Mr. Chairman,
Mr. President
Distinguished Governors
Ladies and Gentlemen

It is an honour for me to bring to you all warm greetings from the President, Government and the people of the Republic of Kiribati on whose behalf I am privileged to address this Thirty Second Governing Council this morning.

At the outset, let me convey my special thanks to the IFAD President for the kind invitation that has been extended to my country.  As I always reiterate in this annual occasion, attending the Governing Council of IFAD is seen by my Government and people of Kiribati as a crucial responsibility and duty – to travel all the long distance from the central Pacific to this beautiful and historic city of Rome to share our views on how the IFAD should operate meaningfully in serving its members and at the same time to share our aspirations as a country needing help and assistance.  I also express my thanks to all arrangement and the Government of Italy for the warm and cordial hospitality accorded to me and my delegation on our arrival.

Mr. Chairman, at this juncture I would like to express my Government and people’s deep gratitude for the tangible assistance that IFAD has offered to my country.  Last year till this year, the MORDI project or Mainstreaming of Rural Development Initiatives has been adequately supported and I trust that a good number of communities in the outer islands would have gained means and ways to sustain their livelihoods.  In addition, last year, the Agriculture Centre of Excellence with a mandate of helping atoll nations in the Pacific Region, has established itself with the financial and technical help of IFAD channeled through the Secretariat of Pacific Communities. 

At the beginning of this year, the Centre has opened its doors to serve the lowlying atoll countries in the region including my country.  Through the Centre, my country is now instrumental in realizing the global mission of IFAD in enabling the rural poor to overcome their poverty not just to my own people but countries in the Pacific Region.

Mr. Chairman, while on this Centre of Excellence and the supreme mission of IFAD of enabling the rural poor to overcome their poverty, I would ask the Governing Body to consider augmenting the services of this Centre in my country, as this is one effective way IFAD’s assistance could reach the remote lowlying atoll countries in the Pacific Region.  In addition to scientific research, the Centre could expand its horizons of duties to include training, marketing and business research and services as such will really complete the whole cycle of activities surrounding sustainable farming and livestock.

There was also a scoping mission of IFAD sent to Kiribati in June 2008 with an aim of looking for areas needing IFAD’s assistance.  I am very much looking forward to receiving findings of such mission.  Also, I am very grateful to learn that IFAD is a tangible part of the Food Security and Sustainable Livelihoods Programme now coordinated by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.  I wish to stress that Kiribati is now eagerly waiting for the eventual implementation of the programme.

Mr. Chairman,

we are now standing at the crossroad when from one angle of experience price for food has soared to a level beyond our capacity to cope with while from another angle of experience, climate change, in its effects of prolonged droughts and seawater intrusion, are distorting our food production efforts.  In all of this, our economies are stressed to a point that urgent intervention is needed.  As a nation, we try to address these inevitable challenges but as you can understand Mr. Chairman, on our own, rate of progress will be slow and certainly outpaced by rate of mounting globally posed problem!  Our islands become very vulnerable as food prices go up and as climate change hinders our food production efforts.  I, therefore put forward our proposal to IFAD to empower and invest more in its programmes that now exist in my country so such programmes become meaningful tools to bring about hope in the midst of the crisis.

Mr. Chairman,

For this, I once again ask IFAD that in addition to programmes already implemented in my country, I would like to see extra and timely interventions that can enable our rural communities to face the realities of today.  As I said, on our own our efforts will be less effective but receiving the due assistance of IFAD, our progress to enable and empower our farmers in rural communities will be substantially enhanced.

Mr. Chairman,

Finally but not the least, I would like to express our high salutes to the management team and all hardworking staff of IFAD for the good performance they have achieved in 2008.  My special thanks go to IFAD Regional Section that looks after operational affairs of countries of Asia and the Pacific.  My country wishes to receive more of same high level of assistance delivery in 2009 and be assured of my country’s cooperation and collaboration.  I

Thank and congratulate you all and wish you all the best in 2009 as we all move forward together and collectively to address the challenges facing our rural people.   

Allow me to close by bestowing you all with our traditional blessings of Te Mauri (Good Health), Te Raoi (Peace) ao Te Tabomoa (and Prosperity).

I thank you for your attention.