CTA is taking the initiative to organise the seminar.

The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) was established in 1983 under the Lomé Convention between the ACP (African, Caribbean and Pacific) group of states and the European Union member states. Since 2000, it has operated within the framework of the ACP-EC Cotonou Agreement.

CTA’s tasks are to develop and provide services that improve access to information for agricultural and rural development and to strengthen the capacity of ACP countries to produce, acquire, exchange and utilise information in this area. CTA’s programmes are designed to: provide a wide range of information products and services and enhance awareness of relevant information sources; promote the integrated use of appropriate communication channels and intensify contacts and information exchange (particularly intra-ACP); and develop ACP capacity to generate and manage agricultural information and to formulate ICM strategies, including those relevant to science and technology.

CTA is financed by the European Union.

The seminar will be prepared with the scientific and technical support of an international steering committee composed of CTA experts and representatives of regional and international organisations.

List of members of the steering committee: (PDF)

 

Responsibilities of the steering committee

The steering committee will assist CTA in obtaining additional funding. It will also assist with the technical and scientific preparations and the development of the seminar. More specifically the:

• Adoption of the final version of the concept paper on the Seminar's objectives, expected outputs, themes and media strategy;
• Contribution to the finalisation of Seminar themes;
• Selection of participants and speakers;
• Definition of sessions and presentations for each session;
• Identification of chairpersons for the plenary sessions and facilitators for the parallel sessions;
• Adoption of the terms of reference for the preparation of presentations in the plenary sessions and the parallel sessions;
• Comments and remarks on the preliminary versions of the presentations;
• Comments and remarks on the Seminar programme.

CTA is inviting other partners to provide financial support for the Seminar. The first meeting of the steering committee is scheduled to be held at CTA headquarters between 8 and 9 April 2009. The date of the second steering committee meeting will be decided at this meeting. Contacts will be continued by e-mail. Other meetings may be scheduled depending on the progress of seminar preparations.