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The next Brussels Development Briefing on "Global food systems, local impact: the role of agribusiness and development partnerships in advancing African agriculture" will take place Tuesday 25th November 2014 (9h-13h) at the ACP Secretariat (451 Avenue Georges Henri, 1200 Brussels, room C). The transformation of the African agri-business sector is a key challenge to achieve food security and economic development. A differentiated approach to partnerships, based on the development of competitive local private sectors, is essential to boosting agricultural development in Africa. In this context, the objective of this Brussels Briefing is to discuss strategies and approaches for harnessing the potential of development partnerships with the private sector to catalyse market development and productivity in African countries. The outcome of this meeting should be a better understanding of the needs and constraints of the local agricultural sector and strengthen linkages between private sector and development cooperation. At the European level, the meeting would contribute to the development of a framework for dialogue and effective joint action with the private sector. Speakers will include the European Commisison (DG Agri and DG Devco), Yara, the Farmers organizations (SACAU, EAFF), some EU agribusiness groups operating in Africa, European Investment Bank, BMZ, AUC

There is a general perception that youth in agriculture, perhaps like their counterparts in other fields, often find themselves on the fringes of regional and global agricultural development discourses due a number of factors - among which are limited access to resources and platforms that can aid their active participation. To address this concern, several governments and development organisations working with youth have, in the past years, developed strategies to engage youth in agriculture, encourage their participation in agriculture development discussions, and stimulate their energies towards contributing to finding solutions to some of agriculture's problems - especially in the developing world. The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) has been one of the organisations at the forefront of this provision of support to youth in agriculture. Drawing on its Youth Strategy, which defines its engagement with young people in the field, CTA has made and continues to make significant contributions to the appeal of agriculture as a profession for youth and the development of young people engaged in the field.

"Bruxelles 1 - 2 June 2015. The Assises of Decentralised Cooperation for development represents a unique opportunity to bring together local and regional authorities' representatives from the EU and developing countries to exchange their views and hold a political dialogue with the European institutions on development cooperation. The ultimate aim is to contribute to reinforce development aid effectiveness towards the full integration of local and regional authorities into the development cooperation policies and to build a genuine EU partnership between the different actors active in the field of development."

Overseas Development Institute ODI is the UK's leading independent think tank on international development and humanitarian issues. ODI Project Briefings provide a focused and specialised summary of a project, a country study or regional analysis. This and other ODI Project Briefings are available from www.odi.org.uk Project Briefing he world now has the largest generation aged 15 to 24 in history, and almost 90% of these young women and men live in developing countries. High fertility rates in the developing world mean that their share of the global population is likely to increase over the next 20 years (UNICEF, 2012) and many developing countries are already experiencing a 'youth bulge

"What is the Teacher Education and Professional Development program? The Teacher Education and Professional Development program is a partnership between USAID, the Ministry of Education and the private sector. The Government's commitment to universal primary education includes a commitment to improving the quality of education even as the number of students increases. The program builds the skills and expertise of educators, and enables Kenya's public teacher training colleges to prepare teachers to deliver quality education by strengthening pre-service training and linking it to in-service professional development. USAID supports this program by transferring knowledge of international practices in teacher education and institution building, and by providing technology to enhance teacher training and the classroom experience. The Permanent Secretary of Education visited the pilot sites and evaluated the program to inform a Government strategy to roll out integration of technology in classrooms throughout Kenya. "

The 2nd Africa Rural Development Forum will be held under the theme "Transforming Africa's Rural Space through Youth Empowerment, Job Creation and Skills Development." Specifically, the Conference will provide a platform for exchange and peer learning on experiences and insights in catalyzing and fostering job creation and skills development in rural based agri- and non-agri-systems as key components to advance rural development.

"The Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) is a forum for policy dialogue, composed of all the Ministers of Education in Africa and 14 development partners. Established in 1988 initially as a framework for better coordination among development agencies, it has come to represent a genuine partnership between African Ministries of Education and their development partners. It has also developed into a network of policy-makers, educators and researchers, and, based on its capacity to foster policy dialogue, a catalyst for educational reform. Since its inception, ADEA has acted on processes that have had a profound impact on policy-making in Africa through policy dialogue supported with research and analytical work, capacity building, advocacy and networking. "

The Agriculture and Agro-Industry Department of the African Development Bank Group (OSAN) is responsible for Bank's assistance in Agriculture and natural resources management in the Regional Member Countries. This assistance includes environmental concerns, promoting agro-industries development, enhancing production, productivity and competitiveness. The Department provides technical and managerial services as well as technical quality assurance to ensure development effectiveness of Bank financed interventions in Agriculture and related areas on the continent . In 2010, the African Development Bank Group started implementing its current Agriculture Sector Strategy (AgSS) covering the period 2010 - 2014. The strategy aims primarily at contributing to the broader development objectives of greater and sustained agricultural productivity, food security and poverty reduction. The strategy was designed with the view of enhancing Bank interventions through more focused, selective and innovative activities. These activities covered areas such as: i) rural infrastructure, including water management and storage, and trade - related capacities for access to local and regional markets; and ii) natural resource management. The strategy also supported selected research initiatives and a wide range of capacity building programs, with distinct features of gender sensitivity, with particular emphasis on fully mainstreaming gender appropriat ely on more than 50% of projects, and ensuring that a similar scope of beneficiaries are women. The Bank recently concluded a Mid-term Review of the AgSS (2010-2014), and will soon commence work on the new Agriculture Strategy to cover the period 2015-2019,and it will be formulated in line with the Bank's Ten Year Strategy ( TYS:2013-2022).OSAN therefore seeks to recruit a junior consultant to assist in : data collection,analysis, research,results reporting and support for the preparation of an approach for the new Strategy.

"The Erasmus Mundus International Masters in Rural Development (IMRD) programme offers the opportunity to study international visions on rural development to students both from within as outside of the European Union. Students are offered the opportunity to become a specialist in integrated rural development, through a two year master programme jointly organised by six European leading institutes in Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, in collaboration with several partners in the United States, China, Ecuador, India and South Africa."

"Welcome to the online application process for the FUTURE LEADERS programme at European Development Days 2015! We are looking for 12 extraordinary young people ages 21-26, from across the world with proven commitment and community engagement to represent the powerful impact that youth have in the development field. The winners will be 'movers and shakers' in their communities and countries who are helping to solve the universal challenges outlined in the EDD programme. Debate with Global Development Actors As a FUTURE LEADER, you will speak in the auditorium panel discussions, along with key political leaders, and have the opportunity to present your story to the audience, engaging with the delegations of governments and international organisations. Prior and during the forum, the FUTURE LEADERS will have the opportunity to visit the EU institutions, meet relevant development policy-makers and present practices from their regions."

"Addis Ababa, March 24, 2013 - The African Union Commission (AUC) and New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) Agency have launched a Journalists Network, to promote agricultural development in Africa. The Network, which was launched today on the eve of the 9th Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development (CAADP) Partnership Platform (PP) in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, aims to equip African journalists with a better understanding of CAADP, and the broader issues and debates related to agricultural development on the Continent."

"The "post-2015 development agenda" has become a hot topic in development circles in New York. This agenda refers to a potential framework to replace the Millennium Development Goals upon their expiration in 2015, as well as the articulation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) envisioned at the Rio+20 conference last year."

"02 February 2016, Johannesburg - Agro-industry development plays a pivotal role in improving people's lives and can be a major contributor towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 1 (ending poverty), SDG2 (ending hunger and achieve food security), and SDG 8 (promoting economic sustained, inclusive and sustainable growth and employment). The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in partnership with the Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA) recently organized a training workshop on Developing and Implementing Agro-Industrial Strategies targeting SADC countries (2- 4 February 2016)."

"After decades of underinvestment and policy neglect, agricultural development in emerging economies has quickly risen up the priority list for global development. In the wake of the 2008 food price crisis the international development community, governments and businesses are looking to developing regions - particularly Africa - to play a key role in ensuring global food security."

"ICTs are always evolving and have been contributing immensely in development policies and programmes in developing countries. Appropriate application of ICTs will help the institutions, organizations, and nations in development plans. In spite of the tremendous potential of ICTs, developing countries have not adapted a sound strategy to utilize ICTs effectively. The application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in agriculture is increasingly important. If ICTs are utilized fully in agriculture and allied fields, traditional knowledge could be improved and farmers would benefit from this new technology. "

"28 November-1 December 2016. Nairobi, Kenya. Hosted by the Government of Kenya in Nairobi HLM2 : Took stock of the implementation of development effectiveness principles and commitments Provided a learning space on development effectiveness, showcasing successful examples Identified innovative approaches to sustainable development that can be scaled up Position the Global Partnership to effectively contribute to implementation of the SDGs and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda Based on an inclusive consultation that concluded in Kenya at the Global Partnership's HLM2, the was released on 1 December 2016. This document will help to shape how existing and new development actors can partner to implement Agenda 2030 and realise the SDGs."

" GIZ, a German federal organisation, assists the German Government in achieving its objectives in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development. At the recent European Development Days, Managing Director Dr Christoph Beier reflected on the changing landscape of development cooperation, and what he considers to be the priorities of the Post-2015 Agenda."

This publication explains current understanding, experiences and challengesaround inclusive business approaches in Africa. Its specific focus is on the role and responsibilityof the private sector as regards value chain development in the sub-Saharanregion. This publication main learning objectives are : i) to share key lessons learnt by focusing on factors that determine successful value chaindevelopment on the part of the private sector ; and also to highlight determinantsthat contribute to unsuccessful projects in this area ; ii) to explore and highlight opportunities and challenges for the private sector concerning value chain development ; and iii) to capture experiences in ways that generate new insights and perspectives, and inspire innovation in inclusive business approaches and value chain development. Following these objectives, the guidance notes are aimed at helping the private sector in the region in its endeavors toadvance inclusive business approaches.

" Organised by the African Union Commission and the NEPAD Agency,the 11th Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme Partnership Platform (CAADP PP) will take place in Cape Town, South Africa. The CAADP PP will be opened by the AUC Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, H.E Rhoda Peace Tumusiime and the NEPAD Agency's Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ibrahim Assane Mayaki. Also in attendance will be High level African Leadership, Regional Economic Communities, government ministries, farmers' organisations, the private sector, civil society and development partners. This year's CAADP PP meeting will focus on African socio-economic development strategies to stimulate agriculture-led growth and country commitment to put agriculture at the top of national development agendas."

The Sixth International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development (ICTD2013) will be held in Cape Town, South Africa, from December 7-10 2013 ICTD Conferences provide an international forum for researchers and practitioners exploring the role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in social, political, and economic development. The conference reflects and deepens the multidisciplinary nature of ICTD research in a broad range of areas including computer science, anthropology, communication, design, economics, electrical engineering, geography, information science, political science, health, sociology, and many others. ICTD2013 will be the sixth of an ongoing series of conferences occurring every one-and-a-half years.