32. The Council considered the Tenth Annual Report of the Intergovernmental Committee (IGC) of the UN/FAO World Food Programme to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC) and to the FAO Council, covering the period 7 April 1971 to 28 April 1972. It consisted of a covering note and the reports of the IGC's Twentieth and Twenty-first sessions.
33. In introducing the report, the Executive Director pointed out that in the course of 1972 the overall resource position of the Programme had improved appreciably which gave WFP sufficient marging to commit some $180 million of food assistance during 1973. He added that it was becoming increasingly difficult, however, to maintain the quality of WFP assistance and to direct more of it to the least developed countries because it was no longer possible to offer balanced and attractive food rations. He expressed the hope that major potential donors would make a special effort to provide WFP with additional protein-rich commodities or cash for the purchase of such commodities.
34. The Council welcomed the statement made by the Executive Director. All speakers expressed their appreciation for the work of WFP and gave it their continued and full support. Representatives of recipient countries thanked donor countries for their generous pledges and hoped that in the future they would in fact contribute more protein-rich commodities and cash and make it possible to meet in full the pledging targets. Some donor countries also expressed the need for more pledges to the Programme.
35. Some members urged the IGC to consider measures to meet the inland transport costs for least developed countries, as had been proposed by one delegation at the IGC's Twenty-Second Session. Others expressed concern about the rise of WFP administrative costs and hoped that economies could be made in future in line with those being made in other UN bodies. One member noted the progressive rise in WFP's bank deposits, and expressed the hope that WFP's cash reserves would be used increasingly for ongoing expenses including the purchase of commodities. Another, referring to the need for greater variety and balance in commodities contributed to WFP, said that the reason for the present limited variety was that surpluses were the basis for contributions. The member urged that in future to meet rising targets all means should be used, including the production of necessary commodities.
36. The Council took note of the Tenth Annual Report of the Intergovernmental Committee of the World Food Programme. It expressed support for WFP's Tenth Anniversary plans and activities.
37. The Council elected the following four Member Nations to the Intergovernmental Committee of the World Food Programme, for a term of office of three years (1 January 1973 to 31 December 1975):
Argentina
Indonesia
Netherlands
Tunisia
1 CL 59/11 and CL 59/PV/8
2 CL 59/INF/4, CL 59/INF/5, CL 59/PV/13 and CL 59/PV/14
38. The Executive Director sought the Council's approval to an amendment of paragraph 24 of the Programme's General Regulations to enable the changing of the budget cycle from annual to biennial and informed the Council that ÉCOSOC had already approved this amendment.
39. The Council approved this amendment with the new paragraph 24 reading as follows:
“The biennial budget of the Programme shall be reviewed by the FAO Finance Committee and ACABQ, and submitted together with their reports to the IGC for approval. Supplementary budget estimates may, in exceptional circumstances, be prepared and reviewed to the extent-feasible under the same procedure before submission to the IGC for approval. The financial reports of the Programme shall be submitted to the FAO Finance Committee and to ACABQ. After review by the FAO Finance Committee and by ACABQ, if the latter so desires, they shall be submitted with any comments which these Committees might wish to make to the IGC for approval.”
