Governing Council

The Governing Council of IFAD is the Fund’s principal Governing Body having full decision-making powers. It consists of all of IFAD’s Member States and meets annually. It is attended by the official Member State Representatives, i.e., Governors, Alternate Governors and any other designated advisers. Observers are also invited to attend sessions. These Observers are Representatives from non-IFAD Member States that have applied for Membership to the Fund, the Holy See, the Sovereign Order of Malta and those United Nations Specialized Agencies, Intergovernmental Organizations and Non-Governmental Organizations whose Observer status has been approved by the Fund’s Executive Board.

All powers of the Fund are vested in the Governing Council which takes decisions on such matters as approval of new membership, appointment of the President of IFAD, matters pertaining to the permanent seat of the Fund, approval of the Administrative Budget and adoption of broad policies, criteria and regulations.

The Governing Council Sessions are chaired by the Chairperson of the Governing Council Bureau which is composed of, for a two-year term, a Chairperson and two Vice‑Chairpersons elected from among the Governors of the Member States of the Fund.

As per Rule 12, paragraph 1 of the Rules of Procedure of the Governing Council, the “Governing Council shall at alternate annual sessions elect from among the Governors a Bureau consisting of a Chairman and two Vice-Chairmen who shall serve for two years and shall hold office until their successors are elected.”

The current Bureau, elected at the forty-fifth session of the Governing Council in 2022, is composed of the Chairperson from Peru and the Vice-Chairpersons from France and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

Current Composition

IFAD List A

Member
Austria
Belgium
Canada
Cyprus
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Luxembourg
Netherlands (Kingdom of the)
New Zealand
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Russian Federation
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
United Kingdom
United States

IFAD List B

Member
Algeria
Gabon
Indonesia
Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Iraq
Kuwait
Libya
Nigeria
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
United Arab Emirates
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)

IFAD List C1

Member
Angola
Benin
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cabo Verde
Cameroon
Central African Republic
Chad
Comoros
Congo
Côte d'Ivoire
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Djibouti
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Eswatini
Ethiopia
Gambia (The)
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Mauritania
Mauritius
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Rwanda
Sao Tome and Principe
Senegal
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Africa
South Sudan
Sudan
Togo
Tunisia
Uganda
United Republic of Tanzania
Zambia
Zimbabwe

IFAD List C2

Member
Afghanistan
Albania
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bangladesh
Bhutan
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Cambodia
China
Cook Islands
Croatia
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Fiji
Georgia
India
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kiribati
Kyrgyzstan
Lao People's Democratic Republic
Lebanon
Malaysia
Maldives
Malta
Marshall Islands
Micronesia (Federated States of)
Mongolia
Montenegro
Myanmar
Nauru
Nepal
Niue
North Macedonia
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Papua New Guinea
Philippines
Republic of Korea
Republic of Moldova
Romania
Samoa
Solomon Islands
Sri Lanka
Syrian Arab Republic
Tajikistan
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Tonga
Türkiye
Tuvalu
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Viet Nam
Yemen

IFAD List C3

Member
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Bahamas (The)
Barbados
Belize
Bolivia (Plurinational State of)
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Cuba
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
Grenada
Guatemala
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Jamaica
Mexico
Nicaragua
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Suriname
Trinidad and Tobago
Uruguay

Vote By Correspondence

News related to this meeting

IFAD Regional Office – Asia and the Pacific
by Alvaro Lario
I am pleased to announce that Bangkok, Thailand has been selected as the location for IFAD’s first regional office in the Asia and the Pacific region (APR). This is a significant milestone in IFAD's 46-year history, and a key part of IFAD’s decentralization strategy.
This strategic move brings us ever closer to our valued regional counterparts and reflects our steadfast commitment to enhancing collaboration and efficiency. Establishing IFAD’s first regional office in Asia will strengthen our presence and impact in the region, enabling us to forge even stronger partnerships and drive meaningful change.
APR holds the distinction of being IFAD’s largest investment portfolio, a testament to the region’s immense significance in our mission. With a regional office presence, we will be able to enhance efficiency, bridge time differences, and ensure seamless coordination among offices in the region. By being closer in proximity, we will deepen collaboration with valued partners, strengthen our networks, and amplify our efforts towards inclusive and sustainable rural transformation.
This move reflects our dedication to delivering enhanced support to our valued clients, including governments and rural populations. Bangkok’s strategic positioning will enable our operational teams to serve our clients with greater efficiency and achieve even greater impact. Moreover, the prominent presence of 21 UN regional and other offices in Bangkok presents valuable opportunities to enhance our collaboration within the UN system, particularly with FAO and WFP regional offices. In addition, exploring stronger partnerships with IFIs, also located in Bangkok, will further bolster IFAD’s initiatives in the region.
This decision is firmly based on our commitment to transparency and fairness. We have obtained multiple offers from countries in the region for which we are very grateful. Each proposal has been evaluated objectively and the assessment has benefited from a detailed review from an independent external consultancy firm. We considered an array of critical factors, including cost-effectiveness, travel accessibility, IT connectivity, visa considerations, alignment with IFAD’s strategy, proximity to other UN and multilateral agencies, and the overall impact on the staff costs. In addition, a large number of international and regional media outlets based in Bangkok presents opportunities for visibility and outreach.
Led by the Regional Director, the regional office will serve as a strategic nexus, uniting IFAD staff from diverse departments. By optimizing our resources and strategic responses, we can address regional challenges and champion rural policy priorities like never before.
A tentative timeline for the establishment of the regional office has been set for Q3 of 2024. In line with the established regional office model, this office will eventually house the APR Regional Team as well as the COM, CSD, FMD, and SKD staff members mapped to APR.
- Stronger strategic focus on China and India
To ensure comprehensive coverage across Asia, IFAD will further strengthen its office presence in Beijing, China, and New Delhi, India. India will operate as a multi-country office (MCO) in the APR region, while the office in China will have a particular focus on South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) as IFAD SSTC Centre in Asia. In this unique capacity, the office will actively strive to secure substantial additional SSTC funds, significantly enhancing outreach efforts and maximizing the profound impact of IFAD-supported rural development and poverty reduction initiatives throughout the region. We will also be exploring the possibility of strengthening the role of these offices further as centres for development financing, digital transformation, and more.
The two offices will oversee various country portfolios, thereby reinforcing IFAD’s strategic positioning and expanding partnerships at both country and regional levels in APR. The China office will continue to cover Mongolia, while the India office will continue to cover Sri Lanka and Maldives. As a result, they will foster robust client relationships and effectively reach rural communities in those countries.
About 1 month ago (08/08/2023)
New appointment announcement
by Alvaro Lario
I am pleased to announce that after a very robust recruitment process, including an external panel review, I have appointed Ms Gérardine Mukeshimana, a national of Rwanda, as Vice-President.
Until March of this year and for the previous eight years, Gérardine served as the Minister for Agriculture and Animal Resources of Rwanda. Under her leadership, the agricultural sector was transformed into one of the best performing on the continent and farmers experienced a dramatic improvement of their livelihoods. During her tenure, Gérardine engaged with rural youth, attracted private sector interest in agri-business in Rwanda, and pioneered the use of climate funds for the agricultural sector.
Gerardine possesses a Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture and Horticulture from the University of Rwanda, a Master’s Degree and a doctorate in Plant breeding and Genetics- Crop and Soil Sciences from Michigan State University (USA).
Gerardine will bring to IFAD her extensive knowledge and networks in the agricultural development domain, including with other multilateral development banks and climate funds, as well as her strong technical experience from her work and research at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and the Michigan State University.
Gérardine will come on board on 28 August 2023. Please join me in welcoming her to her new position. I wish her the greatest success at IFAD.
To read this communication in the other official languages of the fund, please click on the following links: (Arabic) (French) (Spanish)

2 months ago (31/07/2023)
Launch of Annual Report 2022
2022 was a year in which we dealt with multiple crises – among them conflict, climate change and the ongoing effects of the pandemic. But crisis can also be a driver of positive change. With this in mind, IFAD’s Annual Report 2022 describes how IFAD is addressing the multiple challenges the world is facing.
We invite you to browse through the report to learn more about milestones and highlights from IFAD’s work during 2022. You can read about how IFAD is supporting rural people to build their resilience to the crises of today and tomorrow, and of the different initiatives that will put us in a position to achieve even greater impact as we look to IFAD13 and beyond.
You can download the report at:
- https://www.ifad.org/ar/ar2022/
- https://www.ifad.org/en/ar2022/
- https://www.ifad.org/es/ar2022/
- https://www.ifad.org/fr/ar2022/
3 months ago (17/07/2023)
Appointment of Associate Vice-President, Financial Operations Department (AVP/FOD) ad interim

Further to Alvaro Lario taking office as President of IFAD, this is to inform the Membership that, as of 1 October 2022, the President has decided that Ms Katherine Meighan, Associate Vice-President, and General Counsel, takes up duties as Associate Vice-President, Financial Operations Department (AVP/FOD), a.i.

Ms Meighan will hold both positions until such time as the new AVP/FOD is appointed.

Appointment of Secretary of IFAD ad interim

Further to the departure of Mr Luis Jiménez-McInnis, this is to inform the Membership that as of 1 October 2022, the President has decided that Ms Deirdre Mc Grenra take up duties as Secretary of IFAD, a.i., until such time as the recruitment process for a new Secretary of IFAD has been completed.

Ms Mc Grenra has acted as Chief, Institutional Governance and Member Relations Office, since May 2018, and first joined the Office of the Secretary in 2003. From 2015 to 2018, she was Chief, Americas Liaison Office, in the Partnership and Resource Mobilization Division.

Ms Mc Grenra may be contacted by telephone at +39 06 5459 2374 and by e-mail at d.mcgrenra@ifad.org.
Arabic, French, Spanish

12 months ago (05/10/2022)
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