Poor's access to land a must for rural dev, seminar told
Monday, 7 July 2008
Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP), the prime regional forum for rural development of 14 countries of Asia Pacific region including Bangladesh Sunday celebrated its 29th founding anniversary at its headquarters in Dhaka, reports BSS.
The CIRDAP begun its journey on the day in 1979 at the initiative of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nation and other countries of the Asia-Pacific region for assisting national action, promoting regional cooperation and providing service to rural development activities.
Over the past 29 years, CIRDAP had implemented over 300 projects in the area of research, training and pilot projects.
Apart form Bangladesh, CIRDAP comprises Afghanistan, India, Indonesia, Iran, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. Presently, for expansion of CIRDAP, its governing council is working on inviting non-member countries of Asia and Pacific region to join the organisation and participate in the second ministerial meeting, to be held here from November 8-12 next year.
To mark the day, CIRDAP organised a seminar styled 'Access to Land by the Rural Poor: the Case of Nepal' at its office, which was inaugurated by rural development and cooperatives division secretary ATM Fazlul Karim.
Director General of CIRDAP Dr Durga P Paudyal gave the address of welcome while director (research) Nasreen Khandker moderated the seminar.
Programme coordinator of Nepal development Research Institute Jagannath Adhikary presented the keynote paper on land reform process of his country while economist Selim Raihan spoke as designated speaker.
Karim said the government is providing support to CIRDAP for constructing a new complex with all facilities of an International Conference centre so that the forthcoming ministerial meeting could take place in its office here.
CIRDAP, as a prime regional institution with huge network in the field of rural development has a vast potential both to offer to and gain from the CIRDAP member countries through mutual collaboration and cooperation, he said.
Fazlul Karim said despite global awareness, progress on securing access to land by the poor on a sustainable basis has been rather slow and sometimes even negative.
"Therefore, the issue of access to land and other natural resources by the extreme poor particularly women and indigenous people is very important," he added.
Paudyal said the recently held governing council meeting of CIRDAP during the special ministerial gathering held in New Delhi last month had decided to invite countries including Japan, Australia, New Zealand and China who attended the conference for the establishment of the CIRDAP in 1978 to join as members.
"Their involvement in CIRDAP will highly enrich its capacity and resources as they are having a priority programme and interest on poverty alleviation and rural development," he said.
In the backdrop of several recent reports, which showed a dismal picture in the area of food security, employment generation, poverty alleviation and sustainable environment management the rural development ministers of the CIRDAP member countries adopted a Delhi Declaration, he said.
The Declaration called upon CIRDAP to further enhance its role in promoting sustainable rural livelihoods, empowering women and leveraging ICT through providing a platform for exchange of ideas and sharing experiences, he said.
Jagannath, in his keynote paper, analysed the relationship between access to land and poverty, the present situation and various policies and agendas in regard to land access in the new political context of Nepal.
Selim said, merely land distribution to the poor community without ensuring other agrarian facilities could not be able to bring rural development.
A good number of rural development and land experts and representatives from non-government and research organisations attended the seminar.
The CIRDAP begun its journey on the day in 1979 at the initiative of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nation and other countries of the Asia-Pacific region for assisting national action, promoting regional cooperation and providing service to rural development activities.
Over the past 29 years, CIRDAP had implemented over 300 projects in the area of research, training and pilot projects.
Apart form Bangladesh, CIRDAP comprises Afghanistan, India, Indonesia, Iran, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. Presently, for expansion of CIRDAP, its governing council is working on inviting non-member countries of Asia and Pacific region to join the organisation and participate in the second ministerial meeting, to be held here from November 8-12 next year.
To mark the day, CIRDAP organised a seminar styled 'Access to Land by the Rural Poor: the Case of Nepal' at its office, which was inaugurated by rural development and cooperatives division secretary ATM Fazlul Karim.
Director General of CIRDAP Dr Durga P Paudyal gave the address of welcome while director (research) Nasreen Khandker moderated the seminar.
Programme coordinator of Nepal development Research Institute Jagannath Adhikary presented the keynote paper on land reform process of his country while economist Selim Raihan spoke as designated speaker.
Karim said the government is providing support to CIRDAP for constructing a new complex with all facilities of an International Conference centre so that the forthcoming ministerial meeting could take place in its office here.
CIRDAP, as a prime regional institution with huge network in the field of rural development has a vast potential both to offer to and gain from the CIRDAP member countries through mutual collaboration and cooperation, he said.
Fazlul Karim said despite global awareness, progress on securing access to land by the poor on a sustainable basis has been rather slow and sometimes even negative.
"Therefore, the issue of access to land and other natural resources by the extreme poor particularly women and indigenous people is very important," he added.
Paudyal said the recently held governing council meeting of CIRDAP during the special ministerial gathering held in New Delhi last month had decided to invite countries including Japan, Australia, New Zealand and China who attended the conference for the establishment of the CIRDAP in 1978 to join as members.
"Their involvement in CIRDAP will highly enrich its capacity and resources as they are having a priority programme and interest on poverty alleviation and rural development," he said.
In the backdrop of several recent reports, which showed a dismal picture in the area of food security, employment generation, poverty alleviation and sustainable environment management the rural development ministers of the CIRDAP member countries adopted a Delhi Declaration, he said.
The Declaration called upon CIRDAP to further enhance its role in promoting sustainable rural livelihoods, empowering women and leveraging ICT through providing a platform for exchange of ideas and sharing experiences, he said.
Jagannath, in his keynote paper, analysed the relationship between access to land and poverty, the present situation and various policies and agendas in regard to land access in the new political context of Nepal.
Selim said, merely land distribution to the poor community without ensuring other agrarian facilities could not be able to bring rural development.
A good number of rural development and land experts and representatives from non-government and research organisations attended the seminar.