Agreement was reached in September 2003 to create a joint Government-donor technical level working group on agriculture and water (as it relates to agriculture), called Technical Working Group on Agriculture and Water (TWGAW).
 The need for a forum for stakeholders to work together to progress agricultural development in Cambodia had been acknowledged in high-level policy dialogue platforms (including Consultative Group meetings and Government-Donor Coordination Committees for example). It had also been reflected in the Rectangular Strategy, which included promotion of agricultural development as a priority area in the Government ' s efforts to reduce poverty.
The "Operating framework (English - Khmer) ", endorsed in October 2004, is the basic document describing the TWGAW mandate, objectives, organization and relationship with other dialogue forums. It can be summarized as presented below.
"The principal function of the group is a supportive and collaborative role in assisting the Government to progress agricultural development in Cambodia.
The TWGAW provides a mechanism at technical level for Government-donor coordination in the agriculture sector that includes water resource management. The working group will aims to
- identify sector priorities,
- harmonize activities,
- improve the utilization and mobilization of resources, and
- support efforts to strengthen the agricultural sector’s capacity to contribute to economic growth and to include the poor in this process…
In this respect, the TWGAW provides a link between high-level policy dialogue and field implementation/project work. It helps translate high-level policy goals (formulated in SEDP II/NPRS/Rectangular Strategy and similar documents) into sector-related programs and projects, and, conversely, ensures identification of policy goals that are realistic. This will help all stakeholders to fully participate in the agriculture-related development dialogue…
In the context of the TWGAW, agriculture comprises the production, processing and marketing of food and industrial crops as well as livestock and poultry.
Agriculture-related water resource management is mainly related to irrigation but in principle also includes water saving techniques and more efficient use of water in crop production… "
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The main active members of the TWGAW are:
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for the Government: the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology (MOWRAM). Several other ministries or institutions are also represented, such as Ministry or Rural Development (MRD), Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction (MLMUPC), …
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for the donors: AusAID, AFD (French Agency for Development), World Bank, ADB, European Commission, CIDA/CCO, JICA, GTZ, FAO, WFP, …
Observers from the civil society (NGOs, private sector) may also be invited to participate.
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The TWGAW is managed by two Co-Chairs held by a MAFF and a MOWRAM representative, assisted by two Vice Co-Chairs. Assistance to the Co-Chairs is provided by two co-facilitators representing the donor group.
In addition, a full time secretariat supports the TWGAW activities.
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As stated above, one of the functions of the TWGAW is to facilitate the policy dialogue between the government and the External Development Partners at the national level. It is thus responsible for providing regular information on some of the JMIs identified in the Consultative Group process.
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The updated information on these JMIs is provided by the TWGAW through its regular reports to the Government-Donor Coordination Committee.
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