1. Mr Patricio Aylwin Azócar, former President of the Republic of Chile, delivered the Twenty-second McDougall Memorial Lecture, in memory of Frank Lidgett McDougall, a founding father of the Organization.

2. The annual B.R. Sen Award, in honour of the late Mr B.R. Sen, who was Director-General of FAO from 1956 to 1967, is presented yearly to an FAO field officer who has made an outstanding contribution to the country or countries to which he or she was assigned.

3. The 2000 B.R. Sen Award was conferred on Mr Jean Prosper Koyo, a national of the Republic of Congo, in recognition of his major contribution to the project "Appui à la restauration et à la gestion de l'environnement" in Burundi. Through his personal effort, professionalism and leadership, Mr Koyo built a training team to effectively develop national capacity and to ensure continuity in a sustainable way upon completion of the project.

4. The 2001 Award was conferred to Mr Menachem Lourie, a national of Israel, for his outstanding contribution to the work for Sustainable Agrarian Reform Communities - Technical Support to Agrarian Reform and Rural Development in the Philippines. Under his pragmatic leadership, problems associated with agrarian reform were circumvented to the benefit of poor, rural communities in the Philippines.

5. The A.H. Boerma Award for 2000-2001 was presented jointly to Mr Jim Clancy, Anchor and Correspondent for CNN International (U.S.A.) for his contribution in increasing public awareness on the diverse problems facing the African continent, and to Mr Palagummi Sainath, freelance journalist, writer and photographer (India) for his contribution in changing the nature of the development debate on food, hunger and rural development in the Indian media.

6. The biennial Edouard Saouma Award is presented to a national or regional institution for its outstanding contribution to the implementation of a TCP-funded project. The 2000-2001 Award was presented to the "Goat and Rabbit Research Centre" in Viet Nam, represented at the Ceremony by its Director, Mr Dinh van Binh.

7. The Centre developed and disseminated milk production and processing technologies that were quickly and enthusiastically adopted by poor farmers. These activities were sustainable and led to substantial income increases of the rural population.

8. The Margarita Lizárraga Medal for 2000-2001 was presented to the Canadian Responsible Fisheries Board and its Secretariat (Canada) in recognition of its unprecedented grassroots approach in the development of a national Code of Conduct based on the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. This initiative has resulted in responsible fisheries management and new partnerships between industry and the Government in the fishery sector of Canada. The potential for the replication of this initiative in other Member Nations of FAO is high.

9. The Conference observed one minute of silence in memory of those staff members who had died in the service of the Organization since the Conference had last met. The names of the deceased staff members were read and are contained in the Verbatim Records of the Conference.

10. The Conference also observed one minute of silence for the victims of the recent floods in Algeria, as well as one minute of silence for the victims of the airplane crash in the United States of America.

 

11. The Council nominated and the Conference elected Saeed Bin Mohammed Al Raqabani (United Arab Emirates) as Chairperson of the Thirty-first Session of the Conference.

12. The Council nominated and the Conference elected the three
Vice-Chairpersons of the Conference:

Francis Montanaro Mifsud (Malta)
Majzoub Al-Kalifa Ahmad (Sudan)
J.N.L. Srivastava (India)

13. The Council recommended and the Conference elected the:

Seven Members of the General Committee

Nine Members of the Credentials Committee

14. The Conference adopted its Agenda as amended by the General Committee, and as given in Appendix A to this Report.

15. The Conference adopted the arrangements and timetable proposed by the Hundred and Twenty-first Session of the Council, as approved by the General Committee.

16. The Conference concurred with the Council's recommendations to establish two Commissions to consider and report upon Parts I and II of the Agenda.

17. In accordance with Rule VII and Rule XXIV-5 (b) of the General Rules of the Organization (GRO), the Hundred and Twenty-first Session of the Council had nominated the following Chairpersons of the Commissions which the Conference approved:

18. Blair Hankey (Canada) was elected as Chairperson of the Drafting Committee for Commission I with the following membership: Algeria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Egypt, Iceland, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mali, New Zealand and Tunisia.

19. Abdul Razak Ayazi (Afghanistan) was elected as Chairperson of the Drafting Committee for Commission II with the following membership: Afghanistan, Angola, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, China, Haiti, Kenya, Korea (Republic of), Kuwait, Sweden, Thailand and United States of America.

20. The Conference appointed the foregoing officers and, taking into consideration the proposals of the General Committee, in accordance with Rule XIII-2 GRO, also appointed the following Vice-Chairpersons:

	Commission I	Neil Fraser (New Zealand) S.M. Hassan Zaidi (Pakistan)
	Commission II	Ahmed Mustafa Hassan (Sudan) Mrs Lan Hoang (Canada)

21. The Conference endorsed the recommendation of the Hundred and Twentieth Session of the Council to establish a Resolutions Committee of seven members, one from each region, and appointed the following:

	Africa	:	Cape Verde
	Asia	:	Philippines
	Europe	:	Finland
	Latin America and the Caribbean	:	Peru
	Near East	:	Jordan
	North America	:	Canada
	Southwest Pacific	:	Australia

22. The Conference agreed to the recommendation of the General Committee that the Resolutions Committee be chaired by Noel D. De Luna (Philippines).

23. The Conference approved the functions of the Resolutions Committee and the criteria for the formulation of resolutions, as given in Appendix C of document C 2001/12-Rev.1.

24. The Conference confirmed the decision taken at its 17 previous sessions to the effect that, when a Member wished to reply to criticisms of its Government's policy, it should preferably do so on the afternoon of the day on which such criticism had been voiced after all those wishing to participate in the discussion had had an opportunity to speak.

25. As provided for in Rule XVIII-1 GRO, Verbatim Records were kept of all Conference Plenary and Commission meetings. The Conference endorsed the recommendation of the General Committee that statements could be inserted in the Verbatim Records when time did not permit them to be delivered, taking into consideration, however, the conditions laid down by the General Committee.

26. The credentials of delegations of 164 Members were found valid. The remaining Members did not submit valid credentials.

27. The credentials of the representatives of the United Nations, its Specialized Agencies and related organizations were duly deposited as prescribed under Rule III-2 of the General Rules of the Organization.

28. The Conference noted that, in accordance with Article III-4 of the Constitution, at the beginning of the session 49 Member Nations had no right to vote in the Conference, since the amount of their arrears of contributions to the Organization exceeded the amount of the contribution due from them for the two preceding years. Nevertheless, the Conference decided that all Member Nations in attendance be authorized to vote on 2 and 3 November 2001.

29. Subsequently, one of these Member Nations (Malawi) made payments sufficient to regain its voting rights. The following resolution was adopted at the second plenary meeting whereby Bolivia would be considered to have fulfilled its financial obligations by having made payments in accordance with an installment plan proposed in 1999:

RESOLUTION 1/2001
Payment of Contributions - Bolivia

THE CONFERENCE:

Considering that the Government of Bolivia made, on the occasion of the Thirtieth Session of the Conference (Rome, 12-23 November 1999), a proposal to liquidate its arrears of contributions over a period of ten years commencing on 1 January 2000, by paying annually US$ 20,070,10,

Noting that while the Conference, at its Thirtieth Session, agreed that all Member Nations in attendance be authorized to vote on 12, 13 and 15 November 1999 and, subsequently, that voting rights be restored to a number of Member Nations, including Bolivia, the instalment plan proposed by Bolivia was not formally approved,

Further noting that, since 1 January 2000, Bolivia has been effecting annual payments of arrears in accordance with the instalment plan,

Further noting that Bolivia has paid its assessed contributions for the years 1999, 2000 and 2001,

Decides that:

1. By effecting annual payments of instalments of US$ 20,070.10 for the settlement of arrears, together with the payment of each current contribution in the calendar year of assessment and any advances to the Working Capital Fund that may be due, Bolivia has been fulfilling its financial obligations to the Organization;
2. Instalments shall continue to be payable, in accordance with Financial Regulation 5.5, for a period of eight years;
3. Default in payment of two instalments shall render this instalment plan null and void.

(Adopted 2 November 2001)

30. The Conference agreed that voting rights should be restored to 29 Member Nations: Afghanistan, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burundi, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo (Democratic Republic of), Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Georgia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Iraq, Latvia, Lithuania, Mali, Moldova, Nicaragua, Niger, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Suriname, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Uganda and Zambia.

31. The Director-General had provisionally invited the applicants for membership to be represented by observers until a decision had been taken on their applications. The Conference approved the Director-General's invitation in respect of Monaco, Nauru, Uzbekistan and Yugoslavia.

32. The Conference confirmed the invitations issued by the Director-General to the Governments of Andorra, Belarus, Brunei Darussalam, Liechtenstein, Micronesia, Russian Federation, Singapore, Tuvalu and Ukraine to attend the Session in an observer capacity.

33. The Conference confirmed the invitation issued by the Director-General, at the suggestion of the Hundred and Twentieth Session of the Council, to the Palestine Liberation Organization.

34. The Conference reviewed the list of intergovernmental organizations and international non-governmental organizations to which the Director-General had extended a provisional invitation to the Session, and confirmed the said provisional invitations.

 

35. One hundred and twenty Heads of Delegation intervened on this agenda item. Members commented on the overall world agricultural and food security situation. Many Members also provided information on agricultural and food security issues and policies in their respective countries.

36. The Conference took note with concern of the insufficient progress so far towards achieving the objective of the World Food Summit of halving the number of undernourished people in the world by 2015, and emphasized the need to strengthen efforts to achieve the target. In this connection, the Conference recognized the strong link between poverty and undernourishment, in which undernourishment was both a consequence and a cause of poverty. It expressed its expectation that the World Food Summit: five years later, to be held in Rome in June 2002, would provide a strong impetus both towards a strengthening of the political will to reduce hunger and malnutrition and towards mobilizing additional financial resources for this purpose. The Conference considered that investments in women's education, health and nutritional status were one of the best investments a country could make, in order to further its achievement.

37. The Conference underlined the importance of adequate levels of national public investment, private sector investment, as well as of official development assistance, to ensure sustainable agricultural and rural development and to reduce food insecurity in developing countries.

38. The Conference noted some unsatisfactory features and trends in the situation of global food and agriculture: the slow-down in agricultural production growth in the developing countries; the large number of countries and large populations affected by situations of severe food shortages; the incidence of natural disasters, including recurrent droughts as well as floods; the incidence and spreading of numerous transboundary plant pests and animal diseases; the persistently low levels of agricultural commodity prices which negatively affected export earnings of many developing countries.

39. The Conference took note with great concern of the severe impact of HIV/AIDS. In view of the multisectoral nature of the required response and the critical role of agriculture for the livelihoods of people in the most affected countries, the cooperation and collaboration of the Ministries of Agriculture was considered indispensable. The Conference stressed the need for mobilizing funds and resources to assist ministries of agriculture reduce the vulnerability of the rural households to the epidemic and improve the capacity of the agricultural sector to mitigate its effects. It was noted that many of the most urgent actions in this field were the responsibility of other organizations.

40. The Conference confirmed the important role of FAO in providing technical assistance to its Member Nations. It likewise underlined the importance of South-South Cooperation. Several Members reported on their own country's experience with South-South Cooperation and offered their technical assistance to other developing countries.

41. The Conference acknowledged the increasing contribution of fisheries to food security. It noted that FAO and the Government of Iceland had jointly organized, with the co-sponsorship of the Government of Norway, from 1 to 4 October 2001, the Reykjavik Conference on Responsible Fisheries in the Marine Ecosystem and endorsed the Reykjavik Declaration on Responsible Fisheries in the Marine Ecosystem.

42. The Conference considered trade an important factor contributing to poverty alleviation and food security, and noted the importance of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference to be held in Doha from 9 to 13 November 2001 to consider, among other things, the launching of a new general round of trade negotiations. It was emphasized that multilateral trade rules needed to be clear, transparent and fair. The importance of food safety standards was also stressed, although these should not be used as disguised barriers to trade. In view of the importance of agriculture, fisheries and forestry in the economies of the developing countries, it was hoped that tangible progress would be made in allowing developing countries sufficient flexibility to pursue their food security objectives by strengthening the competiveness of their agriculture in domestic markets and by providing them with market access for their exports. In this connection, unilateral actions already taken on market access in favour of the least developed countries were welcomed. FAO was requested to continue to assist Member Nations, in particular the developing countries, to participate effectively in the multilateral trade negotiations. Assistance to developing countries for the diversification of their export base was also requested.

43. The Conference adopted the following Resolution:

RESOLUTION 2/2001
International Year of Rice

THE CONFERENCE,

Noting that rice continued to be the staple food of more than half of the world's population,

Recalling that more than four-fifths of the world's rice was produced and consumed by small farmers in low-income and developing countries,

Desiring to focus world attention on the role that rice could play in providing food security and poverty alleviation of the population,

Believing that concerted efforts should be aimed at addressing the issues and challenges dictated by problems of declining productivity, depletion of natural resources and environment, and losses of biodiversity in present rice production systems,

Recognizing that there were important partnerships among research and development institutions on rice,

Recalling also that during its present Thirty-first Session, it had approved the International Treaty on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture,

Affirming the need to heighten public awareness on the interrelationship between poverty, food security, malnutrition and rice,

Requests the Director-General to transmit this Resolution to the Secretary-General of the United Nations with a view to having the United Nations declare the Year 2004 as The International Year of Rice.

(Adopted on 13 November 2001)

44. The Conference recalled that the Organization had been requested to prepare a new Plan of Action on Gender and Development (2002-2007), and the Seventh Progress Report on the Implementation of the existing Plan of Action on Women in Development (1995-2001), at the Thirtieth Session of the Conference, in November 1999.

45. In addressing the substance, Members received the new Plan favourably, and were pleased that the document had been prepared in a participatory manner that had involved significant inputs from 24 Technical Divisions. The Plan's explicit linkage to the FAO Strategic Framework, the corporate Medium-Term Plan (MTP) and the World Food Summit and Beijing Plans of Action was especially welcomed. Many Members endorsed the shift by FAO from the Women in Development orientation of the previous two Plans of Action, to the more comprehensive and widely used Gender and Development approach. Many Members agreed with the four priority areas stressed in the new Plan, and with the policy orientations and programme priorities highlighted in the document.

46. The Conference appreciated the conceptual framework underlying the Plan, and supported the Plan's four priority areas, but noted that these needed to be linked to health, hygiene, education, and specifically to the problem of HIV/AIDS and youth. Furthermore, FAO was requested to continue working for the empowerment of women through training and skills development in such areas as production, off-farm employment, credit access, trade and commerce, marketing, and natural resource management, and by removing any legal barriers that led to their marginalisation, and that took into account the cultural dimension of gender mainstreaming. The Conference also noted the continuing need for the collection, use and dissemination of gender-disaggregated data to advance gender mainstreaming.

47. While agreeing that there were mostly positive elements in the new Plan, some Members indicated that the Seventh Progress Report focused on listings of actions that had occurred in the implementation of the previous Plan of Action, but without an assessment of the impact of those actions, especially on how much the activities had contributed to the integration and advancement of women. Some Members suggested that the systems for evaluation in the new Plan of Action (para. 126-129 of document C 2001/9) be comparable across regions and FAO Divisions. The Conference agreed, therefore, that it was crucial that verifiable indicators be formulated and utilized for purposes of monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the new Plan of Action.

48. While supporting the emphasis on the selected priority areas, some Members also proposed that the key paragraphs (50-107 of document C 2001/9) that listed actions by the FAO Technical Divisions be better prioritized and planned according to the four objectives, and that targets be set in order to focus on the measures that could have an immediate impact. Several Members stressed that a suitable matrix be developed and used as a tool for monitoring the implementation of the Plan of Action.

49. The Conference commended FAO for forging institutional partnerships, including those with the NGO community. However, some Members felt that CSOs and rural women's groups were not sufficiently associated with these partnerships, and requested FAO to do more in this respect.

50. The Conference suggested that the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) should have been referenced in the Plan, and that FAO should take a more proactive role in their elaboration. There was also a need for Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS) results, and for the Technical Cooperation Programme and Field Programme evaluations to be given a gender focus as well. Members urged FAO to make further efforts towards including a clear gender focus in field activities and technical support.

51. The Conference agreed that the Socio-economic and Gender Analysis (SEAGA) Training Programme was crucial to achieving the mainstreaming goals of the new Plan. Members applauded the progress that had been made through the development and dissemination of the SEAGA methodologies and tools, and encouraged FAO to support its regional and sub-regional staff in incorporating regionally-adapted SEAGA principles in the planning and implementation of their work.

52. Several Members noted that FAO needed to maintain and increase collaboration with other UN Agencies, and they stressed the need for more regional collaboration and partnership between the public and private sectors in implementing the new Plan. Members also stressed the fact that FAO should better document and publicly disseminate the best practices and lessons learned in gender mainstreaming.

53. Finally, the Conference endorsed the Seventh and Final Progress Report on the Implementation of the WID Plan of Action (1996-2001), and adopted the new FAO Gender and Development Plan of Action (2002-2007). It also agreed on the reviewing and updating of the Plan of Action, taking into consideration the recommendations of the Conference for the improvement of the Plan and its implementation, especially through the periodic MTP and PWB exercises to respond to changing needs. It further requested the Secretariat to report regularly on the progress made to future Conferences.

54. As agreed by the Council at its Hundred and Twenty-first Session, Ambassador Fernando Gerbasi, Chairperson of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, presented to the Conference the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, which had been finalized by the Open-ended Working Group established by the Council, as well as the associated draft resolution. Negotiations had followed the adoption of Conference Resolution 7/93, setting in motion the revision of the International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources, in harmony with the Convention on Biological Diversity.

55. Ambassador Gerbasi thanked the Members that had provided financial resources for this process and to facilitate the participation of Members from developing countries: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. He thanked all Members for their innovative work, resulting in a new international instrument.

56. After reviewing the provisions of the International Treaty, Ambassador Gerbasi proposed, in the name of the Group of 77 and China, that the remaining three sets of brackets be deleted, and that the International Treaty be put to a vote in accordance with Article XIV of the FAO Constitution. This proposal was given support by the European Regional Group.

57. One Member regretted that, despite consultations, other Members were not, at that time, in a position to accept a new article on essential security. The Member stated that absence of such an article would prelude its ratification of the International Treaty. That Member then proposed the deletion of Article 12.3d of the International Treaty, and requested a vote by show of hands. The proposed deletion of the paragraph was put to a vote and was not accepted. The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture was then put to a vote in accordance with Article XIV of the FAO Constitution.

58. The Conference adopted the following Resolution:

RESOLUTION 3/2001
Adoption of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and Interim Arrangements for its Implementation

THE CONFERENCE,

Recognizing the sovereign rights of States over their own plant genetic resources for food and agriculture,

Acknowledging the interdependence of all countries with respect to plant genetic resources for food and agriculture,

Recognizing the importance of realizing Farmers' Rights as set out in the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and of increasing cooperation in the field of technical assistance in accordance with the relevant articles of this Treaty,

Recognizing the integral contributions of plant breeders, including farmers, to global food security through their research and development of new crop varieties, and the role of intellectual property rights in promoting innovation and investment in plant genetic resource conservation, breeding and sustainable use,

Recognizing that the International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources, as adopted by the FAO Conference by Resolution 8/83, and as modified by the agreed interpretations in its Resolutions 4/89, 5/89 and 3/91, represents the first international instrument dealing with the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture,

Recalling Resolution 3 of the Nairobi Conference for the Adoption of the Agreed Text of the Convention on Biological Diversity, which recognized the need to seek solutions to outstanding matters concerning plant genetic resources within the FAO, in particular, on access to ex situ collections not acquired in accordance with the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the question of Farmers' Rights,

Recalling Resolution 7/93 of the Twenty-seventh Session of the FAO Conference, which called for negotiations, through the FAO Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, to revise the International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources, in harmony with the Convention on Biological Diversity,

Recalling that the Plan of Action of the World Food Summit underlined the need to promote an integrated approach to the conservation and sustainable utilization of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture,

Recalling that both the FAO Conference at its Thirtieth Session and the Fifth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity confirmed that negotiations would proceed on the basis that the revision of the International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources would take the form of a legally-binding instrument, closely linked to the FAO and the Convention on Biological Diversity,

Recalling that the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity at its Fifth Meeting recognized the potential contribution that the revised International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources, in harmony with the Convention on Biological Diversity, would have to assist in the implementation of its Programme of Work on Agricultural Biological Diversity, and that the revised International Undertaking was envisaged to play a crucial role in the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity,

Noting with appreciation the work undertaken by the FAO and its Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture in supporting Member Nations and Regional Economic Integration Organizations throughout the negotiations for the revision of the International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources and in preparation for its effective implementation,

Noting with appreciation the many expressions of support by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity for the FAO and its Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture in this work,

Recalling that the Hundred and Nineteenth Session of the FAO Council requested that the negotiations be completed in time for the revised International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources to be sent to this Session of the Conference,

Having considered the observations contained in the Report of the Seventy-second Session of the Committee on Constitutional and Legal Matters,

Having examined the text of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture endorsed by the Council at its Hundred and Twenty-first Session,

Noting further that preparations were required for effective implementation of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, once it had entered into force,

1. Adopts the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, which is contained in Appendix D,
   
   
2. Requests the Director-General of the FAO to open the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture for signature, after the adoption of this Resolution, during this Session of the FAO Conference at the FAO Headquarters in Rome, from 3 November 2001 until 4 November 2002,
   
   
3. Invites Members of the FAO and States that are not Members of the FAO, but are Members of the United Nations and any of its Specialized Agencies or the International Atomic Energy Agency to sign the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, and to deposit instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession, at the earliest opportunity,
   
   
4. Notes with satisfaction that the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, as now adopted by the FAO Conference, on entry into force, will establish a new and binding framework for cooperation in the area of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture,
   
   
5. Also notes with satisfaction that the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture will facilitate implementation of the Global Plan of Action for the Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture agreed at the Fourth International Technical Conference on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, held in Leipzig in 1996,
   
   
6. Decides that the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture shall act as the Interim Committee for the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture,
   
   
7. Invites Members of the FAO and States that are not Members of the FAO, but are Members of the United Nations and any of its Specialized Agencies or the International Atomic Energy Agency to participate in the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture acting as the Interim Committee,
   
   
8. Requests the Director-General of the FAO to convene the first meeting of the Interim Committee in 2002, and at the request of the Interim Committee subsequent meetings as necessary, in the framework of meetings of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, subject to the availability of necessary resources,

   The Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture acting as the Interim Committee shall:
   
   

   1. Adopt at its first session its Rules of Procedure,
      
      
   2. Prepare, for consideration at the first Session of the Governing Body, draft Rules of Procedure, draft Financial Rules, and a proposal for a Budget of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture,
      
      
   3. Also prepare, for consideration at the first Session of the Governing Body, taking into account, as appropriate, the recommendations of the Expert Group to be established pursuant to this Resolution, a draft standard Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) provided for in Article 12.4 for facilitated access, which shall include, inter alia, recommended terms for commercial benefit-sharing under Article 13.2d(ii) of the Treaty,
      
      
   4. Prepare, for consideration at the first Session of the Governing Body, proposed procedures to promote compliance in accordance with Article 21,
      
      
   5. Consult with the International Agricultural Research Centres and other relevant international institutions on the agreements to be signed with the Governing Body, in accordance with Article 15 of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, and prepare draft agreements for the consideration of the Governing Body at its first Session,
      
      
   6. Perform such other functions as may be necessary to prepare for the effective implementation of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture upon its entry into force,
      
      
9. Further decides to establish an Expert Group to develop and propose recommendations, which may be considered by the Interim Committee, on the terms of the standard MTA. Such Group shall be composed of experts with technical or legal expertise with respect to the exchange of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture and relevant commercial practice. Terms of Reference for the Expert Group shall be agreed at the first meeting of the Interim Committee,
   
   
10. Further requests the Director-General of the FAO to ensure that appropriate resources, including human resources, are available to the Secretariat of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture acting as the Interim Committee,
    
    
11. Requests the Director-General of the FAO to invite the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity to convey this Resolution to the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity,
    
    
12. Requests the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, acting as the Interim Committee, to initiate the establishment of cooperation with the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity and, as appropriate, with other relevant international organizations and treaty bodies, in particular in relation to the provisions of Article 18.4a of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture,
    
    
13. Invites the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity to establish and maintain cooperation with the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture acting as the Interim Committee and, upon the entry into force of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, with the Governing Body;
    
    
14. Invites Members of the FAO and Member Nations that are not Members of the FAO, but are Members of the United Nations and any of its Specialized Agencies, and Regional Economic Integration Organizations to contribute, through the FAO, to the functioning of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture acting as the Interim Committee,
    
    
15. Invites the International Agricultural Research Centres of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, in particular the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, and other relevant international organizations and treaty bodies, to assist the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture acting as the Interim Committee in its work.

(Adopted on 3 November 2001)

59. Following the adoption of Resolution 2/2001, the Director-General expressed his pleasure and satisfaction with the result, and thanked all involved. It showed, he said, the Organization's capacity to address some of the most important and difficult problems of the time, with faith and will. He warmly thanked Ambassador Gerbasi for his dedication and skills. He also thanked all Members that had contributed to the negotiating process.

60. In approving the International Treaty, a number of Members and Observers made statements which were reflected in the verbatim record.¹⁴

61. The Conference warmly thanked the Secretary of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Professor José T. Esquinas-Alcázar, and his assistant, Mr Clive Stannard, for their professionalism and dedication, and for the invaluable support that they have given, from beginning to the end, in facilitating the negotiating process.

62. The Conference recorded a vote of thanks to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, which had allowed Ambassador Fernando Gerbasi to guide, throughout the years, the negotiations that had led to the approval of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.

63. The Conference decided that Ambassador Gerbasi's statement proposing the approval of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, and the adoption of the associated Resolution, should be attached to the Report of the Conference (Appendix E).

64. The Conference recalled that the Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides had been adopted by the Twenty-third Session of the Conference in 1985, and had been amended to include the Prior Informed Consent Procedure at the Twenty-fifth Session of the Conference in 1989. It noted that the revision was required to reflect the adoption of the Rotterdam Convention and to include a number of new pest and pesticide management concepts.

65. Members stressed the relevance of the Code and the importance of this globally-accepted standard for pesticide management, in particular for developing countries. They commended FAO's initiative to revise the Code. Members supported the revised text of the Code and praised its potential contribution to the safe use of pesticides for human health and environmental safety.

66. One regional group and one other Member, while supporting the revised text of the Code, expressed serious concerns about the revision process, as well as with the substance of paragraph 6.1.7 and sub-paragraphs 6.1.7.1 and 6.1.7.2. They proposed either the deletion of these paragraphs or their replacement by alternative text; neither of the proposals received universal support.

67. The Conference recognized the efforts made by the Secretariat, experts and stakeholders. It noted that the revised text of the Code, with the exception of paragraph 6.1.7 and sub-paragraphs 6.1.7.1 and 6.1.7.2, was acceptable. It agreed to seek the earliest possible resolution of these paragraphs and thereafter the adoption of the revised text of the Code. To this effect, it decided that a technical consultation consisting of Government-designated experts be held as soon as possible, giving attention only to the above-mentioned paragraphs.

68. The Conference authorized the FAO Council, at its Session in November 2002, to consider the text resulting from this Consultation and, if appropriate, approve the revised Code.

69. The Conference requested the Secretariat to consult with the Chairs of the Regional Groups as soon as possible to elaborate details of the expert consultation, in particular concerning the size, participation and timing.

70. The Conference commended the work carried out by the Executive Director and the staff of the World Food Programme in 2000. In particular, Members noted the importance of the Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping and of the Global Food for Education Programme. The Conference also noted the progress of the decentralization process.

71. Noting that resources available did not meet all the food aid requirements and recalling the dual mandate of the Programme, Members underlined the importance of working towards a balance between emergency and development activities.

72. The Conference expressed great concern for the security of WFP staff and encouraged the Executive Director to relentlessly continue her efforts to ensure the safety and security of humanitarian workers.