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IX. Appendix II

A. Recommendations by the general committee
B. Statement concerning the soviet delegation

Recommendations by the General Committee Statement Concerning the Soviet Delegation

A. Recommendations by the general committee

Working and official languages
Financial arrangements at the first session
Terms of appointment of the director-general
Declaration

THE following recommendations are contained in reports to the Conference by the General Committee and are not included in the reports of Commissions A and B.

Working and official languages

In plenary meeting the Conference passed a motion to submit to the General Committee, for its recommendation, a proposal from the Member from France supported by the Member from Belgium regarding the use of official and working languages by the Conference. After deliberation, the General Committee submitted to the Conference a report embodying the following resolution and addenda:

"Whereas Article XXIII of the Constitution of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations provides that 'Pending the adoption by the Conference of any rules regarding languages, the business of the Conference shall be transacted in English,' and

"It is now appropriate to adopt rules regarding the use of languages,

"The Conference RESOLVES

"That the rules of the Food and Agriculture Organization governing the use of languages in its proceedings and documentation shall be those to be adopted by the United Nations organization.

"In submitting this recommendation to the Conference, the General Committee wishes to add:

"(a) that in its view the procedure recommended would be operative immediately on the adoption of rules regarding languages by the United Nations organization' and

"(b) that it may be necessary for FAO to work out suitable procedures for the translation of technical material if this is not adequately provided for by the rules of the United Nations organization."

Later, the General Committee submitted the following report embodying a further resolution concerning languages for consideration by the Conference:

"At the Fifth Plenary Meeting of this Session the Conference adopted a resolution proposed by the General Committee which prescribed that the use of languages by the Food and Agriculture Organization be in accordance with the rules adopted by the United Nations organization.

"Subsequently a member of the Committee reopened this question proposing that a recommendation be made covering the period prior to the decision by the United Nations organization.

"The General Committee agrees that such a recommendations might suitably be made at this time, and accordingly submits the following resolution for consideration by the Conference:

"Whereas on October 18,1945, the Conference resolved that the rules of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations governing the use of languages should be those to be adopted by the United Nations organization, and

"Whereas it is appropriate to make a resolution for the interim period until the United Nations organization shall have adopted rules,

"The Conference RESOLVES

"That pending the adoption by the United Nations of rules regarding the use of languages, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations shall employ two languages, namely, English and French, in its proceedings and documentation, and shall adopt English, French, Spanish, Chinese, and Russian as its official languages.

"The General Committee wishes to point out that the First Session would have only one working language. This resolution provides for two working and five official languages to be used by FAO from the close of the First Session. The procedure recommended was used at San Francisco. The Executive Committee of the Preparatory Commission in London is in practice using two working languages and the General Assembly, at its first meeting, will undoubtedly take action on the working languages and official languages. In accordance with the resolutions previously adopted, FAO will adopt the same procedure.

"It is the understanding of the General Committee that if this recommendation is adopted the Food and Agriculture Organization will have the responsibility of providing interpreters in the working languages for the official meetings of committees prior to the Second Session, should such interpreters be required. It is not expected that translations into the five languages will put an undue burden on the Organization in the first year since it is unlikely that any formal official documents will be issued by the Food and Agriculture Organization until the Conference meets again. It is understood that adoption of this resolution would not necessitate the translating of proceedings and documents of the First Session."

Financial arrangements at the first session

The Conference agreed to the following arrangements concerning the financial obligations of the Interim Commission:

1. That the staff of the Interim Commission Secretariat be given temporary appointments as employees of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations until December 31, 1945, with their services to be terminated on that date unless new appointments are made by the Director-General in accordance with such regulations as may be adopted.

2. That the Executive Secretary of the Interim Commission be appointed as Finance Officer during the First Session of the Conference, in so far as the accounts of the Interim Commission are concerned.

3. That in the payment of Interim Commission accounts, the counter-signers appointed by the Conference be those members of the Interim Commission Finance Committee who were authorized to countersign checks.

4. That an audit be made of the Conference accounts and the Canadian Government be asked to provide such an audit if possible.

The General Committee recommended, and the Conference approved, the following recommendations:

1. The first Director-General shall serve from the date of his appointment by this Session of the Conference until December 31, 1947, on which date his appointment shall be terminated. In recommending a determinate term of office for the. first appointee, the Committee wishes to make clear that it has no intention of establishing a precedent thereby. This recommendation is made because of exceptional circumstances. The Committee favors as the general rule indeterminate appointments and continuity of tenure for the office of Director-General.

2. The Director-General shall receive an annual salary of 18,000 United States dollars, and a representation allowance of 10,000 United States dollars. This salary and allowance may be adjusted to take account of any exemption from taxation accorded to the Director-General by way of diplomatic privilege or otherwise and any variation in his cost of living resulting from a change in the seat of the Organization.

3. If any question of interpretation or dispute arises on the terms of his contract an advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice shall be obtained by the usual procedure and adopted, or, alternatively, the matter shall be submitted for determination to such arbitral tribunal as the Conference shall appoint.

4. In the contract which will be drawn up and signed by the Director-General and by the Chairman of the Conference, as provided in the Temporary Rules, provisions for termination of the appointment will be included, as well as certain other routine provisions.

The General Committee discussed the procedure on the Declaration which was recommended by the Hot Springs Conference. The question before the First Session was to decide whether, in the light of subsequent developments, this Declaration should be submitted to governments or whether the Preamble of the Constitution of FAO, which is based on its text, serves the same purpose. At a meeting on October 30, the Chairman brought this question before the Conference. He explained that the Interim Commission had decided against submitting the Declaration to Governments, since the substance of the Declaration was already included in the Preamble of the Constitution. As the Constitution was accepted by governments, it was felt that the purpose of the Declaration had thereby been fulfilled. He explained that the General Committee had discussed this question and had agreed to recommend to the Conference that the purpose of the Declaration be deemed to be embodied in the Preamble of the Constitution.

The Conference approved the General Committee's recommendation.

B. Statement concerning the soviet delegation

AT the Eighth Plenary Meeting of the Conference the Chairman read the following statement:

"This morning I had a conversation with the Head of the Soviet Delegation. He assured me that his Government has the same objectives and sets for itself the same tasks as FAO; that it endorses the idea of international cooperation for the improvement of agricultural production and the bettering of the food situation of the United Nations.

"The Government of the U. S. S. R. feels, however, that the organizational forms of FAO still require study. It has also become necessary for the Soviet Union to consult those of its Republics which are large producers of agricultural products and agricultural raw materials.

"For these reasons the U. S. S. R. is abstaining from becoming a Member of FAO at this time, and its representatives will continue to attend the First Session of FAO only as observers.

"I know that I am speaking for every member of the Conference when I say that it is our earnest hope that the Government of the U. S. S. R. will soon be able to accept the Constitution of FAO, which is the first of the specialized organizations to be set up by the United Nations. The U. S. S. R., as an indispensable member of the United Nations and as one of the nations which has already ratified the UNO Charter, will be greatly interested and concerned in the work of FAO. We hope, therefore, that it will not be long before it expresses that interest by accepting all the rights and obligations of full membership in our Organization."

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