SECRETARY GENERAL

His Excellency Mr Abdalla Yahia Adam, who is a Sudanese citizen, took over as Secretary General of Afro-Asian Rural Development Organization (AARDO) in the forenoon of 3rd September 2003 after being elected by the 51st Session of the Executive Committee of AARDO, held at New Delhi during 11-12 June 2003. Prior to his election as Secretary General, Mr Adam served the Organization as Assistant Secretary General from 6 March 2000 to 2 September 2003.

After having graduated in Agriculture from the University of Khartoum, he joined the University of Reading, United Kingdom to pursue Masters degree course in Agricultural Management. He also pursued Master of Philosophy degree course and submitted dissertation on "World Trade Organization (WTO) and Agricultural Development in Developing Countries - Case Study : India and Sudan" at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India. Mr Adam participated in a number of international training programmes and in various regional and international workshops and seminars addressing issues of agriculture, rural development and desertification and contributed expert papers.

Before joining AARDO as Assistant Secretary General in March 2000, he had assumed the charge of the following : MP (Sudan National Assembly) and Deputy Chairman of the Committee of Agriculture, Water Resources and Animal Wealth during 1996-2000; Director General of Jebel Marra Integrated Rural Development Project in Western Sudan during 1981 - 1996; Deputy Director of Dueim Agricultural Corporation in Central Sudan during 1977-1981; and Assistant Agriculture Officer in the Renk Agricultural Reform Corporation in Central Sudan during 1970-1977.

He provided consultancies in the mid-term evaluation of many foreign-aided integrated rural development projects in Sudan as a team leader.

With such a long and varied experience in the field of agriculture and rural development and proficiency in English and Arabic languages, AARDO will hopefully be benefited from his leadership.