MoU between INBAR and BBDB on 23 July, 2009 at Bodoland Territorial Council Secretariat Conference Hall, Kokrajhar, Bodoland, India

PROGRAMME ON THE INBAR, BEIJING, CHINA & BBDB, BODOLAND, INDIA

Hon’ble Chairman takes Chair
Sri. Hagarma Mahilary,
Hon’ble Chief of BTC,
Kokrajhar, Bodoland, India.

Welcome address & felicitation guests
Sri. J.I. Kathar, IAS, Principal Secretary,

BTC, Kokrajhar, India.

MoU objective & aim in INBAR
Dr. J. Coosje Hoogendoorn, Director General,

International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR), Beijing, P.R. China.

MoU objective & aim in BBDB
Sri. Mitha Ram Basumatary
Hon’ble Executive Member,
BTC, Kokrajhar, Bodoland, India &

Chairman, BBDB, BTC, India.

MoU Signing ceremony
INBAR___ BBDB

Presentation on Bamboo Shoot project (Food Processing Technology) in Central Institute of Technology, Kokrajhar-783370, Bodoland, India. In collaboration with BBDB, BTC, Kokrajhar, India.
Present by- Sri. R.K. Chawla,
Marketing Consultant (Bamboo shoot), NMBA, & Director,

Gee Gee (Food & Packing) Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi, India.

Feedback
Sri. Hagarma Mahilary,
Hon’ble Chief of BTC,
Kokrajhar, Bodoland, India.

Vote of thanks
Sri. Arun Kumar Basumatary
Under Secretary, BTC, India.

Visit to CIT
Welcome from CIT
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MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

Between

The INTERNATIONAL NETWORK FOR BAMBOO AND RATTAN (INBAR)
BEIJING, CHINA
and
The BODOLAND BAMBOO DEVELOPMENT BOARD
BODOLAND, INDIA

This Memorandum of Understanding, entered into
BETWEEN
INTERNATIONAL NETWORK FOR BAMBOO AND RATTAN with its secretariat at No: 8, Fu Tong Dong Da Jie, Wang Jing Area, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100102, P.R. China, represented by its Director General, Dr. J. Coosje Hoogendoorn, hereafter referred to as INBAR;
and
BODOLAND BAMBOO DEVELOPMENT BOARD, with its office at 2nd Floor, Directorate of Agriculture, Bodoland Territorial Council, Kokrajhar-783370, Bodoland, India, represented by the hon’ble Chairman & Executive Member, Bodoland Territorial Council, Sri. Mitha Ram Basumatary, hereafter referred to as BBDB;

WITNESSETH

WHEREAS, INBAR is an inter-governmental international organization that undertakes, through a world wide network of intergovernmental, governmental and non-governmental organizations, community-based organizations, commercial companies, research organizations and individuals, the coordination and support of strategic and adaptive research and development of bamboo and rattan resources to improve the well-being of producers and users within the context of a sustainable bamboo and rattan resource base, with activities in the areas of natural and cultivated raw materials, the conservation and use of genetic resources, processing and utilisation, innovation and dissemination of new products, bamboo housing, economic and social development, and information dissemination and technology transfer; and is the International Commodity Body for Bamboo and Rattan of the Common Fund for Commodities, a UN financial instrument;

WHEREAS, INBAR is governed by a Board of Trustees charged with responsibility to set policy and develop a strategic plan for INBAR; approve projects, programs and budgets; and monitor and assess progress of the network and report to member countries and donors;

WHEREAS, BBDB is notified under Bodoland Territorial Council (sixth schedule of the Constitution of India in 2003) under National Bamboo Mission; National Mission on Bamboo Applications; North Eastern Council; Development Commissioner (Handicrafts); Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council; Ministry of MSME; Ministry of Environment & Forests; Ministry of Labour, India; programme of the Bodoland Territorial Council, India.

WHEREAS, BBDB carries out and supports a wide range of activities related to the development of the bamboo sector on technology, marketing, plantation as a livelihood in Bodoland. The core application areas of the BBDB include:
1. Promotion of bamboo sector development as an essential component of rural development strategy linked with Non-forestry and agri-business sector in BTC.
2. Promotion of bamboo based SME’s (Small and medium scale enterprise) for value addition to bamboo and for generating assured income.
3. Revitalization and promotion of local traditional Bamboo craft and art with improved technology, design and market linked trade.
4. Promotion of bamboo as an essential wood substitute and enterprises manufacturing bamboo-based NTFP’s substitutes, thereby reducing pressure on Non-forests or forests and reducing bamboo deficiency in BTC.
5. Promotion of awareness and understanding of bamboo as “Green Gold” among Farmers, traders, industries in BTC with a view to utilizing its full potential and to galvanize the rural and industrial sector in BTC.

WHEREAS, BBDB has been mandated by the Bodoland Territorial Council, Kokrajhar of the Government of India for developing and managing projects, programmes and activities that support the development and commercialization of the bamboo sector in Bodoland, India.

WHEREAS INBAR and BBDB recognize the particular role of each party in advancing and supporting activities related to the generation and dissemination of improved technologies and applications to increase sustainable employment and livelihood opportunities, economic development and environmental benefits, through the wise development and use of bamboo resources.

NOW THEREFORE, motivated by their common interest in the use of bamboo for poverty eradication and sectoral development through generation of sustainable employment and livelihood opportunities by contributing to livelihood security, ecological security and food security, and economic development in a sustainable environmental framework, both parties have agreed, subject to the availability of human, financial and other resources, on the general conditions as herein contained.

NOW, THEREFORE THIS MOU WITNESSETH AS UNDER:-
Article
Collaboration
1. INBAR agrees to provide technical and technology support for development and implementation of the project on bamboo shoots which shall broadly comprise:
i. Technology Transfer for food processing technologies

ii. Technical advice and consultation for equipment procurement
iii. Drafting international/national standards and codes of bamboo shoot products

iv. Market analysis of bamboo shoot products (domestic and international)
v. Curriculum development for trainings at the Central Institute of Technology (CIT), Kokrajhar, Bodoland.
vi. Developing, adapting, validating and disseminating appropriate, new and improved technologies for bamboo and bamboo shoots products
vii. Training and capacity building activities including exchange of information through visits of experts to shoot processing units, joint workshops, meetings and publications

2. BBDB shall make available the necessary infrastructure arrangements including land, buildings, equipments and any such requirements for development of the project
3. Cooperation on relevant NTFP-related subjects, including cooperation with the INBAR-led Global NTFP Partnership
4. BBDB agrees to make available the necessary funds for development and implementation of the project activities
5. The collaborative activities and programmes indicated in this MOU are subject to budgetary appropriations available to each party, and applicable laws and regulations of each party and member countries of INBAR where activities or programmes may be implemented
6. INBAR and BBDB shall enter into separate Project Implementation agreements with specific Terms of Reference and Budgets

Article II
Interdisciplinary Activities
7. BBDB recognizes INBAR’s broader role in global networking and supporting activities in bamboo and rattan production, genetic resources, socioeconomic issues, information and human resource development, post-production, utilization, marketing and processing which can complement the activities that the BBDB undertakes in the area of the generation of sustainable employment and livelihood opportunities using bamboo. Therefore, BBDB and INBAR resolve to collaborate to ensure that interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary activities are well coordinated to achieve greatest positive impact on the development of the sector in India. BBDB will work with, support and complement INBAR in its work on social, economic and environmental aspects of bamboo.
8. INBAR and the BBDB will endeavor to strengthen the collaborative research and training activities on bamboo sustainable employment and livelihood opportunities and promote exchange of information through workshops, meetings and publications.
9. Publications that are developed jointly will be reviewed and approved by each party.

Article III
Coordination
10. The competent authorities of each party will identify a staff member as contact person, for the co-ordination of joint activities.
11. Unless specifically agreed otherwise by both parties, data and results generated from agreed collaborative activities will belong to the two institutions and will be governed by specific agreements in this regard. Any article, document and publication that report on collaborative activity shall acknowledge its collaborative nature and obtain the approval of the competent authorities of the two organizations. For other activities, the parties will cooperate in information services including document delivery and results dissemination that from time to time will be mutually agreed.
12. BBDB and INBAR are not empowered to commit each other either expressly or otherwise to any course of action.

Article IV
Intellectual Property Rights
13. The documents, technology, products and information generated out of this MoU shall be the joint property of INBAR and BBDB. This would be made available in the public domain as well as in the Parties’ respective websites based on consensus.
14. The Parties agree that any form of reproduction, dissemination and sharing would be done based on mutually agreed terms and conditions.
15. Unless specifically agreed otherwise by the Parties, data and results generated from agreed collaborative activities shall belong to INBAR and BBDB and shall be governed by both the parties jointly by specific agreements in this regard.
16. Any article, document and publication that report on collaborative activity shall acknowledge its collaborative nature and obtain the approval of the competent authorities of the two organizations. For other activities, the Parties shall cooperate in information services including document delivery and results dissemination from time to time as shall be mutually agreed.

Article V
Amendment to the MoU
17. Amendment to this MoU shall be made by mutual consent of the Parties in writing. No variation in the terms of scope of this MoU shall be valid or binding unless previously expressly agreed upon in writing between the Parties in the form of a letter entitled "Amendment to MoU".

Article VI
Dispute Settlement Mechanism
18. Both the parties hereby agree that before approaching any court of law, they would enter into discussions regarding any points of conflict through direct negotiations.
19. Both the parties agree that the disputes not settled amicably shall be submitted exclusively to an Arbitrator appointed on mutual agreement. The resulting award by the Arbitrator shall be final and binding on both the parties.

Article VII
Entry into Force and Term
20. MoU comes into effect on the date of signing by both the parties. The validity of this MoU shall be for five years with renewal for a similar period based on review, necessary modifications and mutual consensus.
21. Each party shall have the right to withdraw from the Agreement on six months notice in writing. Such a termination will, however, not affect activities already approved jointly or under the progress under the terms of this Memorandum.
22. All notices, requests, reports, documents and other information and communications relating to this MOU shall be in writing in the English language.
This Memorandum is signed on this 23rd day of July 2009 in two originals in the English language, both texts being equally authentic.

FOR THE INTERNATIONAL NETWORK FOR BAMBOO AND RATTAN
Signed : Sd/-
Name : Dr J Coosje Hoogendoorn
Title : Director General
Date : 23-July-2009
Under signed by
Sd/-
T.P. Subramony, Regional Coordinator (South Asia), INBAR

FOR THE BODOLAND BAMBOO DEVELOPMENT BOARD
Signed : Sd/-
Name : Sri. Mitha Ram Basumatary
Title : Chairman
Date : 23-July-2009
Under signed by
sd/-
Mc. Samir jamatia, Consultant, BBDB

Approved on behalf of the Bodoland Territroial Council, Kokrajhar-783370, Bodoland, India.
Sd/-
Sri. Hagrama Mohilary,
Hon’ble Chief of BTC
Kokrajhar, Bodoland, India.