It is a great pleasure for me to present the first corporate annual report of the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR) - and indeed to introduce the Global Forum itself, especially to readers not yet familiar with our work. Founded in 1996, GFAR is a diverse community of regional and world organizations dedicated to harnessing agricultural research for sustainable development, a better environment and the alleviation of poverty. In this document, we highlight the activities undertaken by the GFAR family during the year 2003, especially our global partnership programmes and the work of the five regional fora and the GFAR Secretariat.
Issuing this first annual report has been quite a challenge. It should be seen as a first step by the Secretariat towards highlighting the Global Forum’s work and raising awareness of the GFAR concept and approach to addressing the multidimensional problems faced by global agricultural research. We hope this initiative will lead to better recognition of GFAR’s role in shaping the global agenda for agricultural research for development (ARD).
Two key events occurred in 2002 - 2003. The first was the arrival of Dr Ola Smith as the new Executive Secretary in December 2002, after an interim period in which leadership was provided by Dr Jean-François Giovannetti. The second event was GFAR’s second triennial conference in May 2003, in Dakar, Senegal.
Dr Smith, who brings to GFAR a wealth of agricultural research and development (R&D) experience from a double perspective, both South and North, has managed to mobilize our stakeholders to face the global challenges of ARD. I would like to underscore the key role that he played, along with Dr Rodney Cooke as Chair of the Donor Support Group, to strengthen donor confidence in GFAR’s work. During its statutory meetings in Nairobi in October 2003, GFAR convened what turned out to be a highly successful meeting of the Donor Support Group. New partners were present and great expectations, consistent with the perspective of our new Business Plan, were underlined. In this context, I wish to thank the Canadian Government for its multi-year commitment to GFAR, as well as other old friends and contributors, such as Italy, France, the Netherlands and the European Commission.
The GFAR 2003 Conference in Dakar was an historic event for the Forum. It was our first conference to be held in the South, and its success can in many ways be attributed to the commitment and role so ably played by Senegal. The hosting of the meeting by an African country was a strong, clear symbol, making explicit the need for innovative partnerships to deal with regional and inter-regional issues through the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). A summary report was produced very quickly and distributed to participants. Full conference proceedings in English were also published and distributed to stakeholders. The Secretariat is preparing French and Spanish versions, which will soon be available and widely shared.
The conference offered the opportunity for a range of consultations, including face-to-face discussions at various levels within and among the various constituencies. The Secretariat took the initiative to organize a poster session, which drew attention to innovative partnerships at the grass roots. That session, few would argue, was among the most interesting on the conference agenda. I wish to thank all those stakeholders who, collectively, sent the Secretariat more than 50 case studies. These stimulated much insightful discussion.
Due to the importance of civil society organizations (CSOs) in efforts to advance ARD, the Secretariat convened a two-day pre-conference workshop to pave the way for effective participation in Dakar by these groups. The workshop, which brought together more than 50 participants from the five regional fora, resulted in a joint statement by the CSO representatives. They reiterated their strong commitment to building partnerships with other GFAR stakeholders - partnerships that will strengthen global and regional research agendas.
I would like to re-emphasize GFAR’s commitment to supporting the ‘less vocal’ members of our family, those stakeholders who may also have less experience with, and fewer resources for, participating in a global dialogue on ARD. A significant event in this respect was the election, during the statutory annual meeting in Nairobi in October 2003, of Ms Monica Kapiriri, representative of a group of non-government organizations (NGOs) from the South, to the position of GFAR Vice Chair. Ms Kapiriri’s election opens the door to stronger CSO involvement in defining the global ARD agenda.
It is not easy to report on the work of the Secretariat. Its vital role of facilitation - that of quietly shepherding research partnerships, helping people share knowledge, and taking care of logistical matters - is often played out behind the scenes. A challenge for the future, then, is for us also to report on those activities which, consistent with GFAR principles of decentralization and subsidiarity, are led by the stakeholders themselves. Recalling that neither GFAR nor its Secretariat is an implementing agency, I invite all stakeholders to suggest ways of improving our global communication and producing more informative and comprehensive annual reports in the years to come.
I would like to conclude by again thanking our two support agencies, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), for the key role they have played in facilitating our activities in 2003.
May God bless you all.
Mohammad H.
Roozitalab
GFAR Chair
