The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation, FAO, in co-operation with the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, ESCWA, and the Committee on World Food Security, CFS, on Friday convened the Food Security and Nutrition Session within the 2017 Arab Forum for Sustainable Development, AFSD, to discuss ways of eradicating poverty and promote prosperity in the Arab region.

The forum was organised under the theme, "Advancing Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: Eradicating Poverty and Promoting Prosperity in a Changing Arab Region." The Arab Forum for Sustainable Development is the primary regional mechanism for the review and follow up of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the Arab Region.

The region continues to face numerous challenges in achieving food security and in preserving its fragile natural resource base, including shrinking freshwater resources, climate change, population growth, high dependence on imports and the impact of conflicts and crisis, according to FAO.

"The sustainable development goals provide new impetus for enhancing co-operation at national level among all stakeholders and at regional level," Abdessalam Ould Ahmed, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for the Near East and North Africa, said during the session. He called for collaboration, partnerships, and joint commitments and actions as "they are needed more than ever to eradicate hunger and malnutrition and advance the SDG2 in the Arab Region."

The FAO Regional Office for Near East and North Africa and ESCWA have joined efforts to support the implementation of the SDGs in the Arab countries. The two UN agencies are collaborating to address water scarcity and climate change as well as working on a joint publication titled, "Arab Horizon 2030: Food Security-Prospects for Enhancing Food Security in the Arab Region."

The publication provides recommendations and policy options to support member countries in achieving food security by 2030.

Ould Ahmed stated that "the Sustainable Development Goal to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture, SDG2, recognises the inter-linkages among supporting sustainable agriculture, food security and reducing poverty."

FAO plays a fundamental role in developing methods and standards for food and agricultural statistics, and in providing technical assistance that can help countries achieve the SDGs.