The Moroccan Ismahane Elouafi appointed as Chief Scientist at FAO 23/09/2020 The Moroccan Ismahane Elouafi has just been appointed to the new post of Chief Scientist at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). This appointment, announced by the FAO Director-General Mr. Qu Dongyua, on the occasion of the 35th FAO Regional Conference for the Near East and North Africa (NERC 35) (September 21-22), “ will further strengthen the technical and scientific dimension of FAO's work, ”said a press release from the UN organization. «Ms. Elouafi's background and her in-depth knowledge of the region will be an asset in meeting the challenges facing the countries of the Near East and North Africa», underlines the FAO. The 35th FAO Regional Conference for the Near East and North Africa, organized in virtual mode, by the Sultanate of Oman, was sanctioned by the adoption of a “historic” declaration laying the foundations for enhanced collaboration across the region to find lasting solutions to the most urgent and pressing problems affecting food and agriculture, with a view to overcoming the effects of the pandemic and transforming food systems. This conference was placed under the theme «The transformation of food systems to achieve the goals of sustainable development». The FAO Members from the Near East and North Africa region meet every two years to discuss issues of common interest and guide FAO's work in support of food and agriculture in the region.