Report of the Committee on Commodity Problems
(Fifty-second Session, Rome, 15—19 October 1979)
Approved the Report of the Fifty-second Session of the Committee on Commodity Problems (para. 10).
Urged all countries and particularly developed countries, to resist protectionist pressures and to move wherever possible towards progressive reduction and elimination of tariff and non-tariff barriers to the entry of agricultural products, particularly those of interest to developing countries (para. 11).
Agreed that FAO should analyse the effects of the Multilateral Trade Negotiations on agricultural trade and of developments in protectionism affecting individual agricultural commodities, bearing in mind the need to complement and not duplicate the work in other international organizations, particularly UNCTAD and GATT (para. 11).
Agreed to recommend to the Conference for consideration and decision the draft resolution on Commodity Trade, Protectionism and Agricultural Adjustment (para. 16).
Report of the Committee on Fisheries
(Thirteenth Session, Rome, 8—12 October 1979)
Expressed unanimous support for the Comprehensive Programme of Assistance in the Development and Management of Fisheries in Economic Zones, and endorsed the recommendations of the Committee on Fisheries regarding the Programme, in particular the proposals to decentralise the delivery of the Programme through a network of technical support units associated with a strengthened and re-orientated framework of FAO regional fishery bodies (paras. 18 and 19).
Endorsed the three central objectives of the Programme set out in para. 21.
Approved the efforts being made by FAO to mobilise financial and other forms of assistance for the Programme and requested potential donors to provide the maximum support possible for fisheries development and management (para. 23).
Concurred with the Committee on Fisheries in attaching importance to the need for all regional tuna bodies to address the growing problems and opportunities resulting from extension of fisheries jurisdiction by coastal states (para. 25)
Agreed with the Committee on Fisheries in supporting the priorities and general thrust of the programme of work of FAO in fisheries in 1980—81 (para. 26).
Recent Developments in the United Nations
System of Interest to FAO
Decided to postpone further discussion of arrangements for the follow-up of the United Nations Conference on Science and Technology for Development and its Plan of Action until the forthcoming Conference (para. 27).
UN Joint Inspection Unit (JIU)
– Regional Training Programme in African Wildlife Management
Supported the views of the Programme Committee on this JIU report (para. 28).
– Inter—Organization Board for Information Systems (lOB)
Endorsed the views of the Programme and Finance Committees on this JIU report (para. 29).
– Use of Consultants and Experts in FAO
Endorsed the comments of the Director-General and the Programme and Finance Committees on this JIU report and agreed that there should continue to be an increased use of consultants; that there should be flexibility in the use and payment of consultants; that continued attention should be given to better balance in recruitment of consultants from developing countries and also between consultants and national institutions from developed and developing countries; that the balance should reflect not only levels of development of the countries but also of the regions; that the different professional fields should be taken into account; and that men and women of equal qualifications should be recruited without discrimination (para. 30).
– Evaluation of the Services of the JIU to FAO
Endorsed the comments of the Director-General and the Programme and Finance Committees on the evaluation of the services of the JIU to FAO (para. 34).
Programme of Work and Budget 1980—81
Supported the views expressed in the joint and separate Reports of the Programme and Finance Committees (pare. 35).
Confirmed the views of the two Committees that the full Programme of Work and Budget followed the lines endorsed by the Council in the discussion at its Seventy-fifth Session (para. 36).
Confirmed the validity of the strategies, priofities, and programmes proposed by the Director-General, on which there was full consensus (para. 36).
Endorsed , on the basis of the discussion at its Seventy-sixth Session, the Director-General’s proposals in their entirety and recommended them to the Conference for adoption (para. 39).
Review of the Regular Programme, 1978—79
Supported the views expressed by the Programme and Finance Committees on the first issue, covering the 1978—79 biennium, of the Review of the Regular Programme (para. 40).
Agreed that in future it might be desirable to select, for in—depth examination, special topics which cut across programme lines (para. 43).
Review of Field_Programmes
Agreed that the Review of Field Programmes, 1.978—79, had taken full account of the recommendations of the Nineteenth Session of the.FAO Conference, particularly in regard to the inclusion of charts and summary tables in the text and the choice of special subjects (pare. 46).
Expressed_concern about the falling share of technical cooperation activities in the total allocations for official development assistance to agriculture and was_equally concerned with the stagnation in real terms in FAO’s extra- budgetary resources and its diminishing share as an executing agency in total UNDP allocations (para. 47).
Expressed the conviction that the Director-General would go on taking appropriate steps to ensure that the improvements in quality of field programmes executed by FAO continued (para. 49).
Prevention of Food Losses — Operation of the Special Account
Welcomed the pledges made to the PFL Programme under Trust Fund arrangements, but stressed the importance of reaching the target of $20 million in voluntary contributions to the Special Account by the end of 1979, and the- same amount for future biennia as recommended by the Nineteenth Session of the FAO Conference and the Second Session of the Committee of the Whole of the UN General Assembly (para. 56).
Other Programme, Budgetary, Financial and Administrative Matters arising out of the Thirty—seventh Session of the-Programme. Committee and the Forty—fourth Session of the Finance Committee
– Overlapping in Major Conference Documents
Agreed the subject of overlapping in major Conference documents should be reviewed in detail by the Programme and Finance- Committees which should make recommendations to the Council at its session in November 1980 (para. 59).
– Status and Replenishment of the Special Reserve Account
Endorsed the Director—General’s proposal that the funds required to raise the Special Reserve Account to the level of 2.5 percent of the 1980—81 Budget be obtained from the expected cash surplus in the 1978-79.biennium (para. 63).
Recommended the draft resolution on Replenishment of- the Special Reserve Account for adoption by the Conference (para. 63).
– Status and Replenishment of the Working Capital Fund
Agreed that as the countries affected-were all included in the category of Least Developed Countries it would be unrealistic to expect reimbursement from these countries of assistance provided for control of the desert locust in the Red Sea area (para. 65).
Proposed , noting that a cash surplus was expected in the 1978—79 biennium, that the reimbursement to the Working Capital Fund be made from this cash surplus (para. 66).
Recommended the draft resolution on Reimbursement or Working Capital Fund from Cash Surplus 1978—79 for adoption by the Conference (para. 66).
– Audited Accounts
(i) United Nations Development Programme 1978
Endorsed the External Auditor’s recommendations (para. 68).
(iii) Submission-of Audited Accounts- to the Cànference
Recommended the draft resolution on Audited Accounts of adoption by the Conference (para. 70).
(iv) Regular Programme — Interim Accounts 1978
Endorsed the recommendations of the External Auditor contained in his report (para. 71).
– Actuarial Review of the Staff Compensation Plan
Agreed that the funding position. of the Compensation Plan should be brought into balance and accordingly endorsed the recommendations of the Finance Committee set out in para. 73.
– Scale of Contributions 1980—81
Proposed that the Conference adopt for 1980—81 thè Scale of Contributions given in Appendix D to this Report, which was derived directly from the United Nations Scale of Assessments for 1980—82 as approved by General Assembly Resolution 34/6A of 25 October 1979, subject to any adjustments resulting from the admission of new Member Nations at the Twentieth Session of the Conference (para. 74).
Recommended the draft resolution on the Scale of Contributions 1980—81 for adoption by the Conference (para. 75).
– Status of Contributions
(iv) Timely Payment of Contributions
Suggested to the Conference that it make a special appeal to those Member Nations with outstanding arrears and/or current assessment to liquidate their obligations as soon as possible, and to all Member Nations to arrange for early payment of assessments in 1980 and 1981 (para. 82).
(v) Authority to Barrow
Was pleased to note that the Director—General would not need, to avail himself of the authority to, borrow as authorized by Resolution 3/75 adopted at the Seventy—fifth Session of the Council (para. 83).
– Headquarters Accommodation
Agreed on the need for the Director—General to pursue his efforts to find a solution to the problems connected with Headquarters accommodation (para. 85).
Report of the Thirty—eighth Session of the CCLM
– Amendments to Rule XXXII of the General Rules of the Organization Recommended the draft resolution on Amendments to Rule XXXII of the General Rules of the Organization to make Explicit Reference to Nutrition in the Terms of Reference to the Committee on Agriculture for adoption by the Conference (para. 90).
Approved the amendments to the Agreement for the Establishment of a Regional Animal Production and Health Commission for Asia, the Far east and the South—West Pacific as recommended by the CCLM, and adopted Resolution 1/76 (para. 92).
Other Constitutional and Legal Questions
– Invitations to Non—Member Nations to attend FAO Sessions
Agreed to the requests of the Solomon Islands and Tonga to attend in an observer capacity the FAO Technical Working Party on Coconut Production, Protection and Processing, which will take place in Manila, Philippines from 3 to 8 December 1979 (para. 93).
Date and Place of the Seventy—seventh Session of the Council
Decided that its Seventy—seventh Session would be convened on the afternoon of Thursday 29 November and the morning of Friday 30 November in the eventuality that the Conference should finish its work during the morning of 29 November. Should the Conference however not end until the afternoon, the Council would then convene on 30 November (para. 101).
