This regional outreach event ( Saly, Senegal, 3-4 October 2006 ) was a collaborative effort by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the Platform in Dakar (Platform on Rural Development and Food Security in West and Central Africa). The objective was to share lessons learned from policy experiences and analysis in both OECD and developing countries on how best to foster a country-owned strategy for agriculture and rural development. More specifically, it examined the specific challenges and roles for the public and private sectors.