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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.