Press releases, 27.11.2019

At its meeting on 27 November 2019, the Federal Council appointed Christian Frutiger, Head of Global Cooperation at the SDC, as the new IFAD Governor for Switzerland. IFAD enables the rural poor to improve their food security and nutrition, raise their incomes and strengthen their resilience, a mandate which aligns with Switzerland's development policy priorities.

Ambassador Christian Frutiger will represent Switzerland on the Board of Governors of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) on account of his roles as Assistant Director General and Head of Global Cooperation at the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), part of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. He will take over the function of IFAD Governor from Ambassador Pio Wennubst. IFAD is a specialised agency of the United Nations.

Switzerland attaches great importance to its commitments within IFAD. One of the biggest international actors promoting sustainable agriculture and improving food security, IFAD makes a major contribution to addressing global challenges such as climate change and migration. It provides grants and affordable loans to low and middle-income countries affected by widespread rural poverty. This gives smallholder farmers, fishers and pastoralists, as well as landless and indigenous people, improved access to financial services, markets, technologies, land and natural resources.

The SDC and the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) work jointly and in a complementary manner with IFAD, as with other international financial institutions. Christian Frutiger will represent Swiss interests at IFAD together with the Swiss Alternate Governor, Daniel Birchmeier. Daniel Birchmeier is Head of Multilateral Cooperation at SECO, within the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research.


Further information:

International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
Agriculture and food security


Address for enquiries:

FDFA Information
Tel. +41 58 462 31 53
info@eda.admin.ch

EAER/SECO Communication
Tel. +41 58 468 60 56
info.cooperation@seco.admin.ch


Publisher:

The Federal Council
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

Last update 19.07.2023

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