Colombia’s Vice Minister of Environment, Housing and Territorial Development, Claudia Mora, was at CIAT today, to speak at the Conflict and Cooperation over Natural Resources (CoCoon) Matchmaking meeting.
The two-day conference at CIAT’s headquarters in Palmira has brought together experts to help strengthen regional ties in Central and South America. The resulting regional consortium, along with those formed in Africa and Asia/East Europe, will submit proposals to the WOTRO Science for Global Development on a natural resources projects that they hope to improve or manage. The projects will strive meet the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals.
After her opening speech, Mora said she was grateful for the invitation. “The project comes at a time when there is ongoing work on conflict resolution in Colombia due to inequitable distribution of land and other natural resources. This could also boost the reception of national water policies that have just been put in place here,” she said.
CIAT’s Director General Ruben Echeverría was delighted to host the meeting: “The diversity of participants, who range from the indigenous people, to grassroots groups, to technical and social scientists, is a good way of starting to improve integration. We are happy to host CoCoon and look forward to a fruitful gathering.”
At the close of day one, CIAT’s Andy Jarvis presented to a group of delegates on the benefits of payments for ecosystems services. You can see his presentation here.
The meeting continues tomorrow with presentations and discussions on scientific research and action, capacity development, and alliances and partnerships for conflict management. For more about the CoCoon program, click here