The 11th General Assembly of the Association of Agricultural Research Institutions in the Near East and North Africa (AARINENA) held from 12 to 14 October 2008 in Damascus, Syria discussed the organization’s work plan and areas of focus for the 2008-2011 period and produced a series of recommendations for further work.
For the upcoming three years, AARINENA will continue to strengthen its Regional Agricultural Information System (RAIS) through training workshops and improvement of its current website, which will enable information to be uploaded and organized quickly and more efficiently. AARINENA will also place strong emphasis on redefining the priorities for the WANA region through an Expert Consultant as well as support the establishment of a global partnership programme for Linking Farmers to Markets (LFM).
Recommendations from the Conference included a commitment from both AARINENA and its member national organizations in identifying the priorities for each area of agricultural research where knowledge sharing will produce the most benefit for sustainable development. In addition, AARINENA also committed to updating the assessment study of the National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) of the WANA region which was conducted in 1990. Due to the current challenges faced in the WANA region, AARINENA requested adequate financial support from the CGIAR and donor organizations to further regional agricultural research and development. To learn more about the outcomes, recommendations and discussion items of the AARINENA General Assembly please click here.

Damascus, Syria. Participants in the AARINENA General Assembly