Message from the Chairperson

Strategy 2030 is IDRC’s roadmap to address the urgent need for Southern research and new forms of collaboration. Through Strategy 2030, IDRC continues to advance our unique mandate to invest in applied research and innovation and to ensure the perspectives, experience and expertise of low- and middle-income countries inform global decision-making.

Thus far, indicators show that the Centre is meeting our quality standards on research, that knowledge-sharing practices have improved and that we are making progress on building alliances with funders and with the private sector.

IDRC’s deep commitment to collaboration with researchers is yielding positive, inspiring results that encourage us and our peers to pursue new forms of partnerships that strengthen evidence-based innovation across the Global South.

Achieving the scale of impact reflected in Strategy 2030’s vision of a more sustainable and inclusive world requires transformative change. The focus of this year’s Annual Report on gender equality demonstrates IDRC’s work to support gender-transformative research that promotes women’s empowerment and supports sustainable solutions to address the root causes of inequality. Strategy 2030 recognizes that inequalities pose significant constraints to achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

IDRC’s work to overcome inequalities represents an important contribution to the Government of Canada’s commitment to gender equality under the Feminist International Assistance Policy. This past year, the Board of Governors welcomed and congratulated the Honourable Harjit Sajjan on his appointment as Canada’s Minister of International Development. IDRC’s Board of Governors provided vital leadership to help the Centre implement Strategy 2030 and navigate a rapidly evolving external landscape shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic. The appointment of Hilary Rose as governor and the reappointment of governors Stephen Toope and Alex Awiti will benefit IDRC’s strategic direction in the years to come.

Since my appointment as Chairperson of IDRC’s Board of Governors in 2016, I continue to be inspired as I witness IDRC in action. The Centre’s commitment to research for development, to the critical need for more Southern voices and to a more sustainable and inclusive world are all driven by a tremendous team working collaboratively with partners worldwide to develop innovative solutions to new and longstanding challenges.

With the conclusion of my second term as Chairperson, I am confident that the road ahead is hopeful. I would like to thank my fellow governors, President Jean Lebel, senior management and employees based in Ottawa and across IDRC’s five regional offices for their shared commitment to a future that leaves no one behind. I wish every success to IDRC’s incoming Chairperson, Dr. Dorothy Nyambi.

Now more than ever, the world needs the kind of research and innovation IDRC has fostered for more than 50 years to overcome pressing global challenges and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Margaret Biggs Chairperson