ICARDA News

INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH IN THE DRY AREAS
P.O. Box 5466, Aleppo, Syria
Phone: (963-21) 2213433, 2213477, 2225112, 2225012
Fax: (963-21) 2213490, 2225105; E-mail: ICARDA@CGIAR.ORG
Website: www.icarda.cgiar.org
19 February 2004
For more information contact:
Surendra Varma (s.varma@CGIAR.ORG)
Deputy Minister Opens Workshop on Strengthening Information Systems
in Central Asia and the Caucasus
Opening Session of the RAIS Workshop. From left to right: Dr Raj Paroda, Regional Coordinator, ICARDA-CAC; H.E. Prof. M. Yusupov, First Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Water Management of Uzbekistan; and Dr Sherali Nourmatov, Chairman, CACAARI.
A Regional Agricultural Information System (RAIS) workshop for Central Asia and the Caucasus was held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, 27-28 January 2004. It was the first event organized by the recently established CAC regional forum—Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (CACAARI). Over 20 participants attended the workshop, including representatives of NARS, GFAR, Regional Fora (AARINENA and APAARI) and ICARDA.
The workshop was opened by H.E. Prof. M. Yusupov, First Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Water Management of the Republic of Uzbekistan, who emphasized the importance of information and knowledge sharing for agricultural research in the CAC region, and in Uzbekistan in particular. The opening session was chaired by Dr Sherali Nurmatov, Chairman, CACAARI, and co-chaired by Dr Raj Paroda, Regional Coordinator, ICARDA-CAC.
During working sessions, participants deliberated on assessment of needs and priorities related to agricultural information systems, at both national and regional levels, and developed a strategy for future cooperation. In the plenary, the following was agreed upon:
 Participants of the RAIS-CAC Workshop held in Tashkent.
(i) to establish a Regional Agricultural Information      System (RAIS) in the CAC region;
(ii) the need for multistakeholder involvement in the      process of establishing national and regional      information systems;
(iii) to appoint National Information Nodal Points      (NINPs), responsible for coordinating the work of      RAIS at national level, working closely with RAIS;      and
(iv) each NARS to strengthen Agroweb as a relevant      initiative enabling the management of national      information resources and to serve as a gateway      at the regional level facilitating access to national      resources.
A working group was formed to establish a steering committee, and develop terms of reference for the NINPs.

About ICARDA: Established in 1977, ICARDA (www.icarda.cgiar.org) serves the entire developing world for the improvement of barley, lentil, and faba bean; and dry-area developing countries for the on-farm management of water, improvement of nutrition and productivity of small ruminants (sheep and goats), and rehabilitation and management of rangelands. In the Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) region, ICARDA is responsible for the improvement of durum and bread wheats, chickpea, pasture and forage legumes and farming systems; and for the protection and enhancement of the natural resource base of water, land, and biodiversity.

The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) (www.cgiar.org) is a strategic alliance of 62 members and 16 Future Harvest Centers that mobilizes cutting-edge science to promote sustainable development by reducing hunger and poverty, improving human nutrition and health, and protecting the environment.
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