Ministerial
Level Meeting on Strengthening Agricultural Research Systems in Central Asia
and the
At the invitation of the Prime Minister of the Republic of
Kyrgyzstan, the Ministers, Deputy Ministers and Senior representatives of the
Governments of the eight countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus (CAC)-
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan,
and Uzbekistan- the Heads of the National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS)
of these countries, representatives of the Consultative Group for International
Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and the funding organizations met in Issyk-Kul
(Kyrgyzstan) on June 8, 2001, to review the status of agricultural research and
further development in these countries and to reaffirm its importance for the
sustainable growth and development of the entire region.
The
participants consider that the economic growth of the CAC region depends
largely on the agricultural sector and, therefore, agricultural research has a
critical role to play in achieving the general goals of sustainable economic
development, including improvement of livelihood of people through poverty
reduction, food security and the arresting of the degradation of natural
resources of the region.
Delegates also
realize that the agricultural research organizations in the region are facing
major constraints that limit their ability to perform more effectively. In this
respect, while the situation varies from country to country, common concerns
are: inadequate financial resources, inadequately maintained research
facilities, obsolete equipment, lack of incentives for the scientific staff,
difficulties in attracting young talented scientists and the insufficient
scientific linkages at the regional and global levels. Also, inadequate
mechanisms of technology transfer need further strengthening and support.
The delegates
highly appreciate the new initiatives undertaken by the scientists of the
region in partnership with the International Centers of the CGIAR, however the
agricultural research outputs could be more effective and enhance the income of
rural sector and contribute sustainable economic development of the region.
Therefore, the
delegates solemnly call for all concerned stakeholders to take the necessary
steps, in their respective spheres of responsibility, to renew the agricultural
research systems in each country through the following measures:
·
The respective
Governments shall pay high priority attention to agricultural research systems
in strengthening both the human and financial resources. They also shall
support the process of renewal of agricultural research so as to improve its
efficiency and cost-effectiveness to meet the new demands of the agricultural
sector;
·
The policy
makers, the Governments, and leaders of the National Agricultural Research
Systems are urged to undertake the required reforms to make them more
responsive to the specific needs of the farmers and agricultural enterprises,
especially the small and resource poor farmers.
·
The
International Centers of the CGIAR, Global Forum on Agricultural Research
(GFAR) and other Advanced Research Institutions working in the region, shall
accept their responsibility towards this renewal process of agricultural
research in the CAC region and to build their strong partnerships for
agricultural research for development; and
·
The
international donor community is urged to give very high priority to support
this initiative for agricultural development of the region.
We are fully convinced that the above
initiatives will foster overall prosperity through growth and development of
the agricultural sector in the States of Central Asia and the Caucasus.