Participation in the deliberations of the CGIAR System Board is determined in accordance with the provisions of the Charter of the CGIAR System Organization, the legal instrument governing the CGIAR System Organization.

The Board is composed of eight voting and two non-voting ex-officio members, and its deliberations on matters relating to the CGIAR System as a whole are informed by the participation of six non-voting Active Observers, comprising the Executive Management Team, representatives of the System Council bodies and the Independent Science for Development Council, and one CGIAR Research Program leader from the CGIAR Portfolio. All Board participants must act in good faith in the interests of the CGIAR System as a whole.

Voting Board members may serve one or more terms if duly reappointed, provided that no individual term shall exceed three years in length and total service shall not exceed a period of six years.

Active Observers have the right to participate in deliberations of the System Board and to propose agenda items and make presentations for such deliberations. Active Observers do not have the right to vote.

Participation in the CGIAR System Board is as follows:

Members Role Term
Lindiwe Majele Sibanda (Chair) Voting member Until December 31, 2024
Patrick Caron (Vice Chair) Voting member Until June 30, 2024
Alice Ruhweza Voting member Until June 30, 2024
Alyssa Jade McDonald-Baertl Voting member Until June 30, 2024
Hilary Wild Voting member Until June 30, 2024
Neal Gutterson Voting member Until June 30, 2024
Shenggen Fan  Voting member Until June 30, 2024
Vacant    
Clarissa van Heerden Ex-officio non-voting member
(Independent Chair, CGIAR Audit, Finance & Risk Committee) 
Until May 31, 2024
Ismahane Elouafi Ex-officio non-voting member
(in capacity as Executive Director, CGIAR System Organization)
Until successor appointed
Active Observers Representative Term
System Council Voting Members Ruben Echeverría; Eliud Kireger Until successor appointed
CGIAR Independent Science for Development Council (ISDC) Holger Meinke Until September 20, 2025

The Chair of the Standing Panel on Impact Assessment, the Head of CGIAR’s Independent Advisory and Evaluation Service and the Trustee of the CGIAR Trust Fund may be invited to attend Board meetings as may be required from time to time.

See approved document on Appointment of CGIAR System Board/common board member 2020/Q4