Palestinian success at the ACSAD General Assembly... Confirmation of the completion of procedures for opening the permanent office in Palestine and the adoption of an initiative to enhance Arab agricultural cooperation.

⭕ Adoption of the Palestinian Initiative to Enhance Arab Agricultural Cooperation.

⭕ Confirmation of the Completion of Procedures for Opening the Permanent ACSAD Office in Palestine.

⭕ Call to Strengthen Joint Arab Projects in Support of the Resilience of the Palestinian Agricultural Sector.

Ramallah: July 9, 2026

The State of Palestine, represented by the Ministry of Agriculture, participated in the 38th session of the General Assembly of the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD). The Minister of Agriculture, Professor Rizq Slaimiya, was represented at the Assembly by the Director General of International Relations, Engineer Mahmoud Fatafta. The General Assembly adopted a draft resolution based on the Palestinian initiative submitted by the Ministry of Agriculture to establish an Arab electronic platform for exchanging expertise, information, research, and modern agricultural technologies among Arab member states. The Assembly also confirmed the completion of procedures for opening the permanent ACSAD office in the State of Palestine, a step that reflects confidence in the Palestinian role within the Arab agricultural system and opens broader horizons for technical and scientific cooperation and the implementation of joint agricultural projects.

In his address on behalf of the State of Palestine, Fatafta emphasized that the Palestinian agricultural sector faces unprecedented challenges as a result of the occupation's practices and the widespread destruction it has caused in the Gaza Strip, in addition to the ongoing attacks on farmers and agricultural lands in the West Bank. He stressed the importance of strengthening Arab solidarity to support efforts to rehabilitate the agricultural sector, empower farmers, and bolster their resilience. He also outlined the Ministry of Agriculture's priorities in the areas of food and water security, climate-smart agriculture, livestock development, and the sustainable management of natural resources. He called for expanding joint agricultural projects and interventions among Arab states and for the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD) to lead efforts to exchange information, expertise, research, and modern agricultural technologies among member states. This would contribute to developing joint Arab solutions to address the challenges of food security, water security, and climate change a proposal that received the support of member states and was adopted as a resolution of the General Assembly.

The Ministry of Agriculture affirms that the adoption of the Palestinian initiative, along with the confirmation of the completion of procedures for opening the permanent office of the ACSAD Center in the State of Palestine, represent the fruit of the efforts made by the Ministry to enhance Palestine’s presence in Arab agricultural work institutions, and a strategic step towards expanding cooperation with the Center and sister Arab countries, which contributes to the implementation of quality projects in the fields of water management, land reclamation, technology transfer, rehabilitation of the agricultural sector, support for the resilience of farmers, strengthening food security, and achieving sustainable agricultural development.