Between May 21-23, 2013, in the launching meeting of the CGIAR Research Program on Dryland Systems in Amman, Harry Palmier made a statement on behalf of GFAR in the opening ceremony alongside welcoming addresses by ICARDA Board Chair, Dr. Camilla Toulmin, CGIAR Consortium CEO, Dr. Frank Rijsberman, a high level representative of the Ministry of Agriculture of Jordan, and Dr. Mahmoud El Solh, ICARDA Director General.

 

His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan Bin Talal of Jordan delivered the Keynote Address reflecting on the irrational exploitation of resources and the way it threatens the lives of the indigenous local communities whose participation in programs like this CRP is crucial. The meeting discussed the CRP Strategic Research themes, cutting across themes like gender and the role of youth, and the work plan for the five target regions: West Africa Sahel and the dry Savannas, Eastern and Southern Africa, North Africa and West Asia, Central Asia and the Caucasus, and South Asia.

 

Participants were presented the first iteration of the Intermediate Development Outcomes (IDOs) for this CRP which include: More stable household income, more resilient livelihoods in marginal areas; greater quantity and diversity of food sources available to women and children to ensure better nutrition; evidence based ecosystem management for more efficient and equitable use of water. GFAR was confirmed as a member of the Steering Committee of the CRP which held its first meeting on May 22.

 

The SC reviewed the Work Plan and Budget. It recognized that collaboration with development partners outside the CGIAR is essential from early stages of implementation, to achieve the CRP objectives and impact. ICARDA and other convening CGIAR Centers in the target regions will make these partnerships explicit in the part of the work plan and impact pathways under their responsibility. GFAR recalled the role that relevant regional fora can also play with their constituencies.