Against a rising tide of people living in increasingly fragile situations, the 41st session of the Governing Council of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) will feature international personalities and heads-of-state who will discuss how investing in sustainable rural livelihoods is central to peacebuilding, state-building and social stability around the world. Speakers will include:

Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh will give a keynote address during the opening session, which includes a video address by António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Monty Patrick Jones, Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security of the Republic of Sierra Leone,Helder da Costa, General Secretary of g7+Secretariat and J.J. Messner, Executive Director, The Fund for Peace will be discussants during events that look at how issues of fragility, including economic instability, can lead to migration and conflict, which further exacerbate hunger and poverty.

Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria and Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, Chief Executive Officer of the New Partnership for Africa's Development Agency will share their views on opportunities and challenges in reducing rural poverty.

In addition, there will be an interactive panel discussion on the importance of investing in rural youth with representatives of youth organizations including Sebastián Pedraza from the National Rural Youth Network in Colombia, Mai Thin Yu Mon, Representative, Global Indigenous Youth Caucus, and Rita Kimani, co-founder of FarmDrive who was named one of The Young Leaders for the Sustainable Development Goals.

A press conference will be held at IFAD headquarters on 13 February at 12:30 p.m.