IFAD Governing Council and press conference with new announcement on UN Food Systems Summit - 17-18 February 2021

Rome, 11 February 2021 – With the world reeling from the devastating socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 and climate change, heads of state, ministers and rural development experts will come together at the 44^th annual Governing Council meeting of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to discuss the critical importance of investing in the rural areas of the world’s poorest countries to build global stability and peace, and how to close the rural development funding gap.

This year, Member States will also appoint IFAD’s President for a four-year term.

• WHO: Speakers include: João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola; Imran Ahmad Khan Niazi, Prime Minister of Pakistan; Agnes Kalibata, Special Envoy of the UN Food Systems Summit 2021; Sabrina Dhowre Elba, IFAD Goodwill Ambassador; and rural producers from around the world. 
• WHEN: 17-18 February 2021; 13:00 – 17:00 CET
• WHERE: Virtual platform

For more information and to follow the webcast, please click here.

PRESS CONFERENCE:

COVID-19 has shined a spotlight on the vulnerability of our global food systems, forcing us to urgently re-evaluate how we can sustainably and equitably produce, process and consume food. Gilbert F. Houngbo, IFAD President, Agnes Kalibata, Special Envoy of the UN Food Systems Summit 2021, will jointly make an important announcement on the upcoming Food Systems Summit – a historic process that calls for all people to contribute to transforming our food chains.

• WHEN: 18 February, 11am CET
• WHERE: Virtual platform

MEDIA ACCREDITATION

Deadline to request media accreditations: 16 February 2021, 14:00 CET

Please send:

• a copy of a valid press card or letter of assignment on news organization letterhead;
• a copy of a valid ID (passport or identity card);
• an email to [email protected] and include "Press Accreditation" in the subject line.

A link to access the Governing Council platform and the press conference will then be sent to you. 

If more information about the accreditation process is needed, send an email to Jessica Thomas, [email protected].

Accredited press can also register for one-on-one interviews with IFAD experts.

For further information on IFAD’s work, visit the website www.ifad.org.

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IFAD MA/03/2021

IFAD invests in rural people, empowering them to reduce poverty, increase food security, improve nutrition and strengthen resilience. Since 1978, we have provided US$23.2 billion in grants and low-interest loans to projects that have reached an estimated 518 million people. IFAD is an international financial institution and a United Nations specialized agency based in Rome – the United Nations food and agriculture hub.