Makati City, Philippines – AsiaDHRRA, Asian Farmers Association, and Oxfam hosted Civil Society Organizations’ Forum on Engaging the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF), which aimed at developing and building consensus on common and priority issues that CSOs could focus on their AMAF policy engagements. It was held on 09 September 2015 at AIM Conference Center, Makati City and was attended by at least 35 participants representing regional and national farmers organizations, non-government organizations, and, development agencies.

The 36^th AMAF Meeting was hosted by Philippines last 10 September 2015. The AMAF presents a good opportunity for influencing agenda and decision on matters important to food security and sustainable agricultural development. It has created platforms such as such as the ASEAN integrated Framework on Food Security (AIFS) and the ASEAN Multi-Sectoral Framework on Climate Change: Agriculture and Forestry towards Food Security (AFFC) to coordinate the action of its Member States, and to foster greater regional cooperation on food security and on climate change, respectively.
Marlene Ramirez, AsiaDHRRA Secretary General, shared AsiaDHRRA’s initiatives in engaging with the ASEAN, particularly through the SOM for Rural Development and Poverty Eradication and the ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC). One key lesson from its experience is the importance of anchoring constructive engagements at the national/local level to sustain the engagement process.
 
Copies of presentations and proceedings may be downloaded from: https://csoaseanforum.wordpress.com/
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AsiaDHRRA is a an affiliated CSO of the ASEAN since 2004.