Member states of the Ministerial Council of the OFID, the OPEC Fund for International Development, have re-elected Qatar as chairman of the body and elected Kuwait as the Deputy Chairman.

The election of the two member states of the GCC to the senior posts came during the annual, 33rd session of the OFID's highest policy-making body, the Ministerial Council, concluded here late on Friday -- to review performance and set policy for the Vienna, Austria-based institution for the coming year.

The council, which brought together finance ministers and other high-level representatives of OFID member countries, re-elected the State of Qatar, represented by Yousef Hussain Kamal, Minister of Finance, to the Chair; and elected the State of Kuwait, represented by Dr. Nayef Falah Mubarak Al-Hajraf, Minister of Education, Minister of Higher Education and Acting Minister of Finance as Vice-Chair.

The ministers had words of appreciation for member countries and their broad, positive response to the replenishment request issued in June 2011. The fresh resources will enable OFID to step up its contribution to development over the next decade. It is the first such replenishment commitment to the institution in many years.

In his opening statement, Kamal, as incumbent chairman, told the assembled ministers that the resource boost would be further leveraged by cooperation with sister institutions and other regional and international development organizations. "Such strategic partnerships will combine our various strengths to produce better results on the ground," he said.

OFID Governing Board Chairman, Jamal Nasser Lootah, also referred to the replenishment, noting that it had helped offset the impact of the financial crisis on OFID's activities.

He thanked member countries for their "understanding of OFID's mission and their eagerness to see the institution continue its success." In his own statement, OFID Director-General, Mr. Suleiman J. Al-Herbish, highlighted the institution's growing contribution to global energy poverty alleviation efforts.

Since the Third OPEC Summit in November 2007 and the Jeddah Energy Meeting the following year, advocacy on behalf of the Energy for the Poor Initiative had been "a high priority," he said.

With the replenishment of OFID's resources, substantial additional funding was also being made available, he told ministers.

Yesterday's Council Session considered matters including OFID's financial statements for the fiscal year 2011, the annual report for the same year, which the council approved, and a report on OFID's resources' 4th replenishment.

Also at the meeting, the OFID Annual Award for Development 2012 was presented to Issa Ahmed Qaraqe, Palestinian Minister of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, who accepted the award on behalf of the Ministry and its Ex-Detainees Rehabilitation Program. Proceeds of the award will serve to rehabilitate former detainees and support the families of prisoners, in particular women and children with special needs.
The next session of the council will be held in Doha, Qatar, in June 2013.