MAJOR PROGRAMME 3.5: COOPERATION WITH EXTERNAL PARTNERS

Programme Outcome

Achievements

297. The Major Programme promotes cooperation with multilateral and bilateral funding agencies, as well as with the private sector and NGOs, particularly in order to mobilize additional resources for the agricultural and rural sectors of Member Countries. It also provides for supervision of the implementation of the partnership agreements introduced since 1994 and fostering economic and technical cooperation among developing countries.

Programme 3.5.1 - Multilateral and Bilateral Agencies

298. Efforts continued to strengthen collaboration with FAO's traditional partners in mobilizing resources for priority agricultural development projects in Member Countries, particularly in support of the SPFS. Renewed emphasis was placed on ensuring the coherence of Trust Fund projects with FAO's Regular Programme activities, with particular attention given to national capacity building, sustainability and gender issues. With a number of donors having implemented decentralized decision-making mechanisms, FAO's Regional and Sub-regional Offices and the FAO Country Representations assumed a more active role in the project cycle, particularly at the early stages of project development. The FAO/Government Cooperative Programme continued as a stable source of extrabudgetary resources and discussions were initiated with the European Union to increase and diversify cooperation. An increasing number of Governments requested FAO technical assistance in key development projects financed within the framework of bank loans or from their own national resources which resulted in a steady growth in the UTF Programme.

299. Management of the APO Programme and handling of UN volunteers continued. Spain and Luxembourg joined the APO programme, bringing the total number of donor countries participating to 19. APOs continued to make important contributions to the programmes and projects to which they were assigned. At the request of donors, an internal review was initiated to examine the objectives and achievements of the APO Programme in recent years and formulate recommendations for its future.

Programme 3.5.2 - Private Sector and NGOs

300. A review of FAO's cooperation with NGOs and the Private Sector was carried out, leading to a proposed strategy, as synthesized in the paper FAO's Cooperation with NGOs. Trust Fund projects were developed with individual companies, NGOs, and other associations (Rotary International) and an Italian private sector committee was established to seek support to the SPFS. The private sector also contributed to organizing Telefood. A regional consultation involving Governments, NGOs and private companies in Asia and the Pacific was held and addressed the complementary roles of their different constituencies. A network of NGO focal points was established within FAO to share experience and stimulate reflection. The magazine Development Education Exchange Papers (DEEP) continued to be published, in cooperation with NGOs.

Programme 3.5.3 - Cooperation Agreements with Member Nations and Support to Economic Cooperation among Developing Countries (ECDC) and Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries (TCDC)

301. The partnership programmes (use of TCDC/TCCT experts, cooperation with academic and research institutions, and use of retired experts) received increasing support from countries and national institutions and their use expanded within the Organization. This facilitated the tapping of high-level expertise from a much wider resource pool in the implementation of FAO's programmes and projects. Partnership programmes were very cost-effective, with the estimated cost per-work month being one-half to one-third the cost of an expert recruited at international rates. (See Table 3.5-1)

Table 3.5-1: Estimated Average Monthly Cost of an Expert, 1996

302. The agreement with countries on the use of experts for TCDC and TCCT had been signed by 112 countries by the end of the biennium. Some 830 TCDC/TCCT experts were used in FAO programmes and projects in such areas as: improved rice production, horticultural development, animal genetic resources, small-scale irrigation, curriculum development for environmental education, wood utilization and fishing harbour development. TCDC experts were also used in crop assessment and food supply missions and in agricultural rehabilitation efforts.

303. Cooperation with academic and research institutions expanded rapidly following the decision to extend it to developing country and regional institutions, in addition to those in developed countries, with 23 having formally joined the programme. The services of 150 visiting scientists and researchers were utilized in studies and research work in fields such as animal genetic resources, livestock production systems, risk and vulnerability analysis in farming systems and bibliographic research.

304. Increasing use was also made of national retired experts and retired FAO and UN staff members. Over 500 retired experts, many of them renowned in their fields, were involved in the implementation of a broad spectrum of FAO activities including: low-cost water-saving irrigation, marine fisheries and aquaculture management, land tenure, agricultural statistics, participation of women in agricultural development and technology assessment for agricultural and rural development.

305. A new Young Professionals Programme was launched with the aim of fostering national capacities in developing countries by closely associating and providing on-the-job training to young professionals through their participation in the implementation of FAO activities.