Dear Sir/Madam,
First of all, I would like to appreciate the team for the very well written and comprehensive document on principles for responsible agricultural investment (rai). My contribution with regard to the principle is as follows.
All the stakeholders listed in the document have roles and responsibilities designated to them in the process of implementing the Principles of Responsible Agricultural Investment. There is, however, one group which seems to be treated as a subject with no clear role or responsibility. This group is the community or indigenous people. Civil society organizations are supposed to defend the cause of marginalized communities/indigenous people. However, in many cases, there are not strong civil society organizations that can meaningfully represent their constituencies and make the voices of the people heard particularly in the global south. The principle of RAI must provide guidance as to how meaningful consultation and participation of communities/indigenous people can be ensured.
Best Regards,
Senait Regassa, PhD
National Program Officer
The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
Embassy of Switzerland
Ethiopia, Djibouti, South Sudan, African Union
P.O. Box 1106, Addis Ababa
Senait Regassa