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.”

Current Composition

IFAD List A

Member
Austria
Belgium
Canada
Cyprus
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Lithuania
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
Serbia
Solomon Islands
Sri Lanka
Syrian Arab Republic
Tajikistan
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Tonga
Türkiye
Tuvalu
Ukraine
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

New Year message from the Secretary of IFAD

As we welcome 2026, I would like to extend my warmest New Year wishes to all IFAD Member States. We begin this year against a backdrop of global complexity, yet with a shared recognition that multilateral cooperation and collective action are more important than ever. Over its history, IFAD Membership has been characterized by a strong sense of shared purpose: to work together to advance rural transformation, food security and inclusive development worldwide.

The weeks ahead will be particularly significant for our institution. In just one month, we will convene the forty-ninth session of the Governing Council (GC49), a pivotal moment in IFAD’s governance calendar. Preparations are well under way, and there is palpable excitement around a programme that reflects IFAD’s ambition, partnerships and forward-looking vision.

GC49 will bring together leaders, Governors and partners to focus on the theme “From Farm to Market: Investing with Young Entrepreneurs”. We are especially honoured to welcome Mr Tony Elumelu, founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, as a key guest during the High-Level Segment. His long-standing commitment to entrepreneurship, job creation and youth empowerment speaks directly to IFAD’s commitment to inclusive growth and rural transformation. The High-Level Segment will also include Leaders’ Dialogues on financing rural development at the first mile and water security as a foundation for resilience, and a special event marking the tenth anniversary of the International Day of Family Remittances.

We are also honoured to welcome Her Excellency Mary Robinson – former President of Ireland, former Chair of The Elders, and former United Nations Special Envoy on Climate Change – who will deliver keynote remarks on the second day, marking the celebration of the International Year of the Woman Farmer.

This session of the Governing Council is also special as it formally kickstarts the Consultation on the Fourteenth Replenishment of IFAD’s Resources (IFAD14). In a demanding global environment, the IFAD14 process will provide an important forum for dialogue on ambition, impact and solidarity, as we shape IFAD’s role for 2028–2030.

Finally, I would like to draw your attention to an important opportunity within the Office of the Secretary. We are currently recruiting a P-5 Chief of Documents and Language Services, and we look forward to receiving many strong applications from qualified candidates.

I wish you all a successful and inspiring year ahead and look forward to welcoming you to GC49 at IFAD in Rome.

Dr Claudia ten Have

Secretary of IFAD

Director, Office of the Secretary
To read the full communication in the other official languages of the Fund, please click the following links: [Arabic][French][Spanish]

14 days ago (12/01/2026)
Executive Management Committee update
By Alvaro Lario

IFAD welcomes Mr Fernando F. Pons, appointed as Chief of Staff (CoS), OPV and Chief Transformation Officer (CTO), effective 7 January 2026.

To read the full communication in the four official languages of the Fund, please click the following links: [Arabic][English][French][Spanish]

28 days ago (29/12/2025)
Executive Management Committee update
By Alvaro Lario
In these last weeks, Ms Dina Saleh has shared with me her intention to retire at the end of the replenishment, after a distinguished career that spans to almost 30 years within the UN.
Given her strong operational expertise and exceptional network in the Middle East region and with Gulf countries, I asked her if she would be willing to take on one final strategic assignment for IFAD that would be very valuable for IFAD at this point in time: to lead our engagement and strengthen our partnerships and cofinancing with Gulf and Middle East countries ahead of the replenishment and GC50. As many of you know, The Gulf countries, the Arab Coordination Group institutions and more generally the Middle East region have always played a pivotal role in IFAD’s history and operations. Now it is more important than ever to strengthen our existing operational and financial relationships at this point in time.
I am pleased to share that Dina has generously accepted to serve as Special Envoy for the Middle East through IFAD14 and GC50, where her leadership will be invaluable. I am also very grateful for her commitment to work with the Vice-President, colleagues in the Office of the President and Vice-President (OPV) and myself to ensure a smooth transition and handover to a new Chief of Staff by early next year. The role will be increasingly prioritizing the institution’s transformation of process, technology and instruments in the years ahead as we work towards a stronger and more effective IFAD.
Please join me in recognizing Dina’s outstanding contributions in the Office of the President and Vice-President. She has been instrumental in supporting both myself and the Vice-President in operationalizing IFAD’s corporate recalibration and leading the configuration and adoption of new systems and workflows at OPV. We are fortunate to have her continued dedication in this important final chapter of her remarkable career with IFAD.
To read the full communication in the other official languages of the Fund, please click the following links: [Arabic][French][Spanish]

About 1 month ago (22/12/2025)
New appointment announcement

by Alvaro Lario

I am pleased to announce that, after a competitive recruitment process, I have decided to appoint Mr. Andrzej Antoszkiewicz, to the position of Associate Vice-President for the Corporate Services Department (CSD) effective January 19^th 2026.

To read the full communication in the four official languages of the Fund, please click the following links: [Arabic][English][French][Spanish]

2 months ago (19/11/2025)
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