Rabat – The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) on Thursday officially opened its new office in Rabat during a ceremony attended by government officials and representatives of the UN body.
“The opening of an IFAD office in Morocco is part of the Fund’s policy to decentralize and strengthen partnerships at the country level,” IFAD Assistant Vice President, Périn Saint Ange, said in a speech delivered on this occasion.
This inauguration marks a milestone in the longstanding cooperation between the Kingdom of Morocco and IFAD, St. Angelo said, recalling that partnership between the two parties “started in 1979 with the signing of a first agreement.”
The opening of this office “reflects a long-term commitment of IFAD with the Government of Morocco” within the framework of partnership in the fight against rural poverty, he said.
IFAD programs and projects in Morocco will continue to focus on three zones that have a high incidence of poverty but also have a development potential. They are mountainous zones, rangelands with poor productivity, and rainfed agricultural zones in the arid south. The latest country program gives priority to mountainous zones.
In the poorest areas, IFAD’s target groups include poor smallholder farmers and landless farmers, small-scale livestock farmers, rural women and unemployed young people.
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is a specialized agency of the United Nations dedicated to eradicating rural poverty in developing countries.
IFAD was established as an international financial institution; its goal is to empower poor rural women and men in developing countries to achieve higher incomes and improved food security.
With MAP
