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Rome-based UN food agency IFAD gets new chief

Xinhua, April 2, 2017 Adjust font size:

Gilbert F. Houngbo has become the sixth president of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and is expected to start his new job on Monday.

Houngbo became new president on Saturday after his predecessor Kanayo F. Nwanze ended his term on Friday, but Houngbo will officially take the office on Monday, Jinkang Wu, a special adviser to the president, told Xinhua on Sunday.

According to IFAD's online introduction, Houngbo was born in Togo and has spent more than 30 years working to improve the lives of some of the world's most vulnerable people. From 2008-2012, he was Togo's prime minister.

IFAD, a specialized agency of the United Nations, was established as an international financial institution in 1977 and is dedicated to eradicating rural poverty in developing countries.

Based in Rome along with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and UN World Food Programme (WFP), IFAD currently has 176 members all over the world. Enditem