You will recall my briefings to you at our Town Hall meetings on the Transition process that was on-going over the past year to create a ‘new’ CGIAR System Organization. I am pleased to let you know that as of 1st July 2016, the new CGIAR was put in place. To accomplish this, among other things, the following were done:-

1. Drafting a CGIAR System Framework Document that governs the entire CGIAR System Organization and a new System Charter that governs the System Organization, and taking steps to bring these into force.

2. ‎Under the provision of the Framework, what was the Fund Council has transitioned to become the System Council.

3. Under the provisions of both the Framework and the Charter, what was the CGIAR Consortium ‎has become the CGIAR System Organization or System Organization with a System Management Board (instead of the Consortium Board) and a System Management Office (replacing the Consortium Office).

Although these changes seem like merely substituting one name for another, operationally these are far reaching. For example, the two pillar structure we had up to 30th June is now effectively one pillar with the System Council clearly the apex body constituted by Donors and other representatives but predominantly donors as voting members.

The System Management Board is now constituted by nine voting members from the Centres DGs (four members) and Centre Board Chairs of board members (three members), and two external members with donors and others from the System as non-voting members.

The System Management Office will support both the System Council and the System Organization. I was elected to serve as a founding member of the System Management Board for an initial period of one year.

I look forward to more discussions on these changes at our next Town Hall of which the date will be communicated to you in due course.

Jimmy Smith| Director General