Producing more food while conserving the environment and reducing poverty in a framework of sustainable development were listed as key goals by Ismail Serageldin, seventh Chairman of the CGIAR, in a message to the CGIAR.

The nomination by World Bank President Lewis T. Preston of Serageldin as CGIAR Chairman was endorsed by acclamation at International Centers Week.

An Egyptian national, Serageldin is the Bank's Vice President for Environmentally Sustainable Development. He is an alumnus of Cairo University and Harvard where he earned a Ph.D. He joined the Bank in 1972.

Serageldin has designed and managed a range of poverty- focused projects in developing countries. He is an internationally published author on economic development, human resource issues, the environment, architecture, urbanism, the Arab world, Islam and culture.

His message:

"I am honored to succeed Visvanathan Rajagopalan as Chairman of the CGIAR. The goals of the CGIAR and those of my World Bank Vice Presidency - - Environmentally Sustainable Development - - are complementary.

Increasing the world's supply of food is an imperative, but no less important is the need to develop innovative ways of conserving the environment and reducing poverty, both within a sustainable development framework.

The CGIAR is an enduring example of a successful development program, built on a solid foundation of cooperation between a large group of donors, farmers and national research organizations. In retrospect, the CGIAR has made remarkable contributions to the fight against hunger and poverty. In prospect, it is well equipped to address effectively some of the most pressing problems of development and assist in empowering the world's farmers to become more productive while better managing their resources.

I am eagerly looking forward to my association with the CGIAR."