Netherlands Makes Largest Multi-Year Contribution to Date
On October 8, the Netherlands signed a contribution arrangement that commits more than $165 million to the CGIAR Fund over four years (2012-2015). The agreement marks the largest multi-year contribution to the Fund since its inception and demonstrates strong commitment to one of the core objectives of the CGIAR reform: fostering greater financial stability and predictability to support long-term planning of research and disbursement of funds in a timely fashion.
“Almost the entire Dutch contribution is committed to Windows 1 and 2—a critical step towards more harmonized funding, and a necessary one if we are to succeed in pooling significant resources to finance the CGIAR’s top research priorities,” said Jonathan Wadsworth, Executive Secretary of the CGIAR Fund Council and Head of the Fund Office.
L to R: Jeroen Roodenburg and John McDermott
The agreement was signed by Jeroen Roodenburg, Director of the Department for Sustainable Economic Development in the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on behalf of Ben Knapen, the Minister for European Affairs and International Cooperation. The signing ceremony took place at a seminar on “Connecting the CGIAR: Looking for Synergies with a Focus on Food and Nutrition,” which included a presentation by John McDermott, Director of the CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health.
“The Netherlands has demonstrated tremendous leadership not only in making the most significant multi-year contribution yet to the CGIAR Fund, but also in choosing to provide its support in the form of untied aid, evidence of the multilateral approach in action,” said Rachel Kyte, Chair of the CGIAR Fund Council. “Contributions like this enable the CGIAR to invest in big ideas for big impact. We hope that other partners are inspired by the Netherland’s example,” she added.