Rome, 9 November 2017 - Gilbert F. Houngbo, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development of the United Nations (IFAD), will meet with the President of the Dominican Republic, Danilo Medina Sánchez, on 10 November at the National Palace to discuss a renewed partnership to alleviate rural poverty and to promote inclusion and resilience to climate change and natural disasters such as the hurricanes Irma and Maria that hit hard the Dominican Republic in September.

On his first official visit to the country since taking office earlier this year, Houngbo will reiterate IFAD's interest in continuing to support the Dominican Republic’s National Multiannual Public Sector Plan 2016-2020 and National Development Strategy, which aims to eradicate rural poverty by 2030. Additionally, both leaders will discuss the new project that will be presented to IFAD's Executive Board in December 2017. This project will build on the opportunities arising from lessons learned from IFAD’s ongoing project in the country, PRORURAL Center and East Project, and the public-private partnership model that has been developed between the Government and the Dominican Agribusiness Board (JAD).

"Taking into account the challenges the Dominican Republic is facing due to its frequent exposure to hurricane events that are aggravated by the effects of climate change, the new project will focus on reducing the vulnerability of poor rural families to this phenomenon. I welcome the Government of the Dominican Republic for its commitment and contribution to the development of this new project. Through this commitment, the lessons and learning generated in the territories will facilitate a policy dialogue to scale up the strategy to the national level”, said Gilbert F. Houngbo, IFAD President.

The total cost of the proposed project is US$21.07 million and it will be financed by the Government of the Dominican Republic ($4.59 million), IFAD (a loan of $11.68 million and a grant of $200,000), national financial institutions ($3 million), and the rural families themselves ($1.6 million).

On 11 November, Houngbo will travel to Monte Plata Province and to Santo Domingo Norte, where he will meet with smallholder farmers and young people participating at the PRORURAL Center and East Project. His purpose is to see first-hand how the project is transforming the livelihoods of rural communities.

While in the country, Houngbo will meet with Isidoro Santana, Minister of Economy, Planning and Development, to analyse the progress achieved in the effective implementation of the PRORURAL Centre and East Project and the successful innovation of the public-private alliance between this Ministry and the Private Sector (JAD) in implementing IFAD-funded projects, a significant initiative that will be shared with other countries. Houngbo will also meet with Donald Guerrero Ortiz, Minister of Finance, to inform on the approval by the IFAD’s Executive Board in September 2017 of the new Country Strategic Opportunities Programme (COSOP) that was agreed upon with the Government.

Houngbo will deliver a keynote address on 10 November at the National Congress, where he will meet with Reynaldo Pared Pérez, President of the Senate of the Dominican Republic, and with Parliamentarians of the National Congress.

During the past three years, the Dominican Republic has implemented projects for $24 million from two IFAD loans, thanks to which 40 business plans have been developed in support of 40 poor rural people’s organisations.  Since 1979, IFAD has invested a total of $75.9 million in seven programmes and projects in the Dominican Republic, benefiting more than 77,000 households.

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Press release No.: IFAD/59/2017

IFAD invests in rural people, empowering them to reduce poverty, increase food security, improve nutrition and strengthen resilience. Since 1978, we have provided about US$18.9 billion in grants and low-interest loans to projects that have reached some 470 million people. IFAD is an international financial institution and a specialized United Nations agency based in Rome – the UN’s food and agriculture hub. For more information visit www.ifad.org.