CIRDAP call for holistic approach to ensure development of rural poor

Dhaka, Jan 28(ANI): The Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP) member countries on Thursday echoed their voice for a holistic approach to ensure sustainable livelihood for rural poor through decentralized governance.

In a joint declaration signed in Dhaka, by the 14 participating countries including India, the organization has underscored the significant contribution of CIRDAP to promote Integrated Rural Development (IRD) in its member countries over the last three decades.

The declaration was also for the implementation of the 'Peasants Charter' that resulted from the World Conference on agrarian Reforms and Rural Development (WACARRDD) in 1979.

The CIRDAP declaration has laid emphasis on ensuring pro-poor policy and resources to achieve the goal of reducing hunger and poverty at least by half by 2015.

It has also stressed the need to strengthen the voices of all stake holders including hard core poor, the disadvantaged women, and various marginal groups to accommodate their concerns in public spending on development.

The Dhaka declaration has highlighted the need to have intensive efforts, so that rural poor can get access to resources (land, water, ICT and finance) by suitable policy reforms within the national legal provisions.

Besides the implementation of the existing legislations for ensuring access to land and improved land records, priority support to the decentralized good governance with transparency and accountability in the system to ensure people's participation in the rural developmental activities have been identified as core areas.

It has also underlined the need to strengthen the capacity of national RD institutions to become the centre of excellence in order to provide professional services and academic inputs into the process of rural development and applying practices of good governance in making CIRDAP an effective regional platform for providing timely interventions and appropriate issues in RD and PA policies has also been made in the joint declaration.

To attain these objectives and for all technical support to regional level rural development organizations, including CIRDAP to play greater role in agrarian reform and rural development the FAO, IFAD, Commonwealth and other organizations of CIRDAP and all countries of Asia and Pacific have been invited.

The members also made a call to organizations like AARDO, ASEAN, BIMSTECH, ECO, SAARC to join hand for professional inputs and services in disseminating their knowledge, experience and innovative practices in the areas of rural development and poverty alleviation. (ANI)