Asiadhrra, represented by Ms.Marlene Ramirez, is set to participate in the upcoming Southeast Asia CSM Sub-regional Consultation focusing on “Development of Principles for Agricultural Investment, VG on Land, and other Priority Issues of CFS”. The consultation will be held on May 23-25, 2012 in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Updates on the consultation can be accessed at the activity blog: http://seacsm-raiconsultation.blogspot.com/
About the CSM Consultation
In October 2011 during the 37th Session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), an agreement to launch an inclusive consultation process for the development and broader ownership of the principles of responsible agricultural investment was reached. The planned rai consultations from this year to 2014 give CSOs an avenue to work for strong rai principles that will provide an international framework for policies that promote, protect and support small food producers and providers. Specifically, these refer to measures that will halt various forms of land and resource grabbing, and provide mechanisms for small food producers’ ownership, access and control of their food and agricultural production systems. The agreed principles are expected to be endorsed in plenary during the CFS 41st session in October 2014.
It is along the above that the CSM WG for Southeast Asia sub-region has taken the initiative of organizing this event, in coordination with the CSM for CFS and with support from the FAO. Mindful of the other priority CFS issues, the rai consultation shall also revisit other areas for priority action such as the follow through on the Voluntary Guidelines on Land at the national level, and discussions on CC, Biofuels, and the Global Strategic Framework. It shall be an inclusive process, where all civil society stakeholders are encouraged to participate.
The consultation process shall take guidance from the results of the CSM WG and Technical Team and the various efforts of civil society on these issues. The consultation aims to:
- create a deeper understanding of the issues confronted in the sub-region on agricultural investments among CSOs and social movements in preparation for the 2013/2014 rounds of consultation on the rai principles;
- identify strategies to effectively influence the implementation of the CFS sanctioned Voluntary Guidelines on the Governance of Land Tenure and other Natural Resources;
- discuss other issues identified as priority agenda by CFS for 2013 to include Climate Change and Biofuels, among others; and d) strengthen the SEA Sub-regional CSM through clearer understanding of the CSM, its value added to on-going sub-regional CSO efforts on common agenda on food security and nutrition, and by strengthening the SEA CSM coordination structure and processes.
