Handbook for the CIMMYT board of trustees

Abstract

The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (in Spanish, Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maíz y Trigo, or CIMMYT) was established in 1966 and granted International Status under an Agreement between CIMMYT and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the United Nations Development Programme on 29th April 1988. This agreement laid out the Constitution of the Center, and the role and responsibilities of a legally constituted Board of Trustees who would govern the Center. The purpose of this Handbook is to set out the roles and responsibilities of the members of the CIMMYT Board of Trustees (BoT) and to support members of the BoT to execute their duties as Directors of the Organization. The Organization must be run in accordance with its constitution, policies and procedures - which should, therefore, be read in conjunction with this document. Furthermore, CIMMYT functions according to its current strategic, operational and annual plans, with which members of the Board should also familiarize themselves. This Handbook is a living document and will change as new policies and procedures are implemented to enable Board members to discharge their responsibilities in an efficient and effective manner. Thus, it will be reviewed every two years, or earlier if circumstances dictate, to enable it to respond to any changes.