Press release number: IFAD 18/05

Rom, 17 februar-Lennart Båge, IFADs nuværende præsident blev igår genvalgt til endnu en fire år periode. IFAD er den internationale fond for landbrugsudvikling.

Svenskeren Båge, har siddet på posten siden april 2001.

I år var der for første gang nogensinde opstillet hele to kandidater til valget.

Indonesien havde nomineret Jannes Hutagalung til at blive IFADs næste præsident, men i sidste ende blev det Båge som løb med sejren. Hutagalung arbejder fortiden som expert i gældsnedsættelse for det Indonesiske Finansministerium.

Hutagalung opnåede ikke nok stemmer til at gå igennem første runde hvilke betød ,at det Governing Council udråbte Lennart Båge som vinder. Hans anden periode begynder den 1. april 2005.

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IFAD is a specialized agency of the United Nations dedicated to eradicating rural poverty in developing countries. Seventy-five per cent of the world's poorest people - 900 million women, children and men - live in rural areas and depend on agriculture and related activities for their livelihoods. Through low-interest loans and grants, IFAD works with governments to develop and finance programmes and projects that enable rural poor people to overcome poverty themselves.

There are close to 200 ongoing IFAD-supported rural poverty eradication programmes and projects, totaling US$ 6.5 billion. IFAD has invested about US$ 3 billion in these initiatives. Co-financing has been provided by governments, beneficiaries, multilateral and bilateral donors and other partners. At full development, these programmes will help more than 100 million rural poor women and men to achieve better lives for themselves and their families. Since starting operations in 1978, IFAD has invested US$ 8.5 billion in 676 projects and programmes that have helped more than 250 million poor rural men and women achieve better lives for themselves and their families.