The Italy-IFAD Partnership Agreement:

Instrument to Foster Cooperation and Knowledge Sharing with Italian NGOs

IFAD, Tuesday 14 th January 2003

A one-day workshop was organized by the External Affairs Department of IFAD, the International Land Coalition and the Non-Governmental Organizations Office of the General Directorate of Cooperation and Development (DGCS) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The workshop was structured as a forum for discussion, sharing ideas and networking. The workshop revolved around four thematic areas:

• Access to markets
• Rural financial services
• Access to and management of natural resources
• Advocacy for rural poverty reduction and development at international fora

The main objectives of the workshop were to:

• Broaden familiarization with and improve understanding of common priorities, concerns and approaches in order to enhance partnership initiatives in rural development; and

• Identify and initiate debate on the key issues regarding rural poverty and rural poverty reduction.

The workshop proved to be a critical first step in developing and strengthening partnerships between IFAD, The Coalition, the Government of Italy and Italian NGOs. A total of 28 NGOs participated in the workshop, along with five members of the Italian government's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In addition, representatives from FAO, WFP and the Global Mechanism were present in what was an institutional undertaking. Aside from the preliminary discussions on a number of important issues, the event provided a vehicle for so many stakeholders to find themselves in the same place, where they could get to know each other and establish that first contact that is essential if collaborative networks are to emerge.