Technical Advisory Committee Thirty-First Meeting, 28 June - 6 July, 1983: Report of the Meeting

Report of the 31st Meeting of TAC, hosted by ICARDA and held in Tunis, June 28 to July 6, 1983, Professor Guy Camus in the chair. TAC approved center programs for 1984 at the level of $181 million net funding plus about $9.5 million for special projects transferred into restricted core by the CGIAR in May. A lower bracket was set at $168 million net, to accommodate projected funding.TAC established a standing committee to carry forward its work on strategic considerations. The Committee approved general terms of reference for a study of training to be implemented by the TAC secretariat, and feed into the CGIAR Impact Study. The Second Quinquennial Review of CIP was approved, and forwarded with a TAC commentary to the CGIAR. Commentary on the draft of the First Quinquennial Review of ICARDA was largely completed. The farming systems portion will be added at TAC 32. TAC initiated the preparation, through consultation between CIMMYT and ICARDA, of a statement on responsibilities in the CGIAR for durum wheat and barley. Agreement was reached on a document providing terms of reference and guidelines for external program reviews of centers, previously "quinquennial reviews." This document will be submitted to the CGIAR in November 1983. A plan to streamline the flow of external program reviews to two per year was accepted in principle. TAC approved programs and panel memberships for the WARDA and IITA reviews, and made decisions concerning reviews of IFPRI, CIAT, ICRISAT, IBPGR and ISNAR. TAC referred to the IITA review panel the question of the impact on IITA of an IFAD supported project on biological control of cassava pests.TAC heard a report on progress in FAO on the International Convention on Germplasm, and received a CGIAR center directors statement to FAO on germplasm issues, which is appended to the report. CIMMYT provided estimates for maintaining and extending its germplasm collection. TAC also received numerous other reports for inform