Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA)
The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA) was established in 1983 under the Lomé Convention between the ACP countries and EU member states. Since 2000 CTA has operated within the framework of the ACP-EU Cotonou Agreement with a mission to “strengthen policy and institutional capacity development and information and communication management capacities of ACP agricultural and rural development organisations. It assists such organisations in formulating and implementing policies and programmes to reduce poverty, promote sustainable food security, preserve the natural resource base and thus contribute to building self-reliance in ACP rural and agricultural development.”[1]
CTA work focuses on three key areas[2]:
- providing information products and services (e.g., publications, question-and-answer services and database services)
- promoting the integrated use of communication channels, old and new, to improve the flow of information (e.g., e-communities, web portals, seminars, and study visits)
- building ACP capacity in information and communication management (ICM), ICT for Development (ICT4D) and web 2.0 for Development web2fordev mainly through training and partnerships with ACP bodies and other international organisations.
CTA Products, Projects and Services
CTA regularly issues a range of online services and print publications, including:
- Spore— Information for ACP agricultural development
- ICT Update — A current awareness bulletin for ACP agriculture
- Agritrade — Agricultural trade issues in ACP-EU relations
- Knowledge for Development — ACP/EU S&T Policy Dialogue
- Newsfordev - The Latest News for Development Professionals
- Anancy"" - Virtual resource centre of CTA publications
- Brussels Weblog - Online daily news service on ACP-EU Development Cooperation
- Brussels Development Briefings - Bimonthly Briefings on key issues in ACP-EU Rural Development Cooperation
- Web2forDev Gateway - Updates on Web 2.0 applications used in the context of development cooperation
Countries
The Centre, which is based in Wageningen, the Netherlands, is active in seventy nine ACP countries. CTA has an office in Brussels.
Funding
CTA’s resources are derived mainly from the European Development Fund, but also from other European programmes or countries that may assign it appropriations or offer co-funding for operations.
References
- ^ Cotonou Agreement
- ^ CTA Strategic Plan 2007-2010
External links
See also