Former Ethiopian PM Hailemariam Desalegn Named Board Chair Of Global Agriculture Research Network CGIAR
ADDIS ABABA – CGIAR, the world’s largest global agricultural research partnership, has appointed former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn Boshe as the first Chair of its newly established Board, effective August 1, 2026.
The appointment follows a six-month selection process conducted by CGIAR’s governance committees. In his new capacity, Hailemariam will lead the international organization’s strategic governance as CGIAR expands science-based solutions aimed at boosting food security, agricultural productivity, climate resilience, and natural resource management across the globe.
According to Global Agriculture Research Network (CGIAR), the former Prime Minister brings extensive expertise in agricultural policy reform, multilateral climate negotiations, and research-driven institutional leadership to the role. During his tenure as Prime Minister of Ethiopia from 2012 to 2018, Hailemariam oversaw major expansions in domestic agricultural research and extension systems that supported millions of smallholder farmers. He also served as Chairperson of the African Union from 2013 to 2014 and represented African nations as the lead negotiator at the 2015 Paris Climate Change Conference (COP21).
Speaking on his appointment, Hailemariam Desalegn stated:
“Throughout my career, as a lecturer and researcher, Deputy Prime Minister, Prime Minister and board leader, I have worked to connect science with the decisions that shape food, land and water systems and people’s lives. That work has never felt more urgent. CGIAR generates the research and the tools that farmers and communities need most, and has the partnerships to take those solutions to scale. I am committed to making sure we deliver on that potential.”
Outgoing CGIAR Board Chair Prof. Roel Merckx praised Hailemariam’s track record:
“This is a significant moment for CGIAR. The new Board is well placed, and I am delighted that H.E. Hailemariam Dessalegn Boshe will lead it as Chair. His experience and commitment to science-driven agricultural development make him exceptionally well suited to the role. I look forward to continuing to serve on the Board under his leadership.”
Looking back from the vantage point of 2026, Hailemariam’s 2018 resignation carries a heavy, bittersweet weight in Ethiopian political history. In 2018, he became the first leader in modern Ethiopian history to voluntarily step down to allow for political reforms. This act of placing national interest over personal power remains the strongest moral currency defining his post-presidential standing.
With Ethiopia navigating a highly complex National Dialogue in Addis Ababa to address foundational constitutional and federal questions, the structural fractures Hailemariam sought to defuse by stepping down remain active. His exit proved that an individual leader could yield power for the sake of peace, highlighting that structural institutional reform requires far more than a leadership change at the top.
Rather than being consumed by internal partisan crossfire, Hailemariam at 61 has institutionalized his post-government life, establishing a blueprint for how former African heads of state can maintain institutional memory without interfering in active governance.
Through his board chairmanships at the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and TradeMark Africa, alongside his stewardship of the Hailemariam & Roman Foundation, he has focused on human-centric security: food sustainability, maternal health, and climate resilience.
Furthermore, his roles within the International Crisis Group, the Brenthurst Foundation, and African Union high-level missions allow him to offer quiet diplomatic wisdom across a continent navigating regional fragmentation, including shifting maritime alignments across the Red Sea.
Unlike career politicians, his leadership of the Horn of Africa Climate Security Initiative (HACSI) demonstrates a data-driven approach to solving the resource scarcities driving modern conflict. As CGIAR assumes a central role in global climate adaptation, Hailemariam’s appointment reflects both his institutional experience and his long-standing focus on sustainable development.
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