The Terms of Reference of the Programme Committee are to define and regularly review the purposes and strategies of the Programme and to guide and review its activities and progress.

The Committee has an executive role; it is pro-active, advises on workplans and considers recommendations made by the Advisory Group Coordinators. The Committee assists in procuring funding for relevant projects, a function which is facilitated by the inclusion of representatives of interested donors in the membership.

The Committee consists of invited representatives of donor organisations and countries, who have a specific interest in aspects of livestock and agricultural development. They are supported by policy technical advisors. The PAAT Committee provides the impetus to drive the Programme and to direct the focus on justifiable and realistic priorities.

In addition to the PAAT Chairman, the PAAT Senior Programme Advisor and the Members of the PAAT Secretariat (FAO, IAEA, AU/IBAR and WHO), the Programme Committee is formed of representatives of France/CIRAD-emvt, UK/DFID, Italy, European Union, IFAD, the World Bank, USAID/USDA. Western, Eastern and Southern Africa are also represented.

Other donors, countries and representatives of the private sector are invited to attend sessions of the Programme Committee meetings on ad hoc basis