After two days of work, thehe 41st Session of the Board of Governors of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) closed its proceedings with a call from representatives of member states to strengthen existing institutions and capacities in rural areas to help them overcome situations of fragility.
Around the world, a growing number of people are living in situations considered fragile. Today, they number around 1.6 billion. During the two-day meeting in Rome, representatives of the member states of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) discussed how rural areas are increasingly affected and structured by global challenges such as climate change, conflict, weak institutions, emerging technologies and dwindling natural resources.
"For us in Africa, climate change is no longer an abstract concept, it's a reality". Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria.
Olusegun Obasanjo cited the growing threat of climate change as an example. He referred to the ongoing crisis in the South African city of Cape Town, where it is predicted that the water supply to this city of around four million inhabitants will be cut off by June. "If drought can affect a city like this, we can imagine its impact in rural areas. Frequent and extreme weather events continue to have a negative impact on rural livelihoods, particularly in Africa where agriculture is the mainstay of rural economies."
Olusegun Obasanjo declared that it is absolutely necessary for all development players to invest in building the capacity of institutions - particularly in rural areas. "We can't talk about moving out of fragility and building resilience over the long term if the institutions that have to do the work are themselves fragile, " he added. He also said that youth must be at the center of development policies.
"If you ask me what my greatest hope for Africa is, I'd say it's the youth."Olusegun Obasanjo
The themes of youth as vectors of change and building the resilience of young people living in fragile situations dominated the Board of Governors' discussions. Gilbert F. Houngbo, President of IFAD, said: "At IFAD, we have seen the transformation that can take place in rural areas of developing countries when young people have access to land, training, markets, technology and financial services."
There are 1.2 billion young people aged aged 15 to 24. This is the largest generation of young people the world has ever known. It is estimated that over 600 million young people live in fragile situations. They are two to three times more likely than adults to be unemployed or underemployed. Some 200 million young people are estimated to be working poor, earning less than $2 a day.
The Governors also addressed the issue of youth during a session on multilateralism. "If we don't take the 2030 agenda on sustainable development seriously, we are abandoning future generations," said David Nabarro, Director of 4SD(Skills, Systems and Synergies for Sustainable Development).
"The development world is changing, and proactively, IFAD is changing to better respond to new needs and demands," said Mr. Houngbo. "We are determined to make our contribution to help countries implement the 2030 Agenda and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, and I know that with the support and participation of our Member States, we will succeed in doing more and better."
Established in 1977, Rome-based IFAD is a specialized UN agency that acts as a development bank, providing financial support for agricultural and rural development in developing and transition countries. Its mission is to combat hunger, malnutrition and poverty by improving agricultural means and techniques, and by creating and modernizing agricultural or commercial activities in rural areas, in particular through micro-financing projects.