Gilbert F. Houngbo became the sixth President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) on 1 April 2017. Born and raised in rural Togo, Houngbo has spent more than 30 years working to improve the lives of some of the world’s most vulnerable people, with extensive experience in political affairs, international development, diplomacy and financial management.

Joan Carling is an indigenous activist from the Cordillera (Philippines) working on indigenous issues at all levels for more than 20 years. (2008-2016). Carling has been appointed by the UN Economic and Social Council as an indigenous expert of UNPFII (2014 – 2016), former Secretary General of the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP), and member of the Advisory Council of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance.

Mirna Cunningham, indigenous Miskita from Nicaragua, worldwide known indigenous rights activist, former chair of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and current President of the Center for Indigenous Peoples’ Autonomy and Development, Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua. In 2014, Cunningham was nominated as Special Advisor to the President of the United Nations General Assembly to advice on the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples. She serves as Member of the Steering Committee of the Indigenous Peoples’ Forum at IFAD, and as Board Member of the Indigenous Peoples’ Assistance Facility. Mirna Cunningham, indígena de la étnia miskita de Nicaragua, es una veterana activista a favor de los derechos de los indígenas, anteriormente Presidenta del Foro Permanente de las Naciones Unidas para las Cuestiones Indígenas y actual Presidenta del Centro para la Autonomía y Desarrollo de los Pueblos Indígenas, Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua. En 2014, Cunningham fue nombrada Asesora del Presidente de la Asamblea General de la ONU para la Conferencia Mundial de los Pueblos Indígenas de la ONU. Se desempeña como miembro del Comité Directivo del Foro de los Pueblos Indígenas en el FIDA y como miembro de la Junta del Fondo de Apoyo a los Pueblos Indígenas (IPAF).

Ulai Baya is member of the Steering Committee of the Indigenous Peoples’ Forum at IFAD. He studied law in Queensland (Australia) and the UK. His main area of work is access and development of customary resources, in particular, pertaining to the nature. He co-founded Customary Land Solutions (CLS), with the vision of equity for indigenous landowners.

Sara Mbago-Bhunu is the Director of IFAD’s East and Southern Africa Division. Mbago-Bhunu brings to IFAD rich work experience spanning more than 20 years in the agriculture sector across Central, East and Southern Africa. She has worked on agriculture policy and sector reviews, value chain development, access to agricultural finance, social enterprise models and the promotion of small and medium-sized enterprises in peri-urban and rural areas. She has also led and managed teams in other development organizations in the design of development projects and capacity-building programmes. Prior to joining IFAD, Mbago-Bhunu worked at the World Bank as a Senior Agricultural Economist for the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Congo, based in Kinshasa. From 2013 to 2016, she served as Country Director for SNV-Netherlands Development Organisation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Nigel Brett is the Director for the Asia and the Pacific Division at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). Prior to this position, Brett worked as Lead Portfolio Advisor in the Asia and Pacific Division. He also worked as an IFAD Country Programme Manager for 16 years where he managed many diverse country programmes including IFAD’s largest programme in India. Before joining the fund, Brett worked as an environmental specialist for Mott MacDonald, a global engineering, management and development company. Brett has extensive field experience in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Colombia, Guyana, India, Lesotho, Mali, Nepal, Pakistan, Rwanda, Suriname, Tajikistan and Vietnam. Brett holds an M. Phil degree in Environment and Development from Cambridge University and a B. Sc. degree in Environmental Science from the University of East Anglia.

Rossana Polastri is the Regional Director for the Latin America and the Caribbean Division (IFAD). Appointed in January 2019, Polastri brings to IFAD a wide and diversified work experience as Peru’s Vice-Minister for Finance and, more recently, as Vice President and Executive Board Member of the Bank of the Nation of Peru, (Banco de la Nación). She has also worked for the World Bank as Country Manager for Paraguay and as Advisor to the Development Economics Vice Presidency. Polastri, a national of Peru, holds a Master's Degree in Economics from the Polytechnic Institute of Virginia State University, United States, and a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from Universidad del Pacífico, Lima, Peru.

Agnes Kalibata is the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the United Nations Food Systems Summit. Dr Kalibata works with the UN system and key partners to provide leadership, guidance and strategic direction towards the Summit. Since 2014, Dr Kalibata has served as President of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). Prior to joining AGRA, she was Rwanda’s Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI). Dr Kalibata holds a doctorate in Entomology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim is an indigenous Mbororo woman from Chad. She is expert in indigenous peoples’ adaptation to climate change, traditional ecological knowledge, and climate change mitigation strategies. She is member of UNPFII and has been the Co-Chair of the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change during COP20, COP21, COP22, COP23, that lead to a significant recognition of indigenous peoples’ role in the fight against climate change. She founded the Association for Indigenous Women and Peoples of Chad (AFPAT).

Christine Ciccone is the IFAD Special Senior Advisor Food Systems Summit in the External Relations and Governance Department. Previously she has worked as Assistant Secretary leading the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Legislative Affairs. She is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire where she obtained a B.A in Political Science. She also holds a J.D. from George Washington University, and an M.A. from the United States Naval War College in National Security and Strategic Studies.

Jessica Vega is a young indigenous female from the Mixteco People in Mexico. She studied political science and public administration at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Jessica is a promoter and trainer in Human Rights for Red de Jóvenes Indínas LAC, which is an Indigenous Youth Network in Latin America and the Caribbean. She is Cochair of the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus, GIYC.

Wolde Gossa Tadesse is member of the steering committee of the Indigenous Peoples’ Forum and board member of the Indigenous Peoples’ Assistance Facility (IPAF) at IFAD. He has served on other boards such as Dir Biyabir in California and Porini Association in Kenya. From the community of dere Chencha in Gamo he has several years of field experience as an ethnographer among southern Ethiopian pastoralists and cultivators of the Omotic area as well as pastoralists around Lake Chew Bahir and holds a PHD in Social Anthropology at LSE.

دونال براون نائب رئيس مساعد ، إدارة البرامج ، في الصندوق. وهو مسؤول عن تطوير وإدارة العمليات التي يدعمها الصندوق من خلال قروضه ومنحه. ويشرف على برنامج عمل الإدارة ، الذي تضطلع به خمس شعب إقليمية وشعبة السياسات والنتائج التشغيلية.