International Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ICARRD)
New challenges and opportunities for revitalizing rural communities
Steering Committee Meeting
Thursday 8 September 10:30
FAO Room B503

Record of the Meeting

Attendance:
Host Country representatives:
H.E. Flávio Miragaia Perri, Ambassador to FAO, Permanent Representative of Brazil to FAO
Mr. Arnaldo De Baena Fernandes, Alternate Permanent Representative of Brazil to FAO
Mr. Aurimar Nunes, Permanent Representation of Brazil to FAO

Regional Representatives:
Mr. Vic Heard, Permanent Representation of the United Kingdom to FAO
Mr. Sergio Insunza Becker, Alternate Permanent Representative of Chile to FAO
H.E. Christer Wretborn, Ambassador to FAO, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Sweden to FAO
Mr. Noel D. De Luna, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of the PhilippinesMrs. Soline de Villard, Alternate Permanent Representative of the Delegation of the European Commission to FAOMr. Richard Newbert, Alternate Permanent Representative of the United States Mission to FAO.Ms. Harriet Spanos, Permanent Representation of the United States Mission to FAO

Executive Secretary of the ICARRD Secretariat:
Parviz Koohafkan, Director, SDA; Paul Munro-Faure, Chief, SDAA; Thomas Price, Senior Programme Officer, Civil Society Cooperation, TCDS; Ms. Sieglinde Ring, Senior Coordination officer, OCDC; Eve Crowley, Senior Officer, SDAR; Oliver Dubois, Senior Officer, SDAR; Paolo Groppo, Land Tenure System Analysis Officer, SDAA; Christian Mazzei, SDAA; Catherine Gaury, Secretary, SDAD.

1 Introductions and welcome

a) The Executive Secretary and members of the Steering Committee introduced themselves. The Executive Secretary welcomed the delegates, gave a short background summary of ICARRD and asked for the adoption of the agenda

2 Composition and mode of operation of the Steering Committee

a) The draft proposal for organization of the ICARRD (distributed with agenda) was discussed and agreed, subject to:

a. Election of chairperson of Steering Committee postponed to the next meeting

b. Executive Secretariat to write to each regional grouping to inform/request them: to designate up to three delegates for subsequent meetings, with open-ended participation of other countries as observers; that each regional group will be entitled to one vote in the event of a decision by voting

c. International Fund for Agriculture (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP) to be invited to join the Technical Panel by Executive Secretariat. International Land Coalition (ILC) may participate in the wider civil society dialogue process

d. The composition and mode of operation of the Steering Committee will be adjusted at each stage according to technical and political opportunities

e. IPC proposal for involvement (as tabled, here at annex A) was agreed.

3 Progress and activities on technical matters

a) Issues papers:

a. Draft terms of reference for the three issues papers circulated with agenda were agreed and authors proposed

b. A fourth issues paper (proposed by Brazil) on “Agrarian Reform, Social Justice and Sustainable Development” was agreed and authors proposed

c. FAO is preparing two additional resource papers for the ICARRD: a stocktaking of agrarian reform since the 1979 WCARRD, and an assessment of investment requirements in relation to agrarian reform and rural development

b) Other preparations:

a. Case studies: Draft guidelines for case studies circulated with agenda, agreed

b. National reporting: Draft national reporting guidelines circulated with agenda, agreed

c. Papers: Draft call for papers has been prepared for circulation

d. E-mail conference: Preparations for an e-mail conference are in hand

e. Brazil advocated civil society involvement in each national process by each member government, thus bringing civil society effectively into the whole process of participation

4 Progress and activities on administrative and financial matters

a) Administration and financial matters:

a. FAO has established a Global Trust Fund with an initial donation of $250,000 from Brazil. Additional contributions from others are anticipated

b. the Steering Committee now has an operational national counterpart Committee in Brazil

c. Logo and website for ICARRD for the approval of the Steering Committee are in preparation

d. Draft ICARRD conference programme:
i. Final dates are 7-10 March 2006
ii. The conference programme will be finalised at the last possible moment
iii. Space is required for heads of state/ministers to make presentations
iv. More thought is required about conclusions and outcomes of ICARRD

e. A paper has been prepared for the FAO Conference in November outlining actions taken and progress in preparation for the ICARRD

b) A summary record of this Steering Committee meeting to be prepared and circulated by the Executive Secretary, and in future by the elected chairperson.

5 Any other business

a) The next steering committee meeting will be scheduled for the last few days of September.

9 September 2005
Parviz Koohafkan
Executive Secretary, ICARRD
Director, Rural Development Division,
Sustainable Development Department