218. The Council was informed that Mr Frank Buchholz (United States of America), Member of the FAO Staff Pension Committee, appointed by the Twenty-seventh Session of the Conference in 1993 for a two-year term, from 1 January 1994 to 31 December 1995, had departed from Rome on reassignment.
219. The Council was also informed that Mr Assefa Yilala (Ethiopia), Alternate Member of the FAO Staff Pension Committee, appointed by the Twenty-seventh Session of the Conference for a three-year term, from 1 January 1995 to 31 December 1997, had been transferred from Rome to another assignment.
220. Under the authority delegated by the Eighth Session of the Conference, the Council decided that the unexpired term of the Member of the Committee, Mr Buchholz, should be completed by Mr John Eagan McAteer, Alternate Permanent Representative of the United States of America to FAO, and that Mr Gebrehiwot Redai, Alternate Permanent Representative of Ethiopia to FAO, should replace Mr Assefa Yilala in his three-year term of office as Alternate Member of the FAO Staff Pension Committee.
221. Recalling that FAO was founded in Quebec City on 16 October 1945, the Representative of the Government of Canada informed the Council of a range of activities to take place in Quebec in October 1995 in connection with FAO's Fiftieth Anniversary.
222. The Government of Canada, the Province of Quebec and the City of Quebec, in cooperation with FAO, were organizing an International Symposium, which would be held in Quebec city from 11 to 13 October 1995. Under the title "People at the heart of development: food security through know-how" the Symposium would examine three main themes: managing natural resources, managing markets, and managing know-how and technology. Up to 1 500 participants were expected to attend, representing governments, non-governmental organizations, the private sector and institutions of learning.
223. As a related and supporting event an exhibition would be organized from 11 to 14 October 1995 with the theme "Mastering know-how".
224. The Government of Canada would also host a Ministerial Meeting, to be convened by the Director-General, from 14 to 16 October 1995 in preparation for the proposed World Food Summit in early 1996. A Fiftieth Anniversary commemoration would be held on 16 October at the Château Frontenac, the site of the founding of FAO. As part of the Commemoration, the Ministerial Meeting would endorse the "Quebec Declaration", i.e. the Fiftieth Anniversary Declaration on Food and Agriculture.
225. The Representative of Canada drew the attention of the Council to the link that had been established between the Symposium and the Ministerial Meeting, whereby representatives from the non-governmental organizations and the private sector who had taken part in the Symposium would be invited by the Director-General to address the Ministerial Meeting. This was an innovative approach that was greatly appreciated by all concerned.
226. The Council warmly welcomed the report by the Representative of Canada and thanked the Government of Canada, the Province of Quebec and the City of Quebec for organizing such a comprehensive range of events to commemorate the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Organization. The Council urged all FAO members to ensure their full and active participation in these events.
227. A proposal was made by several members to include in the Provisional Agenda of the next session of the Council an item entitled "Review of the Structure of FAO's Governing and other Statutory Bodies". The Council took note of this proposal but nevertheless pointed out that in line with Rule XXV-7(a) of the General Rules of the Organization (GRO) the Director-General should, in consultation with the Independent Chairman, prepare the Provisional Agenda.
228. The Council expressed its appreciation of the groundwork carried out before the session and of the harmonious way in which its proceedings had been conducted. It noted the collective effort made by the Secretariat, interpreters, verbatim reporters, documents desk staff and messengers. It unanimously expressed its satisfaction with the work carried out by the Drafting Committee and with the wise guidance of the Independent Chairman of the Council.
229. The Council decided that its Hundred and Eighth Session should be convened in Rome from 5 to 16 June 1995.
1 CL 107/16; CL 107/PV/12; CL 107/PV/13.
2 CL 107/PV/13.
3 CL 107/3-Sup.l-Rev.l; CL 107/INF/16-Rev.l; CL 107/PV/12; CL 107/PV/13.
