Regional Dialogue on Biodiversity Mainstreaming across Agricultural Sectors in the Near East and North Africa Region

3–5 November 2019, Kempinski Hotel, Amman, Jordan

Regional Dialogue on Biodiversity Mainstreaming across Agricultural Sectors in the Near East and North Africa Region

3–5 November 2019, Kempinski Hotel, Amman, Jordan

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS ROME, 2021 Required citation: FAO. 2021. Regional Dialogue on Biodiversity Mainstreaming across Agricultural Sectors in the Near East and North Africa Region. 3–5 November 2019, Kempinski Hotel, Amman, Jordan. Rome. https://doi.org/10.4060/cb5571en

The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by FAO in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned.

The views expressed in this information product are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of FAO.

ISBN 978-92-5-134678-5 © FAO, 2021

Some rights reserved. This work is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 IGO licence (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/igo/legalcode).

Under the terms of this licence, this work may be copied, redistributed and adapted for non-commercial purposes, provided that the work is appropriately cited. In any use of this work, there should be no suggestion that FAO endorses any specific organization, products or services. The use of the FAO logo is not permitted. If the work is adapted, then it must be licensed under the same or equivalent Creative Commons licence. If a translation of this work is created, it must include the following disclaimer along with the required citation: “This translation was not created by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). FAO is not responsible for the content or accuracy of this translation. The original [Language] edition shall be the authoritative edition.”

Disputes arising under the licence that cannot be settled amicably will be resolved by mediation and arbitration as described in Article 8 of the licence except as otherwise provided herein. The applicable mediation rules will be the mediation rules of the World Intellectual Property Organization http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/mediation/rules and any arbitration will be conducted in accordance with the Arbitration Rules of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL).

Third-party materials. Users wishing to reuse material from this work that is attributed to a third party, such as tables, figures or images, are responsible for determining whether permission is needed for that reuse and for obtaining permission from the copyright holder. The risk of claims resulting from infringement of any third-party-owned component in the work rests solely with the user.

Sales, rights and licensing. FAO information products are available on the FAO website (www.fao.org/publications) and can be purchased through [email protected]. Requests for commercial use should be submitted via: www.fao.org/contact-us/ licence-request. Queries regarding rights and licensing should be submitted to: [email protected]. Contents

Acknowledgements...... iv

Acronyms and abbreviations ...... v

1. Introduction...... 1

2. FAO’s consultations on biodiversity mainstreaming across agricultural sectors ...... 3

3. Regional dialogue structure ...... 5

4. Opening Session and the High-Level Segment...... 7

5. Highlights from the thematic and country experience plenary sessions:

Multi- stakeholder dialogue and consultations...... 9

6. Conclusions, regional priorities, and recommendations...... 15

7. Closing Session...... 17

8. References...... 19

Annex I – List of participants...... 23

Annex II – Full Programme...... 31 iv

Acknowledgements

FAO acknowledges the support of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Jordan, through its National Agricultural Research Center in Jordan, in the successful organisation of this event.

This report is part of a series of global knowledge products developed under the Multi-Donor Trust Fund project GCP/GLO/981/MUL. FAO acknowledges the financial contributions of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Swiss Confederation. v

Acronyms and abbreviations

AOAD Arab Organization for Agricultural Development

BFA Biodiversity for food and agriculture

CBD Convention on Biological Diversity

FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

GBF Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework

GEF Global Environment Facility

ITPGRFA The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

NARC National Agriculture Research Center

NBSAPs National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans

NENA Near East and North Africa

RNE FAO Regional Office for Near East and North Africa

SDGs Sustainable Development Goals

UN United Nations

viii Regional Dialogue on Biodiversity Mainstreaming Across Agricultural Sectors in the Near East and North Africa Region © FAO/Vyacheslav Oseledko FAO/Vyacheslav © 1

1. Introduction

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development puts biodiversity at the centre of many economic activities, particularly those related to the agricultural sectors and their sustainable management (UN, 2015). Moreover, it calls for the integration of biodiversity and ecosystem services concerns into national and local planning, development processes, and poverty reduction strategies, as well as for the promotion of the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and the appropriate access to such resources, as internationally agreed (UN, 2015).

Over the past decade, biodiversity mainstreaming has been gaining momentum in the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), particularly since the run-up to the 13th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). In 2017, the 40th session of the FAO Conference (FAO, 2017a) welcomed FAO’s initiative to act as a Biodiversity Mainstreaming Platform (FAO, 2018a) and requested the Organization:

to facilitate, in collaboration with its partners, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and other United Nations (UN) organizations, the integration in a structured and coherent manner of actions for the conservation, sustainable use, management and restoration of biological diversity across agricultural sectors at national, regional and international levels (FAO, 2017a).

In the following year, the FAO Council endorsed the development “of a strategy on biodiversity mainstreaming across agricultural sectors […] to be presented at the FAO Conference in 2019, in view of the preparation of the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)” (FAO, 2018b).

In this context, this report concisely introduces FAO’s work on biodiversity mainstreaming, including the regional consultations on the subject that took place in 2018 and 2019. It particularly focuses on the Regional Dialogue on Biodiversity Mainstreaming across Agricultural Sectors in the Near East and North Africa, held in Amman, Jordan, in November 2019. It outlines the main topics addressed in its opening, plenary, and closing sessions; and highlights the most relevant regional needs, priorities, and recommendations identified by the meeting participants. © FAO/Farshad Usyan 3

2. FAO’s consultations on biodiversity mainstreaming across agricultural sectors

Biodiversity and ecosystem services underpin our food and agricultural systems, increasing their resilience to shocks and stresses (FAO, 2019a). Moreover, they are a crucial component of food security and nutrition (FAO, 2020a) and significantly contribute to building sustainable and fair livelihoods (FAO, 2019a). However, biodiversity for food and agriculture is declining globally (FAO, 2019a) at an alarming rate (IPBES, 2019). The United Nations Decade on Biodiversity 2011-2020 came to an end with a striking message: none of the twenty Aichi Biodiversity Targets were fully achieved, including those relating to food and agriculture (Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, 2020). This illustrates the urgency and timeliness of mainstreaming biodiversity-friendly agricultural practices and discussing pathways to integrate biodiversity concerns into agricultural policy and decision making for a transformative Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and beyond and achieving the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs.

In this context, biodiversity mainstreaming can be understood as the process of embedding biodiversity concerns into existing or novel, sectoral or cross-sectoral, projects, policies, procedures, structures, and systems (CBD, 2011). Regarding more specifically the agricultural sectors, this process aims to, among other things, restore, conserve, and use biodiversity sustainably (FAO, 2018a), for healthier and more resilient systems. Also, it seeks to foster synergies between all sectors involved in food and agricultural production, breaking silos, and promoting dialogue.

Since its establishment, FAO has been providing a neutral and open forum for the discussion of biodiversity-related policies and the negotiation of agreements between its Members.1 FAO has a track record of pursuing its goal of making “agriculture, forestry and fisheries more sustainable” (Strategic Objective 2) and a longstanding history of collaboration with the CBD (FAO, 2017b). Over the past decade, the issue of mainstreaming biodiversity has gained institutional momentum. This is exemplified by the increased number of decisions issued by the FAO Governing Bodies2 calling for further leadership, coordination, cooperation, and efforts in this subject (FAO, 2012; 2016a,b,c; 2017c,d).

More specifically, in 2017 the 40th session of the FAO Conference (FAO, 2017a) welcomed “the call on FAO and countries to mainstream biodiversity in agriculture, including livestock, to promote its contribution to ecosystem services and to climate change adaptation and mitigation […]” (FAO, 2017a). Likewise, it requested the Organization “to facilitate, in collaboration with its partners, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and other UN organizations, the integration in a structured and coherent manner of actions for the conservation, sustainable use, management and restoration of biological diversity across agricultural sectors at national, regional and international levels (FAO, 2017a)”. The Conference also called upon the FAO Committee on Agriculture, the Committee on Fisheries, and the Committee on Forestry to address biodiversity as a cross-cutting issue at their next meetings in 2018 (FAO, 2017a).

1 In this context, FAO has been serving as a forum for the development of several different mechanisms, instruments, guidelines, and tools that address biodiversity concerns, including soft law instruments and voluntary guidelines, such as the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries; the global plans of action for animal, forest and plant genetic resources developed under the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture; the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security; the Principles for Responsible Investment in Agricultural and Food Systems; the International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management, the Revised World Soil Charter, the Voluntary Guidelines for Sustainable Soil Management and the International Code of Conduct for the Sustainable Use and Management of Fertilizers. See (FAO, 2019b). 2 See http://www.fao.org/unfao/govbodies/gsbhome/gsb-home/en/ 4 2. FAO’s consultations on biodiversity mainstreaming across agricultural sectors

In the following year, the FAO Council endorsed the development “of a strategy on biodiversity mainstreaming across agricultural sectors […] to be presented at the FAO Conference in 2019, in view of the preparation of the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) (FAO, 2018b).”

The first activity of FAO acting as the biodiversity mainstreaming platform was a Global Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue on Biodiversity Mainstreaming across Agricultural Sectors co-organized with CBD in Rome, from 29 to 31 May 2018 (FAO, 2019c). The dialogue results were made available through a joint report of the co-chairs of the four working groups3 formed during the event (FAO, 2018a). The report included a set of suggestions identified by the meeting participants within the following subject areas: (a) global governance, (b) national policies and legislation, and (c) incentives, investment and voluntary certification schemes (FAO, 2018a). Furthermore, it underscored three cross-cutting priorities, namely (a) the role of knowledge management as a crucial driver of transformation, (b) the importance of metrics and indicators for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, and (c) the need to prepare an institutional biodiversity strategy by 2020, in collaboration with partners and relevant stakeholders (FAO, 2018a).

Following the Global Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue, the FAO Technical Committees reviewed the meeting’s outcomes and supported the development of an FAO Biodiversity Mainstreaming Strategy (FAO, 2019d,e,f). As part of the Strategy’s development process, FAO organised four regional dialogues between 2018 and 2019 to discuss biodiversity mainstreaming, also in close collaboration with the CBD Secretariat. These events provided inputs to the Strategy and post-2020 GBF processes. They were held in Latin America and the Caribbean (FAO and SRE, 2018), Asia and the Pacific, Africa, and the Near East and North Africa regions. In 2019, the 163rd Session of the FAO Council adopted the Strategy on Mainstreaming Biodiversity across Agricultural Sectors (FAO, 2019b), commending its inclusive development and requesting FAO to prepare a draft Action Plan for its implementation, which is currently under development.

The Strategy aims to mainstream biodiversity across agricultural sectors at national, regional and international levels in a structured and coherent manner, taking into account national priorities, needs, regulations and policies and country programming frameworks. The expected result of the application of the Strategy would be to reduce the negative impacts of agricultural practices on biodiversity, to promote sustainable agricultural practices and to conserve, enhance, preserve and restore biodiversity as a whole.

Given this overview of FAO’s consultations on biodiversity mainstreaming across agricultural sectors, the following sections focus on the regional meeting convened in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region, emphasizing its main contributions to the institutional and global processes for the integration biodiversity concerns into policy and decision-making related to agriculture.

3 Namely: biodiversity mainstreaming through global governance (WG1), biodiversity mainstreaming through national policies and legislation (WG2), biodiversity mainstreaming through incentives and investment (WG3), and biodiversity mainstreaming along value chains: voluntary certification schemes. 5

3. Regional dialogue structure

The Regional Dialogue on Biodiversity Mainstreaming across Agricultural Sectors in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) Region was held from 3 to 5 November 2019 at the Kempinski Hotel, in Amman, Jordan. It was co-organised by FAO and the National Agricultural Research Center in Jordan (NARC), part of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Jordan, in close collaboration with the CBD Secretariat. The meeting convened 76 stakeholders for three days of discussion and exchange. They represented 14 different countries, including Ministries of Agriculture and Ministries of Environment, regional and international research institutions, UN Organizations, NGOs, the private sector, and civil society.4

The Dialogue aimed at (a) gathering regional feedback on the draft FAO Strategy on Biodiversity Mainstreaming across the Agricultural Sectors; (b) increasing awareness of the importance of biodiversity and nature benefits for food and agriculture; (c) providing a forum for the exchange of knowledge, good practices, and lessons learned on biodiversity mainstreaming between different stakeholders; and (d), in the context of the post-2020 GBF, identifying regional and national priorities for the agricultural sectors. The full agenda is available in Annex II.

Over the first two days, the participants had the chance to engage in seven different plenary sessions, each followed by a round of discussions, as well as the opening and closing sessions.5 The thematic plenary sessions I, II, IV, and VI discussed cross-cutting issues related to biodiversity conservation, restoration, sustainable use, and management. In the country experience plenary sessions III, V, and VII, country representatives from three subregions presented national experiences. From theory to practice, the third day consisted of field visits to the NARC,6 the Jordanian Beekeepers Association,7 and the Royal Botanic Garden of Jordan,8 with on-site presentations and further opportunities for information exchange.

The next sections will highlight the main topics discussed in the opening and seven plenary sessions, pointing out the main biodiversity loss drivers, challenges, and key messages identified by the meeting participants.

4 See Annex I for the list of participants. 5 See Annex II for the full programme. 6 See National Agricultural Research Center [online]. Jordan. [15 December 2020]. https://portal.jordan.gov.jo/ 7 See Jordanian Beekeepers Association [online]. Jordan. [15 December 2020]. http://www.jordanbeekeeping.org/en 8 See Royal Botanic Garden [online]. Jordan. [15 December 2020]. http://royalbotanicgarden.org © Unsplash/Marek Brzoska 7

4. Opening Session and the High-Level Segment

The opening session took place on 3 November 2019, and was divided into welcoming remarks and keynote addresses.9 It provided an overview of the biodiversity status in the NENA region, setting the tone for the plenary discussions.

Mr René Castro-Salazar (FAO) opened the Dialogue. He underlined that biodiversity is the cornerstone of sustainable development and food security and nutrition. He stressed the interconnectedness between the biodiversity, climate, and environmental agendas and the need for urgent, coordinated action to advance them. He underscored the high costs of policy inaction, emphasizing the importance of multi-stakeholder partnerships in the transformation of our food systems. According to Mr Castro-Salazar, the increasing global population, water scarcity, and climate change consequences will significantly impact agricultural production. Therefore, it is essential to urgently act on these issues, safeguarding biodiversity for the present and future generations.

Subsequently, H.E. Ibrahim Al-Shahahdeh (Minister of Agriculture and Environment of Jordan) welcomed all delegates and representatives at the meeting. H.E. Al-Shahahdeh spoke of the main challenges for biodiversity mainstreaming in Jordan, including climate change, external and internal displacement, deforestation, soil degradation, and diets simplification. He highlighted Jordan’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) (Ministry of Environment, 2015) and its new vision for biodiversity, namely “by 2050, the biodiversity of Jordan is valued for its national heritage vitality, conserved for the wellbeing and enjoyment of people, and sustainably used for the benefits of current and future generations.” H.E. Al- Shahahdeh concluded by showcasing the successful example of the National Agricultural Law enacted in 2015, which provides for the protection of soils and biodiversity and led to an increase in the coverage of both terrestrial and marine protected areas.

Mr Jean-Marc Faurès (on behalf of Mr Abdessalam Ould Ahmed, Regional Assistant Director- General at the FAO Regional Office for Near East and North Africa) stressed the important role of agriculture in the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. Mr Faurès emphasized that many recently published assessments address the issue of biodiversity loss, with converging and alarming results. He called attention to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Global Assessment report’s findings that over 1,000,000 species are currently threatened with extinction around the globe (IPBES, 2019). In addition Mr Faurès presented the findings of FAO’s State of the World’s Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture report (FAO, 2019a) which was developed through a country-driven process, with 91 country submissions on the national status and trends of biodiversity for food and agriculture (BFA). Thirteen submissions were from the NENA region. The report underscores that crucial components of BFA “at genetic, species, and ecosystem levels are in decline,” and that further action is needed to promote synergies in the management of all components of biodiversity (FAO, 2019a).

Her Royal Highness Princess Basma Bint Ali (Royal Marine Conservation Society of Jordan and the National Biodiversity Committee in Jordan) highlighted the importance of nature’s provisioning, supporting, regulating, and cultural services and their contributions to livelihoods and food security. She addressed the anthropogenic causes of biodiversity loss and underlined the relevance of supporting ecological processes, boosting soil health, increasing water availability, improving pest and disease control, and enhancing pollination to agrobiodiversity. In addition, Her Royal Highness called for profound transformational changes in agricultural systems management, encouraging NENA countries to advance their NBSAPs and promote collective, multi-stakeholder action.

9 See Annex II for the full programme. 8 4. Opening Session and the High-Level Segment

Mr David Cooper (Convention on Biological Diversity) presented a video message on behalf of Ms Cristiana Pasca Palmer, the CBD Executive Secretary, stressing that biodiversity is crucial for food security, agricultural productivity, and food systems resilience. This is particularly evident in the NENA region and the Fertile Crescent, where agriculture began with the domestication of previously wild plants. Mr Cooper recalled that Parties at the 13th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, held in December 2016, called for the mainstreaming of biodiversity across all agricultural sectors, adopted the Cancún Declaration,10 and welcomed FAO acting as a platform on biodiversity mainstreaming.

Mainstreaming responds to the need to build bridges between the agricultural and the environmental sectors, and it is becoming an increasingly important vehicle to promote sustainable practices. Mr Cooper emphasized that the voices, knowledge, experience, and commitment from the agricultural sectors are essential to design an effective and ambitious post-2020 GBF. He concluded by underlining that a robust, transformative global framework will serve as one of the pillars of the international environmental architecture to help deliver the 2030 agenda for sustainable development, eradicating all forms of poverty and leaving no one behind.

10 See https://www.cbd.int/cop/cop-13/hls/cancun%20declaration-en.pdf 9

5. Highlights from the thematic and country experience plenary sessions: Multi- stakeholder dialogue and consultations

The thematic plenary sessions (I, II, IV, and VI) took place on 2 and 3 November 2019.11 They addressed cross- cutting issues related to the conservation, restoration, sustainable use, and management of biodiversity. These included, among other topics, agroecosystem management, the role of the private sector and partnerships, and the contributions of traditional knowledge, women, and youth. The main topics conveyed by the speakers are highlighted below.

In Plenary Session I, Integrating biodiversity conservation into agroecosystem management, Mr Nizar Haddad (National Agricultural Research Center NARC) outlined the Jordanian NBSAP commitments related to food, agriculture, and nutrition, and a series of suggestions for the international community, including mobilizing resources, developing policies, and strengthening reporting for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity Ms Fida’a Al-Rawabdeh, (Arab Organization for Agricultural Development AOAD), gave an outline of AOAD programme priorities and the role of the Specialized Arab Networks (such as the Network for Plant Genetic Resources) in mainstreaming biodiversity in the RNE Region, providing examples of the Networks’ programmes, including regional capacity-building programmes for the conservation of terrestrial genetic resources.

Plenary Session II provided an introduction to the FAO strategy on mainstreaming biodiversity across agricultural sectors. Mr Paulo Lourenço Dias Nunes (FAO) presented the draft FAO Strategy on Mainstreaming Biodiversity across Agricultural Sectors. He explained that, after the approval of the Strategy by the FAO governing bodies, an Action Plan would be developed to translate its goals and operating principles into a set of tangible actions to achieve its four outcomes. These outcomes are (a) providing support to FAO Members, at their request, to enhance their capacity to mainstream biodiversity; (b) mainstreaming biodiversity across FAO’s policies, programs and activities; (c) supporting the global recognition of the biodiversity’s and ecosystem services’ role in achieving food security and nutrition; and (d) strengthening the coordination and delivery of FAO’s work on biodiversity. Mr Lourenço Dias Nunes noted that multi-stakeholder collaboration and engagement would be essential for the Action Plan’s successful development and implementation at institutional, national, regional, and international levels.

Ms Fatma AbouZaid (FAO) introduced the concept of agroecology and its potential to tackle agrobiodiversity losses. Ms AbouZaid noted the FAO Regional Conference’s request, at its 34th session, to strengthen the organisation’s work in the field of agroecology, within the context of the United Nations (UN) Decade of Family Farming 2019-2028, the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition 2016-2025, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (FAO, 2019g). The Regional Conference also recognised the contribution of agroecology to climate change adaptation and encouraged the NENA countries to consider agroecology as a relevant approach to agricultural development.

Closing the session, Mr Khaled Abulaila (FAO) emphasized the role of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) in biodiversity mainstreaming. Mr Abulaila also underlined challenges and recommendations concerning plant genetic resources for food and agriculture , including the need to bring the discussions closer to the livestock sector.

Plenary session IV discussed the role of finance, private sector and innovative partnerships in promoting mainstreaming of biodiversity, with a panel of representatives from the academia, small business, and non-

11 See Annex II for the full programme. 10 5. Highlights from the thematic and country experience plenary sessions: Multi- stakeholder dialogue and consultations

governmental organizations. In this context, Mr Adil Omer Salih Abdelrahim (Association of Agricultural Research Institutions in the Near East and North Africa AARINENA) focused his presentation on the agricultural research’s role in identifying good agricultural practices, sustainably using biodiversity resources, and determining which native species are suitable for ecological restoration or boosting agricultural productivity.

Ms Maude Veyret-Picot (FAO) provided an overview of the FAO-GEF biodiversity portfolio and related resource allocation. Ms Veyret-Picot also presented the FAO-GEF Coordination Unit’s biodiversity programming objectives for 2018-2022, which include (a) mainstream biodiversity across sectors as well as landscapes and seascapes; (b) address direct drivers to protect habitats and species; and (c) further develop biodiversity policy and institutional frameworks.

Ms Arwa Salim (Moringa Oleifera Company Jordan) explained the characteristics and many uses of the Moringa Oleifera plant and its positive impacts on human health and nature. Ms Salim spoke of the role of Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in promoting the integration of biodiversity concerns into nutrition.

Ms Devra I. Jarvis (Biodiversity International) gave examples of innovative partnerships for mainstreaming agrobiodiversity and improving production, health and wellbeing.

Plenary Session VI traditional knowledge, gender and youth innovation for biodiversity conservation in agriculture sectors in the NENA region concluded the thematic sessions. Participants acknowledged that biodiversity conservation is a responsibility of governments and NGOs, the private sector, and society as whole. The discussion yielded evidenced views and good examples of the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration in achieving common goals.

Ms Fida’a Al- Rawabdeh (Arab Organization for Agricultural Development Jordan) provided a snapshot of AOAD’s activities in the areas of traditional knowledge, rural women, and innovation for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use including the Smart Agriculture Initiative, and the guidelines for developing legislation in the field of plant and animal genetic resources.12

Mr Ahmad Mayyas (Massafat Without Borders Agricultural Association) presented his organisation’s mission and vision, which provides advisory and capacity building services to local farmers.

Mr Nizar Haddad highlighted the relevance of pollinators, especially honeybees, in biodiversity conservation, and outlined some general recommendations. Mr Haddad also presented Jordan’s national honeybee conservation programme.

The Country Experience Plenary Sessions (III, V, and VII) also took place on 2 and 3 November 2019.13 In these sessions, country representatives provided examples of national biodiversity mainstreaming challenges and opportunities, as well as on the integration of agricultural concerns into their NBSAPs. They shared their experiences in bridging the gaps between working areas relating to the restoration, conservation, and sustainable use of biodiversity of relevant ministries (such as Agriculture and Environment).

12 More information and publications available at www.aoad.org. 13 See Annex II for the full programme. Regional Dialogue on Biodiversity Mainstreaming across Agricultural Sectors in the Near East and North Africa Region 11

Country representatives were divided into subregional groups for these plenaries, as follows:

ƒ Plenary session III, Mashreq Group: ƒ Ms Mona Siblini (Ministry of Agriculture Lebanon); ƒ Mr Ayman Hamada (Ministry of Environment Egypt); and ƒ Mr Issa Albardeiya (Environment Quality Authority Palestine). ƒ Plenary session V, Gulf Cooperation Council Group: ƒ Mr Sadiq Isa Mansoor (Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Bahrain); ƒ Mr Abdulhakim Abdullah (Ministry of Water and Environment Yemen); ƒ Ms Nadiah Al-Saqer (Public Authority for Environment Kuwait); ƒ Ms Roaa Atiyah Ithawi (Ministry of Agriculture Iraq), and ƒ Mr Raed Ammar AlSufyani (Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Saudi Arabia). ƒ Plenary session VII, Maghreb Group and Sudan: ƒ Mr Fathi Goma Al Sghair (Faculty of Science, Université of Tripoli Libya); ƒ Ms El Khitma Elawad Ahmed (High Council for Environment and Natural Resources the Sudan); ƒ Mr Abderrazak Jilal (National Agricultural Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture Morocco); and ƒ Mr Alexis Bonte (FAO).

At the end of each country experience plenary session, each subregional group presented a report highlighting the group’s shared ideas, suggestions, and priorities for biodiversity mainstreaming. These are summarised in the Table 1.

In this context a set of identified biodiversity loss drivers and challenges and key messages can be distilled from the thematic and country experience plenary sessions. They are further described in subsections 5.1 and 5.2.

5.1 Drivers of biodiversity loss and challenges identified by the speakers and meeting participants

Over the seven plenary sessions that marked the first two days of the Dialogue, the speakers and meeting participants identified, among other things, the following issues as relevant drivers of biodiversity loss and central challenges for biodiversity mainstreaming in the NENA Region:

ƒ Climate change. The NENA Region is one of the most vulnerable areas in the world to climate change and its consequences, including sea-level rise, desertification, increased water scarcity and salinity.

ƒ Unsustainable agricultural practices, including intensive agricultural systems, cultivation expansion into marginal areas, overexploitation of natural pastures and grazing lands, overfishing, changes in land and water use and management, deforestation and forest fires, coastal erosion, and dunes movement. These practices pose threats to the regional biodiversity and often impact livelihoods and communities’ resilience, as well as the degradation of traditional farming systems.

ƒ Unsustainable management of plant genetic resources, which encompass habitat conversion, leading to the loss of important local varieties and the replacement of diverse landraces by new cultivars with a narrower genetic base.

ƒ Socio-economic drivers such as population growth, harmful subsidies, increasing urbanisation, forced migration, low awareness levels, fluctuating markets, lack of secure tenure and jobs, armed conflicts, and unstable political scenarios that often delay conservation work and NBSAPs’ implementation. 12 5. Highlights from the thematic and country experience plenary sessions: Multi- stakeholder dialogue and consultations

Table 1. Subregional groups’ shared ideas, suggestions, and priorities

Subregional Group Shared ideas, suggestions, and priorities for biodiversity mainstreaming

Mashreq Group ƒ Supporting capacity building and strengthening scientific research. ƒ Reviewing and updating existing laws support the mainstreaming of biodiversity into the food and agricultural sectors (BFA).

ƒ Mapping agrobiodiversity hotspots. ƒ Documenting traditional knowledge practices that are relevant to agrobiodiversity, including those related to edible, wild species.

ƒ Monitoring and assessing socially important species for BFA. ƒ Mobilising resources.

Gulf Cooperation Council Group ƒ Establishing genebanks. ƒ Building capacity of stakeholders in the food and agricultural sectors, including on invasive species assessment, and natural capital accounting.

ƒ Implementing national policy frameworks on biosafety. ƒ Supporting the sustainable management and restoration of rangeland. ƒ Strengthening human and institutional capacities related to agrobiodiversity in the public, private, and civil society sectors.

ƒ Mobilizing funds and developing project proposals for biodiversity mainstreaming.

ƒ Improving data collection and database development on BFA, and providing technical support in the field.

ƒ Enhancing ecosystems and agroecosystems resilience. ƒ Promoting the sustainable use and management of natural resources, including genetic resources for food and agriculture, forests, land, water, and the environment as whole. Maghreb Countries and Sudan Raising awareness on BFA. Group ƒ Promoting technology transfer. ƒ Advancing and promoting gender equality. ƒ Fostering technical and scientific collaboration. ƒ Improving and implementing biodiversity governance. ƒ Mobilising resources for biodiversity-based programmes. ƒ Promoting synergies between local knowledge and biodiversity. ƒ Building capacity on the conservation and sustainable use of BFA. Regional Dialogue on Biodiversity Mainstreaming across Agricultural Sectors in the Near East and North Africa Region 13

5.2 Key messages from the speakers and meeting participants

The speakers and meeting participants conveyed several key messages, which can be divided into four thematic groups:

ƒ Importance of biodiversity for food and agriculture: ƒ BFA is crucial for ecosystem resilience, sustainable livelihoods, food security, and healthy diets. ƒ Traditional and local knowledge are critical components of BFA, and this important link should be acknowledged.

ƒ Pollination is relevant for the integration of biodiversity concerns into agricultural policy and decision-making.

ƒ Plant genetic resources: ƒ The ITPGRFA is a pivotal instrument in mainstreaming biodiversity. ƒ Crop wild relatives increase yields, increase resilience to pests and diseases, contribute to the global economy, reduce agricultural inputs, contribute to food security, and are more resilient to climate change.

ƒ Cross-sectoral and inclusive governance: ƒ Women, indigenous peoples, local communities, and NGOs play essential roles in promoting healthy diets and sustainable food systems.

ƒ Farmers and farmers’ associations should be equitably and meaningfully engaged in biodiversity mainstreaming.

ƒ Different stakeholders from various sectors such as agriculture, environment, health and nutrition are already engaged in biodiversity mainstreaming. Further collaboration, cooperation, and coordination between them are needed.

ƒ Multi-stakeholder partnerships are fundamental in the conservation and sustainable use of BFA, as well as in the promotion of local biodiversity and knowledge.

ƒ Regional networks play a central role in biodiversity mainstreaming, especially in implementing regional and capacity building programmes.

ƒ Improving biodiversity governance is crucial. Natural resources use and management need to be addressed more coherently at regional level, considering existing policies, strategies and plans.

ƒ Inter-sectoral, multi-stakeholder, and interagency cooperation is crucial for achieving the SDGs, as well as for the development and implementation of comprehensive NBSAPs.

ƒ Awareness-raising and capacity building: ƒ Agricultural research, technical and scientific collaboration, and technology transfer have a vital role in the restoration, conservation, and sustainable use of biodiversity for food and agriculture.

ƒ Capacity building is fundamental to advance the biodiversity agenda, particularly in the following areas: agroecology, geographic indications, natural capital accounting, invasive species, biosafety, and rangeland management.

ƒ It is also necessary to raise awareness about tools to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity.

. 14 Regional Dialogue on Biodiversity Mainstreaming across Agricultural Sectors in the Near East and North Africa Region © Unsplash/Marek Brzoska 15

6. Conclusions, regional priorities, and recommendations

The Regional Dialogue on Biodiversity Mainstreaming Across Agricultural Sectors in the Near East and North Africa Region provided a platform for knowledge and experience sharing between FAO Members and other food system stakeholders, raising awareness of the importance of integrating biodiversity concerns into the agricultural sectors.

Meeting participants also had the chance to engage in a series of panel discussions that addressed the drivers of biodiversity loss, biodiversity-friendly practices and initiatives, challenges, needs, and priorities in biodiversity mainstreaming, National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans, and FAO’s Strategy. The speakers and meeting participants identified the following regional needs and priorities for the integration of biodiversity concerns into the crop, livestock, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture sectors:

ƒ Compiling, assessing, and disseminating data on BFA in the NENA Region. This includes: (a) gathering more information about the status and benefits of BFA; (b) strengthening national capacities to map and assess agrobiodiversity; (c) mapping and identifying biodiversity hotspots; (d) reinforcing scientific research; and (e) raising awareness about the importance of biodiversity at all levels.

ƒ Documenting traditional and local knowledge practices that contribute to agrobiodiversity. This includes: (a) evaluating the economic and nutritional value of local varieties and landraces; and (b) supporting data collection.

ƒ Developing policies, laws, and enabling frameworks at a national and regional level. This encompasses: (a) reviewing and updating existing policies and laws to better support BFA; (b) developing well-defined regional and national biodiversity strategies and plans, with a set of tangible actions cutting across different sectors related to food and agricultural production;(c) promoting subsidies that are biodiversity- oriented; and (d) promoting Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) certification schemes for fair and equitable benefit-sharing.

ƒ Ensuring an inclusive biodiversity mainstreaming process. This includes (a) providing for the engagement of all relevant stakeholders in the implementation of regional and national biodiversity strategies and plans and (b) the wellbeing of smallholder farmers.

ƒ Supporting biodiversity-friendly practices, projects, and initiatives. This comprises: (a) encouraging and improving capacity-building programmes tailored to the civil society, and the public and private sectors; (b) promoting in situ and ex situ conservation programmes; (c) promoting initiatives for the protection of pollinators; (d) supporting the establishment of genetic conservation canters and gene banks; (e) sponsoring actions for the sustainable use and management of natural resources.

ƒ Increasing investment in and mobilising resources for the restoration, conservation, and sustainable use of BFA, including through international financing institutions such as the GEF.

A set of general recommendations was drawn from the Dialogue, summarising the three-day discussions and bringing the meeting to a successful conclusion. They reflect the views of the participants, as follows:

ƒ Developing a community of practice for biodiversity professionals in the region, bringing together the environmental and agricultural communities, and taking advantage of existing networks, initiatives, and structures.

ƒ Identifying data gaps and improving data collection regarding biodiversity-friendly practices and the status of biodiversity for food and agriculture in the region. Reliable data is crucial to establish baselines, agree on tangible targets, and monitor progress towards the agreed targets. 16 6. Conclusions, regional priorities, and recommendations

ƒ Continuing fostering synergies between the environmental and agricultural sectors and improving coordination between them. That includes developing and promoting platforms for cross-sectoral dialogue at the regional and country levels.

ƒ Raising awareness of the restoration, conservation, and sustainable use of biodiversity for food and agriculture, as well as the importance of biodiversity and nature benefits for different stakeholder groups.

ƒ Scaling-up capacity building and educational efforts in the field of biodiversity mainstreaming, building on existing programs and initiatives.

ƒ Documenting good practices and elaborating on their contribution to safeguarding biodiversity for food and agriculture.

ƒ Creating enabling environments for innovation. This could be achieved through knowledge-sharing activities and the replication of successful initiatives, such as innovation platforms.

Participants identified two main strategies to implement these recommendations, namely through partnerships and finance. They highlighted the importance of developing a regional partnership to improve coordination and leverage the skills, resources, and knowledge of the stakeholders represented at the meeting.

Participants emphasized the relevance of mobilizing and scaling-up funding for mainstreaming initiatives, taking advantage of existing financial resources and mechanisms such as the GEF. Lastly, they requested FAO support to achieve these recommendations, as appropriate and according to Country Programming Frameworks. 17

7. Closing Session

Mr Jean-Marc Faurès (FAO RNE), concluded the Dialogue by thanking the participants for their active attendance. He noted that this was the first meeting in the NENA Region to specifically address the integration of biodiversity concerns into the crop, livestock, forestry, fisheries, and aquaculture sectors.

Mr Faurès noted that the meeting had been an opportunity for country-level engagement in the regional biodiversity and post-2020 global biodiversity framework processes that paved the way for further cooperation, partnerships, and regional events in biodiversity mainstreaming. He also noted that implementing the meeting recommendations will require action at the country, sub-regional, and regional levels, and fruitful interactions between key stakeholders from the environmental and agricultural sectors. The recommendations will be further reviewed and prioritized, and will contribute to the FAO RNE’s Programme of Work for the biennium 2020-2021. 18 Regional Dialogue on Biodiversity Mainstreaming across Agricultural Sectors in the Near East and North Africa Region © FAO/Sergey Kozmin © FAO/Sergey Regional Dialogue on Biodiversity Mainstreaming across Agricultural Sectors in the Near East and North Africa Region 19

8. References

CBD (Convention on Biological Diversity). 2011. NBSAP training modules version 2.1 – Module 3. Mainstreaming biodiversity into national sectoral and cross-sectoral strategies, policies, plans and programs. Montreal. 39 pp. (also available at https://www.cbd.int/doc/training/nbsap/b3-train- mainstream-revised-en.pdf). FAO. 2012. Report of the Council of FAO, Hundred and Forty-fifth Session. Rome, 3–7 December 2012. CL 145/REP. Rome. (also available at http://www.fao.org/3/mf558e/mf558e.pdf). FAO. 2016a. Report of the Thirty-second Session of the Committee on Fisheries. 11–15 July 2016. FIAP/R1167. Rome. (also available at http://www.fao.org/3/i6882e/i6882e.pdf). FAO. 2016b. Strategy for FAO’s Work on Climate Change. Committee on Agriculture, Twenty-fifth Session. Rome, 26–30 September 2016. COAG/2016/7/Rev.1. (also available at http://www.fao.org/3/mr237e/ mr237e.pdf). FAO. 2016c. Report of the Council of FAO. Hundred and Fifty-fifth Session, Rome, 5–9 December 2016. CL 155/REP. (also available at http://www.fao.org/3/ms339e/ms339e.pdf). FAO. 2017a. Report of the Conference of FAO. Fortieth Session, Rome, Italy, 3-8 July 2017. C 2017/REP. (also available at http://www.fao.org/3/a-mu208e.pdf). FAO. 2017b. C 2017/33. Outcome of the 13th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity: Mainstreaming Biodiversity across Agricultural Sectors [online]. Conference. Fortieth Session, Rome, 3–8 July 2017. [Cited 11 December 2020]. http://www.fao.org/3/a-mt376e.pdf FAO. 2017c. Report of the 25th Session of the Committee on Agriculture. Rome, 26–30 September 2016. Conference Fortieth Session. C 2017/21. (also available at http://www.fao.org/3/mr949e/mr949e.pdf). FAO. 2017d. Report of the Council of FAO. Hundred and Fifty-sixth Session Rome, 24–28 April 2017. CL 156/REP. (also available at http://www.fao.org/3/mt380e/mt380e.pdf). FAO. 2018a. FAO Biodiversity Mainstreaming Platform [online]. Rome. [Cited 21 December 2020] http://www.fao.org/biodiversity/mainstreaming-platform/en/

FAO. 2018b. Report of the Council of FAO. [online]. Council. Hundred and Sixtieth Session, Rome, 3-7 December 2018. CL 160/REP. [Cited 11 December 2020]. http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/bodies/ CL_160/CL160_Report/MY722_CL_160_REP_en.pdf, paras. 6(o), 8(m), and 9(d). FAO. 2019a. The State of the World’s Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture. J. Bélanger & D. Pilling, eds. FAO Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture Assessments. Rome. 572 pp. (also available at http://www.fao.org/3/CA3129EN/CA3129EN.pdf). FAO. 2019b. FAO Strategy on Mainstreaming Biodiversity across Agricultural Sectors [online]. Council. Hundred and Sixty-third Session, Rome, 2–6 December 2010. CL 163/11 Rev. 1. [Cited 26 March 2021]. http://www.fao.org/3/nb349en/nb349en.pdf FAO. 2019c. Report of the Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue on Biodiversity Mainstreaming across Agricultural Sectors. Rome, FAO. 54 pp. (also available online at http://www.fao.org/3/ca1352en/ca1352en.pdf) FAO. 2019d. Report of the 26th Session of the Committee on Agriculture. Rome, 1–5 October 2018. Conference. Forty-first Session. Rome, 22–29 June 2019. C 2019/21 Rev.1 (also available at http://www.fao.org/3/my349en/my349en.pdf). 20 8. References

FAO. 2019e. Report of the 33rd Session of the Committee on Fisheries. Rome, 9–13 July 2018. Conference. Forty-first Session. Rome, 22–29 June 2019. C 2019/23 (also available at http://www.fao.org/3/ mx970en/mx970en.pdf). FAO. 2019f. Report of the 24th Session of the Committee on Forestry. Rome, 16–20 July 2018. Conference. Forty-first Session. Rome, 22–29 June 2019. C 2019/24 (also available at http://www.fao.org/3/ mx775en/mx775en.pdf).

FAO. 2019g. C 2019/18 Rev.1. Report of the 34th Session of the Regional Conference for the Near East (Rome, Italy, 7-11 May 2018) [online]. Conference. Forty-first Session, Rome, 22-29 June 2019. [Cited 28 December 2020] http://www.fao.org/3/mv909en/mv909en.pdf FAO. 2020a. How the world’s food security depends on biodiversity. Rome. 19 pp. (also available at http://www.fao.org/3/cb0416en/CB0416EN.pdf). FAO & SRE. 2018. Report to the High-Level Regional Dialogue on the Mainstreaming of Biodiversity in the Agricultural, Forestry, and Fisheries Sectors (DRANIBA) – Towards the mainstreaming of biodiversity in food systems and agricultural, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture production processes in Latin America and the Caribbean. Santiago. 44 pp. (also available at http://www.fao.org/3/ca4924en/ ca4924en.pdf) IPBES (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services). 2019. Summary for policymakers of the global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. S. Díaz, J. Settele, E.S. Brondízio, H.T. Ngo, M. Guèze, J. Agard, A. Arneth et al., eds. IPBES secretariat, Bonn, Germany. 56 pp. Ministry of Environment. 2015. The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2015-2020. Jordan. 89 pp. (also available at https://www.cbd.int/doc/world/jo/jo-nbsap-v2-en.pdf) Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. 2020. Global Biodiversity Outlook 5. Montreal. 210 pp. (also available at https://www.cbd.int/gbo/gbo5/publication/gbo-5-en.pdf) UN (United Nations). 2015. A/RES/70/1. Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development [online]. General Assembly. Seventieth session, New York, 25 September 2015. [Cited 21 December 2020]. https://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/70/1&Lang=E

Regional Dialogue on Biodiversity Mainstreaming across Agricultural Sectors in the Near East and North Africa Region 21 © Unsplash/Marek Brzoska Unsplash/Marek © ©FAO/Hebatallah Fahmy Annex I – List of participants

Member countries

BAHRAIN Khaled ABULAILA Director of Plant Biodiversity and Genetic Resources Sadiq Isa Mansoor Hussain MOHAMED National Agricultural Research Center (NARC) Chief of Palm and Fruit trees Section PO Box 639, Baqa’a, 19381 Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Amman, Jordan Planning Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain Hesham ATHMNEH Director of Public Relations and National EGYPT Cooperation NARC Omran Nasser Ibrahim GHALY Amman, Jordan Researcher Desert Research Centre Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Muna SABA Cairo, Egypt Director of Environment and Climate Change Directorate (NARC) Amman, Jordan Ayman Hamada AHMED General Manager of Species Diversity Nature Conservation Sector, Banan AL-SHAGOUR Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency Director of Bee Research Directorate Cabinet of Ministers NARC Ministry of Environment Amman, Jordan Cairo, Egypt

Masnat AL HIARY JORDAN Director of the Socio-economic Research Directorate NARC Nizar Jamal HADDAD Amman, Jordan Director General National Agriculture Research Center (NARC) Ministry of Agriculture Nizar OBEIDAT Amman, Jordan Researcher National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) Irbid, Jordan 24 Annex I – List of Participants

Arwa AL-MAQABLEH Manager Wisam OBEIDAT Velvety Plant Company Researcher Amman, Jordan National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) Amman, Jordan

Yahya SHAKHATREH Director of Field Crops Belal QLISHAT NARC Head of Biodiversity Section Amman, Jordan Ministry of Environment Amman, Jordan

Khaldoun AL-AWAMLEH Engineer Rana MUHAISEN Forestry Department Rangeland Biodiversity Researcher Ministry of Agriculture NARC Amman, Jordan Amman, Jordan

Basel OBAIDAT Faddel ISMAIL Engineer Director of Biotechnology Directorate NARC NARC Amman, Jordan Amman, Jordan

Mona MASHAL Jehad QBAILAT Engineer Director NARC Agricultural Credit Corporation Amman, Jordan Ministry of Agriculture

Sami AWABDEH IRAQ Director of Livestock Directorate NARC Roaa Atiyah ITHAWI Amman, Jordan Agricultural Engineering Planning and Follow-up Section Ministry of Agriculture Ziad TAHABSOM Baghdad, Iraq Genebank Manager NARC Amman, Jordan KUWAIT

Nadiah ALSAQER Fardous Abdel NABI Senior Biological Specialist Consultant Public Authority for Environment Amman, Jordan Kuwait Regional Dialogue on Biodiversity Mainstreaming across Agricultural Sectors in the Near East and North Africa Region 25

Husam TLAIB LEBANON Director-General of Forests and Rangeland Ministry of Agriculture Mona SIBLINI Ramallah, State of Palestine Head of the Horticulture and Field Crops Service Ministry of Agriculture Beirut, Lebanon SAUDI ARABIA

Raed Ammar ALSUFYANI LIBYA Biologist Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture Fathi Goma AL SGHAIR Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Staff Member at Tripoli University University of Tripoli Tripoli, Libya SUDAN

El Khitma Elawad AHMED MAURITANIA Hight Council for Environment and Natural Resources Khartoum, Sudan Moussa SOW Ministry of Agriculture Nouakchott, Mauritania Sumaya Ismail FAIQ Vice-Dean of Genetic Resources and Biodiversity Administration MOROCCO Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Khartoum, Sudan Abderrazak JILAL Barley Breeder National Agricultural Research Institute Ministry of Agriculture YEMEN Rabat, Morocco Abdulhakim Abdullah Rageh AULAIAH CBD National Coordinator OMAN Environment Protection Authority Ministry of Water and Environment Shamah ZAKI Aden, Yemen Fishery Expert Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries Muscat, Oman

PALESTINE

Issa ALBARDEIYA Director General Environmental Resources Directorate Environment Quality Authority State of Palestine 26 Annex I – List of Participants

Maude Veryret PICOT Representatives of Senior Officer Food and Agriculture Organization of the United United Nations and Nations (FAO) specialized agencies Rome, Italy

Alexis BONTE Food and Agriculture Organization of the United FAO Representative in Jordan Nations (FAO) Amman, Jordan

René CASTRO-SALAZAR Assistant Director-General Sally BERMAN Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Partnership Officer Nations (FAO) FAO Representation in Jordan Viale delle Terme di Caracalla Amman, Jordan 00153 Rome, Italy

Talal ALFAYEZ Jean-Marc FAURÈS Consultant Regional Programme Leader FAO Representation in Jordan Regional Office for Near East and North Africa (RNE) Amman, Jordan Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) 11, Al Eslah El Zerai St., Dokki Dima AL KHAYYAT Cairo, Egypt Communications Assistant FAO Representation in Jordan Amman, Jordan

Mohamed ABDELMONEM Senior Advisor Ferras AL BAKHIT Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa Programme Assistant (RNE) FAO-Jordan Representation Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Amman, Jordan Nations (FAO) 11, Al Eslah El Zerai St., Dokki Cairo, Egypt Camille BALFROID FAO Resilience Consultant FAO-Jordan Representation Paulo Lourenço Dias NUNES Amman, Jordan Natural Resources Officer Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Noor ALHAWAMDEH Viale delle Terme di Caracalla Project Assistant 00153 Rome, Italy FAO Jordan Representation Amman, Jordan Regional Dialogue on Biodiversity Mainstreaming across Agricultural Sectors in the Near East and North Africa Region 27

Kacso ZSUZSANNA Conflict Analysis Consultant Organizations FAO Representation in Jordan Amman, Jordan AARINENA

Fatma ElZahraa ABOUZEID Adil Omer Salih ABDELRAHIM Natural Resources Consultant President of AARINENA Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa Acting Director General (RNE) Agricultural Research Corporation Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Wad Medani, Sudan Nations (FAO) Phone: +249 1230 16577 11, Al Eslah El Zerai St., Dokki Email: [email protected] Cairo, Egypt Nael THAHER Agricultural Innovation and IP Expert AARINENA Heba FAHMY Amman, Jordan Technical Programme Assistant Regional Office for Near East and North Africa (RNE) Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Arab Organization for Agricultural Development 11, Al Eslah El Zerai St., Dokki (AOAD) Cairo, Egypt Fida’a AL RAWABDEH Director United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Arab Organization for Agricultural Development Organization (UNESCO) Amman, Jordan

Marwa Abdel FATTAH National Science Program Officer Khalil JAWASREH Jordan National Commission for UNESCO Animal Genetic Resources Expert Amman, Jordan Arab Organization for Agricultural Development Amman, Jordan

World Health Organization (WHO)

Ahmad Basel AL-YOUSFI Khalil Abu AFIFA Director of Centre for Environmental Health Forest and Range Expert Activities in Amman Arab Organization for Agricultural Development WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean Amman, Jordan Region Amman, Jordan Phone: +962 7967 46746 Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD)

Philippe VERGER Khlaf Saleh ALRAKAD Advisor Food Safety Focal Point of ACSAD in Jordan WHO/EMRO/CEHA Arab Centre for Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands Amman, Jordan (ACSAD) Amman, Jordan 28 Annex I – List of Participants

Agricultural Credit Corporation Jordan University of Science and Technology Rami AL QUDAH Researcher Mohamed AL-GHARAIBEH Branch (Western Amman) Professor Jordan Jordan University of Science and Technology Amman, Jordan

Biodiversity International Al-Balqa Applied University

Devra I. JARVIS Samih ABUBAKER Principal Scientist, Genetic Diversity, Productivity Faculty Dean and Resilience Al-Balqa Applied University Biodiversity International Al-Salt City, Jordan Via Dei Tre Denori 472 Rome, Italy Mohamed SHATANWI Professor Al-Balqa Applied University Nawal ALHAJAJ Al-Salt City, Jordan Barley Breeding Program Coordinator Head, Cereals and Pulses Research Department, Field Crop Directorate Maen HASAN National Agricultural Research Centre, NARC Jordan Associated Professor Al-Balqa Applied University Al-Salt, Balya International Union for Conservation of Nature Jordan (IUCN)

Natalia BOULAD Massafat Without Borders Agricultural Association International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Ahmad MAYYAS Regional Office for West Asia (ROWA) President Amman, Jordan Irbed, Jordan Email: [email protected] Jordanian Arab Beekeepers Union Ahmad DAOUR Mutah University President of Jordanian Arab Beekeepers Union Amman, Jordan Khalid AL-ABASI Professor Mutah University, Faculty of Agriculture Mahmoud ARABYAT Plant Production Dept. Vice-President Amman, Jordan Jordanian Arab Beekeepers Union Al-Salt, Jordan Royal Botanic Garden

Moath KUTHAM Yasser ANANBEH Treasurer of Union Botanist Representative of Arab Beekeepers Union Royal Botanic Garden Amman, Jordan Amman, Jordan Regional Dialogue on Biodiversity Mainstreaming across Agricultural Sectors in the Near East and North Africa Region 29

The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature World Heritage for All (RSCN) Haifaa ABEDALHALEEM Anas Abu YAHYA Amman, Jordan Flora Researcher The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature Amman, Jordan

The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature

Tareq QANEER Head of Birds Projects Management Unit The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature Amman, Jordan ©FAO/Hebatallah Fahmy 30 Annex I – List of Participants Fahmy ©FAO/Hebatallah ©FAO/Hebatallah Annex II – Full Programmeprogramme

Day 1 : 3 November 2019 (Sunday)

08.30–09.00 Registration

09.00–10.30 Opening Session Welcoming Remarks

Mr René Castro-Salazar, Assistant Director-General, FAO H.E. Ibrahim Al-Shahahdeh, Minister of Agriculture and Environment, Jordan

Presentations

Mr Jean-Marc Faurès, Regional Programme Leader, on behalf of Mr Abdessalam Ould Ahmed, Regional Assistant Director-General, FAO Regional Office for Near East and North Africa H.R.H. Princess Basma Bint Ali, Founder and Chairperson, Royal Marine Conservation Society of Jordan, and head of the National Biodiversity Committee, Jordan Mr David Cooper, Deputy Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity

10.30–11.00 Coffee Break

11.00–12.30 Session I: Integrating biodiversity conservation into agroecosystem management

Mr Nizar Haddad, Director General, National Agriculture Research Center of Jordan Ms Fida’a Al Rawabdeh, Director, the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development

12.30–14.00 Lunch

14.00–15.30 Session II: Introduction to FAO’s Strategy on Mainstreaming Biodiversity across Agricultural Sectors

Mr Paulo Augusto Lourenço Dias Nunes, Natural Resource Officer, FAO Ms Fatma AbouZaid, Natural Resources Specialist, FAO RNE Mr Khaled Abulaila, Director of Plant Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, National Agriculture Research Center of Jordan

15.30–16.00 Coffee Break 32 Annex II – Full programme

16.00–17.30 Session III: Country Experiences, Mashreq Group

Ms Mona Siblini, Head of the Horticulture and Field Crops Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Lebanon. Mr Ayman Hamada, General Manager of Species Diversity, Ministry of Environment, Egypt Mr Issa Albardeiya, Director General, Environment Quality Authority, Palestine Authority

18.00–20.00 Reception

Day 2 : 4 November 2019 (Monday)

09.00–10.30 Session IV: The role of finance, private sector and innovative partnerships in promoting mainstreaming of biodiversity

Mr Adil Omer Salih Abdelrahim, President, Association of Agricultural Research Institutions in the Near East and North Africa Ms Maude Veyret-Picot, Natural Resources Officer, FAO-GEF Coordination Unit Ms Arwa Salim, small entrepreneur, Moringa Oleifera Company Ms Devra I. Jarvis, Principal Scientist Biodiversity International, Coordinator, Platform for Agrobiodiversity Research

10.30–11.00 Coffee Break

11.00–12.30 Session V: Country Experiences, Gulf Cooperation Council

Mr Sadiq Isa Mansoor, Chief of Palm and Fruit trees Section, Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning, Kingdom of Bahrain Mr Abdulhakim Abdullah, CBD National Coordinator, Ministry of Water and Environment, Yemen Ms Nadiah Al-Saqer, Senior Biological Specialist, Public Authority for Environment, Kuwait Ms Roaa Atiyah Ithawi, Agricultural Engineer, Ministry of Agriculture, Iraq Mr Raed Ammar AlSufyani, Biologist, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

12.30–14.00 Lunch

14.00h–15.30 Session VI: Traditional knowledge, gender, youth and innovation for biodiversity conservation in agriculture in the Near East and North Africa

Ms Fidaa Al-Rawabdeh, Director, Arab Organization for Agricultural Development Mr Ahmad Mayyas, President, Massafat Without Borders Agricultural Association(CBO), Jordan Mr Nizar Haddad, Director General, National Agriculture Research Center of Jordan

15.30–16.00 Coffee Break Regional Dialogue on Biodiversity Mainstreaming across Agricultural Sectors in the Near East and North Africa Region 33

16:00h – 17:30h

Session VII: Country Experiences, Group 3 Maghreb Countries and Sudan

Mr Fathi Goma Al Sghair, Faculty of Science, Université of Tripoli, Libya Ms ElKhitma Elawad Ahmed, High Council for Environment and Natural Resources, Sudan Mr Abderrazak Jilal, Barley Breeder, National Agricultural Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Morocco Mr Alexis Bonte, FAO Representative ad interim in Jordan

18:00h – 19:00h

Closing Session

Day 3: 5 Nevember 2019 (Tuesday)

09.30–11.30 Visit to the National Agriculture Research Center

Mr Nizar Haddad, Director General, National Agriculture Research Center of Jordan

11.30–12.30 Visit to the Jordanian Beekeepers Association

12.30–14.30 Visit to the Royal Botanic Garden of Jordan

ISBN 978-92-5-134678-5 Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment [email protected] CONTACT US Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 9 789251 346785 Rome, Italy CB5571EN/1/07.21