Ireland reiterates its strong support for the CFC
H.E. Mr. Brendan Rogers, Ambassador of the Republic of Ireland to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, paid a visit to the Secretariat of the CFC, where he met with Managing Director Ambassador Sheikh Mohammed Belal. This marked Ambassador Rogers' first visit to the CFC, aimed at gaining insights into the organization's activities and its impact on the ground.
During their meeting, Ambassador Belal provided Ambassador Rogers with an overview of both current and potential future initiatives undertaken by the CFC. Given the current global challenges, Ambassador Belal emphasized the importance of fostering stronger working relationships and partnerships with countries moving forward.
Additionally, Ambassador Belal discussed the recent introduction of the Agricultural Commodity Transformation (ACT) Fund, formerly known as CIIF, during the LDC5 Conference held in Doha. He shared insights into the CFC's strategic roadmap for poverty alleviation across Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Land Locked Developed Countries (LLDCs), and other regions. Member countries were encouraged to consider participation in the ACT Fund as anchor investors and to advocate for its adoption within the private sector.
Ambassador Rogers conveyed his appreciation for the CFC's initiative in launching the ACT Fund and expressed full support for this innovative endeavour aimed at alleviating poverty. Ambassador Rogers reiterated Ireland's commitment to exploring opportunities to enhance CFC's capacity to address the heightened demands in the developing world through technology-enabled investments. Ambassador Rogers underscored the significance of commodities in uplifting grassroots communities and reiterated Ireland’s dedication to collaborating with the CFC to achieve this goal.
In response, Ambassador Belal assured Ambassador Rogers of the CFC's unwavering commitment to employing innovative approaches to extend its services to commodity-dependent developing countries. He reiterated the organization's dedication to making a positive impact on people's lives in these regions.
Ambassador Belal appreciated Ireland’s generosity to increase their ODA contributions globally, year on year, as well as their expressed solidarity with the international community. While appreciating Ireland’s role in drawing the world’s attention to the devastations of colonialism, internal conflict, hunger and humanitarian issues, Ambassador Belal urged their enhanced support to CFC so that it can do more for those who are now facing similar issues.
Both ambassadors reaffirmed their shared commitment to advancing the cause of commodities and their role in poverty alleviation. They pledged to collaborate closely in the future to explore creative solutions and foster cooperation for the greater good.