On 27 May 2021, under Tajikistan's Presidency, Dushanbe hosted a meeting via videoconference of the SCO Permanent Expert Working Group on Agriculture, involving the heads of departments of the SCO member states responsible for food security, veterinary medicine, and quarantine and sanitary issues.
The participants discussed the current food security situation in the member states. They noted the importance of pursuing a common policy to respond to and overcome the negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the need to work out a Joint Statement of the SCO member states on ensuring food security in the region, initiated by the Tajik side.
The experts exchanged information on the implementation of the 2021-2025 Action Plan to implement the SCO Agreement on Cooperation in Agriculture, as well as the Joint Action Plan with FAO under the Memorandum of Understanding between the SCO Secretariat and the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation signed in 2019.
The parties discussed the draft concept of the SCO demonstration base for agricultural technology exchange and training, measures for the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding between the authorised SCO departments on technical cooperation on the prevention and control of transboundary epizootic diseases, as well as the possibility of creating a single electronic portal to exchange information on veterinary medicine, phytosanitation and food security in the SCO region.
The experts also considered draft documents for the forthcoming 6th Meeting of the Ministers of Agriculture of the SCO Member States to be held on 5 August 2021, with the participation of the heads of departments of the SCO member states responsible for food security, veterinary medicine, and quarantine and sanitary issues.
Following the meeting, the experts signed the Protocol.