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ICARDA News International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas P.O. Box 5466, Aleppo, Syria Phone: (963-21) 2213433, 2213477, 2225112, 2225012 Fax: (963-21) 2213490, 2225105; E-mail: ICARDA@CGIAR.ORG Website: www.icarda.org
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Media contact: Surendra Varma (s.varma@CGIAR.ORG)
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Board
Chair and Director General Participate in
Science Council Workshop on R & D Continuum |
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| ICARDA Board
Chair, Dr Guido Gryseels, and Director General, Dr Mahmoud Solh, participated
in the Science Council workshop on “Positioning the CGIAR in
the Global Research for Development Continuum,” held on 19 May
at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Hague, The Netherlands,
in cooperation with Wageningen University. The primary purpose of
the workshop was to facilitate a discussion among CGIAR stakeholder
groups about the appropriate position of the CGIAR in the research
to development continuum as part of the process of implementing the
agreed System Priorities for Research. Participants included representatives of the CGIAR members-donors, regional research organizations, NARS, universities, ARIs, and farmers, as well as the CGIAR Director and Center Directors General or their deputies. Dr Per Pinstrup-Anderson, Chair of the Science Council, introduced the objectives and structure of the workshop to the participants. Since the most appropriate position of the CGIAR may differ among areas of research, the workshop discussions were divided into four key areas: what NARS demand from the CGIAR, what the CGIAR can offer, what donors are willing to pay for, and how advanced research institutes (public and private sector) can mobilize agricultural sciences related to the System Priorities to collaborate with the CGIAR in achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Panel discussions on Plant and Animal Improvement, Natural Resource Management, and Policy were followed by an overall concluding session. Dr Gryseels served on the Panel for discussion on Policy. Both Dr Gryseels and Dr Solh took the opportunity to make informal contacts with representatives from the CGIAR Secretariat, the Science Council, the World Bank, USAID, DFID, IDRC, FAO, EC, the Syngenta Foundation, The Netherlands, Morocco, and Egypt. In his brief meeting with Dr Francisco Reifschneider, CGIAR Director, Dr Solh discussed the cooperation in making the Science Council website for inputting data on Performance Indicators more user-friendly and efficient. |
About
ICARDA: Established in 1977, ICARDA (www.icarda.org)
serves the entire developing world for the improvement of barley, lentil,
and faba bean; and dry-area developing countries for the on-farm management
of water, improvement of nutrition and productivity of small ruminants
(sheep and goats), and rehabilitation and management of rangelands. In
the Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) region, ICARDA is responsible
for the improvement of durum and bread wheats, chickpea, pasture and forage
legumes and farming systems; and for the protection and enhancement of
the natural resource base of water, land, and biodiversity.
The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) (www.cgiar.org) is a strategic alliance of countries, international and regional organizations, and private foundations supporting15 international research centers that mobilizes cutting-edge science to promote sustainable development by reducing hunger and poverty, improving human nutrition and health, and protecting the environment.