ORU Fogar's first face-to-face post-pandemic Bureau

Last May 9th, at the headquarters of the Rabat Salé Kenitra Regional Council, the first face-to-face ORU Fogar meeting was held after two years in which all the mandatory meetings of ORU Fogar had to be held virtually. Some members were still present by videoconference, but a significant number were already in Morocco. On the other hand, this was the first Bureau already led by the ORU Fogar new president and also of the referred Moroccan region, Rachid El Abdi.

The new president started the meeting by expressing his commitment to the deployment of the organization. "ORU Fogar has an incredible potential that we must exploit, reaching out to all regions. In this moment of crisis, due to the pandemic, but also to the war, we must make our voice heard more than ever". At first, the meeting discussed the ORU Fogar 2030 Strategic Plan, a debate that will continue in the coming months and that should be closed during the annual assembly to be held on October 26th in Huancavelica (Peru).

Following this introduction, a review was made of the organization's activities, with special attention to different sources of financing project, which have been presented to the members, from TAIEX to the FIEM fund, or the European Commission's Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF).  The agreement signing with R20 was also approved. This organization, once promoted by Arnold Schwarzenegger, is no longer a member of ORU Fogar, as it is no longer an association of regions, but a foundation that works with the regions on environmental issues. ORU is now working with R20 on the dissemination of the Subnational Climate Fund for environmental projects. Also the agreement with Regions4 was approved, which should provide clarification on the functioning of the two regions networks, and with ASCAME which should allow various regions of ORU Fogar to participate in Medaweek, an economic meeting of the Mediterranean.

In addition to these agreements, the Bureau focused on preparations for the IV Summit of Zero Hunger Regions to be held in Huancavelica, Peru, on October 27th and 28th. The region governor, Maciste Díaz, explained to the Bureau members the meeting preparations, and at the same time it sought to accredit the region authority as a territory that is working in organic agriculture and making a very strong commitment to maintain an agriculture that allows food security. It was also approved that the first Bureau of 2023 will be held in the Eastern Region of Morocco and that the event will be used as an opportunity to hold a seminar dedicated to the possibilities that the regions can have in the field of the Orange Economy.

Regarding the working groups, the Food Sovereignty Working Group (chaired by The Andes Commonwealth) expressed its willingness to help disseminate the Zero Hunger Summit, the Regions4 Working Group explained how it will be present at the COP27 in Egypt, and the Development Cooperation Working Group, as ORU Fogar, will participate in the Cooperation Effectiveness Summit in December.