To develop the ISG process into an effective mechanism to support dialogue and cooperation

Opening Speech at the 7th Meeting of the ISG Steering Board (17 June 2003)
By MARD Vice Minister Bui Ba Bong

Members of ISG Steering Board,
Colleagues,

During the seventh meeting of the ISG Steering Board, we will together discuss and decide a new way for operation of the ISG process in the time to come. We are confident that with its new operation method, the ISG process will bring about more satisfactory results in its role as a forum in support of policy dialogue and exchange of information and experience regarding mobilisation and utilisation of ODA sources to serve the agriculture and rural development sector of Vietnam.

The ISG Steering Board at its sixth meeting (18 December 2002) requested ISG steering documents be revised in the orientation of increasing the quality and widening the scope of several activities. The rationale for this revision is to help Vietnam more effectively address and response to the challenges of the transition from an agriculture and rural economy focusing on increased production scale into a development model appropriate to market needs in an economy more and more closely integrated into the world economy, at the same time pay special attention to poverty alleviation and social equity. We highly appreciate the revision done by the consultant team with the support of the ISG Secretariat and many of you present here. Today, the ISG Steering Board will discuss and give final comments so as to approve these steering documents.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The ISG process, established by MARD in 1997, has supported the Ministry and donors in policy dialogues, exchange of experience and information through a forum model, and carried out several thematic activities. At the end of 2000, the ISG process, at the request of the donor community, was consolidated and strengthened with the participation of many donors, international organizations, including NGOs, and Vietnamese relevant agencies. The ISG Steering Board was established to decide ISG policy-related issues as well as needed activities to be done by the ISG process.

The ISG has been considered by the Government of Vietnam and many donors as a successful partnership model that several other sectors and localities are studying to employ within their mandates. That is because the ISG process has mobilised the active, enduring and responsible participation of various stakeholders. Over the past time of operation, including the periods of 1997 - 2000 and 2000 - 2002, MARD as the host of the dialogues has always respected the principles of participatory approaches. We have together tried our best to develop the ISG process into a more and more effective dialogue and cooperation-support mechanism. To openly, frankly and constructively discuss among stakeholders and to co-decide have gradually become an indispensable way of working in the ISG fora at all of its levels: ISG Plenary, ISG Steering Board as well as ISG Thematic Ad-hoc Groups (TAGs).

ISG is also a process to step-by-step build capacity in a foci manner. Our community have together developed and consolidated this process in accordance with the level of development in the absorbing capacity of the MARD related agencies, and depending on the opportunities for cooperation and dialogue. The results ever attained by the ISG process are also the ones of the cooperation efforts made by all the ISG stakeholders.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Regular operation of the fora under the ISG framework, habit of discussion and co-working in the ISG community, strengthened coordination and cooperation relations between MARD and donors in preparation and formulation of new programmes and projects - are all the initial results we can be proud of.

More specifically, the groups of issues for discussion under the ISG framework so far include:

• Issues regarding the development strategy and policy of the agriculture and rural development sector, and the donors' sector support policies;
• Issues relevant to the sector's international economic integration;
• Issues regarding sustainable management of natural resources such as water and forests;
• Issues relating to implementation of the Comprehensive Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy (CPRGS) at sectoral level;
• Issues regarding cooperation, coordination and harmonisation of ODA procedures within the mandate of MARD.

Many donors have expressed their commitments to support the agriculture and rural development through programmes/projects or short-term and medium-term technical assistance, many ideas of which were initiated from the fora under ISG framework. Ideas raised from the ISG process have also significantly contributed to many advocations, programmes and projects of the Ministry.

Involved in the ISG process, our community have together found out the limited boundary of success that should be improved. Following are several points:

• Coordination and cooperation within agencies under MARD in mobilisation and utilisation of external resources,
• Coordination and cooperation between MARD and other ministries/sectors in the utilisation of ODA sources for addressing the sector and inter-sector issues .
• Mutually vertical relation between central and local levels to perform dialogue opportunities between donors, central agencies, local authorities and farmers in provinces, etc.

I think the improvement that helps overcome such constraints is the development orientation of the ISG process. That is also the objective of our meeting today.

Thank you!

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