CGIAR Mid Term Meeting, Durban, South Africa, May 21-25, 2001: Summary Record of Proceedings and Decisions

Summary report of the 2001 CGIAR Mid Term Meeting held in Durban, South Africa, May 21-25, CGIAR Chairman Ian Johnson presiding. The final mid term meeting held by the Group before mid term meetings and international centers weeks were consolidated into a single annual general meeting. Recommendations of the Change Design and Management Team endorsed at the meeting included the adoption of a programmatic approach to CGIAR research through the establishment of global challenge programs, the creation of an executive council, the transition of TAC into a science council, and organization of a system office. The first meeting of the Interim Executive Council was held on May 25 in Durban, and member decided to form task forces for determining how to proceed in establishing the system office, science and executive councils, and challenge programs. Under Research Agenda and Funding Requirements, participants endorsed TAC's recommendation to extend the 2001-2003 medium term plan to 2004, confirmed the 2001financing plan at US$ 340 million, and set the 2002 financial planning target also at $ 340 million. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change chair Bob Watson and Inter Center Working Group on Climate Change chair Pedro Sanchez described prospective impacts of climate change on global agriculture, biodiversity, forests, and fisheries and suggested that climate change would be a suitable theme for a CGIAR challenge program. Subsequent presentations suggested water management and use, integrated natural resource management, genetic resources, and the impact of disease on livestock production and trade as possible challenge program themes. Representatives of TAC, GFAR, and FORAGRO presented a progress report on establishing a framework and criteria for regional priority setting in the CGIAR