Policy Advisory Council

Role of the Council

The Policy Advisory Council is established by s17 of the ACIAR Act. The function of the Council is to provide advice to the Minister regarding:

(a) agricultural problems of developing countries

(b) programs and policies with respect to agricultural research for either or both of the following purposes:

(i) identifying agricultural problems of developing countries;

(ii) finding solutions to agricultural problems of developing countries.

The Council thereby fills a valuable overview role, advising the Minister and the Centre on matters including:

• national and regional development constraints;
• opportunities for research and development collaboration;
• national and regional research priorities, particularly those of ACIAR’s partner countries;
• the matching of Australian expertise with these priorities—Australia’s comparative advantage;
• modes of operation for ACIAR; and
• sources of national and international expertise.

Council meetings

To fulfil its role, the Council meets annually, in Australia, over several days.  The Council meets with the Minister for Foreign Affairs at this meeting, which is usually divided between Canberra and visiting another Australian city to tour research institutions and meet ACIAR project leaders and scientists.

Council membership

Membership of the Council is limited to 13, comprising a President, the Director General of AusAID's nominee and not fewer than nine nor more than 11 other members appointed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Members bring a range of agricultural and development experience. The Minister is required, under the Act, to ensure that a substantial number of the members of the Council are residents of countries other than Australia, and to have regard for the knowledge of appointees concerning the agricultural problems of developing countries or their experience in organising or conducting agricultural research.

At 15 May 2008, the Council comprised 13 members, out of a possible membership of 13.

Professor Beth Woods OAM (President)
Executive Director
Innovation and Biosecurity Investment
Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries
Brisbane QLD  AUSTRALIA

Director General Nominee
Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID)
Canberra ACT AUSTRALIA

Mr Brown Bai
Managing Director
Tola Investments Limited
Gordons NCD
PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Dr Arsenio Balisacan
Director
Southeast Asian Regional Centre for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture
Los Baños
PHILIPPINES

Dr Monthathip Chanphengxay
Director General
National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute
Vientiane
LAO PDR

Dr Patricio Faylon
Executive Director
Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development
Los Baños 
PHILIPPINES

Mr Peter Forau
Deputy Secretary General (Economic Growth and Security)
Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat
Suva
FIJI

Mr Jia Jingdun
Deputy Director General
Department of Rural Science and Technology
Ministry of Science and Technology
Beijing 
CHINA

Dr Men Sarom
Director
Cambodian Agricultural Research and Development Institute
Phnom Penh
CAMBODIA

Dr Nguyen Van Bo
President
Vietnamese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Hanoi 
VIETNAM

Dr Mangala Rai
Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education
Director-General, Indian Council for Agricultural Research
New Delhi
INDIA

Dr Achmad Suryana
Jakarta
INDONESIA

Dr Muhammad Tusneem
Member (Agriculture)
Planning and Development Division Government of Pakistan
Islamabad
PAKISTAN