FAO endorses Mahinda Rajapaksa Global Agriculture Fund
Tuesday, 15 July 2014 00:53
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The concept of a ‘Global Aquaculture Fund’, proposed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the FAO/NACA Asia Regional Ministerial Meeting on Aquaculture for Food Security, Nutrition and Economic Development held in Colombo in July 2011, has now become a reality.
The proposal was actively pursued by Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Dr. Rajitha Senaratne initially at the seventh FAO Committee of Fisheries (COFI) Aquaculture sessions held in St Petersburg, Russian Federation, 7-11 October 2013, which leads to the endorsement of the Global Aquaculture Advancement Partnership Program (GAAP).
Going a step further, on a submission made by Dr. Rajitha, the recently concluded 31st Session of the Committee of Fisheries (COFI) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, held in Rome from 9-13 June 2014, endorsed the setting up of the fund, and naming it ‘Mahinda Rajapakse Global Aquaculture Fund’. FAO Member countries recorded their deep appreciation for the initiative by SriLanka, and highlighted the importance of a global fund of the proposed nature as a tool for implementing GAAP.
Considering the importance of the initiative in the global aquaculture scenario, and the sub-committees proposal for garnering extra-budgetary support for the initiative, Sri Lanka made an initial token contribution of US$ 100,000 as seed funding to set up the proposed multimillion dollar Global Aquaculture Fund (GAF).
The 31st Session of COFI also endorsed the holding of an Expert Consultation on ‘Culture Based Fisheries’ in Sri Lanka, in March 2015, to be followed by a visit to Sri Lanka by DG FAO towards the latter part of 2015.
