Lennart Båge
President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
Mr. Lennart Båge from Sweden was elected President of the International Fund for Agricultural
Development in 2001 and again in 2005. He also served as Chairman of the Governing Council
of IFAD and Co-Chairman of the High Level Special Committee on Resource Requirements and
Related Governance Issues. He joined IFAD with nearly 25 years of experience in international
development, and longstanding, active involvement in the United Nations system and multilateral
finance institutions. He previously served as Head of the Department for International Development
Cooperation in Sweden’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Mr. Båge, who has rank of Ambassador
in the Foreign Ministry, also served as Sweden’s Deputy for the International Development
Association, and as Alternate Governor for the Asian, African and Inter-American Development
Banks and Vice-Chairman of the Board of Governors of the African Capacity Building Foundation.
In 2002, Mr. Kofi Annan designated Mr. Båge as chairman of the High-Level Committee on
Programmes. Throughout his career, Mr. Båge has focused on the issues of poverty reduction, rural
development, economic and social reform, capacity building, environmental management, and
gender. Mr. Båge has an MBA from the Stockholm School of Economics.