Legal Information

As of November 2019, the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT was established through a partnership agreement between two international organizations: Bioversity International – also operating as the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) – and CIAT (Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical).

Although the Alliance operates as a single organization, with unified research and support operations, a single Director General, and a common Board of Trustees as part of its governance structure, the partnership did not create a new legal entity because both institutions are international organizations with their own Host Country Agreements.

CIAT and Bioversity International remain two independent legal entities, whose legal status was not altered by the partnership agreement. Host Country Agreements authorize the operation of these organizations within a given country and establish the conditions under which they operate. Therefore, from a legal standpoint, the two institutions continue to exist as separate legal entities while operating under a unified governance structure and integrated operational model.