What and Why: FAO Regional Conferences are an official forum where ministers of agriculture and high officials of Member States from the same geographic region, meet to elaborate, beyond the borders of the individual countries, on challenges and priority matters related to food and agriculture, with a view of promoting regional coherence on global policies and political issues.

Being the highest governing body of the Organization at regional level, Regional conferences are essential for ensuring the effectiveness of the FAO regional work in the service of Member States but also in  the definition of its priority areas of work for the following biennium.

Who: Ministers of Agriculture from the regions actively take part in the Conference. Representatives of regional, intra-regional and international organizations, civil society and the private sector are welcome as observers to the sessions of the conferences.

Where: The Regional Conferences are held in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latina America and the Caribbean, Near East and North Africa. They are hosted in turn by a different Member State from the region.

When: Regional Conferences are convened on a biennial basis.