Mr. Chairperson,

First of all, I want to express my appreciation for President Nwanze’s strong leadership.  I believe that IFAD is moving forward towards becoming a more effective and a more efficient organization through its continuous reform.

Secondly, I want to show our great concern arising from the recent high and volatile food prices. They can have severe impacts in particular on food security and the livelihood of the poor people.  From the longer time frame, it is our common understanding that the world agriculture needs more investment for higher productivity and better access to markets. From this point of view, beyond your own projects, Japan urges IFAD to undertake the following three points.

• No.1; to enhance co-financing by providing attractive and reliable projects for other donors,
• No.2; to do your best for mobilizing various new financial resources including joining and enhancing discussions on innovative financial mechanisms;
• No.3; to make further effort to formulate principles and guidelines for responsible agricultural investment and to deepen the understanding of member countries in a coordinated manner. This has critical importance for attracting private investment.

Thirdly, I want to express our high appreciation for your strenuous work for doubling the rice production in Africa.

Finally, I want to introduce our basic concept of development policy. It is intended to realize “human security.”  It aims at building–up the society where people can realize their own self-possibility. I wish to close my statement by expressing my sincere conviction that IFAD will continue its concerted effort to tackle rural poor and to realize human security worldwide.

Thank you.

19 February 2011