Reforms in the Organization

THE CONFERENCE,

Welcoming the initiative of the Director-General to submit to the Conference reform proposals regarding the programmes, structures and ways of work of the Organization,

Noting that the Director-General had emphasized that reforms were necessary and urgent, and that they should be implemented regardless of the budget level, and that he intended to seek extra-budgetary support to meet part of the transition costs,

Sharing the Director-General’s assessment of the need to enhance the Organization’s ability to fulfil its mandate through its normative and operational activities including through concrete contributions to the well-recognized challenges such as assisting Members and achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and assisting developing countries’ implementation of international agricultural and food standards,

Recognizing the need to respond to the renewed commitment to rural investment by all interested partners, and ever growing opportunities for harnessing knowledge for agriculture,

Taking into account the ongoing reform across the entire UN System, mindful of the necessarily dynamic nature of a process of adaptation to changing contexts and new demands,

Looking forward to the results of the Independent External Evaluation (lEE) of FAO as a guide to enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of the Organization; and stressing that the lEE and the reform proposals should be mutually supportive. Also looking forward to the implementation of the recommendations of the Independent Evaluation of Decentralization and the management response,

1. Requests the Committee of the Council to make available the findings of the lEE.

2. Expresses general support for the rationale and guiding principles underlying the Director-General’s reform proposals as a basis for further deliberation and implementation of the reform of the FAO.

3. Supports streamlining of administrative and financial processes aimed at achieving further efficiency gains and enhanced human resources policy and management; and authorizes the establishment of the Shared Services Centre.

4. Endorses the new chapter structure as reflected in general terms in document C 2005/3 Supp. 1 and its Addendum as a basis for further elaboration of the Programme of Work and Budget (PWB) 2006-07 at the programme entity level for consideration by the Programme and Finance Committees in May 2006.

5. Acknowledges the need for strengthened decentralization of the Organization, and requests that as a first step the Director-General’s proposals be implemented in one Region and one other Subregional office, It mandates the Council to decide on further implementation of the Director-General’s proposals as soon as possible and appropriate.

6. Authorizes the Director-General to start progressive implementation of his proposals on changes to the organizational structure of Headquarters, without an increase in the number of Departments, by implementing a first stage (see Annex), in addition to those reform proposals that fall under his own authority.

7. The Director-General will consult with Members and Governing Bodies regarding the possible need for an Extraordinary Session of the Council at the end of June - early July.



ANNEX

- integrate the country policy assistance function with the Economic and Social Department;

- integrate the Investment Centre with the Economic and Social Department;

- unite the various advocacy activities, including TeleFood, Goodwill Ambassadors, and the International Alliance Against Hunger under one single unit;

- strengthen the knowledge management and capacity-building aspects of the Organization’s technical and country assistance activities;

- integrate nutrition and consumer protection within the Agriculture Department, ensuring that emphasis on normative nutrition activities is maintained;

- integrate security functions.



(Adopted on 26 November 2005)