140.     Chapter 3 brings together contributions from several departments (ES, TC, SD, GI, AF), LEG and the newly constituted OFA. Firstly, it addresses national and international requirements as they relate more specifically to economic and social development in terms of: a solid information base, a capacity for early warning of impending food crises, appropriate policies, regulatory frameworks, resource mobilisation efforts and due attention to social issues and the needs of disadvantaged groups. Secondly (and as a major new feature), it highlights the importance attached to enhancing knowledge exchange and capacity-building, which are central to the work of the Organization, but hitherto have not been well recognised in the programme structure. While of varying size in terms of resource allocations, it is noteworthy that most, if not all of the ten programmes embody significant interfaces with FAO constituents, and with many important institutional partners.

141.     Programmes 3A to 3D will continue to provide the analytical and statistical underpinning for policy assistance, as well as having a lead role in the mobilisation of resources for agricultural and rural development. Principal areas of work, which will be drawn upon to furnish policy advice and assist with field programme development and capacity-building at regional and national levels, include:

• drawing lessons from experiences in agricultural development and the interface between the primary sector and the other components of the macro-economy, analysing the reasons for insufficient progress in combating hunger, malnutrition and rural poverty, deepening understanding of the economics of food and agricultural systems, and policy assistance in these fields;
• support to the development of a regulatory framework for food and agriculture including further assistance in applying the principles embodied in the Voluntary Guidelines on the Right to Food and dissemination of legal information;
• essential decision-support tools developed in association with FIVIMS, reports on the state of food and agriculture (SOFA), and of food insecurity (SOFI), as well as market assessments;
• servicing important intergovernmental bodies such as the CFS, particularly in the context of monitoring progress to achieve the WFS and MDG goals, and the CCP;
• support to countries' participation in the international trading system and assistance in the implementation of agreements from the perspective of FAO’s mandate;
• trade and commodity market and policy analyses in order to support decision-making for increasing competitiveness, diversification and food security of vulnerable developing countries; and
• statistics, building on major revamped systems, FAOSTAT and CountrySTAT, promoting the world programme for the Census of Agriculture 2010 and providing technical assistance and capacity-building to countries to improve national agricultural statistics systems.

142.     With regard to leveraging resources for Members, the Organization's joint programmes with IFIs and other specialised institutions (particularly under 3A) will keep pride of place, assisting countries to formulate investment programmes and projects that address their most pressing needs. Programme 3A includes coordination of corporate efforts to mobilise resources from donors and development organizations for programmes and projects to be owned and implemented by countries and REIOs as well as projects and programmes implemented by FAO. The above programmes contain a component of the SPFS aimed at supporting the formulation of national and regional programmes for food security.

143.     The three programmes (3E to 3G) covering: alliances and other advocacy initiatives, gender equity and rural livelihoods have as a common thread the need to engage a wide spectrum of stakeholders within countries as well as at the international level, including non-state actors and peoples' organizations, in order to amplify success in achieving the MDGs. The Liaison Offices in Yokohama (Japan) and Washington, D.C. are included in the provisions.

144.     Principal areas of work include:

• mainstreaming attention to gender issues, equity in rural society, and the special needs of those suffering from disease, particularly the implications of HIV/AIDS on agriculture;
• support to rural peoples' organizations and rural employment, with attention to farmers, other producers and workers, cooperatives and community-based organizations;
• enhanced livelihoods approaches and participatory processes;
• the advocacy activities grouped under the new unit OFA, contributing to ensuring a central place for food security on the international agenda, e.g. the IAAH with attention to close cooperation with the other Rome-based UN agencies, interactions with partners from civil society, support to national associations, and the well established World Food Day and TeleFood; and
• mobilisation of expertise through the programmes of technical cooperation among developing and transition countries, and the programmes of cooperation with academic and research institutions.

145.     It is particularly through Programmes 3H and 3I that FAO is to be more proactive in sharing knowledge and best practices within the Organization and with Members and other centres, concerns which must pervade all substantive programmes. 3J also plays a role by supporting and coordinating the coherent dissemination of policy messages from the Organization and seeking improved public awareness of its goals, and in supervising the publishing activities of FAO.

146.     3H will, therefore, focus on enhancing FAO’s role as a knowledge organization and continue to develop the WAICENT framework and the GIEWS. Building on a solid base of institutional knowledge resources, the FAO Knowledge Forum will form a major part of this effort by facilitating access to FAO’s explicit and tacit knowledge. Consolidated capacity-building activities will be implemented to train policy-makers and technicians and build local institutions, drawing on FAO’s experience. The new Ask FAO service is linked to the thematic knowledge networks and collections of best practices permeating the work of all concerned departments. The programme will also provide a full range of library services and build national capacities to access FAO’s knowledge and information resources as well as manage information in countries themselves, both contributing to Bridging the Rural Digital Divide. 3I will cover a wide range of IT systems concepts, planning, development and applications, and thereby the underpinning computer and telecommunications services in support of FAO as a knowledge organization.