Global Donor Platform for Rural Development Annual General Assembly

26-27 January 2010, in Rome, Italy. Co-hosted by IFAD and the Global Mechanism of the UNCCD

Drawing over 100 participants from the donor community, international financial institutions, foundations, farmers’ organisations and CSOs, the Assembly sought to advance the Platform’s strategic agenda through four thematic working sessions.

26 January

1. Agriculture and Climate Change. This session took stock of agriculture in the post-Copenhagen climate architecture and assessed what this means for agriculture and rural development (ARD) and the Platform. 

• Copenhagen – The Platform’s Contribution David Howlett, Platform

• How agriculture became a serious issue in the climate negotiations Nathalie Guesdon, MFA-France

• How do we ensure poverty, food security and climate change are better linked? Rodney D. Cooke, IFAD

2. Land and Development. Building on Platform Land Day on 24 January, this session updated participants on the large scale land investment debate and how the Platform and others should engage pertinent processes.

27 January

1. CAADP: Delivering on Country-led H&A. Shared experiences on CAADP, its progress in 2009 and discussed donor engagement. 

• Overview of CAADP processes Ousmane Badiane, IFPRI

• Consensus towards donor support to CAADP processes Working Group 1

• The CAADP Mutual Accountability Framework Working Group 2

2. Aid for Trade and Rural Development. Built awareness about the AfT process, explored cross sectoral linkages and identified possibilities to close gaps between trade and ARD donors’ agendas.

Several institutions presented their work in luncheon seminars and an “informal marketplace” around the meeting rooms.

• Food Security Portal: An Innovative Approach to Food Security at Country Level T. van Rheenen, S. Babu  

• Agriculture Development: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Approach Prabhu Pingali, BMGF

In a statement titled “Beyond Paris and Accra: Achieving harmonization and alignment from the multilateral and bilateral perspectives,” Luc Gnacadja, UNCCD Executive Secretary, underlined the important role the Platform plays in agriculture and rural development, and urged it to assess and advise on how official development assistance could also serve as a tool to orient private investments towards country-based priority-setting for the sector.

Background:

The Global Donor Platform for Rural Development, established in 2003, is a network of bilateral and multilateral donors and international financial institutions with a vision of Agriculture and Rural Development aid that reduces poverty and strengthens the sector. Ownership, alignment, harmonization, managing for results and mutual accountability are its guiding principles.

Related:

January 28th-29th, 2010. Rome Following the Global Platform a meeting was held discussing FARA´s role within the CAADP

References:

• UNCCD International Development Cooperation in Flux, Can it Deliver?
• Global donor Platform for rural Devlopment Key Development Challenges and Opportunities
• Agenda
• List of participants