Delegations from CIHEAM Member States meet in Paris for the 157th Governing Board meeting
Paris, 11 July 2025 - The CIHEAM Governing Board was held on 10 and 11 July 2025 at the Headquarters of the Organisation in Paris, bringing together delegations from Member States and observer organisations (OECD and Council of Europe) to discuss the main strategic guidelines of the Organisation and review the activities of the General Secretariat and the four Institutes (Bari, Chania, Montpellier and Zaragoza).
The meeting was marked with the first appearance of Mr Maurizio Raeli, as the new Delegate of Italy to the CIHEAM, and of Mr Biagio Di Terlizzi, recently appointed Director of the CIHEAM Bari.
The members of the Board welcomed the efforts of the CIHEAM to implement the priorities of the 2030 Strategic Plan in response to the growing challenges faced by agricultural and food systems and in the field of cooperation in the Mediterranean.
The launch of the Méta BEANS network, dedicated to scientific and varietal cooperation on legumes, and the strengthening of the SFS-MED platform were particularly highlighted.
The board members also supported the ‘Ambassadors in Dialogue - Mediterranean Forum’ initiative, the first edition of which was held in Paris in May, bringing together representatives of the Member States and regional partners.
The Board commended the work undertaken to strengthen internal management, transparency, information security policy and administrative procedures. It noted the launch of a Diversity & Inclusion programme within the organisation and the development of new collaborations with the United Nations University (UNU) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).
Upon the proposal of the Scientific Advisory Board, the delegates also approved the award of the CIHEAM 2024 Best Thesis Award to Mr Oussama Khaled (Morocco), for his innovative work on the estimation of agricultural evapotranspiration using hyperspectral remote sensing and artificial intelligence.
Finally, the members were informed of the forthcoming organisation of a major event in Lebanon: the CIHEAM Lebanese Alumni Meeting, scheduled in Beirut at the end of September 2025, in partnership with the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture. This meeting, entitled "Investing in Youth for Sustainable Agri-Food Systems: Linking Training, Employment and Sectoral Priorities", will aim to strengthen the network of the CIHEAM Lebanese alumni, celebrate the 63rd anniversary of the Organisation and encourage a new dynamic around the involvement of young people in agriculture.