5. The Secretariat presented its report on the financial situation for the previous biennium (1998/99), and the proposed budget for 2002/03 as is required by Rule XI.1 of the Commission's Rules of Procedure. A report on the budget and estimated expenditure of the current biennium was also provided. The Executive Committee noted that the proposed budget for 2002/03 envisaged a restructuring of the resources and that certain elements previously budgeted within the Codex programme would in future be included in the Regular Programme entities of FAO. It also noted the proposals that resources for the operations of the Secretariat in the coming biennium would be maintained at the same overall level as at present.
6. Several members of the Executive Committee drew attention to the proposed draft Medium-Term Plan and the Chairperson's Action Plan which, in their opinion, implied the need for additional resources if the activities identified were to be carried out. Some members noted that for the moment the cost implications of the proposals in the Medium Term Plan and the Chairperson's Action Plan (for example, annual meetings of the Commission) had not been quantified and proposed that this be done within a framework that would allow for effective monitoring and evaluation. It was noted, that the evaluation and monitoring process had certain resource implications.
7. The Executive Committee drew attention to the vulnerability of the current system due to the work-load and commitments of the permanent professional staff of the Secretariat. It commended the work and dedication of the Secretariat staff and also expressed its appreciation to those governments that had decided to support the Codex Secretariat directly through the FAO Associate Expert Programme and other means including support through the WHO Food Safety Programme. In this regard however, some members also drew attention to the fact that the Executive Committee at its previous session had called upon FAO and WHO to give serious consideration to increasing the number of permanent professional staff in the Secretariat (ALINORM 01/3, para. 16).
8. The Representatives of FAO and WHO stated that considerable increased resources had been planned in the area of food safety in the 2002/03 biennium, especially in the expert scientific support to the Codex programme. However, the Representative of WHO pointed out that the Members of WHO had not approved requests for budgetary increases in that Organization for many years. Therefore the increased resources in the food safety area represented a reallocation of funds from areas of lesser priority. She also pointed out that the Governing Bodies of WHO had expressly requested the Director-General of WHO to reduce staff levels, especially at Headquarters. As an alternative to increasing staff resources in the Secretariat, she proposed that consideration be given to exploring new methods of work that would make the best available use of currently available resources and minimize travel, staff and meeting costs.
9. The Executive Committee, recognizing that the opportunity existed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Codex, requested the Secretariat to prepare a detailed budget for its existing programmes and also to identify changes in resources that were implied in the Strategic Framework, the draft Medium-Term Plan and the Chairperson's Action Plan. This detailed budget, following review by the Executive Committee, should be transmitted to FAO and WHO for consideration in their budgetary processes for the future biennium. This budget, as may be modified in light of the budgeting process of the parent Organizations, should then be submitted to the Commission for its review.
10. The Executive Committee also invited the Secretariat to explore new methods to carry out the work of Codex that would make the best available use of currently available staff resources and that would deliver the Commission's approved programme.
11. It noted that the final responsibility in deciding the level of support to the Programme was with the Member Governments of FAO and WHO meeting in the respective Governing Bodies of the Organizations. In this regard, it was noted that the FAO Programme of Work and Budget for 2002/03 had not been finalized and that FAO Council, meeting from 18 to 23 June had recommended a strengthening of support to the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme independently of the increased support to FAO's scientific safety assessment activities that had already been identified.
