Venezuela reiterates the importance of commodities in alleviation of poverty
H.E. Mr. Calixto Ortega Ríos, Ambassador-designate, Permanent Representative-designate of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to OPCW, ICC and other International Organizations and Courts based in the Kingdom of the Netherlands is seen with Managing Director Ambassador Sheikh Mohammed Belal at the Secretariat of the CFC. H.E. Mr. Ortega Ríos came to visit CFC, for the first time, to know more about the activities of the CFC and its impact on the ground.
Ambassador Ortega Ríos was accompanied by Messrs. Eudys Almeida, Counsellor, and Mr. Jhon Pena, Diplomatic Attaché, at the Embassy. Ambassador Belal was accompanied by Ms. Annemarie den Tex, Legal Adviser to the Managing Director.
During the discussion following an introductory presentation on CFC, Ambassador Belal briefed Ambassador Ortega Ríos on the current as well as probable future initiatives of the CFC. Ambassador Belal requested Ambassador Ortega Ríos to help CFC with their success stories and thereby help CFC to improve the format and character of CFC projects.
Ambassador Belal also briefed Ambassador Ortega Ríos on the ongoing initiative on the formulation of a fund titled CIIF (Commodity Impact Investment Facility) and thereby enabling CFC to contribute more for alleviation of poverty. Once formed, CIIF could also be an avenue for member countries to join this impact investment fund as anchor investors.
Ambassador Belal, taking cue from COVID-19 lessons and war in Ukraine, highlighted the importance of developing resilience to absorb the external shock within the limit of tolerance. Ambassador Belal briefed the Ambassador-designate on the past, present and future planning of the CFC as it seeks to ease commodity dependence in Latin America and beyond.
Before taking leave, Ambassador Ortega Ríos shared the new impetus that the incumbent government of Venezuela is placing on agriculture. Amb. Rios highlighted the nexus between commodities and poverty and shared how his country have been making use of commodities to alleviate poverty. He expressed their interests in working more with the CFC to help alleviate poverty globally.
Ambassador Belal assured to pursue more innovative outreaches in the days to come to make the services of CFC available to as many people as possible in the commodity dependent developing world, with a heightened sense of innovations and creativity.