India to host the Governing Council meeting of Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and Pacific

New Delhi is all set to host the Executive Committee meeting, Regional Policy Dialogue and the Governing Council meeting of Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and Pacific (CIRDAP) from 27th to 30th of September. The meeting will plan the activities of CIRDAP for the next two years and elect the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson. It will also share and discuss various innovative initiatives done by the member countries for rural development, which will help other countries to adopt. The Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP) is a regional, intergovernmental and autonomous organization which plays a supplementary and reinforcing role in supporting and furthering the effectiveness of integrated rural development programmes in Asia and the Pacific. India is one of the founding members of the 15 member countries of CIRDAP. The other member-countries are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Fiji, Indonesia, Iran, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. India’s Ministry of Rural Development is the host-ministry for these significant meetings scheduled in the capital, across four days. The President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee will inaugurate the 19th Governing Council meeting of CIRDAP on 30th September at Vigyan Bhavan. Mr Mohammad Ali Nikbakht, Deputy Minister of Planning, Economic and International Affairs in the Ministry of Jihad-e-Agriculture, Islamic Republic of Iran and Chairperson of CIRDAP, Shri Jairam Ramesh, Minister for Rural Development, Govt of India, Shri Pradeep Jain and Shri Lal Chand Kataria, Ministers of State for Rural Development will also be present during the occasion. Governing Council is the highest authority of CIRDAP. It consists of the Ministers in charge of agriculture and rural development in the member countries. The Governing Council formulates policies, provides directions to the Centre and approves planning, the biennial work programme and the budget. Mr Mohammad Tariq Ismati, Deputy Minister, Afghanistan, Advocate Jahangir Kabir Nanak, State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, Bangladesh, Lt Col Inia Seruiaratu, Minister, Fiji, Dr Anug Myat Oo, Deputy Minister for Livestock Fisheries and Rural Development, Myanmar, Mr Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi, Deputy Minister, Malaysia and Dr Kanok Khatikam, Advisor to the Minister, Thailand are the other Ministers who have confirmed their participation for the Governing Council. Prior to the Governing Council, the 29th Executive Committee meeting and the 6th Regional Policy Dialogue will be held. The 29th Executive Committee meeting will be conducted on 27th and 28th of September and the 6th Regional Policy Dialogue will be held on 29th September. Shri Jairam Ramesh will inaugurate the 29th Executive Committee meeting at The Oberoi on 27th Sept 2013. Mr Mohammad Ali Nikbakht, Deputy Minister of Planning, Economic and International Affairs in the Ministry of Jihad-e-Agriculture, Islamic Republic of Iran, who is also the Chairperson of the Executive Committee of CIRDAP, Mr S Vijay Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, Govt of India and Vice Chairperson of Executive Committee of CIRDAP, Dr Cecep Effendi, Director General of CIRDAP and Mr SM Vijayanand, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, Govt of India also will address the inaugural session. This will be continued by the business sessions of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee comprises the Secretaries/Permanent Secretaries/Secretary General of the Contact Ministries. Its main functions are to review and make recommendations to the Governing Council on matters concerning the management and operations of the CIRDAP. Shri Pradeep Jain will address the 6th Regional Policy Dialogue on 29th September at The Oberoi. The theme of the Regional Policy Dialogue is ‘Role of Youth in Rural Development’, and it will showcase best practices from various member countries where youth development activities were implemented successfully. There is an exclusive session showcasing India’s innovative rural development projects which will discuss the successful initiatives in NGO and private sectors. PRADAN, SERP, Kudumbasree, SEWA, Tilonia Barefoot College, RUDSETI, Tata Trust, Reddy Foundation and NDDB will present their success stories. Courtesy: (pib.nic.in) Press Information Bureau