News and Views - The CGIAR Centers’ Future Harvest Alliance takes key steps

The Alliance Board (AB, previously the Committee of Board Chairs - CBC) and the Alliance Executive (AE) made substantial progress at their meeting in Marrakech immediately prior to AGM05. They adopted two critical tools needed to successfully operate the Alliance: the Alliance Principles and Procedures (AP&P) and conflict resolution guidelines. Current Chairs, Uzo Mokwunye (AB) and Willie Dar (AE), both from ICRISAT, were delighted to share the good news at AGM.

In a further effort to enhance the Future Harvest Alliance as a mechanism to strengthen the collective work of the Centers, an international search is underway for a Chief Alliance Officer, to be based in Rome. Great appreciation was expressed to Meryl Williams for her untiring efforts to advance the Alliance over the past 18 months.

A key element of the Alliance’s strategy to enhance its impact on the plight of the poor is to promote collective action. Progress was reported on efforts currently underway to develop integrated Medium Term Plans (MTPs) for West and Central Africa and for East and Southern Africa. Coordinated by WARDA, ICRAF and ILRI, together with many other partners, these MTPs will focus on the new research priorities approved during AGM, and will be submitted to the Science Council in mid-2006.

Progress on efforts to strengthen the governance of the Centers was discussed, including the Board Orientation program that is being conducted immediately following AGM. The group also met with panel members of the Stripe Review on Board governance. A number of key new initiatives were discussed that will be further nurtured during the coming year, including targeting agriculture and human health, the Amazon eco-region, and a significant expansion of the Centers’ research on climate change.

The passing of Bob Havener, a stalwart of the CGIAR System, was mourned. Bob, who served as the DG of four Centers, and on the Boards of two more, made an enormous contribution to the entire CGIAR System. The AB and AE decided to honor his memory by instigating a lecture series in his name, with the first Robert D. Havener Lecture to take place at ICARDA in May 2006.

Looking ahead to 2006, Jim Godfrey (CIP) will chair the Alliance Board with Joachim Voss (CIAT) as Chair of the Alliance Executive. In his presentation during Members’ and Centers’ Day, Joachim Voss noted, “The Alliance is similar to a baby or a small child, in that it is now born but will need to be nurtured and supported by all of us, in order to grow strong and flourish”.