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]

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]

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]

New appointment announcement

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