The document provides information about an upcoming regional meeting in Cairo from March 2-3, 2015 to discuss the Regional Initiative on Sustainable Small-Scale Agriculture for Inclusive Development. The meeting will bring together representatives from focus countries in the Near East and North Africa region to share priorities, identify priority activities for 2015, and agree on FAO support arrangements. Participants will include government and FAO representatives from focus countries and candidate countries, as well as staff from FAO's regional and sub-regional offices and two participants from CIRAD/CIHEAM to discuss terms of reference for a regional study. The expected outcomes are to define priority activities for 2015, agree on candidate countries for the next biennium, endorse arrangements for FAO

1. Cairo, Egypt Date 20 January, 2015
Concept Note
Regional meeting for the Near East and North Africa on the Regional Initiative
“Sustainable Small Scale Agriculture for Inclusive Development”
2 – 3 March, 2015
Introduction: The overall objective of the Regional Initiative Sustainable Small-Scale Agriculture
for Inclusive Development will be to support countries to reduce rural poverty in the region
through a cohesive programme addressing small-scale agriculture development. In line with
FAOs new Strategic Framework and Country Programme Frameworks, the Regional Initiative will
provide a cohesive framework to better support countries and value ongoing and future
activities.
Objectives of the Meeting: The FAO Regional office for the Near East (RNE) in collaboration with
the Manager and team of the Regional Initiative “Sustainable small scale agriculture for inclusive
development (SSA)” will organize a Regional Meeting to be held in Cairo on 2 and 3 March 2015.
Building on the lessons learnt from the first year of implementation of the Regional Initiative,
this meeting will bring together Government and FAO Representatives from NENA focus
countries to exchange ideas, build ownership and agree on the way forward for the Regional
Initiative on small scale agriculture. The main objectives of the meeting are to:
- Present the main components and approach of the Regional Initiative;
- Share and review focus countries priorities in relation to the Regional Initiative;
- Identify and agree on priority activities to be implemented in 2015;
- Identify and commit contributions of FAO regional and sub-regional technical staff to the
Initiative;
- Discuss and agree on the terms of reference of a regional study on small scale agriculture to
be carried out by CIRAD/CIHEAM (Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche
Agronomique pour le Développement et le Centre international de Hautes Etudes
Agronomiques Méditerranéennes).
Expected Outcomes:
- Priority activities in the focus countries defined for the year 2015.
- Agree on the candidate countries to be considered for the biennium.
- Agree on FAO support arrangement to the RI.
- Endorse the TORs of the regional study to be conducted by CIRAD/CIHEAM.

2. Participants:
Focus countries: Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, and Sudan.
Candidate countries: Iran, Jordan, KSA, Mauritania, and Oman.
- 3 people/focus country and Mauritania (FAOR and 2 from the country counterpart)
- Only the FAOR for the candidate countries
- 3 people from SNE (Benoit, Mohamed, and Donia)
- Several people from RNE (including Technical officers)
- 2 participants from CIRAD