INTRODUCTORY ITEMS

INTRODUCTION

1. The Hundred and Twenty-sixth Session of the Council was held in Rome on
11 December 2003, under the Chairmanship of Aziz Mekouar, Independent Chairman of the Council.

ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA¹

2. The Council adopted the Agenda as given in Appendix A of this Report.

ELECTION OF THREE VICE-CHAIRPERSONS²

3. The Council elected as Vice-Chairpersons for the session: Mamadou Sissoko
(Burkina Faso), Ms Heidi Pihlatie (Finland) and Pedro Gordón Sarasqueta (Panama).

ELECTION OF COMMITTEES

ELECTION OF THE CHAIRPERSON AND MEMBERS OF THE PROGRAMME COMMITTEE³

4. In conformity with the General Rules of the Organization, the Council elected the following to the Programme Committee for the period November 2003 to November 2005:

ELECTION OF THE CHAIRPERSON AND MEMBERS OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE⁴

5. In conformity with the General Rules of the Organization, the Council elected the following to the Finance Committee for the period November 2003 to November 2005:

ELECTION OF MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE ON CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL MATTERS⁵

6. In conformity with the General Rules of the Organization, the Council elected the following seven Member Nations to the Committee on Constitutional and Legal Matters for the period November 2003 to November 2005:

WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME

ELECTION OF SIX MEMBERS OF THE WFP EXECUTIVE BOARD⁶

7. In accordance with the Resolution 6/99 adopted by the Thirtieth Session of the FAO Conference on 13 November 1999, the Council was required to elect six members of the WFP Executive Board from among FAO Member Nations for the period 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2006.

8. The Council then elected the following members from the following lists to the WFP Executive Board for a term of office of three years (1 January 2004 to 31 December 2006).

9. The Council took note that Ireland had resigned from the WFP Executive Board and agreed that Finland should occupy the seat in List D thus vacated for the remainder of the term of office expiring on 31 December 2005.

OTHER MATTERS

APPOINTMENT OF AN ALTERNATE CHAIRPERSON OF THE APPEALS COMMITTEE⁷

10. In accordance with Staff Regulation 301.1111, the Council appointed His Excellency Henri Fissore, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Principality of Monaco to FAO, as First Alternate Chairperson of the Appeals Committee.

CALENDAR OF FAO GOVERNING BODIES AND OTHER MAIN SESSIONS 2004 AND PROVISIONAL CALENDAR 2005⁸

11. The Council felt that the Ninety-first Session of the Programme Committee and the Hundred and Sixth Session of the Finance Committee, both scheduled from 10 to 15 May 2004 should be extended in duration. The Council requested that the new extended dates be decided in consultation between the newly-elected Presidents of the Programme and Finance Committees and the Independent Chairperson of the Council.

12. The Secretary of the WFP Executive Board informed the Council that the October session of the Board had now been rescheduled from 11 to 14 October 2004.

13. The Council approved the Calendar of FAO Governing Bodies and Other Main Sessions 2004 and noted the Calendar for 2005, as reproduced in Appendix D to this Report.

DATE AND PLACE OF THE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SEVENTH SESSION OF THE COUNCIL⁹

14. The Council agreed to convene its Hundred and Twenty-seventh Session from 22 to 27 November 2004.

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¹ CL 126/1; CL 126/INF/1; CL 126/PV/1.

² CL 126/PV/1.

³ CL 126/LIM/1; CL 126/PV/1.

⁴ CL 126/LIM/2; CL 126/PV/1.

⁵ CL 126/LIM/3; CL 126/PV/1.

⁶ CL 126/INF/2; CL 126/LIM/4; CL 126/PV/1.

⁷ CL 126/LIM/5; CL 126/PV/1.

⁸ CL 126/2-Rev.2; CL 126/PV/1.

⁹ CL 126/PV/1.