Posted 15 April 1999
Country Thematic Groups

Gambia

The Thematic Group on Rural Development and Food Security in the Gambia (formerly known as the Thematic Group on Agriculture and Natural Resources) was established in 1998, and is already proving a practical and highly valuable forum for development cooperation in the country. Members of the Group represent UN agencies (FAO, WFP, UNICEF, UNDP, UNV and the Resident Coordinator Unit); NGOs (Catholic Relief Services, Action Aid The Gambia, The Association of Non-Governmental Organisations -TANGO, Concern Universal, Future in Our Hands); and the Department of State for Agriculture of the Government of the Gambia. All of these development partners form a cohesive framework for coordinated action to secure food for all in the country.

As mandated by the UN General Assembly and constituted by the UN Coordination System of the Gambia, the Thematic Group on Rural Development and Food Security, with FAO as convening agency, will assist in the coordination of all UN system, NGO, Government and other donor activities related to the area of rural development and food security in the Gambia. The Terms of Reference state that the Thematic Group will:

• Support ongoing agricultural policy analysis and formulation as well as development;
• Support ongoing environmental policy analysis and formulation, as well as development;
• Assist the Gambia in the alleviation of poverty through identification of measures and strategies for enhanced food security;
• Assist the Gambia in the overall improvement of agricultural production and productivity;
• Support strategies for alternative income-generating initiatives aimed at sustainable livelihoods in rural communities;
• Consider including literacy promotional activities in support of production activities;
• Support the development of a national Rural Environmental Sanitation strategy;
• Support the development of a National Water Master Plan, which would provide a comprehensive plan for the exploration, development, preservation and conservation of water resources both in terms of quality and quantity;
• Recognize the need to support capacity-building efforts of the rural communities in all interventions;
• Support the promotion of gender sensitivity in all activities in relation to rural development and food security;
• Monitor the implementation of International Conventions of relevance to rural development and food security;
• Assist the Gambia in resource mobilization, networking and partnership building for rural development and food security; and
• Support the development of land degradation and desertification control and the efforts to improve soil quality.

The Group's Plan of Action for 1999 includes modifying its present Terms of Reference to correspond better to the interests of the extended Thematic Group. The Plan also prioritizes the need to prepare background material for the Group's future action and to collate information about ongoing projects and operational areas of the member organizations to facilitate information exchange and the planning of common projects. Another focus of the Group's work will be cooperation in targetting WFP food aid, which is distributed in the form of Food-for-Work in the Gambia. The selection of the implementation areas for aid will be based on the field experience of member organizations as well as Rapid Rural Appraisal.

As of March 1999, the Group's Plan of Action has been approved and is being actively implemented. The preparation of background material for future activities is underway. Discussions on food aid between the Thematic Group and WFP have begun, and some Group members will assist WFP in Food-for-Work interventions. Data about the most food-insecure areas are being gathered and will form the basis of a Rapid Rural Appraisal Mission scheduled to take place at the end of March. This mission aims to verify and refine the designation of vulnerable areas and the estimates of food-aid needs. Before distributing the required food aid, it is intended that the Thematic Group will agree on the common modalities of Food-for-Work assistance.

The informality of the Thematic Group's meetings has been cited as a positive step in building partnerships in the country: it enables members to freely express their ideas and discuss common problems encountered in development efforts. As a result, it has been reported that there is a greater sense of solidarity and collaboration between the development organizations in the country.

However, due to the small size of the Gambia, major donor organizations such as the World Bank, IFAD, ADB and many embassies are not represented, which makes it difficult to secure funds for Group-related activities. To date, each Thematic Group member has agreed to fund their own share in common activities, but the Group will also continue its efforts to locate external funding for future action.

For further information, please contact Heimo Mikkola at FAO-GMB@field.fao.org