Agenda

Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82466479841?pwd=Naj7iDb2fa26IXxnCasfq2VLY2OqWB.1 Zoom ID & passcode: 515149

Lessons learned from LLDCs in enhancing agricultural trade and export through the World Trade Organization (WTO) accession.

Setting the stage: Mr. Otabek Mansurov, Head of WTO Unit, Ministry of Agriculture, Republic of Uzbekistan

Moderator: Mr. Pedro Arias Marcelo, Economist, FAO

Speakers:

• Ms. Georgeta Mincu, ex-Minister of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment, Republic of Moldova - Trade Facilitation Agreement: main provisions and the specific obligations of LLDCs WTO members
• Mr. Aziz Urunov, Special Representative of the President of Uzbekistan to WTO - WTO accession process of Uzbekistan and its impactions on agricultural trade
• Mr. Jesse Nicol, Counsellor and Senior Dispute Settlement Lawyer at the World Trade Organization - TFA implementation in the region and key challenges
• Mr. Dulguun Damdin-Od, Executive Director of the International Think Tank, Mongolia - WTO accession issues and required technical support

Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88210577204?pwd=Xb7TBXJ7MkzEddebtiijMKIbPlNUe6.1 Zoom ID & passcode: 679784

Challenges of LLDCs in attracting investments for agriculture, successful/available financial instruments and potential collaboration with International Financial Institutions

Setting the stage: Mr. Adkham Ergashev, Senior Agri-finance expert, EU-funded “ASK Facility” Project

Moderator: Mr. Milos Milovanovic, Investment Centre, FAO

Speakers:

• Ms. Laura Mattioli, Country Director of IFAD in Uzbekistan - Strengthening the agrifood systems resilience of LLDCs
• Mr. Mirzo Iskandar Gulamov, Country Operations Head of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Uzbekistan Role of international financial institutions in agricultural investment - Role of international financial institutions in agricultural investment
• Mr. Rustamkhon Azizov, Head of Secretariat, Foreign Investor’s Council under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan - Encouraging private sector investment in sustainable agrifood systems
• Mr. Aaron Russell, Country Representative of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) in Uzbekistan - Enhancing the management of the natural resources – What does it take?

Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88200688586?pwd=BGtSYZNPdf2vd51bCKK1IFJ0OeVCKz.1 Zoom ID & passcode: 896733

Comparative advantages of LLDCs, examples of public-private partnerships in agricultural value-addition, agricultural production of niche products to increase the agricultural marketability and foster exports and international trade

Setting the stage: Mr. Mansur Rasulev, Deputy Head of Secretariat, Foreign Investors Council under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan

Moderator: Ms. Stepanka Gallatova, Agribusiness Officer, FAO

Speakers:

• Mr. Kail Padgitt, Economic Growth and Environment Office Director, USAID Mission to Uzbekistan - Facilitating public-private dialogue and developing exit strategies for long-term sustainability of agrifood businesses
• Mr. Konstantin Kostikov, Associate Director, Senior Banker, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) - Financing agrifood businesses; criteria for selecting businesses with the potential to grow
• Ms. Elena Timusheva, PPP Specialist, Infrastructure Finance, PPPs & Guarantees Group, World Bank (online) - Promoting enabling environments for public-private partnerships and risk sharing among value chain actors
• Mr. Bakhodir Umirshayhov, Chairman, Uzbekistan Food Industry Association (UFIA) - UFIA’s role in supporting agrifood businesses in Uzbekistan

Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85131868971?pwd=hHy8NrGTWChUNaAz4VmcRNEW26qNek.1 Zoom ID & passcode: 630979

Understanding the challenges of LLDCs in advancing food security and nutrition and sharing their recent experiences in addressing them in collaboration with international partners

Setting the stage: Mr. Orifjan Namozov, National Expert on Agrifood Systems, Team Leader, FAO-Uzbekistan

Moderator: Mr. Keigo Obara, Food Security Officer, FAO

• Ms. Aleksandra Martinovic
• Ms. Stella Nordhagen, Senior Technical Specialist, Food Systems Countdown Initiative, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), - Challenges and opportunities in enhancing access to healthy diets in LLDCs
• Dr. Kanat Tilekeyev, Senior Research Fellow, Head of the Graduate School of Development Executive Education, University of Central Asia - Food self-sufficiency in landlocked countries – in the case of Central Asia
• Ms. Aleksandra Martinovic, Professor, Faculty of Food Technology, Food Safety and Ecology, University of Donja Gorica Montenegro, and Director of Centre of Excellence for Food Safety Risk Assessment (online) - Potentials of national food systems based dietary guidelines to promote food security and nutrition
• Mr Akbar Samiev, Head, Food Security and Nutrition Department, Ministry of Agriculture, Uzbekistan - Experience of Uzbekistan in ensuring food security and nutrition in collaboration with international partners

Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84804155921?pwd=rykgU4oocgjGdDNRVddHTBqaJ9pNvL.1 Zoom ID & passcode: 504434

Policy frameworks of LLDCs and collective action to support agri-food systems development

Setting the stage: Mr. Adkham Akbarov, Project Coordinator, International Trade Centre (ITC)

Moderator: Mr. Brad Paterson, International Land Tenure Specialist, FAO

Speakers:

• Mr. Dmitry Zvyagintsev, Policy Officer, FAO - Greening agricultural policies in Europe and Central Asia: paving the way for sustainable agrifood systems in a changing climate
• Mr. Zafar Makhmudov, Executive Director, Central Asian Regional Ecological Center (CAREC) - Regional Cooperation for sustainable agriculture
• Dr Ihtiyor Bobojonov, Research Associate, Agricultural Markets, Marketing and World Agricultural Trade, Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO) - Modeling crop production and water availability, implications for policy and agrifood system transformation
• Mr Sherzod Muminov, Deputy Director, Scientific Information Center (SIC) of the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination (ICWC) in Central Asia - Regional information sharing and scientific collaboration for water management in the context of climate change.
• Mr. Elchin Zeynalov, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Azerbaijan Republic - International Climate negotiations and COP29
• Mr. Hrvoje Ivan Horvat, UNDP International Lead Technical Specialist - UN Collaboration for Climate Action

Zoom link: https://us05web.zoom.us/j/86712485586?pwd=S4l1y4QodyXrCbfFV6qE5SO1QkNgOq.1 Zoom ID & passcode: 358562

Best practices of adopting and promoting technological innovations, digital agriculture, water management, food value-chains and other solutions for LLDCs

Setting the stage: Mr. Jamshid Abduzukhurov, Deputy Director of Department, MoA, Uzbekistan

Moderator: Mr. Hafiz Muminjanov, Technical Adviser, FAO

Speakers:

• Mr. Leone Magliocchetti Lombi, Technical Officer, FAO - Climate Smart Agriculture and the internet of things
• Mr. Lee Ismael, CEO, Meraque - Advancing Modern Innovation Driven by AI Solutions
• Ms. Mahinakhon Suleymanova, Head, NGO “Neksigol”, Republic of Tajikistan - Digital technologies in agricultural extension
• Mr. Murod Khusanov, CEO, “Agromart” - Growz: Data-driven and AI-empowered platform for sustainable farming

Zoom link: https://us05web.zoom.us/j/85465744234?pwd=ixOXFjJzuAuYD907oz5QUaPGHaLi1y.1 Zoom ID & passcode: 952733

• Mr. Orifjan Namozov, FAO-Uzbekistan - Opening and welcome remarks
• Mr. Hafiz Muminjanov, OCOP Global Coordinator, FAO - Overview of progress and achievement of the OCOP implementation worldwide OCOP Global Video
• Mr. Pedro Marcelo Arias, OCOP Regional Coordinaotr, FAO-REU - The OCOP implementation progress in Europe and Centre Asia OCOP Regional Video
• Mr. Jamshid Abduzukhurov, OCOP National Coordinator, Ministry of Agriculture, Uzbekistan - The implementation of OCOP in Uzbekistan
• Ms. Jasmin Roetzer, Value Chain Expert, FAO (online) - Sustainable value chain of sweet cherry and investment opportunities

Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83541036243?pwd=Szj2GLegvO0Lyxd8ePvyFZI4iBbgxl.1 Zoom ID & passcode: 355523

• Ms. Dilorom Fayzieva, Member of Parliament and Chairperson, Committee on International Affairs and Inter-parliamentary Relations, Legislative Chamber, Oliy Majilis - Opening and welcome remarks
• Ms. Shahrbanou Tadjbakhsh, Senior Lecturer, Researcher, Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po), Paris, France - Leaving no one behind in the LLDC and transforming agrifood systems.
• Ms. Lola Saidova, Chief Researcher, Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan - Challenges and best practices in integrating the disadvantaged groups into development: the case of Uzbekistan.
• Mr. Khurshid Zafari, Director, Institute for Development of Social Protection, Republic of Uzbekistan - Rural population and social assistance.

Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89605906932?pwd=ooYVYvsViou4GauPDFIscpUvux5xza.1 Zoom ID & passcode: 84707

• Mr. Ibrohim Ergashev, Director, Agency of Plant Protection and Quarantine, Republic of Uzbekistan - Opening and welcome remarks
• Mr. Alexandre Latchininsky, Senior Locust Management Expert, Plant Production and Protection Division (NSP), FAO - Locusts in the Caucasus and Central Asia (CCA): the threat and way towards sustainable management Video on Locust Management in CCA
• Mr. Bobur Khamraev, Deputy Director, Agency of Plant Protection and Quarantine, Republic of Uzbekistan - Experience and future prospectives for locust management in Uzbekistan
• Mr. Ilham Bayramov, Chair, Organization of Crop Husbandry Sector, Agency of Agrarian Services, Ministry of Agriculture, Republic of Azerbaijan - Experience and future prospectives for locust management in Azerbaijan
• Mr. Firdavs Kadyrov, Deputy Head, State Entity “Locust Control Expedition”, Ministry of Agriculture, Republic of Tajikistan - Experience and future prospectives for locust management in Tajikistan

Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88578171496?pwd=rVWJEfNX7ewJMVbUIgUvHGfdpCbiHz.1 Zoom ID & passcode: 825806

• Mr. Aly Abousabaa, Regional Director for Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) and Director General, ICARDA - Why is evidence-based policymaking important?
• Mrs. Ikuko Uochi, Senior Economist, Poverty and Equity Global Practice, World Bank - Investment in evidence-based policies
• Ms. Tarifa A. Al Zaabi, Director General, ICBA, Dubai, UAE - Key challenges and bottlenecks in the development and implementation of evidence-based policymaking in LLDCs
• Mr. Ihtiyor Bobojonov, Research Associate, Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO) - Involvement of the non-government and university-based research centers for facilitating evidence-based policymaking
• Mr. Bekzod Zakirov, Director, Center for Policy Research and Outreach (CPRO) - CPRO's Applied Research Initiatives for Sustainable development and Policy Innovation.