En af de få tilbageværende nordiske topposter i FN (Danmark har ingen haft under VK) går tabt ved udgangen af marts 2009.
Det sker, når den svenske præsident for en af FN-familiens vigtigste særfonde, “Den Internationale Fond for Landbrugsudvikling” (IFAD), træder tilbage.
Præsidentskiftet er udramatisk, idet Lennart Båge har siddet i 2 perioder af 4 år og derefter ikke kan genvælges til chef for fonden, som hjælper fattige i u-landenes landdistrikter med at skaffe sig et udkomme (se Båges CV nedenfor).
Der er anmeldt 6 kandidater til posten, og valget finder sted, når fondens styrelsesråd træder sammen i Rom medio februar. Bemærkelsesværdigt nok stiller både en pakistaner og en inder op samt 2 fra Vestafrika, nemlig ørkenlandet Niger og befolkningsgiganten Nigeria.
Dertil kommer en tysk og en israelsk kandidat, som ikke spås chancer af betydning.
Vinderen overtager et IFAD, der netop har fået fornyede økonomiske muskler – midt i en finanskrisetid. Det fortæller en pressemelding fra fonden om:
Press release No.: IFAD/60/08
ROME, 19 December 2008: Despite the financial crisis capturing headlines around the world, the international community confirmed today its backing to a 3 billion US dollar, three-year programme of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
Coupled with co-financing from IFADs many partners, this will mean as much as 7,5 billion dollar for agriculture, poverty reduction and food security in the most vulnerable rural populations worldwide.
As part of this funding package, IFADs Member States meeting here for consultations on the Eighth Replenishment (genopfyldning) of the Funds resources, agreed on a target of 1,2 billion dollar in new contributions, to help poor rural people, already hurting from recent food and fuel price volatility.
Coming on the heels of the renewed commitments made in Doha, Qatar during the recent Financing for Development Conference, this new funding from Member States represents an unprecedented 67 percent increase over IFADs last replenishment and is the largest ever replenishment in the organisations history.
It was led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabias five-fold increase announced in April, followed by others from industrialized countries, OPEC and other developing countries.
– This significant increase from IFADs members, especially given these financially tough times, is an extraordinary expression of political resolve to support poor rural people, said IFAD President Lennart Båge.
– It is also a vote of confidence in the reforms we have undertaken to re-energize IFAD so it can help more poor people and have a greater impact on their lives, Båge added.
With the new resources, IFAD will be able to reach an estimated 60 million poor rural women and men, creating and supporting economic opportunities.
Seventy-five per cent of the worlds poorest people – some one billion women, children and men – live in rural areas and depend on agriculture and related activities for their livelihoods.
Over the past two decades, investment in agriculture in developing countries has steadily declined.
– Agriculture must be a central part of the development agenda if we are to keep on track for the Millennium Development Goals (2015 Målene), said Båge.
IFAD is financed every three years when Member States replenish its resources, consult with its management and determine the organizations policy direction.
IFAD was created 30 years ago to tackle rural poverty, a key consequence of the droughts and famines of the early 1970s.
Since 1978, IFAD has invested more than 10,6 billion dollar in low-interest loans and grants that have helped over approximately 350 million very poor rural women and men increase their incomes and provide for their families.
IFAD is an international financial institution and a specialized United Nations agency. It is a global partnership of OECD, OPEC and other developing countries. Today, IFAD supports close to 250 programmes and projects in 87 developing countries and one territory.
Mr. LENNART BÅGE from Sweden was elected President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) on February 2001 by the Funds Governing Council and was re-elected for a second four year term in February 2005.
Mr. Lennart Båge joined IFAD with nearly 25 years of experience in international development, and longstanding and active involvement in the United Nations system and multilateral finance institutions.
Prior to IFAD, he served as Head of the Department for International Development Co-operation in Swedens Ministry for Foreign Affairs in charge of Budget and Policy Development for Swedens 1,6 billion US dollar International Cooperation Program as well as responsibility for EU Affairs and international financial institutions.
Mr. Båge, who has rank of Ambassador in the Foreign Ministry, has also served as Swedens Deputy for the International Development Association (IDA), Vice-Chairman of the DAC/OECD and Swedens Alternate Governor for the Asian, African and Inter-American Development Banks and Vice-Chairman of the Board of Governors of the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF).
In 2006, Mr Båge was appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General as a member of the High-level Panel on System-wide Coherence. In December 2002, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr Kofi Annan, designated Mr. Båge as chairman of the High-Level Committee on Programmes (HLCP).
Throughout his career, Mr. Båge has focused on a variety of issues central to IFADs mission for poverty reduction, rural development, economic and social reform, capacity building, environmental management, and gender.
Mr. Båge has long been involved in the activities of IFAD having served as Chairman of the Governing Council of IFAD and Co-Chairman of the High Level Special Committee on IFADs Resource Requirements and Related Governance Issues.
Mr. Båge is the fourth president of IFAD. He is married with two children, and holds an MBA from the Stockholm School of Economics.
Kilde: www.ifad.org
