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1. The Hundred and Nineteenth Session of the Council was held in Rome from 20 to 25 November 2000 under the Chairmanship of Sjarifudin Baharsjah, Independent Chairman of the Council.
2. The Council noted the Declaration of Competence and Voting Rights presented by the European Community and adopted the Agenda an
d Timetable for the Session. The Agenda is given in Appendix A to this Report.
3. The Council elected three Vice-Chairpersons for its Session: Blair Hankey (Canada), Bhaskar Barua (India) and Pape Diouf (Senegal).
4. The Council elected Acisclo Valladares Molina (Guatemala) as Chairperson of the Drafting Committee with the following membership: Australia, Brazil, Cameroon, France, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Japan, Morocco, Pakistan, Syria, Thailand and United States of America.
5. The Council expressed appreciation for the document CL 119/2 and generally concurred with its depiction of the current world food and agriculture situation. It requested that analysis of factors behind reported facts be strengthened in future years. Many delegates also provided additional information on the food, agriculture and food security situations in their respective countries and on policies and issues affecting the agricultural and rural sectors.
6. The Council noted with concern a number of recent trends and developments with negative implications for world food security. It noted in particular:
7. The Council noted the fact that, while food aid could in the short-term play a major role in alleviating food emergency situations and, if correctly planned and implemented, could contribute to agricultural rehabilitation, the lasting solutions to poverty and food insecurity in many countries lay in full and successful implementation of the World Food Summit Plan of Action.
8. A number of Members supported the role of FAO's Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS) in assisting developing countries to reduce their food deficits and in meeting their food security objectives, and welcomed the development of South-South cooperation under the Programme.
9. The Council expressed appreciation that the format of the report of the Twenty-sixth Session of the Committee on World Food Security was focused, concise and reflected enhanced clarity in highlighting the main issues regarding both the world food security situation and implementation of the World Food Summit Plan of Action. The Council endorsed the report of the Committee including its conclusions and recommendations.
10. The Council expressed concern that progress in the implementation of the WFS Plan of Action and the pace of decline in the number of undernourished was too slow to achieve the World Food Summit (WFS) objective of reducing the number of undernourished people by half by the year 2015. It underlined that if the present trends continued, the WFS target might not be attained by 2015. The Council recognized that to achieve the WFS target, the number of undernourished would have to decline at least at an average of 20 million people a year, and stressed that more needed to be done at all levels to improve food security and to accelerate the pace of decline in the number of undernourished.
11. In this connection, the Council fully supported the recommendations of the Committee as contained in paragraph 30 of the Report and called upon Governments, the international community and the FAO Secretariat to implement the recommendations effectively. The Council emphasized that the difficult challenge of hunger and undernutrition required combined and coordinated efforts at all levels.
12. The Council noted that the increase in frequency and severity of food emergencies owing to armed conflicts and natural disasters, the incidence of HIV/AIDS and the heavy debt burden affected the capacity of a number of developing countries to implement the WFS Plan of Action. It also expressed concern over the growing incidence of foodborne diseases and zoonosis.
13. The Council noted with satisfaction the Declaration adopted by the UN Millennium Summit and appreciated the reaffirmation by that Assembly of the WFS target of halving undernutrition by 2015, along with halving extreme poverty within the same timeframe. It underlined that the Millennium Declaration reinforced an integrated and coordinated approach to tackle poverty and food insecurity. It therefore stressed the need for FAO to ensure its participation in the implementation of the Millennium Declaration and to assume a leading role in promoting a coordinated approach in the implementation of the WFS commitments. The Council requested that, at its next session, the Director-General report on FAO's contribution, within the UN System, on progress in the implementation of those provisions of the Millennium Declaration falling within its mandate.
14. The Council noted with satisfaction that commendable efforts had been made with regard to the Food Insecurity and Vulnerability Information and Mapping System (FIVIMS) initiative, and that a number of countries had begun to implement FIVIMS at national level. It recognized, however, that the implementation of FIVIMS at national level suffered from a lack of adequate resources. The Council supported the set of recommendations to strengthen FIVIMS put forward in paragraph 39 by the Committee on World Food Security. In particular, the Council emphasized the need for an enhanced allocation of resources for the development of the system at national level in all the regions.
15. Several Members emphasized their support for the idea of the development of a Code of Conduct on the Right to Adequate Food, and reiterated that the right to adequate food was indivisible from other human rights. In this connection, they pointed out the importance of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the need for better reporting from Member Nations, as well as FAO, on their respective activities relevant in this regard. The Council also reiterated its view that food should not be used as an instrument for political and economic pressure as stated in the Report of CFS. A number of Members urged the Director-General to give appropriate consideration to the consultations under UNGA Resolution A/55/L.7.
16. The Council expressed support for the FAO Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS). At the same time, the Council recalled that an evaluation was to be carried out on the SPFS at the end of the cropping season of 2001, and looked forward to the results.
17. Several Members expressed appreciation of the support given to them by FAO in their efforts to improve their food security, and requested that FAO continue its support in capacity-building and other forms of technical assistance. In this connection, they emphasized the need to increase the budget of FAO. A certain number of Members expressed the wish that FAO become more involved in making the international community more aware of the key role played by agriculture in strategies for combating poverty, agriculture being the main activity for poor people living in rural areas. Some Members also endorsed the efforts of the CFS to promote greater involvement of civil society in its work, as highlighted in the CFS report.
PROPOSAL FOR FAO CONFERENCE REVIEW OF PROGRESS IN IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WORLD FOOD SUMMIT PLAN OF ACTION (WFS: five years later)
18. The Council examined the proposal formulated by the Director-General to take the opportunity offered by the Thirty-first Session of the Conference in November 2001 to review, at the highest political level, progress in implementation of the World Food Summit Plan of Action (WFS: Five Years Later). As requested by the CFS, the Secretariat had tabled a document containing further information on the proposal. 5
19. The Council recognized that the Director-General's proposal was made with a view to mobilizing political will to fulfill the undertakings made in Rome in 1996. It was clarified that the review would complement and reinforce the ongoing CFS monitoring process and could provide additional support and follow-up for it. The proposal to use already-scheduled meetings of the CFS and Council in preparing for the Conference review was made in the interest of efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
20. Members were unanimous in their support for a reaffirmation of commitment to the objectives of the World Food Summit, and of the need to intensify efforts to reach the Summit's target by 2015, and ultimately to achieve food security for all. Most Members expressed their support for the Director-General's proposal. Several Members felt that it was necessary to increase the awareness of all parties involved in achieving the objectives of the WFS.
21. The Council affirmed the importance of ensuring that the process not reopen debate on any part of the Rome Declaration and World Food Summit Plan of Action, and that the focus be on the constraints to implementing the objectives outlined in the WFS Plan of Action, including the ways and means of harnessing resources to achieve the Summit's goals.
22. Some Members considered that it was premature to proceed to a first stocktaking as from 2001, taking into consideration that the first reporting cycle would be ready in 2002. Concern was also expressed about the outcomes of other five-year reviews. The importance of ensuring coherence with other United Nations initiatives, in particular the Third United Nations Conference on LDCs and the Special Event on Financing for Development was stressed. Some Members further underlined the linkages with the Millennium Summit and the need for FAO to participate in the implementation of the Millennium Declaration to the fullest extent.
23. The Council noted that the CFS in May 2001 would consider the questions of substantive content and format of the debate on the basis of Secretariat proposals. The Council stressed the need for a careful preparation of the review so as to ensure a meaningful outcome. The Council noted the Secretariat's assurance that the event itself should not entail significant incremental cost. A number of Members made specific suggestions regarding the content of the document to be prepared for CFS in 2001. The view was also expressed that the Conference discussion should include a more interactive debate rather than be limited to a straight presentation of statements by delegations.
24. With regard to the level of representation, some Members considered that the review could be carried out within the framework of the Conference, at the level of Members' political authorities or at the Ministerial level. It was also noted that it was for each Member to decide, in its sovereign capacity, the level of its representation. However, most Members considered that it was appropriate and desirable that the review be carried out at the highest political level. Some Members also emphasized the importance of civil society's participation in the review.
25. In conclusion, the Council supported the principle, the objective and the general orientation of the Director-General's proposal to use the forthcoming session of the FAO Conference as a forum for a review of Progress in Implementation of the World Food Summit Plan of Action five years after the Summit. Accordingly, it endorsed the Director-General's proposal to include this item on the Provisional Agenda of the Thirty-first Session of the Conference in 2001 and to invite Members of the United Nations, or of its Specialized Agencies or of the International Atomic Energy Agency, who had been invited to the World Food Summit, to attend the Conference for this purpose.
26. By a large majority, the Council also supported the Director-General's proposal to invite Heads of State or Government.
27. The Chairman of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, presented his written report on the negotiations for the revision of the International Undertaking, in harmony with the Convention on Biological Diversity, and supplemented this by a verbal report on the Fourth Inter-sessional Meeting of the Chairman's Contact Group, held during the week before the Session of the Council. He informed the Council that in the year 2000, three meetings of the Contact Group had taken place, with the result that some questions of substance were clarified and this made it possible for there to be a clean text for some crucial articles. He stressed, however, that important differences had become clear at the last meeting regarding the sharing of the monetary benefits arising from the commercial use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture in the Multilateral System. In order to progress in a balanced manner in this and other areas of the negotiating text, he felt that countries now needed to evaluate the situation politically and to show a coherent political will, so that decisions could be taken in the negotiations themselves, without the need to always refer back to capitals. He indicated that in order to conclude these negotiations rapidly, a fixed deadline needed to be established.
28. The Council recognized that the Undertaking, negotiated on the basis that it would take the form of a legally-binding instrument, closely linked to FAO and the Convention on Biological Diversity, would be crucial in ensuring food security and sustainable agriculture for present and future generations. It also recognized that solutions to the complex and specific technical and political issues in this area needed to be found, and that FAO should continue to give high priority to this task.
29. The Council underlined the importance of a Multilateral System of Access and Benefit-Sharing embodied in this International Undertaking.
30. It noted that the successful completion of the negotiations would also facilitate the full implementation of the Global Plan of Action for the Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, and the effective management and use of the germplasm maintained in trust by the International Agricultural Research Centres.
31. The Council therefore:
32. In approving the Report of the Executive Board, the Council expressed appreciation for the work carried out by the Programme in 1999. While recognizing the high levels of assistance reached during the year, the Council reiterated the need to reinforce the multilateral character of WFP and to maintain a balance between resources allocated to development and emergencies. It urged all concerned to make the greatest efforts to meet the needs of underfunded operations.
33. The Council noted the breadth of policy and operational issues considered by the Board during the year and expressed appreciation for the steps taken towards improving the governance of WFP. It supported the programme of visits to the field by Members of the Board. Members who had participated in such visits noted that they had broadened their understanding of WFP programmes, projects and operations and had been given an opportunity to see, in practical terms, the implementation of such policies as Enabling Development. In that context, the Council encouraged WFP, FAO and IFAD to continue their effective coordination efforts to achieve the goals of the World Food Summit in the fight against poverty.
34. The Council deeply regretted the loss of lives of staff and supported WFP's efforts to address matters of staff security. It urged all Governments to make efforts in support of the safety of international staff in their countries.
35. In accordance with Resolution 9/95 adopted by the Twenty-eighth Session of the FAO Conference on 31 October 1995, the Council was required to elect six members of the WFP Executive Board for a term of office of three years for the period 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2003.
36. The Council agreed that Australia's current seat would be taken by Switzerland for List D for 2001 and 2002, Spain would be replaced by Portugal for list D for 2001, and the replacement of Portugal for 2002 would be communicated before the Hundred and Twenty-second Session of the Council.
37. The Council elected the following members from the following lists to the WFP Executive Board for a term of office of three years (1 January 2001 to 31 December 2003).
| List | Members | |
| A | Mali | |
| B | Bangladesh, Iraq | |
| C | El Salvador | |
| D | Netherlands, United States of America
|
38. The Council welcomed the improved format of this version of the biennial Programme Implementation Report (PIR) which it felt facilitated understanding of achievements over the period. It noted that, as usual, more detailed information on the status of implementation of various outputs had been posted on the FAO Internet Website. The Council recalled that the PIR made an important contribution to accountability, in full complementarity to evaluation reports. The Council looked forward to further improvements in future versions, which should be facilitated by the increased results orientation of the new programming model being implemented in FAO.
39. While noting that overall delivery under the Regular Programme had been generally satisfactory, the Council observed with concern that the declining trend of delivery under non-emergency field activities had continued. However, there were firm hopes that current measures being undertaken to reinvigorate field programme development, coupled with more positive prospects for partnerships with some donor sources, would enable FAO to reverse this trend in the near future.
40. The Council appreciated the emphasis put on language policy in the document, noting the first results of the renewed efforts to ensure an improved balance in the use of FAO languages in the work of the Organization. It expected that the full impact of such efforts would take place in the current (2000-2001) and future biennia, and underlined inter alia two areas where improvements were particularly relevant to the membership, i.e. Codex and WAICENT. The Council stressed in this connection that both programmes were important to Members and to FAO's essential function of disseminating information to them on field programmes and other activities in a comprehensive and consistent manner.
41. The Council was also informed of FAO's involvement in ongoing international dialogue on forestry, and noted its current and planned support to related initiatives.
42. The Council gave its general endorsement of the document, taking account of the comments of the Programme and Finance Committees.
43. The Council addressed the Medium Term Plan 2002-07 (MTP), with the benefit of the extensive review made by the Programme and Finance Committees in their separate and joint sessions. It noted that the substantive content would also be examined by its Technical Committees (COAG, COFI, COFO) at their forthcoming sessions in early 2001, and that the views of these Bodies would be reflected in their reports to be considered by the next session of the Council in June 2001.
44. The Council underlined that this version of the Plan embodied considerable improvements over previous versions. It recalled, in this connection, the special place of the rolling MTP as part of the Strategic Framework approved by the last Conference.
45. The Council felt that the MTP served as a welcome bridge between the general longer-term orientations in the Strategic Framework, approved by the last Conference, and successive Programme of Work and Budget (PWB) documents. It welcomed the various tables and charts which illustrated close links with the Strategic Framework, particularly in conveying the distribution of resources across the approved Corporate Strategies and Strategic Objectives.
46. While the bulk of the document dealt with the substantive work of FAO in responding to the Strategies to address Members' needs, the Council appreciated that reference had been made in Part III of the Plan to planned follow-up actions to the complementary Strategies to address cross-organizational issues. It recommended, however, that due attention be placed on the Strategy of Ensuring Excellence in the next version.
47. The Council considered that the Plan well reflected the application of the new programming model to substantive activities, while urging further refinements in future versions, especially in terms of selection of the most appropriate entity (technical project, continuing programme activity or technical service agreement) depending on the context. The Council also welcomed the efforts made to provide indicators to facilitate evaluation of proposed activities, and looked forward to sharper formulations in the future.
48. Emphasizing again the importance of close FAO cooperation with partners, the Council noted that detailed information on partnerships had been made available on the Organization's Internet Website for consultation by those interested. As regarded further analytical features, some Members stated that they would have wished to have seen regional breakdowns, while the suggestion was also made that the Plan could have attempted to provide consolidated information in terms of major groups of intended beneficiaries.
49. The Council generally endorsed the Priority Areas for Inter-disciplinary Action (PAIAs) highlighted in the MTP, which gave concrete evidence of the attention placed on multi-disciplinary approaches to the work of the Organization. The Council emphasized the need for putting in place monitoring of implementation and ensuring accountability within the Secretariat.
50. One Member expressed concern regarding the project on Socio-Economic Analysis and Policy Implications of the Roles of Agriculture in Developing Countries, funded bilaterally from extrabudgetary resources, and currently being implemented by the Organization. That Member expressed the view that this project dealt with the multifunctional character of agriculture and pointed out that at the Thirtieth Session of the FAO Conference, "FAO's Members have noted that there is currently no consensus on the meaning of the concept of multifunctional character of agriculture nor on a role for FAO with respect to work on it" and "they agree that the Organization should pursue and further develop its work on sustainable agriculture and rural development." The Secretariat stated that the project in question was not dealing with the multifunctional character of agriculture, but with sustainable agriculture and rural development. The Secretariat also stated that the project aimed to clarify, within a comparative analysis, the impact of policies on the diverse roles of agriculture. The Secretariat emphasized that there was no intention to link the project to trade. The Secretariat also stated that the project was directly related to MTP Entity 224P2 Contribution of Agriculture to Poverty Alleviation, Rural Development, and Food Security and close cooperation was foreseen with Programme 2.5.3 Rural Development. The above-mentioned one Member said that it was not fully satisfied with this response and would continue to pursue this matter with the Secretariat. Bearing in mind the conclusions of the Report of the Thirtieth Session of the FAO Conference, some Members expressed the concern that in their view the manner in which this project had been established raised important issues of transparency and governance. On the other hand, a number of Members considered that such a project, as explained by the Secretariat, was compatible with the Strategic Framework of the Organization and its mandate. Several Members requested that the Membership be kept informed regarding the implementation of this project.
51. In addressing the substance of the MTP, the Council generally felt that the MTP provided an accurate presentation of the key priorities and the needed balance among them for FAO to respond to the expressed requirements of its Membership. Several Members stressed a number of areas to which they attached particular importance, including: training and assistance in relation to the Uruguay Round agreements and trade negotiations, promotion of novel technologies, including drought-resistant crops, work on research and extension links, natural resource management, water conservation and irrigation, biotechnology applications to agriculture, livestock production systems particularly for resource-poor farmers, promotion of sustainable fisheries management through the implementation of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, work on forest resource assessment and community forestry, continued standard-setting, in particular through Codex and the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), support to capacity-building in countries and further efforts towards gender mainstreaming.
52. Many Members expressed support for the indicated increases for the Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) and FAO Country Offices, which were in line with a previous Conference resolution and the expectations of Members not yet able to benefit from the presence of an effective FAO Office. Other Members could not see the justification for such increases, having a concern for the amount proposed for TCP and bearing in mind the need to establish better criteria for the establishment of FAO Country Offices.
53. Turning to overall resource aspects, the Council welcomed the supplementary information provided on the efficiency savings achieved in the period 1994-2000, as requested by the Programme and Finance Committees.
54. The Council noted that the resource projections in the Plan reflected the Secretariat's opinion of what was needed for satisfactory implementation of the programme and were indicative and non-binding in nature. Many Members expressed their support for the indicated resource levels for FAO at the present juncture, while others expressed their concerns over the scenario based on budget increases and suggested that other scenarios be prepared, including one based upon a ZNG level. The Secretariat stated that the Director-General felt that, given the outcome of the World Food Summit and the approval of the Strategic Framework by the Conference in November 1999, he was not mandated to present proposals which did not meet the needs of those decisions. The Council stressed that priority activities should not be dependent on extrabudgetary resources.
55. The Council reiterated that firm commitments on budget levels could only emerge, as usual, from the examination and discussion of Programme of Work and Budget proposals. In this context, some Members requested that a number of scenarios be prepared for the next PWB, including ZNG. In the framing of PWB proposals, the Council also reiterated the continued importance of ensuring an adequate balance between normative and operational activities. Some Members requested that the MTP allocation for TCP be retained in all scenarios to be developed for the PWB.
56. In conclusion, the Council invited the Secretariat to proceed with the preparation of PWB proposals for the next biennium, taking as a starting point the substantive content of the Medium Term Plan, while bearing in mind comments made by the Programme and Finance Committees, the results of the review of respective sections of interest to its Technical Committees, and its own reactions, as summarized above.
57. The Council considered options for the proposed reform of the General Debate at the Conference and a number of Members expressed general support for modifying the traditional format, which focused on the State of Food and Agriculture, by dedicating half a day early in the Conference to a thematic Ministerial Round Table Discussion. Some Members preferred to retain the existing format. Other Members wished to see both the modified format, as well as ministerial statements. As no agreement was reached on the issue, the Council called upon the Secretariat to provide additional information on the Round Table option, including organizational implications and suggestions for themes that could be chosen in advance of the Conference, to be presented to the June 2001 Session of the Council, through the Joint Meetings of the Programme and Finance Committees in May 2001.
58. It was noted that, should the 2001 Session of the Conference be used as a forum for the World Food Summit: five years later, ad-hoc arrangements would need to be made.
59. The Council took note of the conclusions reached at the Joint Meeting of the Programme and Finance Committees held in September 2000 on the Director-General's proposals to enhance FAO's presence at country level through the outposting of Senior Technical Officers. As the proposals received broad support during the debate, the Council agreed that they be implemented with caution, paying due attention to the recommendations and suggestions made by the Joint Meeting in September 2000. Some Members expressed concern regarding the risk of additional costs, whereas others were disturbed by the potential inequity inherent in this arrangement, and asked that the full cost be included in the PWB 2002-2003.
60. As mandated by Conference Resolution 3/99, the Council examined a list of proposals prepared by the Secretariat for the use of arrears, in conformity with the criteria established in the same Resolution. As also stipulated in the Resolution, the Council welcomed the prior scrutiny of these proposals by the Committees and their related advice.
61. The Council recognized that there were continued uncertainties on the exact timing and amounts of arrears payments to permit funding of the proposed items, either in their totality or partiality. Accordingly, the Council agreed that it did not have to take a firm decision at this session, whereas it would be in a better position to do so at a future session, when the situation would become clearer.
62. Nevertheless, should the arrears payments materialize, the Council considered that the proposed list embodied a reasonable package, subject to the observations of the Committees and Council that attention should be accorded to additional technical support to countries for strengthening national sanitary and phytosanitary systems, the development of a plant biotechnology network in Asia, and the provision of additional technical assistance to the implementation of Codex standards. It also concurred with the priority to be given to the full implementation of the Organization's corporate administrative systems, as recommended by the Director-General.
63. The Council noted that the Committees had addressed, at both sessions, the significant problems experienced in connection with FAO's new financial systems and procedures. A major problem being experienced was the shortfall in resources which had inhibited orderly implementation in the current biennium, and which had been addressed in more detail by the Finance Committee in line with its terms of reference. Barring any extrabudgetary support, which had not yet been forthcoming despite renewed calls to potential donors, and recourse to arrears which was in no way guaranteed, this shortfall would imply a need for redeployment of resources from other areas within the approved budget. It was recognized that this would include transfers from Chapter 2 of the PWB, although the Council urged that this Chapter be protected as much as possible.
64. The Council underlined the crucial importance for the Organization of having fully-functioning and reliable systems to pursue its operations, especially at the current juncture of further substantial organizational change. While sharing the reluctance to redeploy resources from other areas, it therefore urged maximum efforts to bring current and planned enhancements to fruitful completion.
65. The Council recognized that, besides its in-depth examination of the Medium Term Plan and Programme Implementation Report documents, the Programme Committee had continued to carry out its traditional review of programmes in non-Conference years - covering this year activities under PWB Chapter 3, Cooperation and Partnerships, and Major Programme 2.1, Agricultural Production and Support Systems. In addition, the Committee had considered a number of evaluation reports as the prime recipient of such reports according to revised arrangements approved by FAO Governing Bodies.
66. The Council noted with appreciation the detailed observations stemming from this work.
67. The Council considered the financial position of the Organization at 22 November 2000, which compared reasonably with that of recent years at the same date. Sixty-five Member Nations had paid their current assessments in full, a further 29 Members had made partial payment, but 86 had made no payment towards their 2000 assessment. The Council expressed concern over the high level of arrears outstanding, and noted that 47 Member Nations owed arrears in such amounts as would cause them to lose their Right to Vote in accordance with Article III.4 of the Constitution. While appreciating the often-difficult financial situations of some Member Nations, emphasis was nonetheless placed on the importance of all Member Nations, irrespective of size, honouring their financial obligations towards the Organization. All Member Nations were, therefore, urged to pay their contributions in full in order to enable the Organization to continue to fulfill its mandate.
68. The Council reviewed the Director-General's Thirty-third Annual Report of Budgetary Performance to Member Nations providing data on the overall Regular Programme budgetary out-turn for 1998-99 and on the status of reserves and fund balances of the General Fund.
69. The Council was satisfied that the Director-General had managed the Regular Programme Appropriations in accordance with the Financial Regulations, and that the effective budgetary transfers required were within the limits previously approved by the Finance Committee at its Session in September 1999.
70. The Council took note of the considerable discussion on this topic at the Ninety-fourth and Ninety-fifth Sessions of the Finance Committee in May and September 2000, respectively. It endorsed the proposed policy on reimbursement rates as summarized in Annex II of the Report of the Ninety-fifth Session of the Finance Committee.
71. The Council approved an amendment to Staff Regulation 301.0344 that would permit the introduction of a more flexible administration of the Education Grant travel entitlement (similar to that adopted by other UN Organizations and Agencies). This change would allow one or both parents to visit the child at the place of study or elsewhere, or the staff member's child to continue to travel to the duty station country or to another third country in order to visit a parent, provided that, as at present, the amount paid by the Organization did not exceed the cost of an outward and return journey between the staff member's home country and the duty station.
72. The Council appreciated the preliminary discussions between the Secretariat and the Finance Committee on this matter, and noted that the Finance Committee would provide its recommendations to the next Session of the Council in June 2001.
Proposal for a Special Session of the Finance Committee in January 2001
73. The Council noted that the possibility of convening a Special Session of the Finance Committee was suggested in the Report of its Ninety-fifth Session24, as follows: "It was suggested that, given the extensive agenda already foreseen for that Session, it might be preferable to hold an additional short meeting in January 2001 in order to reduce the workload of the May Session."
74. The Council had before it a report from the Director-General on the administrative and financial implications of the proposal.
75. Following a lengthy and detailed discussion, the Council agreed that, rather than convene an extra Session, it would be acceptable to extend the Session already foreseen for May 2001, provided that any additional costs resulting from such a Session were kept to a minimum. The length of the extension and content of the agenda were to be determined by the Director-General in consultation with the Chairperson of the Finance Committee.
76. The Council considered and adopted the Report of the Seventy-first Session of the CCLM.
Revised Note on the Methods of Work of the Council
77. The Council adopted the Revised Note on the Methods of Work of the Council attached to this Report as Appendix D.
Agreement for the Establishment of a Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in the Western Region under Article XIV of the FAO Constitution
78. The Council adopted the following Resolution:
Resolution 1/119
Agreement for the Establishment of a Commission for Controlling
the Desert Locust in the Western Region
THE COUNCIL,
Recalling that a draft Agreement for the Establishment of a Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in the Western Region under Article XIV of the FAO Constitution was submitted to a legal and technical consultation, convened in accordance with Article XIV.3(a) of the FAO Constitution, which met in Rabat from 12 to 14 April 2000;
Noting that the Ministerial Meeting on the Restructuring of the Responsible Organizations for Controlling the Desert Locust in Western and North-West Africa, held in Rome on 15 November 1999, confirmed that a new organization, common to North-West Africa and Western Africa should be established under Article XIV of the FAO Constitution;
Taking note that the draft agreement was further considered by the Committee on Constitutional and Legal Matters at its Seventy-first Session held in October 2000;
Having examined the text of the draft Agreement for the Establishment of a Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in the Western Region as submitted to the Council by the Committee on Constitutional and Legal Matters;
Approves, in accordance with Article XIV-2(a) of the Constitution of FAO, the text of the Agreement for the Establishment of a Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in the Western Region reproduced as Appendix E to this Report for submission to Members concerned with a view to their acceptance.
(Adopted on 22 November 2000)
79. In accordance with paragraphs B-1 and B-2 of the "Statement of Principles relating to the Granting of Observer Status to Nations"27, the Council agreed that the Russian Federation attend as an observer the Hundred and Nineteenth Session of the FAO Council.
80. The Council was also informed that since its Hundred and Eighteenth Session (Rome, 24 November 1999), the Director-General, on so being requested, had extended an invitation to the Russian Federation to attend as an observer the EMPRES-Livestock Programme Technical Consultation on Verification of Rinderpest Freedom (Rome, 29-30 May 2000) and the Technical Consultation on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (Rome, 2-6 October 2000).
81. The Council was informed of the application for membership received from the Government of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
82. Pending a decision by the Conference on this application and pursuant to Rule XXV.11 of the General Rules of the Organization and paragraphs B-1, B-2 and B-5 of the "Statement of Principles relating to the Granting of Observer Status to Nations", the Council authorized the Director-General to invite the applicant country to participate, in an observer capacity, in Council sessions, as well as in regional and technical meetings of the Organization of interest to it.
83. The Council approved the Calendar for 2001, as reproduced in Appendix F to this Report, while noting that the dates for 2002 were indicative. The Calendar of FAO Governing Bodies and Other Main Sessions for 2002 would be approved by the Hundred and Twenty-second Session of the Council in November 2001 on the basis of a Provisional Calendar 2002-2003 to be examined at that Session.
84. In accordance with Staff Regulation 301.111, the Council appointed H.E. Francis Montanaro Mifsud, Ambassador and Representative of the Republic of Malta to FAO, as Chairperson, H.E. Doctor D. Julio Cesar Lupinacci, Ambassador of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay to the Holy See and Permanent Representative to FAO, as first Alternate Chairperson and Mr Denis Cangy, Consul of Mauritius in Rome, as second Alternate Chairperson of the Appeals Committee.
85. Several Members made statements on the Summaries of the Main Recommendations of the 2000 Regional Conferences, which were communicated to Council only for information. These statements were reproduced in full in the Verbatim Records.
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1 CL 119/1; CL 119/INF/1-Rev.1; CL 119/INF/6; CL 119/PV/1; CL 119/PV/9.
2 CL 119/INF/9; CL 119/PV/1; CL 119/PV/9.
3 CL 119/2; CL 119/PV/1; CL 119/PV/2; CL 119/PV/9.
4 CL 119/14; CL 119/LIM/3; CL 119/PV/3; CL 119/PV/4; CL 119/PV/9.
6 CL 119/7; CL 119/7-Sup. 1; CL 119/PV/2; CL 119/PV/9.
7 CL 119/3; CL 119/PV/7; CL 119/PV/9.
8 CL 119/4; CL 119/4-Corr.1; CL 119/4-Sup.1; CL 119/PV/7; CL 119/PV/9.
9 C 2001/8; C 2001/8-Corr.1-Rev.1; CL 119/PV/4; CL 119/PV/9.
10 CL 119/17; CL 119/17 Corr.1; CL 119/INF/12; CL 119/PV/4; CL 119/PV/9.
11 CL 119/8; CL 119/9; CL 119/PV/5; CL 119/PV/9.
12 CL 119/8 paras. 14&15; CL 119/9 paras. 39&40; CL 119/15; CL 119/PV/5; CL 119/PV/9
13 CL 119/8 paras. 11 to 13; CL 119/9 paras. 20 to 28; CL 119/PV/5; CL 119/PV/9.
14 CL 119/19; CL 119/PV/5; CL 119/PV/9.
16 CL 119/10; CL 119/11; CL 119/PV/6; CL 119/PV/9.
17 CL 119/12; CL 119/13; CL 119/PV/6; CL 119/PV/9.
18 CL 119/LIM/1; CL 119/PV/6; CL 119/PV/9.
19 CL 119/13 paras. 4 to 8; CL 119/PV/6; CL 119/PV/9.
20 CL 119/12 paras. 6 to 15; CL 119/13 paras. 20 to 22; CL 119/PV/6; CL 119/PV/9.
21 CL 119/12 para. 36; CL 119/LIM/5; CL 119/PV/6; CL 119/PV/9.
22 CL 119/13 paras. 30 to 33; CL 119/PV/6; CL 119/PV/9.
23 CL 119/PV/6; CL 119/PV/7; CL 119/PV/9.
25 CL 119/5; CL 119/PV/6; CL 119/PV/9.
26 CL 119/LIM/2; CL 119/PV/1; CL 119/PV/9.
27 See FAO Basic Texts, Volume II, Section L (Appendix).
28 CL 119/16; CL 119/PV/7; CL 119/PV/9.
29 CL 119/LIM/4; CL 119/PV/8; CL 119/PV/9.
1. Adoption of the Agenda and Timetable
2. Election of three Vice-Chairpersons, and Designation of the Chairperson and Members of the Drafting Committee
3. State of Food and Agriculture 2000
4. Report of the Twenty-sixth Session of the Committee on World Food Security (Rome, September 2000)
5. Negotiations for the Revision of the International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources, in Harmony with the Convention on Biological Diversity
6. World Food Programme
6.1 Annual Report of the WFP Executive Board on its Activities in 1999
6.2 Election of Six Members to the WFP Executive Board
7. Programme Implementation Report 1998-99
8. Medium Term Plan 2002-2007
9. Reports of the Joint Meetings of the Programme Committee and the Finance Committee (May 2000 and September 2000)
9.1 Savings and Efficiencies in Governance
9.2 FAO Presence at the Country Level
9.3 Proposals for the Use of Arrears
9.4 Other Matters Arising out of the Reports
10. Reports of the Eighty-third (Rome, May 2000) and Eighty-fourth (Rome, September 2000) Sessions of the Programme Committee
11. Reports of the Ninety-fourth (Rome, May 2000), and Ninety-fifth (Rome, September 2000) Sessions of the Finance Committee
11.1 Status of Contributions 2000
11.2 Budgetary Performance 1998-99
11.3 Support Costs
11.4 Change in Staff Regulation 301.0344 - Flexible Use of Education Grant Travel
11.5 Proposal for Split Assessments as a Means to Protect the Programme of Work and Budget from Currency Fluctuations.
11.6 Other Matters Arising out of the Reports
12. Report of the Seventy-first (October 2000) Session of the Committee on Constitutional and Legal Matters
13. Other Constitutional and Legal Matters, including:
13.1 Invitations to Non-Member Nations to Attend FAO Sessions
13.2 Applications for Membership in the Organization
14. Calendar of FAO Governing Bodies and other Main Sessions 2001-2002
15. Any Other Matters
15.1 Appointment of the Chairperson and the First and Second Alternate Chairpersons of the Appeals Committee
APPENDIX BLIST OF DELEGATES AND OBSERVERS |
This Appendix is available in PDF format
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