NINTH MEETING
NEUVIEME SEANCE
NOVENA SESION

(24 November 1987)

The Ninth Meeting was opened at 15.15 hours
Jozef Wiejacz, Chairman of Commission III, presiding

La neuvième séance est ouverte à 15 h 15
sous la présidence de Jozef Wiejacz, Président de la Commission III

Se abre la novena sesión a las 15.15 horas
bajo la presidencia de Jozef Wiejacz, Presidente de la Comisión III

CHAIRMAN: I declare open the Ninth Meeting of this Commission.

A. Daniel WEYGANDT (United States of America): My point is simply a procedural one. In view of the continuing difficulties we have in achieving a quorum here, 1 am wondering whether it is possible for someone in the Secretariat - and I do not want to be provocative - at least to tell us what the interpretation and conference services costs are on a real basis so we can have some idea of what it costs us each hour that we are supposed to be meeting but are not.

Some people have raised some questions. I have not attended all that many FAO Conferences in the past - only one in fact - and we have not had this problem before. Delegates should be reminded of the fact that people are stretched very thin on the ground, and if delegations realized what was involved to the Organization in the additional costs of having later sessions to make up time, it may encourage people to try to be present. Perhaps someone from the Secretariat could tell us what it costs on a real basis not to meet.

CHAIRMAN: I can inform the delegate of the United States that at the moment certain discussions are going on to try to organize our work for tomorrow in a better way. This applies to all the Commissions, because otherwise we will have the same situation - lack of quorum in all the Commissions, which leads to a waste of time. I do not know if any representative of the Secretariat would like to comment on this question?

Dean K. CROWTHER (Assistant Director-General, Administration and Finance Department): This question has been raised, but although we have not specifically calculated the amount we can determine an estimate and inform the Commission of what that estimate is. I do not have such a figure at this moment, but I am sure we can make such an estimate and inform the Commission of those costs.

CHAIRMAN: I would like to ask the Secretariat whether we have a quorum to start our substantive work.

F.M. MIFSUD (Secretary, Commission III): We have 56 delegates present.