International personalities and heads-of-state in IFAD meeting in Rome, Italy will discuss how investing in sustainable rural livelihoods is central to peace-building, state-building and social stability around the world.
Against a rising tide of people living in increasingly fragile situations, the 41st session of the Governing Council of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) will feature these issues.
The theme of this year's event is 'From fragility to long-term resilience: investing in sustainable rural economies', according to the IFAD, reports UNB.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will give a keynote address during the opening session, which includes a video address by Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres.
IFAD annual meeting will be held on February 13-14.
The Prime Minister will leave Dhaka for Rome on Sunday on a four-day official visit to Italy to attend the annual governing council meeting of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
Finance Minister AMA Muhith, Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury and Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali will accompany the Prime Minister.
Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security of the Republic of Sierra Leone Monty Patrick Jones, General Secretary of g7+Secretariat Helder da Costa and Executive Director, The Fund for Peace JJ Messner will be discussants during events that look at how issues of fragility, including economic instability, can lead to migration and conflict, which further exacerbate hunger and poverty.
Former President of Nigeria Olusegun Obasanjo and Chief Executive Officer of the New Partnership for Africa's Development Agency Ibrahim Assane Mayaki will share their views on opportunities and challenges in reducing rural poverty.
In addition, there will be an interactive panel discussion on the importance of investing in rural youth with representatives of youth organisations including Sebastian Pedraza from the National Rural Youth Network in Colombia, Mai Thin Yu Mon, Representative, Global Indigenous Youth Caucus, and Rita Kimani, co-founder of FarmDrive who was named one of The Young Leaders for the Sustainable Development Goals.
Globally, increasing numbers of people are living in contexts, which for different reasons, may be considered to be fragile.
The incidence of violent conflict is at an all-time high, which is multiplying the numbers of internally displaced persons and refugees.
These realities are undermining the prospects for sustainable development and threatening the livelihoods of billions of rural people.
