Notification

03-Feb-2012

Australia is considering whether to re-join the United Nations' International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to strengthen our existing support for food security, rural development and poverty reduction.

The Government expects this process will take at least 12 months.

About IFAD

IFAD is a specialised UN agency, established as an international financial institution in 1977, with a mandate to fight rural hunger and poverty in developing countries. IFAD has a unique focus on small family farms that represent a large proportion of the world's 1.4 billion poor.

The process to re-join IFAD

To re-join IFAD, a full treaty process will need to be undertaken. This includes the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties (external website) making an assessment of the impact of the treaty on Australian national interests.

Commenting on this proposal

We invite comments on the proposal for Australia to re-join IFAD. In preparing your submission, please consider:

• any positive or negative consequences of the Government re-joining IFAD
• that your response will be part of a National Interest Analysis submission prepared by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and submitted to the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties for their assessment but you can elect to remain confidential.

Read the summary proposal for the Government re-joining IFAD

Read the full 2011 review (recommendations excluded)

Email your submission of no more than four pages to ifadmembership@ausaid.gov.au by 11:59pm AEDT on Sunday 4 March 2012.

ifadmembership@ausaid.gov.au