On 2 December 2025, WAMIP representatives Bhavana Desai (South Asia), Verdiana Morandi and Claire Guyat (Europe), Khalid Khawaldeh (West Asia), Tezera Getahun and Edward Porokwa (Eastern and Southern Africa), Said Fagouri (North Africa), and Aliya Kumekbayeva (Global Secretariat) led WAMIP’s participation in the official launch of the International Year of Rangelands & Pastoralists (IYRP) 2026 at the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) headquarters in Rome.
Our delegation ensured that pastoralist voices were included in the high-level programme and panel discussion, highlighting the essential role of our communities in sustaining food systems, biodiversity, and climate resilience. WAMIP also took part in the exhibition in the FAO atrium, featuring videos of our members from around the world.
On 3 December 2025, a team of WAMIP delegates, Khalid Khawaldeh, Tezera Getahun, Bhavana Rabari, Fagouri Said, and Claire Guya, together with the technical staff member Aliya Kumekbayeva joined representatives from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and other entities, met at IFAD Headquarters in Rome for a working session. The in-person session brought together participants and partners who had attended the launch of the 2026 International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) the previous day at FAO
The session served as a collaborative space to co-develop key elements of the IYRP. Discussion included:
• Reviewing the draft Global Action Plan of the Global Alliance
• Mapping regional and global activities
• Aligning communication strategies and key messages amongst partners
• Identifying priority outputs and legacy actions
• Strengthening coordination across partners and regions.
