By Francesca Aloisio
It seems like yesterday that the 39th session of the Governing Council (GC) of IFAD ended, after a very busy time spent organizing it, that usually requires the enthusiastic efforts of a large number of IFAD staff. But in reality, it has already been one year.
We are now approaching the 40th session of the Governing Council, that will be held on 14-15 February 2017, a key event in IFAD's calendar. The Governing Council is the Fund's main decision-making body, and this year the event will focus on the appointment of IFAD's new President.
Also, this year, the Governing Council will be preceded by the third global meeting of the Indigenous Peoples Forum, another important event on IFAD's calendar. It will take place at our headquarters in Rome on 10 and 13 February 2017, and it will focus on economic empowerment of indigenous peoples, particularly women and youth. It will be a great opportunity to discuss, share and learn about the role that indigenous peoples have in contributing to sustainable development, but also to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
How can you join the events?
IFAD would like to extend the invitation to join the conversation around these events, a conversation that will address important issues regarding rural development, the dialogue with indigenous peoples, and the role of youth and women - at national, regional and international level.
And what better way to talk about rural development and indigenous knowledge in 2017 than doing so using social media!
We encourage you to follow the webcast sessions, join the conversation and spread the word using #WeAreIndigenous for the Global Forum and #IFADGC for the Governing Council.
More information on the events, including programme, webcast, photos and videos, can be found on our website:
- 10 and 13 February: The third global meeting of the Indigenous Peoples Forum
- 14 and 15 February: 40th session of the Governing Council