The 27th Council of Ministers (COM) Meeting of
AfricaRice was held at Lomé, Togo, on 2 and 3 September. The COM resolved to
change of the Center from West Africa Rice Development Association to Africa
Rice Center (AfricaRice), “considering the expansion of the geographical
mandate of Africa Rice Center towards Eastern Africa, Central Africa and
Northern Africa.
Further, the COM endorsed the establishment of
the Global Rice Science Partnership (GRiSP) between AfricaRice, IRRI and the
International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT).
The COM also congratulated Director General, Dr
Papa Abdoulaye Seck, and the staff of AfricaRice for their efforts to increase
the international visibility of the Center.