The Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD), organized at its headquarters in Khartoum, the regular meeting of the Arab Network for Plant Genetic Resources & the Arab Network for the Sustainable Management of Pastoral Resources, on 11-12 November 2018 with the participation of 19 participants from Arab countries (Jordan, Tunisia, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Iraq, Oman, Palestine, Comoros, Lebanon, Libya, Egypt and Mauritania).

The meeting aimed to introduce the new work methodology of the specialized networks adopted by the General Assembly of AOAD, discuss the mechanisms and the executive steps and to draw a roadmap for the future of the two plant and pastoral networks under one umbrella in view of the fact that pastoral resources are an integral part of the plant genetic resources as a whole. Moreover, the meeting stressed to consolidate the efforts to achieve sustainable development in line with developments in the Arab and international arenas, especially the activities of AOAD in the field of international organizations and environmental conventions.

The agenda of the meeting reviewed the current status of plant genetic resources and the status of natural pastures in the Arab countries, in addition to discussing the periodic report preparation of pasture situation in the Arab region and the next steps to adopt the Arab strategy for the sustainable management of pastoral resources.