Strengthening Partnerships with Major Groups

  1. ECOSOC & CSD8 mandates prepared the way for more effective partnerships between stakeholders including major groups of Agenda 21, governments and intergovernmental organisations after the 2000 Land and Agriculture Dialogues, held in New York at the 8th Session of the CSD by specifically requesting that FAO as Task manager for chapter 14 continue the multistakeholder dialogues with Major Groups and report back to them at the WSSD. (http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/csd8/csd8_2000.htm)
  2. The first follow up was a SARD Forum organised by major groups and FAO at the 16th Session of the Committee on Agriculture, March 2001.
  3. After the SARD Forum held at FAO, the focal points of major groups established a joint workplan with FAO Task Manager for SARD, including WSSD preparation and follow-up in the form of themes for new commitments and partnerships.
  4. Major groups engaged with Land and Agriculture Multistakeholder Dialogues at CSD8 and at the SARD Forum included Farmers, Business & Industry, NGOs, Indigenous People, Workers & Trade Unions. Separate descriptions of each of the facilitators for each of these Major Groups are included below.
  5. SARD Focal points to be identified: Scientific community, Women, Youth, Local Authorities.

Major Groups of Agenda 21 Involved in the Land and Agriculture Multistakeholder Dialogues in CSD and FAO:

Farmers: The farmers group is jointly co-ordinated by the International Federation of Agricultural Producers (IFAP), and the Via Campesina (VC). IFAP is a membership-based organization that brings together national organizations representing family farmers from throughout the world. It was established in 1946, and has general consultative status with the UN ECOSOC. The Via Campesina is an international social movement, coordinating organizations of peasants, landless peasants, small-scale farmers, agricultural workers, Indigenous Peoples and rural women. It was established in 1992. Participation in the farmers group is open to all farmers' organizations, whether or not they are members of IFAP or Via Campesina. IFAP's website is www.ifap.org and Via Campesina's website is www.viacampesina.org.

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