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Mr. Chairman and CEO of CIRAD,

Mr. Representative of the Executive Secretary of CILSS

General Directors of National Agricultural Research Institutes,

IRD Representative in Senegal

CIRAD Regional Director

Directors

Dear Colleagues,

First of all, I'd like to welcome you to CORAF's Executive Secretariat and express my delight at your presence at this consultation meeting, which is proof of the interest you take in collaboration between our different institutions.

Today's meeting, which follows on from the technical consultation held in Montpellier almost a year ago to the day, should enable us to have an in-depth exchange of views on the modalities of a lasting collaboration, sharing not only our strategic reflections but also our points of view on the coordination of agricultural research in our common area.

Dear Colleagues,

As you know, CORAF has just held the ^24th Session of its Board of Directors, which approved its new Strategic Plan 2018-2026 and the accompanying Operational Plan 2018-2022 for the execution of its first phase. This new Strategic Plan represents a break with the previous ones in that it is based on three Priority Areas of Intervention, namely

1. Agriculture, food and nutritional security
2. Politics, institutions, markets and trade
3. Gender, youth and social equity.

I won't dwell on the Strategic Plan, as a detailed presentation will be made later.

Dear Colleagues,

There's no need to remind you that the environment in which agricultural research operates is highly changeable, and thus calls for constant adaptation of our strategies and methods of intervention, as well as our modes of collaboration. It's clear that no single research institution can find the resources it needs to implement its activities and achieve its objectives if it doesn't ally itself - I was going to say, if it doesn't partner with other structures. That's why I consider this consultation to be so important, because it should lay the foundations for balanced, fair and lasting collaboration between our various institutions. What some would call a win-win collaboration.

Pooling our strengths is the first step in this direction, and the National Centers of Specialization, which offer the conditions for effective management of research needs in the various value chains of their specialist fields, seem to me to be highly appropriate structures for pooling our efforts.

I don't want to end without thanking you all for being here, and for your commitment to continuing our collaboration, which I know will be exemplary in every respect.

Thank you for your kind attention.