CGIAR Central Asia and the Caucasus

Program for the CAC Developed

Following the Ministerial-Level Meeting held in 1995 in Lucerne, Switzerland, and the recommendations of the CGIAR-commissioned Task Force in 1996, a decision was taken to expand the geographic mandate of CGIAR to also include the eight CAC countries. A series of workshops and consultations between the CGIAR and the NARS had outlined problems facing the research systems of the CAC countries, possible research activities needing additional support, and a strategy by which CGIAR could assist the NARS in both institutional development and the development of technologies and policies in order to ensure revival and future development of the agricultural sector.

In 1997, eight CG Centers formed a Consortium to develop a CGIAR Collaborative Research Program for Sustainable Agricultural Development in CAC. These CG Centers jointly developed a Technical Program Proposal for 5 years in May 1998 based on the needs of all the eight NARS and submitted to the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). Based on recommendations of TAC, the Program proposal was approved by the CGIAR during the Annual General Meeting in 1997, with initial funding support from the World Bank.