The Global Donor Platform For Rural Development (GDPRD): Annual General Body Meeting

Location: Brussels
Date: 26-28 April 2006

Over 60 participants who represented about 80% of the Official Development Assistance for rural development and agriculture participated in the GDPRD Annual General Body Meeting.

GDPRD was established in 2003 by like-minded donor nations, development agencies and international finance institutions to increase overall aid effectiveness in rural development.

At the two day event members were able to:

• Review status of two important upcoming platform products: "Sector-wide Approaches for Agriculture & Rural Development" and "Rural Focus of PRSPs".
  
• Assess the three Platform pillars under development: "Advocacy", "Shared Learning" and "In-Country Facilitation".
  
• Inform members about the latest achievements in donor harmonisation and alignment in the Platform's four pilot countries Nicaragua, Burkina Faso, Cambodia and Tanzania.
  
• Work towards establishing a Joint Donor Rural Concept, which is to become a foundation of all future Platform advocacy and policymaking in rural development. The results of this are expected to be available soon.
  
• Organise a joint session with the AgriBusiness Forum 2006, which took place at the same time in Brussels.