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The Thematic Group
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The dynamic core of the Network is the national Thematic Group working on rural development and food security. To date, 70 national Thematic Groups affiliated to the Network are operational within the UN Resident Coordinator System in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean and the Near East, while a further 13 national Thematic Groups are in their initial stages of development.
Establishment
Activities
Operation and Support
Case studies
Establishment
What is a Thematic Group?
A Thematic Group is a group of country-level development partners - UN, government, civil society,
private sector - who work together on priority areas to meet the specific needs, conditions and
circumstances of the particular country. The Thematic Group - usually chaired by the FAO or UNDP
Representative - is a framework for action to discuss, plan and implement collaborative activities
in rural development and food security and enhance the efforts of national governments to implement
the commitments of the World Food Summit Plan of Action.
Are Thematic Groups unique to the Network?
The concept of Groups focussing on sector-specific issues is neither new or unique to the Network.
Indeed, Theme Groups or inter-agency task forces and working groups on operational and cross-cutting issues
have already been established in one or more UN conference goal areas, such as poverty eradication and sustainable
livelihoods, gender, environment, governance and HIV/AIDS. However, national Thematic Groups that specifically address
rural development and food security have only been promoted since 1997 as a follow-up to the World Food Summit.
How is a Thematic Group formed?
There is no standard way to establish a Thematic Group. Each is created and evolves in response to individual
country circumstances and conditions. In some countries, the Network Thematic Groups replaced the national committees
and donor-driven groups that emerged before and immediately after the World Food Summit (e.g. Bangladesh, El Salvador,
Ethiopia, India, Peru and Senegal). In other cases, Thematic Groups were established after the ACC decision to create the
Network, and/or within the framework of the UN reform process (e.g. Dominican Republic, the Gambia, Honduras, Kenya,
Nicaragua, Syria, Yemen). Others have been created in response to specific sectoral issues: in Sierra Leone, for example,
the former Thematic Group on Agriculture of the Integrated Approach to Aid Coordination was transformed during 2001 into
the Thematic Group on Rural Development and Food Security in order to coordinate the Government's preparations for the
next World Food Summit.
Who joins a Thematic Group?
The membership of a Thematic Group is informal, voluntary and open to all partners with an interest in rural
development and food security. This concept of pluralism means that the membership of Network Thematic Groups is
not confined solely to UN agencies. Indeed, the Thematic Groups - usually chaired by the FAO or UNDP Resident
Representative in the country - typically diversify their membership and encourage partnerships and participation
from diverse stakeholders at the country level, including representatives from government, donors, NGOs and civil society.
What are the benefits of forming a Thematic Group?
A Thematic Group has a broad-based membership and so provides an innovative framework in which to plan and implement
collaborative activities; identify and mobilize resources for the rural development sector; promote new policies and
projects; share information, knowledge and expertise; and ensure concerted and coordinated technical support to national
governments in policy formulation and implementation.
What are the benefits of a civil society organization joining a Thematic Group?
Many civil society organizations possess a unique knowledge of what does and does not work in the rural development sector.
As a member of a national Thematic Group, the CSO representative can share knowledge and expertise with national authorities;
engage in advocacy and raise public awareness; mobilize resources; build the capacity of civil society organizations at the
local level; disseminate lessons learnt and best practices; and participate in national Food for All Campaigns. To date, some
35 national Thematic Groups have attracted membership from civil society representing farmers' organizations, rural workers'
organizations, research institutes, trade unions and cooperatives, professional associations, consumers' organizations,
universities, private sector associations and NGO networks.
Activities
What type of themes do Thematic Groups choose for focus?
Thematic Groups select themes for action, based on country-level needs and government-identified priorities for rural
development. A glance at the topics chosen by Thematic Group reflects the cross-cutting - and often complex challenges - facing
rural development, as they include: food security, supply and aid; nutrition and health; food insecurity and vulnerability
information mapping systems (FIVIMS); gender and development; the impact of HIV/AIDs on agriculture; natural resources and the
environment; emergency situations and natural disasters; national capacity-building; decentralization; the non-farm sector; water
use and management; land tenure; and agrarian issues. Importantly, an increasing number of national Thematic Groups are embracing
the concept of rural poverty alleviation and sustainable livelihoods as a core priority in their work agendas - in line with the
increasing realization that poverty is one of the principle and most pervasive causes of food insecurity in the developing world.
What are typical Group activities?
National food security strategies, country nutrition and vulnerability profiles, participatory needs' assessment, information systems,
and the design, implementation and monitoring of rural development programmes and projects - these are just some examples of the many
activities in which national Thematic Groups are engaged and promoting cooperation.
Do Thematic Groups contribute to the UN reform process?
The UN reform calls for strengthened coordination and inter-agency collaboration in country-level efforts. The model of the national
Thematic Group is proving an effective mechanism to facilitate enhanced cooperation, synergy and complementarity in UN country team
work in development and food security issues.
Do Thematic Groups support UN system-wide initiatives?
Ensuring that food security and rural development issues are given high priority in both national agendas and UN system-wide programmes
and initiatives is a clear function of national Thematic Groups. They can continue to complement and support the preparation for the
United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) and Common Country Assessment (CCA) processes, by providing advocacy for food
security, collecting information, developing indicators, and preparing and coordinating written inputs. Thematic Groups can also help
ensure that the elimination of hunger is recognized and reflected in poverty reduction goals and strategies: for example, through
assisting national governments in the preparation of Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) in the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries
(HIPC) Initiative.
How do Thematic Groups network?
Thematic Groups interact with other stakeholders in the country, such as universities, research institutions, producer associations
and grassroots' groups - through Group meetings, field trips and missions, technical workshops and seminars and through country websites.
It is hoped in the future that networking will also take place at the regional level between Thematic Groups within and across regions,
promoting partnerships between developing countries. Thematic Groups can exchange information, experiences and best practices with Thematic
Groups in other countries and regions facing similar development challenges and needs. For example, the ways in which one country deals with
rehabilitation efforts and the aftermath of man-made or natural disasters can hold valuable lessons for other countries facing similar conditions.
Operation and Support
How do Thematic Groups operate?
Once Thematic Groups agree to form, most draw up agendas and prepare terms of reference for activities. These workplans vary according
to the specific development challenges, opportunities and constraints of a particular country. In some cases, Thematic Groups establish
smaller ad hoc groups or task forces to focus on a specific theme or area of interest.
How are activities funded?
An essential part of the Thematic Group's work is to identify opportunities for financial resources to support collaborative activities.
National Thematic Groups have already succeeded in attracting resources from UN financing agencies (e.g. IFAD, UNDP, UNIFEM, UNICEF, World
Bank and bilateral donors) to support joint intiatives.
In Zambia, for example, the Thematic Group organized a National Food Needs Assessment undertaken by a number of Government institutions.
Funds for the study were obtained from UNDP, UNICEF, FAO, WFP and USAID.
What sort of support do Thematic Groups receive at the national level?
In Yemen, work is underway to set up a technical secretariat in the Ministry of Agriculture to support national Thematic Group activities.
In Malawi, the Malawi Donor Committee on Food Security and Agricultural Development, which acts as a country Thematic Group to support
government efforts in WFS follow-up, is now establishing a Secretariat to act as a clearing house for the exchange of information on activities,
studies, and missions, as well as to provide a forum for development of ideas and policy initiatives. This should reduce duplication of efforts
and enable stronger donor cohesion in interventions.
What sort of support do Thematic Groups receive at the international level?
The Network's Secretariat - housed in the Rural Development Division (SDA) FAO - provides direct and practical assistance to national Thematic
Groups, in collaboration with UN partners, in the design and implementation of agendas, facilitating links among Thematic Groups within the same
and other regions, and promoting information sharing on relevant rural development and food security initiatives. Towards this end, the Secretariat
has developed Guidelines for the establishment of national Thematic Groups, undertaken fact-finding missions to 13 countries to analyse constraints
and opportunities, and is working towards improving the current website with an electronic integrated information system. This online information network
will feature up-to-date information on the status, activities and funding sources of national Thematic Groups. It is hoped that this improved
communication and information system will provide a better feedback mechanism to keep abreast of national developments and to help stimulate networking
among Thematic Groups at all levels.
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