I C A R D A    N e w s

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
For more information contact: Dr Surendra Varma (s.varma@CGIAR.ORG)
 
 
21 July 2005
Strengthening Partnerships in West Asia
The Director General, Prof. Dr Adel El Beltagy, visited Jordan on 27-30 June to participate in a number of activities aimed at strengthening collaboration with Jordan and other countries in West Asia. During the visit, the DG met with the Prime Minister of Jordan H.E. Dr Adnan Badran; ministers of agriculture from countries of West Asia; representatives of development agencies in the region; and scientists from national programs and other partners.
During a ministerial meeting held in Amman, the DG, Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy (left) and ministers of agriculture of Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the Palestinian Authority signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote the conservation of agrobiodiversity and exchange of genetic resources. The Ministers of Agriculture are (left to right): H.E. Prof. Dr Adel Safar of Syria; H.E. Dr Yousef Al-Shuraiki of Jordan; H.E. Prof. Dr Trad Hamade of Lebanon; and H.E. Dr Walid Abed Rabboh of the Palestinian Authority.

The DG was accompanied by Prof. Dr Magdy Madkour, ICARDA's Assistant Director General for International Cooperation, and Dr Ahmed Amri, Coordinator of ICARDA's West Asia Regional Program.

During the first day of the visit, the DG and his delegation participated in a regional meeting on "Agricultural Development Strategy in the Arab World for 2005-2025," organized by the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD) under the auspices of the Minister of Agriculture, H.E. Dr Yousef Al-Shuraiki, in Amman. In his opening address H.E. Al-Shuraiki acknowledged the efforts of international and regional organizations in agricultural development and the need for them to participate in the development of strategies and in the implementation of various research and development activities in future.
ICARDA Director General, Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy (right); H.E. Walid Abed Rabboh (center), Minister of Agriculture, Palestinian Authority ; and Mr Timothy Rothermel (left), UNDP Special Resident Representative in the Palestinian Authority, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to enhance collaboration between ICARDA and UNDP/PAPP.

Later that day, the DG and his delegation visited the University of Jordan in Amman where they met senior officials and staff. A Memorandum of Understanding to enhance the collaboration between the two institutions was signed on behalf of the University of Jordan by its President, Prof. Dr Abdelrahim Al-Huneiti, and on behalf of ICARDA by the Director General, Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy. Prof. Dr Al-Huneiti thanked ICARDA for the collaboration built over the years and expressed keen interest to strengthen it further in areas related to dryland farming, co-supervision of graduate students and exchange visits.
At the University of Jordan, the DG, Prof. Dr El-Beltagy, and his delegation held talks with the President, Prof. Dr Abdelrahim Al-Huneiti and the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture Prof. Dr Mustapha Qrunfleh. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Prof. Dr El-Beltagy and Prof. Dr Al-Huneiti. Also, the ICARDA DG received the University Plaque of Honor in recognition of ICARDA’s work in Jordan, especially the partnerships with universities.
Dr Al-Huneiti presented to the DG a University Plaque of Honor in recognition of ICARDA's work in Jordan and his keen interest to include universities as partners in the implementation of ICARDA projects in Jordan. The DG thanked the University President and staff for their interest in the partnership and expressed the need for more collaborative initiatives.

 On 29 June, the DG and his delegation, accompanied by ministers of agriculture of Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the Palestinian Authority, made a courtesy call on H.E. Prof. Dr Adnan Badran, Prime Minister of Jordan. Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy briefed the Prime Minister on the mission of ICARDA and the results of the long partnership between the Center and Jordan, and with other countries in the Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) region. H.E. Adnan Badran noted with satisfaction the efforts of ICARDA in Jordan and CWANA as a whole, and called for further strengthening of the collaboration between national institutions and regional and international organizations to serve agricultural development and to sustain the natural resources, including agrobiodiversity.

Later, Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy and Mr Timothy Rothermel, the UNDP Special Resident Representative in the Palestinian Authority, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to enhance the collaboration between ICARDA and the UNDP Program of Assistance to the Palestinian People (UNDP/PAPP). H.E. Dr Walid Abed Rabboh, the Minister of Agriculture of the Palestinian Authority, witnessed the signing. The three parties recognized the need to join efforts and build a strong partnership to rehabilitate agriculture in the Palestinian Authority. Prof. El-Beltagy thanked Mr Rothermel for his work in the Palestinian Authority and in the region and his continuous support to ICARDA. Drs Madkour and Amri from ICARDA and Mr Khaled Shawahneh from UNDP/PAPP also attended the ceremony held at ICARDA WARP office in Amman.

Also on 29 June, a ministerial meeting was convened in Amman to sign a Memorandum of Understanding to promote the conservation of agrobiodiversity and the exchange of genetic resources among the four countries (Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the Palestinian Authority) participating in the GEF/UNDP-funded dryland agrobiodiversity project. This was a part of the project's exit strategies and in response to the recommendations from policy workshops. This meeting was attended by Ministers of Agriculture: Dr Yousef Al-Shuraiki of Jordan; Prof. Dr Trad Hamade of Lebanon; Dr Walid Abed Rabboh of the Palestinian Authority; and Prof. Dr Adel Safar of Syria. Also present were the ICARDA DG, Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy; the UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Jordan, Mrs Mona Hider; the UNDP/PAPP Special Resident Representative in the Palestinian Authority, Mr Timothy Rothermel; representatives of regional and international institutions and national agrobiodiversity project coordinators and managers.

In her opening statement on behalf of GEF/UNDP, Mrs Hider thanked ICARDA for the excellent work that has made the dryland agrobiodiversity project a success. The project has made a significant contribution to better understanding of the values and benefits of conserving agrobiodiversity in the West Asia region, she said. On behalf of ICARDA, Prof. Dr El-Beltagy thanked all national, regional and international institutions for making the agrobiodiversity project a landmark in the regional collaboration and a very rewarding experience which has led to significant impacts including institutional changes that will contribute to the safeguarding of the valuable plant genetic resources.
ICARDA Director General, Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy (right); H.E. Walid Abed Rabboh (center), Minister of Agriculture, Palestinian Authority ; and Mr Timothy Rothermel (left), UNDP Special Resident Representative in the Palestinian Authority, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to enhance collaboration between ICARDA and UNDP/PAPP.
H.E. Dr Yousef Al-Shuraiki on behalf of the host country and the national project components thanked ICARDA for a job well done and for the initiative to invite ministers of agriculture of the four participating countries to sign the Memorandum of Understanding. He acknowledged with full satisfaction the lessons learned and the achievements of the dryland agrobiodiversity project and stressed the need to continue the collaboration between national, regional and international organizations to sustain the activities started by the project.

Dr Ahmed Amri, the Regional Coordinator of the Dryland Agrobiodiversity Project highlighted the major achievements of the project and necessary actions to sustain its activities at national and regional levels. He also presented the recommendations of different meetings organized by the project calling for more collaboration among the countries in West Asia and North Africa and with the regional and international organizations to implement international convention and treaties related to agrobiodiversity conservation.

At the end of the DG's visit it was clear that ICARDA's partnership with countries of West Asia is strong and will be consolidated in years to come.

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 countries, international and regional organizations, and private foundations supporting15 international research 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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