Rural Development Ministers, Permanent Secretaries and Chief Executive Officers from fifteen Asia/Pacific countries will converge in Fiji for a regional integrated rural development forum next week.
These Asia/Pacific leaders will attend the biennial 20th Governing Council Meet (GC-20), 30th Executive Committee Meet (EC-30), and 7th Regional Policy Dialogue Meet (RPD-70) for the Center on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP).
The Minister for Agriculture, Rural & Maritime Development and National Disaster Management, Hon. Inia Seruiratu said CIRDAP was established in response to the need for regional cooperation and networking in rural development.
“It is a regional, intergovernmental organization established at the initiative of the countries of the Asia-Pacific region and the Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nation with support from member countries and donors,” Hon. Seruiratu said.
In addition, the Centre was established to meet the needs of the developing countries at that time as an institution for promoting integrated rural development in the region.
The Governing Council (GC) is the peak decision making body of CIRDAP while its Executive Committee reviews and makes recommendations to the GC on the affairs of CIRDAP.
Ministers of rural development and agriculture make up the GC while the Permanent Secretaries or equivalents form the Executive Committee (EC).
Following Fiji’s union to CIRDAP in 2009 and the appointment of the Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and National Disaster Management as Vice Chairman at both the GC-19 and EC-29 in 2013, Government approved CIRDAP’s invitation to Fiji as the host nation.
Hon. Seruiratu said that the meet indicates government’s commitment to rural development investment in the country.
He said it will further solidify Fiji’s lead role in development in the Pacific region.
Member countries expected to attend include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Iran, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.
About 200 government officials, intergovernmental representatives, international observers, diplomats, donor officials, and development practitioners are also expected to attend.
The forum will be held at the Tanoa International Hotel in Nadi from the 17th – 21st August.