December 2004
GFAR Secretariat News
GFAR Statutory Meetings GPPs DURASNews from the Regional Fora
Europe Sub-Saharan AfricaNews from the other Stakeholders
Civil Society Organizations
In this issue
The GFAR Secretariat is pleased to provide you with the last issue of its Newsletter for 2004. Indeed, 2004 has been a very rich year in terms of activities, meetings, regional and inter-regional consultations and last but not least, the Retreat in Firenze, in February, involving all the GFAR Stakeholders, which led to the development of the new GFAR Business Plan 2004-2006.
This healthy portfolio of activities was made possible through a renewed commitment of the regular donors to GFAR as well as the commitment of new ones; obviously a positive signal for GFAR. This taking off process is also, for the small team of the GFAR Secretariat, a learning process to better report on these activities to donors and to better fit with the requirements of GFAR stakeholders. The editorial of the GFAR Executive Secretary, outlining the last GFAR Steering Committee meeting held the 15th of December opens this Newsletter, and you will see the Secretariat's commitments for 2005 to foster this two way dialogue.
After the Executive Secretary editorial, you will find some News from the Secretariat pertaining to new colleagues at the Secretariat, Gianna and Rupert, the outcomes of the GFAR Statutory Meetings in Mexico and the activities led by the Secretariat. May I also draw your attention to the minutes of the NARS Sub-Committee meeting and the very rich activities achieved this year by the five Regional Fora. We would like to underline that a significant part of these activities were supported by their apex organisation, GFAR and its Secretariat.
You will find other activities spareheaded by the Regional Fora in the following headings. In the item related to the other GFAR Stakeholders, a special emphasis is placed, as usual, on the outcomes of the meeting held by Civil Society Organisations in Mexico, on Monday the 25th of October. You will also find a profile article on IRTECO and the results of the ASFARNER Workshop on Biotechnology.
An article on the results of the 1st meeting of the GFAR Stakeholder Committee of the Generation Challenge Program completes this Newsletter.
On behalf of the Secretariat Staff let me conclude by wishing you a Merry Christmas, happy holidays and fruitful 2005.
GFAR Secretariat
c/o FAO, SDR, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla - 00100 Rome, Italy
Tel. +39.06.5705.3413 Fax +39.06.5705.3898
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