Capacity Building Workshop on Genetic Resource Policies for CGIAR Scientists and Partners in East Africa, 4 - 7 June 2019, ILRI Campus, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The CGIAR Genebank Platform Policy Module, in coordination with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), organized the ‘Capacity building workshop on genetic resource policies for CGIAR scientists and partners in East Africa’. The workshop was held from 4 - 7 June 2019, at the ILRI campus in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This event brought together 30 staff members from 6 CGIAR Centres and 10 participants from national agricultural research organizations in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe. The workshop was designed to increase participants’ understanding of the CGIAR Centres’ and national research organizations’ obligations vis-à-vis international treaties and conventions dealing with access and benefit-sharing, and how these international instruments influence the day-to-day management of the collections. The workshop included participatory analyses of practical case studies and hypothetical scenarios where the interface between the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing and the ITPGRFA (Plant Treaty) can raise legal and procedural issues. It also addressed the management of information associated with genetic resources including digital sequence information

Capacity Building Workshop on Genetic Resources for CGIAR Scientists and Partners from Near East and Neighbouring Countries, 17 - 20 September 2018, ICARDA, Beirut, Lebanon

In September 2018, the CGIAR Genebank Platform Policy Module joined the International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA) and the Association of Agricultural Research Institutions in the Near East and North Africa (AARINENA) to organize a capacity-building workshop on genetic resource policies for CGIAR scientists and partners from Near East and neighbouring countries. The workshop was held from 17 - 20 September 2018, hosted by ICARDA, Beirut, Lebanon. This event brought together 20 staff members from 6 CGIAR Centres (including genebank managers and technical staff, plant breeders, senior scientists, legal counselor and genetic resources policy specialists), 16 representatives of national agricultural research organizations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Pakistan, Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen, and representatives of the Secretariats of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the coordination team of the Global Project on Access and Benefit Sharing of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The workshop was designed to increase participants’ understanding of the CGIAR Centres’ obligations vis-à-vis international treaties and conventions dealing with access and benefit-sharing, and how these international instruments influence the day-to-day management of scientists, researchers and support staff involved in the management of plant germplasm collections and plant breeding prorgammes at national and international levels. The workshop included participatory analyses of practical case studies and hypothetical scenarios where the interface between the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing and the ITPGRFA (Plant Treaty) can raise legal and procedural issues. It also addressed improving genebank operations and communications and as such, enhancing availability and accessibility of ex situ collections and promoting farmers’ rights

CGIAR Excellence in Breeding Platform - Plan of Work and Budget 2020

At the end of 2019, all CGIAR centers had submitted improvement plans based on an EiB template and in close collaboration with EiB staff while – in a parallel process with breeding programs, funders and private sector representatives – a vision for breeding program modernization was developed and presented to CGIAR breeding leadership at the EiB Annual Meeting. This vision represents an evolution of EiB in the context of the Crops to End Hunger Initiative (CtEH) beyond the initial scope of providing tools, services and expert advice, and serves as a guide for Center leadership to drive changes with EiB support. In addition, EiB has taken the role of managing and disbursing funding, made available by Funders via CtEH to modernize breeding and enable CGIAR breeding programs to implement the vision provided by EiB

Scientists & Farmers Are Revolutionizing Tropical Hillside Agriculture

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CGIAR Genebank Platform - Plan of Work and Budget 2020

As per previous years, the CGIAR Genebank Platform is responsible for providing healthy, viable, documented germplasm from the 35 crop and tree collections managed by the CGIAR, which are maintained and safety duplicated in long-term conservation in accordance with the FAO Genebank Standards (2014) and Article 15 of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (Plant Treaty). This service remains the most important annual output of the 11 CGIAR genebanks, which together are expected to distribute approximately 100,000 samples of germplasm in response to requests from up to 2000 external users and CGIAR scientists in 2020

Second External Programme and Management Review of IWMI

Report of the second external program and management review (EPMR) of IWMI (formerly IIMI) conducted between April 1999 and February 2000 by a panel chaired by Michel Petit. The document also contains an excerpt from the summary of proceedings of the CGIAR Mid Term Meeting 2000, a transmittal from the TAC Chair and CGIAR Executive Secretary, TAC's commentary, IWMI's response, and a transmittal from the review panel chair.TAC finds that the review shows an institution changed over a six year period from a focus on irrigation management and technical assistance, to a focus on strategic research and irrigation in an integrated water resources management and river basin perspective. The panel made four recommendations related to governance, and eight on research. One recommendation for a more formal process to set and implement clear priorities and assess impact drew strong support from TAC.The governance recommendations included a board development program, establishment of an audit committee, revision of board rules and regulations, and meetings twice, rather than once, per year. On research, the panel recommended adding various kinds of expertise to the staff, expansion of some activities, and adjustment of others. The panel found the Systemwide Initiative on Water Management important as a means of enhancing needed partnerships for IWMI.This review was considered by TAC, and a commentary prepared at TAC 78. The CGIAR ad hoc committee which considered the review at MTM 2000 endorsed the panel's recommendations, and encouraged increased support. Although not reflected in the meeting record printed here, the Group concurred