and regional hubs including Bangkok, Rome-linked missions, and national venues across Asia and the Pacific Islands. Agendas typically integrate items on crop improvement and plant breeding policy linked to the International Rice Research Institute and Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research priorities, fisheries management influenced by the Food and Agriculture Organization's Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, and forestry conservation aligned with the United Nations Forum on Forests. Side events engage actors from the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the World Health Organization, the International Plant Protection Convention, and civil society networks.

Key Decisions and Resolutions

Resolutions emerging from sessions have addressed regional frameworks for food security and nutrition programming consistent with the Zero Hunger Challenge and the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement, endorsements of regional strategies for aquaculture expansion, and calls for action on transboundary pests and diseases referenced to institutions like the World Organisation for Animal Health. The Conference has adopted policy guidance on trade-related phytosanitary standards connected to the World Trade Organization's Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, and on climate-smart agriculture promoted by United Nations Environment Programme partnerships.

Programs and Initiatives

Outcomes feed into FAO technical cooperation programmes including country-level projects with the Asian Development Bank, joint initiatives with the International Fund for Agricultural Development, and capacity-building through the Food and Agriculture Organization's regional projects on fisheries co-management, sustainable forest management, and agricultural extension modernization. The Conference has catalyzed initiatives with Bioversity International, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, and the WorldFish Center to scale up germplasm conservation, climate-resilient varieties, and coastal livelihood diversification.

Regional Partnerships and Collaboration

The Conference functions as a hub linking UN agencies — United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Children's Fund, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction — donor institutions such as the Asian Development Bank and the European Union, and research networks including Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions and CIRAD. It forges public–private engagement with bodies like the Global Environment Facility and philanthropic actors associated with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to mobilize finance for regional agricultural transformation.

Impact and Challenges

The Conference has influenced national policy reform, promoted transboundary cooperation on pest and disease outbreaks like locust incursions and avian influenza coordinated with the World Organisation for Animal Health, and supported regional responses to natural disasters impacting food systems such as cyclones in the Bay of Bengal and tsunamis affecting Pacific Islands. Persistent challenges include aligning diverse national priorities across populous states such as China and India with small island needs like Tuvalu, financing gaps amid global financial institutions constraints, and operationalizing commitments under multilateral climate instruments. Continued engagement with technical partners—including CGIAR centers, regional banks, and UN entities—remains central to translating Conference resolutions into measurable outcomes.

Category:Food and Agriculture Organization Category:International conferences Category:Asia-Pacific regional organisations