Mr. President of the Governing Council,
Distinguished Governors,
Mr President Kanayo Nwanze,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of the Brazilian Government, it is an honor to address this Governing Council at its thirty fourth Session.

It is almost a platitude to say that people’s history, their past, present and future are always interconnected. But sometimes it is worth recalling it. Brazil’s colonial past, for instance, is not the history of a metropolis. As it happens to most of South Hemisphere’s countries, Brazil was a colony. And more precisely a colony of exploitation, not of settlement.

This past is one of the peculiarities that bring together most of the Southern Countries in a present more and more built on the mutual respect and solidarity. This present, in turn, may well be the starting point of a new chapter in the evolution of the international cooperation. From Brazilian government’s perspective, this chapter should correspond to the ever-growing importance of both the South-South and triangular cooperation.

In line with this vision, the Brazilian government deems crucial that IFAD, as well as the other two Roma-based Multilateral Organizations, the FAO and WFP, be continuously enhanced and given a greater dynamism, within a new operational framework and closer relationship.

Bearing in mind the urgency of this new framework, we want to join the rank of those who don’t take for granted that the current fiscal constraints are a hurdle impossible to be overcome. Let me point out that the worst global scenario for the low income countries would be the one where, on top of the fiscal restraint of the traditional donors, the countries most affected by the food price shock and natural disasters were forsaken. In order to avoid such a scenario, the opportunity opened with th Ninth Replenishment must not be dismissed.

I also have the pleasure of bringing you a message from our president, Dilma Roussef, the first woman to rule the country, and from the Minister of Planning, also a woman and Governor for IFAD, Miriam Belchior. This is message of support and incentive for IFAD to go further in its policies of women empowerment , in both its operations and in the Institution itself. The challenge faced by young people in the rural areas deserve the same attention.

At the same time, the Brazilian Government wishes to see the IFAD enhancing its  presence in the field, not only for the sake of project improvement but also for a deeper engagement in the policy dialogue with Governments and the society.

Regarding Middle Income Countries, marked by stark asymmetries among them and even within each country, IFAD plays a role that goes beyond enabling poor people to overcome poverty and inequalities.

In the case of Brazil, IFAD’s program of action can encompass a strategy of international cooperation, involving the creation and dissemination of specific knowledge and the replication of several successful experiences.

On one hand, there are in the country financial sources that allows for co-financing alternatives. On the other, there are research centers such as EMBRAPA, the Brazilian Agriculture Research Enterprise, the expertise of which is well known. This combination of factors provides room for Brazil, together with other countries, to fulfill a progressive role as a MIC in the context of the South-South Cooperation. And we feel ready for this mission.

Thank you for your attention

19 February 2011