Egypt has been re-elected as a member of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) executive board for 2021-2024, the foreign ministry stated on Friday.

Hisham Badr, Egypt’s ambassador in Rome, said Egypt highly regards the IFAD and its local projects, which are in line with the state’s strategy to bolster the agricultural sector.

He pointed out the leading role of the fund, being one of the UN's significant developmental agencies, is to push governments’ efforts in the fields of rural and agricultural development, and to support small-scale farmers in the poorest countries in Africa.

Agriculture minister El-Sayed El-Quseir headed the Egyptian delegation during the 44th annual periodic meeting of IFAD’s board of governors.

IFAD is a specialised UN agency established after the 1974 World Food Conference to finance agricultural development projects, primarily for food production in the developing countries, according to its website.

It provides financing primarily for projects and programmes specifically designed to introduce, expand, or improve food production systems and to strengthen related policies and institutions.

IFAD’s executive board consists of 18 elected members and 18 alternate members who are elected for a three-year term of office.