F.3: Partnerships and Alliances

Broadening partnerships and alliances

Other Information:

The issue: FAO is first and foremost a member of the UN family of organizations, and the partnerships deriving from this status, which constitute an important comparative advantage, need to be broadened and strengthened, taking into full account the ongoing process of UN reform. Special attention also needs to be paid to further strengthening of the links and potential for synergy among the Rome-based organizations - FAO, WFP, IFAD and IPGRI. Such reinforced cooperation could lead to mutually agreed arrangements for an alliance for agricultural development. The changing global context also requires further partnerships to be developed with important collaborators, both state and non-state, outside the UN system in order to ensure complementarity, reduced fragmentation of action, greater leverage on policy issues and cost savings. The emergence and/or strengthening of intergovernmental organizations that promote regional and subregional cooperation means that important new avenues may open up for joint or cooperative work. While maintaining its independence and neutrality, FAO needs to build constructive and effective relations with non-state partners, based on its own and their comparative advantages. This will also permit a more effective focus on cross-cutting socio-economic issues, including population and gender concerns. The strategy: General considerations on the nature of partnerships with various categories of organizations are dealt with in Part III. The strategy for broadening partnerships and alliances has three major components. With regard to the UN system and other intergovernmental organizations, FAO will: a) remain an active partner in interagency work at the international level and continue to cooperate with sister organizations at the country level within the framework of the UN Resident Coordinator system; b) maintain responsibility, in cooperation with IFAD and WFP, for running the ACC Network on Rural Development and Food Security, in support of implementation of the World Food Summit Plan of Action, and continue to contribute to interagency and intergovernmental action to follow up other major conferences and summits; c) remain an active partner of funding programmes such as UNDP and UNFPA, in responding to requests by recipient countries and in participating as a full-fledged partner in exercises such as the Common Country Assessments (CCAs) and UN Development Assistance Frameworks (UNDAFs); d) further strengthen cooperation with IFIs, building on their readiness to seek a broader base of cooperation with FAO, and ensure closer cooperation with CGIAR through the established institutional links (World Bank, UNDP, UNEP) and joint activities with the individual centres; and e) further develop "bilateral" cooperation and joint work with individual organizations (e.g. with UN organizations such as WHO and UNFPA) as well as with regional and subregional bodies working in areas of FAO's mandate or complementary to it. With regard to CSOs and NGOs, FAO will: a) improve information sharing and cooperation with technical and regional NGO networks; b) encourage policy dialogue at the country, regional and global levels, including improved access to FAO technical meetings; c) promote the Food for All Campaign national committees; d) facilitate specific cooperative programmes, i.e. by improving CSOs' participation in planning, formulation and implementation of specific programmes and projects, with particular attention to the SPFS; fostering capacity building for CSOs; and working with CSOs in agricultural rehabilitation efforts; e) increase the attractiveness of FAO programmes to multilateral and bilateral donors, which attach importance to CSO participation; and f) strengthen dialogue with CSOs/NGOs on the use of the resources that they themselves invest in agricultural development and food security programmes. With regard to the private sector, FAO will: a) enter into dialogue to remove any misconceptions that may exist with respect to an institution such as FAO, and also to develop a clear understanding of agribusiness interests that would be compatible with the Organization's objectives; b) establish a corporate policy and practice with regard to private sector partners, to strengthen cooperation without compromising the Organization's independence; c) explore with the private sector how investments in new technology can be steered to bring greater benefit to developing countries; d) obtain private sector support for FAO programmes, including both fundraising through sponsorships and revenues from services rendered to the private sector, as well as coalitions and bilateral projects with the private sector; e) play an "honest broker" role in increasing private sector investment in agriculture; and f) work to enhance the capacities of the private sector in developing countries, especially in providing effective input supply, marketing, processing and financial services.

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Indicator:1

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