The Arab Organization for Agriculture Development (AOAD) The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Khalifa International A ward for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation (KIADPAI) and International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA),Arab Society for Plant Protection (ASPP) , International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) andPhoenix groupundersigning below:

• Acknowledge the cultural social, economic and ecological importance of date palm in the Near East and North Africa region.
• Recognize the role this unique tree has played through the millennia and continue to play providing to food security and nutrition in the region.
• Acknowledge the importance of the oasis ecosystem and the agroecology practices in fighting desertification, in biodiversity conservation in climate change adaptation and in the region.
• Recognize the high potential for the development of date palm value chains and its positive impact on smallholders and on local and national ecomomies
• Recognize the growing threats to date palm in particular as result of transboundary pests, including the Red Palm Weevil, and of unsustainable agriculture practices in the contesxt of water scarcity;
• Reaffirm our commitment to support countries, local communities and farmers in the region to protect and develop date palm.
• Call on countries in the region and other stakeholders to develop and implement comprehensive strategies and programmes that support sustainable development of date palm.

Establish a Partnership (Alliance for the Protection and sustainable development of date palm Value Chain with:
The Secretariat of the Arab Organization for Agriculture Development (AOAD), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation (KLADPA1)



Abu Dhabi, March 2018