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

IFAD List B

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

IFAD List C1

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

IFAD List C2

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

IFAD List C3

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