The city of Praia will be the stage for the 16th annual meeting of the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT16) organized by the Sub-Regional Office of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) for West Africa. The event, which will take place from 19 to 22 November 2024 at Hotel Praiamar, will be held in a hybrid format and will have the theme: “Synergy between actors: for dynamic social protection to reinforce resilience and guarantee food and nutritional security in West Africa”.
According to the organization, the meeting will be chaired by the Minister of Agriculture and Environment, Gilberto Silva, and will bring together technicians and senior officials from the ministries of agriculture, rural development, livestock and fisheries, as well as representatives from ministries responsible for social protection from the Member States of subregion.
Institutions such as ECOWAS, CILSS, UEMOA, CORAF, AES, UN agencies, civil society organizations and the private sector will also be present, promoting a broad exchange of ideas and experiences.
According to Bintia Stephen Tchicaya, senior policy officer at the FAO Sub-Regional Office for West Africa, the meeting aims to consolidate a consultation platform to discuss challenges and achievements in social protection in agri-food systems.
“We will analyze the achievements, challenges and propose approaches to capitalize on successes and overcome difficulties”, he stated, quoted in the statement.
During the four-day meeting, participants will discuss priorities for West Africa and the Sahel, with the aim of combating rural vulnerabilities and promoting an inclusive transformation of agri-food systems.
The conclusions of the meeting will form the basis for the next FAO Regional Conference for Africa, which will be held in Mauritania in 2026.
The event will be attended by representatives from 15 West African countries and members of the FAO Sub-Regional Office, including the Sub-Regional Coordinator and General Coordinator of the event, Bintia Stephen Tchicaya.
