Baghdad , March 17, 2022,
The Representation for Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nation (FAO in Iraq) held a workshop and a forum to strengthen the partnership with civil society organisations (CSO) within Iraq. The workshop was presided by Dr. Salah Al-Hajj, FAO Representative in Iraq and Dr. Khaled Naji, head of Al-Ighsan Foundation.
Dr. Salah stated that although there are multiple organizations and associations working on the same topic, there is insufficient coordination between them and other stakeholders. This workshop should serve as an initiative to create a platform to coordinate CSO work
To promote the development of the agricultural, water, environmental and civil society sectors, and propose solutions to problems while working closely with non-governmental organizations.
FAO has been a long-standing partner with CSO in the fight against hunger, malnutrition, poverty, and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. FAO has worked for many years with civil societies organizations in technical work and emergency field operations. Training and capacity building is also a part of FAO’s advocacy for best agricultural practices. The cooperation areas are in field program, knowledge sharing, capacity development and policy dialogue.
FAO has established mechanisms that ensure impartiality. These include the ability to provide a neutral platform for discussions and to generate evidence-based knowledge. FAO is actively involved in the identification of potential local CSO partner organizations and plays a catalytic role by providing a neutral forum for dialogue and technical expertise to facilitate and support increased dialogue with CSOs.
The workshop goals included creating a dialogue platform with FAO and other partners for civil society organisations, raising awareness about areas cooperation and partnership and discussing potential partnerships.