Media advisory | 31 January 2025

IFAD’s 48th Governing Council: Eradicating hunger and poverty by 2030

How can we get back on track in an increasingly fragmented and uncertain world?

Media contact
Caroline Chaumont

Communication and Media Outreach Officer

[email protected]

What

Press Conference with the King of Lesotho, President of Sierra Leone, IFAD President, and Indigenous leader

Who

  • King Letsie III of Lesotho, African Union Nutrition Champion
  • Julius Maada Bio, President of Sierra Leone
  • Alvaro Lario, President of IFAD
  • Dayana Dokera Domico, Indigenous and youth activist, leader of the Emberá People

When

Wednesday 12 February 2025, at 12:00 noon (CET)

Where

IFAD Headquarters in Rome, Via Paolo di Dono, 44, Rome in person or online via zoom.

Hunger and extreme poverty rates have remained high in recent years and show little sign of receding drastically by 2030. As global alliances, priorities and development financing become more complex and uncertain, and climate change continues to accelerate, tackling agricultural and rural development challenges requires renewed action, strategic focus, and innovative thinking and financial instruments. In January, African leaders adopted the 2025 Kampala Declaration setting the African Union’s agrifood systems strategy for the next 10 years.

IFAD President Alvaro Lario will share his insights on how to broker and channel financing to rural areas and his vision to accelerate rural development despite numerous challenges.

On the back of a devastating drought in Southern Africa and persistent malnutrition on the continent, King Letsie III of the Kingdom of Lesotho will provide his unique perspective on the country’s approach to tackling food insecurity. A “state of National Food Insecurity Disaster” was declared last July and more than 400,000 people are expected to experience crisis levels of acute hunger through March 2025.

The President of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio, will speak from his experience of leading a country coming out of a decades-long civil war - from fragility to prosperity. He is keen to advocate on behalf of Africa in its journey to develop with self-determination, dialogue and cooperation.

Dayana Dokera Domico, is a Colombian indigenous and youth activist and the leader of the Emberá People. Actively involved in peace talks in the country, she will call for  investments to end hunger and poverty, seeking equitable solutions that are driven by the indigenous communities themselves, that help communities adapt to climate change, respect traditional indigenous knowledge and safeguard biodiversity and natural resources.

Hunger and poverty are most entrenched in rural areas of developing countries where nearly half of the global population lives. Yet, small-scale farmers produce one third of the world’s food and seventy per cent of the food consumed in low- and middle-income countries.  Despite their strategic importance, rural areas suffer from chronic underinvestment.

Other highlights for media

WHAT: Inaugural ceremony of IFAD’s 48th Governing Council

WHEN: Wednesday 12 February 2025, 09:30 – 10:30, attend in person or follow online.

WHO: The inaugural ceremony will feature

  • Alvaro Lario, President, IFAD
  • Giancarlo Giorgetti, Minister for Economy and Finance, Italy
  • King Letsie III, Lesotho
  • Julius Maada Bio, President, Sierra Leone
  • Noora Sulaiman Salem Al Fassam, Minister for Finance and Minister of State for Economic Affairs and Investments, Kuwait
  • Hussein Bashe, Minister for Agriculture, Tanzania
  • Dr Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of the interim Government, Bangladesh (video statement)
  • Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser, Chairman, Islamic Development Bank
  • Rosângela Lula da Silva, First Lady, Brazil

This year, IFAD’s annual Governing Council brings together heads of state, ministers, high-level representatives of international financial institutions and multilateral development banks, Indigenous Peoples representatives and others from rural communities from all over the world to explore how to catalyse investments at the first mile, i.e. rural areas where the world’s poorest live and grow the food that nourishes the planet.

Global leaders discussions will also contribute to global conversations towards the 4th  International Conference on Financing for Development, the Nutrition For Growth summit, ambitious G7 and G20 meetings and the implementation of the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty.

Check the programme of leaders dialogues to follow online.

Accreditation to the Governing Council and the press conference

Deadline to request accreditation is 14:00 (CET) on Tuesday 11 February 2025.

Please email [email protected] with "Press Accreditation" in the subject line and attach:

  • a copy of a valid press card or letter of assignment on company stationery.
  • a copy of a valid ID (passport, identity card).

For journalists attending in person:

Please have all ID materials with you to gain access to IFAD premises. For more information on the accreditation process: [email protected].

A workspace will be available for journalists in IFAD. Refreshments will be served. Light lunch will be available at 13:00.

For journalists participating online:

The zoom link will be sent to you before the press conference and once your accreditation has been received.

Translation in English, Spanish, French, Arabic available in person and on zoom.

More information and complete IFAD Governing Council programme


Media Advisory No.: IFAD/02/2025

IFAD is an international financial institution and a United Nations specialized agency. Based in Rome – the United Nations food and agriculture hub – IFAD invests in rural people, empowering them to reduce poverty, increase food security, improve nutrition and strengthen resilience. Since 1978, we have provided more than US$25 billion in grants and low-interest loans to fund projects in developing countries.

A wide range of photographs and broadcast-quality video content of IFAD’s work in rural communities are available for download from our Image Bank.

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