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
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
- Serbia
- 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
News related to this meeting
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New appointment announcements
by Alvaro Lario
I am pleased to announce that following a comprehensive recruitment process, I have appointed Ms Federica Diamanti as Associate Vice-President, External Relations Department and Mr Roger Fischer as Chief Risk Officer, Office of Enterprise Risk Management.
To read the full communication and in the four official languages of the fund please click the following links: [Arabic] [English] [French] [Spanish]
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IFAD Regional Office - Latin America and Caribbean
by Alvaro Lario
I am pleased to announce that Panama City has been selected as the location for IFAD’s regional office in the Latin America and the Caribbean region (LAC). This marks a historic milestone in both our decentralization journey and our organizational presence in LAC.
Establishing IFAD’s first-ever regional office in LAC will strengthen our presence and impact in the region, fostering stronger partnerships and driving meaningful change. With a regional office presence, we will be able to further enhance efficiency, foster closer coordination among LAC country offices, and bridge time differences. This will enable us to better serve our valued clients, including governments and rural populations, in the region.
To read this communication in full in the official languages of the Fund, please click on the following hyperlinks: [Arabic] [English] [French] [Spanish]
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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.
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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)
Gallery
Governing Council Bureau Virtual Gallery »Forthcoming sessions
Forthcoming sessions
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Feb '25Forty-eighth session of the Governing Council
Starting in 5 months from today
Documents
Documents
Useful Links
Useful Links
- Rules and Procedures of the Governing Council...
- Sample letter of credence for nominating the Governor and Alternate Governor of IFAD: Arabic, English, French, Spanish (PDF).
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IFAD basic legal documents...
- Meeting documentation...