Mr. President,
Mr. Chairman,
Governors,
and Distinguished Guests,

The United States continues to be a firm supporter of IFAD and its unique mandate to improve rural food security, promote rural development and enable rural women and men to overcome poverty. 

We thank President Nwanze for his strong leadership, and commend him for assembling a very strong management team to further enhance the effectiveness of this critical institution.

With continued food price volatility in 2011 and devastating food shortages in Africa, enhancing global food security remains a critical priority for the international community. 

The priority the United States places on food security is evident in our actions, such as:

• our Feed the Future initiative;
• our financing of multilateral programs including IFAD, FAO and WFP as well as the Global Agricultural Food Security Program (GAFSP).

During the U.S. Presidency of the G-8, food security will be a significant focus, particularly accountability for commitments made in support of the L'Aquila Food Security Initiative, of which IFAD is a member.

IFAD is an important partner in this work, implementing GAFSP-financed projects and carrying out projects and programs which complement the areas identified by the G-8 as critical, such as dissemination of technology, extension systems, risk mitigation, and development of agricultural markets and finance. 

IFAD-9 Replenishment

For IFAD to successfully carry out its mission of reducing chronic hunger and accelerating agricultural development, strong and sustained financial support of Member States is essential.  We welcome the positive outcome of the IFAD-9 replenishment, with an expected 25 percent increase in donor financing, as a clear reflection of strong confidence in this organization and its mission.  We urge those Member States who have not yet fully committed, to demonstrate their support for IFAD’s mission by finalizing as generous a pledge as possible. 

We strongly endorse IFAD management’s policy commitments for IFAD-9, which promise to enhance IFAD’s effectiveness and put IFAD in a leadership position among its peer institutions.  We are confident that IFAD’s focus on scaling up will enable it to have a greater impact, and urge IFAD to work closely with other relevant bodies as it seeks to expand its footprint.    On human resources and pay-for-performance, IFAD will be a leader among UN agencies.  On project impact evaluation and measuring results, IFAD will be a leader among MDBs.

Partnerships and the Private Sector

The rural economic environment has dramatically altered over the past decade, with volatile and rising food prices creating both risks and opportunities for the rural poor.  The global donor landscape has also evolved, with new sources of development finance emerging.  In this context, we welcome IFAD’s efforts to explore new partnerships to advance private sector development, enhancing the links between the rural poor and local farm-to-market value chains, employment and income-generating opportunities.

The United States welcomes IFAD’s openness to partnering with emerging donors such as the Gates Foundation.  IFAD and the Gates Foundation Agricultural Development Initiative share a strong commitment to reduce hunger and rural poverty, with a focus on small farmers.  There are many synergies to be explored in areas of commonality including addressing gender gaps, South-South learning, improving agricultural productivity, enhancing sustainability, and strengthening the policy environment.   

Conclusion

In the coming year, the United States will look to IFAD to leverage its human and financial resources, in partnership with others, to generate strong returns in food security and nutrition for the world’s poorest people.   

Thank you.

22 February 2012