Events

Background The AU-EU IRC on FNSSA, currently being operationalised by the CEA-FIRST project, is a multi-actor, member-based ‘Network-of-networks’, optimising the impact of Research and Innovation (R&I) investments, and strengthening capacity building within the AU-EU FNSSA R&I framework. Central to the realisation of these objectives is the formal establishment and activation of various IRC governance bodies, comprising the Secretariat, IRC Council, External Advisory Committee, thematic Working Groups, and the General Assembly. In the past 24 months of implementation, the CEA-FIRST project has made remarkable strides: • Essential IRC governance structures and operational frameworks (General Assembly, Secretariat, Council, External Advisory Committee, and Working Groups) have been established. • Launch of IRC membership, along with strategies for membership growth, including the TOR for implementation. • Development of IRC Statutes, a visual identity, and dissemination, exploitation and communication plan and channels • Review of the 2016-2026 AU-EU FNSSA Roadmap and initiation of calls for Working Groups and expressions of interest for IRC Anchor Institutions A significant milestone was reached with the activation of the Secretariat during the first IRC General Assembly, held in Brussels on March 14, 2025. This event marked Milestone 3 of the CEA-FIRST project and provided the momentum needed to operationalise […]

Over the past year, the IRC Secretariat has been activated, hosted by the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) with contributions from European and African partners. It will support coordination, knowledge management, monitoring and learning, and policy dialogue functions, in line with the IRC Statutes and Strategy adopted in late 2025. The IRC governance bodies, including the General Assembly (GA), Council, External Advisory Committee (EAC), Functional Working Groups (FWGs), and Anchor Institutions, have now been nominated. This Kick-Off Meeting marks their initial collective engagement and the beginning of the collaborative governance phase of the IRC. At the same time, the renewal of the FNSSA Roadmap (2027–2036) is in its final drafting stage and expected to be concluded by May 2026. The IRC is positioned to serve as the institutional bridge between this renewed Roadmap and its implementation, particularly in the lead-up to the anticipated AU–EU Ministerial endorsement moment in November. Objectives of the Kick-Off Meeting This meeting will formally launch the IRC governance phase and position the IRC as a key implementation mechanism for the emerging FNSSA Roadmap 2027-2036. The agenda for the meeting includes: Introduce and orient newly nominated members of the Council, EAC, FWGs, and Anchor Institutions […]