In carrying out its work within the framework of its responsibilities
it shall operate in close co-operation with the institutions and bodies
referred to in this Convention.
2. The tasks of the Centre shall be to:
(a) assure, where so requested by the ACP States, the dissemination
of scientific and technical information on methods and means of encouraging
agricultural production and rural development, and also scientific and
technical support for drawing up regional programmes in its own spheres
of activity;
(b) foster the development by ACP States, at national and regional
level, of their own capacities for production, purchase and exchange
of technical and scientific information on agriculture, rural development
and fisheries;
(c) refer ACP States' requests for information to bodies qualified
to deal with them, or deal direct with such requests;
(d) provide ACP national and regional documentation centres and research
institutes with easier access to scientific and technical publications
dealing with agricultural and rural development issues and to data banks
in the Community and the ACP States;
(e) in general help the ACP States to gain easier access to the results
of work carried out by the national, regional and international bodies,
more especially those qualified in the technical aspects of agricultural
and rural development, based in the Community and in the ACP States,
and maintain contact with those bodies;
(f) foster the exchange of information between those engaged in agricultural
and rural development, notably research workers, instructors, technicians
and extension workers, on the results of agricultural and rural development
operations;
(g) sponsor and help organize meetings of specialists, research workers,
planners and development personnel so that they may exchange experiences
of specific ecological environments;
(h) facilitate access by the ACP States' training and extension personnel
to the information they need to carry out their tasks and refer requests
for specific training to existing qualified bodies;
(i) help facilitate the adaptation of available technical and scientific
information to the needs of the ACP States' departments responsible
for development, extension services, and training including "functional
literacy programmes" in rural areas;
(j) facilitate the dissemination of technical and scientific information
for use in integration strategies of agricultural and rural development,
by reference to the priority requirements of development. 3. In the
performance of its tasks the Centre shall pay particular attention to
the needs of the least-developed ACP States.4. To carry out its work,
the Centre shall be supported by decentralized regional or national
information networks. Such networks shall be built up gradually and
efficiently as needs are identified with, as far as possible, the support
of the most appropriate organizations and institutions. 5.The Committee
of Ambassadors shall be the supervisory authority of the Centre. It
shall lay down the rules of operation and the procedures for the adoption
of the Centre's budget. The budget shall be financed in accordance with
the rules laid down in this Convention in respect of development finance
co-operation.
6. (a) The Centre shall be headed by a Director appointed by the Committee
of Ambassadors.
(b) The Director of the Centre shall be assisted by staff recruited within
the limit of the numbers budgeted for by the Committee of Ambassadors.
(c) The Director of the Centre shall report on its activities to the
Committee of Ambassadors.
7. (a) To provide the Director of the Centre with technical and scientific
assistance in working out appropriate solutions to the problems encountered
by the ACP States, notably to improve their access to information, technical
innovation, research and development in the sphere of agricultural and
rural development and to devise the Centre's action programmes, an advisory
committee shall be set up, composed on a basis of parity of agricultural
and rural development experts.
(b) The members of the Advisory Committee shall be appointed by the Committee
of Ambassadors in accordance with the procedures and criteria determined
by it.
