The Governing Board (GB) of CORAF has approved the 2020 work plan comprising a set of actions to strengthen the food and nutrition security of more than 430 million people living in West and Central Africa.
The 2020 annual work plan and budget stand at close to USD 15 million (roughly 8 billion FCFA).
Meeting at its 27th GB meeting in the Cape Verdean capital of Praia from January 16-17, 2020, Board members also reviewed and approved the state of implementation of the 2019 work plan.
The GB supervises the activities of the Executive Secretariat of CORAF. In this capacity, it examines and approves the annual programs and budgets.
At the Praia Governing Board meeting, it also approved the 2018 audit report. CORAF has a growing record of good audit results, sound financial, personnel, and administrative management that continues to endear the organization to prospective partners.
Substantial parts of the 2020 plan involve activities designed to implement the 2018-2022 Operational Plan of CORAF, of which major international development agencies provide funding. This includes the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the European Union, and the World Bank.
When the General Assembly approved it in 2018, the ongoing Operational Plan of CORAF was projected to cost USD 60 million. So far, USD 41 million has been mobilized for this purpose. A substantial part of the 2020 work plan will be invested in achieving the results of this OP.
The 27th Governing Board meeting was the first to be held in a Lusophone country, signaling CORAF’s strong intent to expand its services to Lusophone-speaking countries.
Political Support from the Top
Cape Verde National Research Institute for Agricultural Development (INIDA) is CORAF’s foremost partner in the small island state.
During activities preceding the GB meeting, the country’s Prime Minister and Head of State, Dr. José Ulisses de Pina Correia e Silva, lauded INIDA’s contribution to strengthening the resilience of communities affected by climate change. INIDA not only churns out technologies but also helps in disseminating innovations that can help advance the country’s food system under a changing climate.
For example, INIDA is currently partnering with the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) to disseminate smart technologies under the Rural Socioeconomic Opportunities Program.
Another champion of CORAF, Dr. Gilberto Correia Carvalho Silva, Cape Verdean Minister of Agriculture and Environment urged governments and development partners to invest more in research considering its potential to transform the continent’s agricultural sector.
The Governing Board of CORAF is currently chaired by Dr. Maria Angela P. Bareto Da Veiga Moreno of Cape Verde. She is the first female Board Chair of CORAF since its inception in 1987.
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