FC 107/1-Add.1 |
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FC 107/1-Add.1 |
Hundred and seventh Session |
Rome, May 2004 |
Provisional Annotated Agenda |
| 1. | Adoption of Provisional Agenda and Timetable (docs. FC 107/1, FC 107/1 Add.1, FC 107/INF/1) |
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for decision |
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In accordance with the Committee’s internal working procedures, the Provisional Timetable provides to the extent possible for discussion at the beginning of the meeting of those items on which the Committee is required to make decisions or recommendations to the Council. | |
FINANCIAL AND BUDGET REPORTS | |
| 2. | Annual Report on Budgetary Performance and Programme and Budgetary Transfers (doc. FC 107/2) |
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for discussion |
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In accordance with Financial Regulation 4.6(b) the Committee will receive, for its review, the Report on Budgetary Performance for 2002-2003, including the details of the final budgetary transfers between Chapters. Any comments the Committee may wish to make will be submitted to the Council at its forthcoming session. The Annual Report will be appended to the Report of the Committee. | |
| 3. | Financial Highlights and Status of Current Assessments and Arrears (doc. FC 107/3) |
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for discussion |
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The Financial Highlights Report is designed to show, at a summary level, the financial situation of the Organization. In terms of the structure of the report, there are three groupings of data: income and expenditure by source of funds, the plan (budget) for particular sources of funds and balances for the comparative period in the previous biennium. Also included is the report on “Collection of Current Assessments and Arrears,” which presents the status of member nation contributions to the Regular Programme as at 29 February 2004. | |
| 4. | Report on Support Costs Expenditure and Related Income Recoveries (doc. FC 107/4) |
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for information |
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Following the endorsement of the new support cost reimbursement policy by the Council in November 2000 and the approval of reporting arrangements by the Finance Committee, this paper provides the required annual report and informs the Committee on the implementation of the new policy. | |
| 5. | Report on Investments 2003 (doc. FC 107/5) |
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for information |
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In accordance with Financial Regulation 9.2 and General Rule XXVII 7(i), the Committee will receive for its information a report on investments currently held in respect of the various funds of the Organization. | |
OVERSIGHT MATTERS | |
| 6. | 2003 Annual Activity Report of the Office of the Inspector-General (doc. FC 107/6) |
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for information |
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In accordance with the practice established at the 87th Session, this report is provided to the members of the Finance Committee for their review. | |
| 7. | Oversight Framework on the Use of Extra-Budgetary Funds (doc. PC 91/INF/3 - FC 107/7) |
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for discussion |
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The Committee recalled that in the absence of a policy framework agreed by the Governing Bodies on the use of extra-budgetary funds, some member states had expressed concern about the scope of activities carried out with such resources. Accordingly, the Committee requested that a paper be prepared for the May 2004 session on an oversight framework for the use of extra-budgetary funds. It was noted that this paper should also be submitted to the Programme Committee. | |
| 8. | Progress Report on Implementation of the External Auditor’s Recommendations (doc. FC 107/8) |
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for information |
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As requested by the Committee, a report will be provided on actions taken in respect of recommendations made by the External Auditor in his report on the 2001-2002 accounts, as well as on a number of recommendations brought forward from previous biennia. | |
| 9. | Programme of Work of the External Auditor 2004-2005 (doc. FC 107/9) |
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for discussion |
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Further to previous discussion of this matter, the document will provide the rationale for the External Auditor’s proposal to undertake VFM audits on three topics, Treasury Operations, selected areas of Human Resource Management and Oracle-based information management and will seek the suggestions of the Finance Committee on this matter. | |
| 10. | Separate VFM Reports from the External Auditor (doc. FC 107/10) |
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for discussion |
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At its 104th session, the Committee decided that the matter of separate VFM reporting should be considered again at its session in May 2004 and requested that Legal Counsel further investigate alternative solutions, in the light of the introduction of similar separate reporting in WFP, the interim reporting system in WHO and relevant experience of other UN agencies. | |
| 11. | Limitation on the Term of Office of the External Auditor (doc. FC 107/11) |
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for discussion |
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Further to the Committee’s request, a document will be provided on the considerations involved in the possible introduction of a limitation on the term of office of the External Auditor. | |
FINANCIAL POLICY MATTERS | |
| 12. | Status Report on HLCM Working Group on Accounting Standards (doc. FC 107/12) |
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for discussion |
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The Committee has previously noted the increasing adoption of public sector and/or international accounting standards by public sector organizations and recommended that the secretariat review the implications that such adoption would have on the preparation and presentation of the financial statements of the Organization. The Committee will be provided with an update on the UN Working Group on Accounting Standards, which has reviewed of the most recent international accounting standards and exposure drafts and their application within the UN. | |
| 13. | FAO’s Medical Insurance Schemes (doc. FC 107/13) |
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for discussion |
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At its 104th session, the Finance Committee raised several questions about the FAO Medical Insurance Plans: (a) comparability with other UN agencies of benefits and cost-sharing arrangements, (b) competitiveness and reasonableness of the provided benefits, and (c) performance of the Medical Plans Administrator. The secretariat indicated that a report that FAO had commissioned in 2000 contained information to help answer these questions. The document provides a summary of the information in that report pertaining to the issues raised by the Committee. | |
BUDGETARY MATTERS | |
| 14. | Adjustments to the Programme of Work and Budget 2004-2005 (doc. PC 91/3 – FC 107/14 – JM 04.1/2) |
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for discussion |
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In accordance with Conference Resolution 7/2003, the Committee will receive for its review, the adjustments to the Programme of Work and Budget 2004-2005. The Committee will be asked to recommend the proposals of the Director-General for approval by the Joint Meeting of the Programme and Finance Committees. | |
| 15. | Report on the Use of Arrears (doc. FC 107/15) |
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for information |
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In late 2002, the Organization received from the major contributor a payment of arrears in the amount of US$100 million. The use of these funds was stipulated in Conference Resolution 6/2001. The Finance Committee received, at its 104th session in September 2003, an oral summary on the use of arrears and asked that additional information be provided at the May 2004 session. This report has been prepared in response to the request of the Committee. | |
HUMAN RESOURCES MATTERS | |
| 16. | Action Plan on Recruitment from Under-represented Countries (doc. FC 107/16) |
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for discussion |
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At its Hundred and Twenty-fifth session, the Council considered the formula used in FAO for the determination of equitable geographic distribution. The Council also noted the need to take further concrete measures to redress the under-representation of certain member nations, irrespective of the methodology adopted and requested the secretariat to report to the Finance Committee on this matter at its next session. The present document is submitted in response to that request. | |
| 17. | Statistics on Human Resources (doc. FC 107/17) |
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for information |
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In line with normal practice, the Committee will be provided with its annual report on the number of established posts and other personnel services as at 31 December 2003. | |
| 18. | Decisions of the General Assembly on ICSC and UN Joint Staff Pension Board (including Changes in Salary Scales and Allowances) (doc. FC 107/18) |
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for information |
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In accordance with standard practice, the Committee will be informed of any developments which took place at the General Assembly and the UN Joint Staff Pension Board which are of interest to the Organization, as well as an updated report on changes in salary scales and allowances. | |
ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS | |
| 19. | Progress Report on Administrative Information Systems (doc. FC 107/19) |
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for information |
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In response to its request for regular progress reports, the Committee will be provided with updated information on the status of the Oracle Project. | |
WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME | |
| 20. | Audited Biennial Accounts 2002-2003 (including Audit Opinion and the Long-form Report (doc. FC 107/20) |
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for discussion |
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The Audited Biennial Accounts are submitted through the Finance Committee to the WFP Executive Board in accordance with General Regulation XIV.6 (b) and Financial Regulation 13.1. Also included are the Opinion of the External Auditor on the Audited Financial Statements, which includes notes, in respect of the WFP Fund, including its funds and accounts and the Long-Form Report of the External Audito, providing detailed information on the outcome of their audit work during the biennium, covering both financial and management matters. | |
| 21. | Consolidated Financial Report (doc. FC 107/21) |
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for discussion |
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The Consolidated Financial Report provides financial information on the utilisation of resources and waivers, cash and investment management and the budgetary performance for 2002-2003. | |
OTHER MATTERS | |
| 22. | Working Methods of the Finance Committee |
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for discussion |
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In accordance with the standard practice of the Committee, members will be given an opportunity to comment on the functioning of the session and to make suggestions for future improvements. | |
| 23. | Date and Place of the Hundred and eighth Session |
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for information |
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The Committee will be informed of arrangements for its next session. | |
| 24. | Any Other Matters |
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for information |
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| a) Possible New Format for the Programme Implementation Report (PC 91/8 – FC 107/24a) ) | |
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for information |
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This document is being formally considered by the Programme Committee which had requested it. However, it is provided for the information of the Finance Committee as it includes information on two areas of interest to it. Reporting for SACOIs and Non-technical Programmes, and Extensions to financial analysis to address cost efficiencies. Members of the Finance Committee may wish to comment on the proposals. | |