Director-General
Building partnerships to alleviate poverty
Introduction by Suleiman J. Al-Herbish, Director-General
Mr. Suleiman Jasir Al-Herbish
It is difficult to encapsulate in just a few words an idea that adequately sums up the mission of the OPEC Fund for International Development. Aims like "promoting South-South solidarity" or "building foundations for sustainable development," are all well and good, but what they fail to capture is the true, human essence of the Fund's work.
Poverty alleviation is not just about economic policies, but about real people and their daily struggle for survival. At its most basic, it is about deprivation, hunger, disease and destitution - stark realities that almost half the world's population faces day after day, month after month.
The OPEC Fund has made a conscious effort not to lose sight of the human dimension of its work. Our overriding objective has always been to make a tangible difference to people's lives. And, moreover, to do so where it matters.
This core principle has influenced and guided the work of the Fund for almost three decades. And the results are evident in over 110 developing countries around the globe. Millions of people, many of them in the world's most disadvantaged regions, have benefited from our assistance.
The achievements of the Fund would not be possible without the support of its Member Countries, whose commitment is as strong today as it was back in 1976, when they first established the "OPEC Special Fund," as it was originally known.
The Fund has evolved since then, growing and adjusting to meet the ever-changing needs of its partners. Its goal, however, remains the same: to work with others to shape a world, free from want and disease; a world in which progress is accessible, equitable and sustainable.
Suleiman J. Al-Herbish
Director-General
March, 2005