Membership
IFAD’s Member States are united in their dedication to eradicating rural hunger and poverty.
Governing bodies - IFAD
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Governing Bodies
©IFAD/Daniele Bianchi
Transparent decision-making is at the heart of IFAD’s governance as embodied in our two main governing bodies: the Governing Council and the Executive Board.
Decision-making within the governing bodies
The voting rights of IFAD Member States are set out in the Agreement Establishing IFAD. To ensure that the voice of developing countries is adequately represented in IFAD's governance, the Agreement Establishing IFAD mandates that one-third of votes created is allocated to List C countries as Membership votes.
IFAD’s two main governing bodies make decisions in one of four ways:
This is the most common method of decision-making at IFAD, though any member may request a vote (see below).
This method is used for action on selected items as set forth on meeting agendas.
The Executive Board can approve projects/programmes and grant proposals that fulfil certain criteria through the Lapse of Time procedure. Similarly, the Executive Board has delegated authority to the President to approve proposals that fulfil certain criteria.
A quorum is required to commence any governing body meeting. This is achieved in the Governing Council and Executive Board when representatives holding at least two-thirds of the total votes available are present.
A quorum for a non-decision-making body is achieved when a majority of members is present.
Occasions for a vote include:
- Upon request during a meeting: as per Rule 35 of the Rules of Procedure of the Governing Council and Rule 20.1 of Rules of Procedure of the Executive Board.
- Vote by Correspondence: This procedure is used when an action must be taken by the Board that should not be postponed until its next session but does not warrant the calling of a session of the Board or Governing Council.
- Appointment of the President of IFAD: According to Rule 41 of the Rules of Procedure of the Governing Council, the Governing Council shall appoint the President by at least two-thirds of the total number of votes at a private meeting. Voting shall be in accordance with Rule 38.1 which stipulates all the elections to be held by secret ballot, unless otherwise decided by the Governing Council after considering a report of the Bureau thereon. The President is appointed for a term of four years and is eligible for reappointment for only one further term. The Governing Council also has the power to terminate the appointment of the President by a two-thirds majority of the total number of votes.