1.
Mr Achim Steiner, Administrator of the United Nations
Development Programme, delivered the 30th McDougall Memorial
Lecture.
2.
The Conference noted with appreciation the
participation of Heads of State and Government during its session.
3.
His Excellency Paolo Gentiloni, Prime Minister of
the Republic of Italy, addressed the Inaugural Ceremony.
4.
His Excellency Tommy Remengesau, President of the
Republic of Palau, addressed the Third Plenary Meeting of the Conference.
5.
A representative of the FAO Staff Bodies made a
statement to the Conference.
6.
The Conference observed one minute of silence in
memory of those staff members who had died since the Conference last met. The
names of the deceased staff members were read aloud and are contained in the
Verbatim Records of the Conference.
7.
The Council nominated and the Conference elected
The Honourable Emmanuel F. Piñol, Secretary for Agriculture of the Philippines,
as Chairperson of the 40th Session of
the Conference.
8.
The Council nominated and the Conference elected
the three Vice-Chairpersons of the Conference: Mr Hassan Abouyoub (Morocco); Mr
Thomas Duffy (United States of America); and Mr Noah Patrick Kouback
(Vanuatu).
9.
The Council recommended and the Conference elected
the:
Seven members of the
General Committee
|
Australia
|
San Marino
|
|
Egypt
|
Uganda
|
|
Malaysia
|
United States of America
|
|
Peru
|
|
Nine
members of the Credentials Committee
|
Austria
|
Jordan
|
|
Canada
|
New Zealand
|
|
Cuba
|
Nicaragua
|
|
Guinea
|
San Marino
|
|
Indonesia
|
|
10.
The Conference adopted its Agenda as amended. The Agenda is given in Appendix A
to this Report.
11.
The Conference adopted the arrangements
proposed by the 155th Session of Council and the timetable proposed
by the 156th Session of Council.
12.
The Conference concurred with the Council's
recommendations to establish two Commissions.
13.
In accordance with Rules VII and XXIV.5(b) of the
General Rules of the Organization (GRO), the 156th Session of
the Council nominated Mr Ahmad bin Nasser Al Bakri
(Oman) as Chairperson of Commission I and
Mr Johannes Petrus Hoogeveen (Netherlands) as Chairperson
of Commission II, which the Conference approved. On 19 June
2017, the Secretariat received a communication from the Embassy of the
Sultanate of Oman in Rome informing the Organization that Mr Hamoud Al
Hasni, Director-General of the Agriculture and Livestock Research Department,
Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries of Oman, would replace Mr Ahmad bin Nasser Al Bakri
as the nominee for the position of Chairperson of Commission I.
14.
The
Conference endorsed the
nomination of: Mr Hamoud Al Hasni (Oman) as Chairperson of Commission I and Mr
Johannes Petrus Hoogeveen (Netherlands) as Chairperson of Commission II.
15.
Mr Alexios Marios Lyberopoulos
(Greece) was elected Chairperson of the Drafting Committee for
Commission I with the following membership: Australia, Canada, China, Congo,
Ecuador, Kenya, Kuwait, Mexico, New Zealand, Sudan, Sweden and Thailand.
16.
Mr Khaled El-Taweel (Egypt) was elected
Chairperson of the Drafting Committee for Commission II with the
following membership: Afghanistan, Australia, Brazil, China, Cuba, Egypt,
Equatorial Guinea, Indonesia, Italy, Netherlands, Russian Federation and United
States of America.
17.
The Conference appointed the foregoing officers
and, taking into consideration the proposals of the General Committee, in
accordance with Rule X-2(c) of the GRO, also appointed the following
Vice-Chairpersons:
Commission
I: Mr Royhan Nevy Wahab (Indonesia)
Mr
François Pythoud (Switzerland)
Commission
II: Mr Antonio Otávio Sá Ricarte (Brazil)
Ms Marieta Okenková (Slovakia)
18.
The Conference confirmed the decision taken
at its previous sessions to the effect that, when a Member wished to reply to
criticisms of its Government's policy, it should preferably do so on the day on
which such criticism had been voiced after all those wishing to participate in
the discussion had had an opportunity to speak.
19.
The Credentials Committee held two meetings on 30
June and 3 July 2017 to examine the credentials received for this session of
the Conference. A report was issued as document C 2017/LIM/24 Rev.1, with
179 Members listed in List A. Sixteen Members did
not provide any information on their participation or representation in the
Conference session. The lists reflect the situation as at 6 July 2017.
20.
The credentials of the representatives of the
United Nations, its Specialized Agencies and related organizations were duly
deposited as prescribed under Rule III‑2 of the GRO.
21.
The Conference noted that, in accordance with
Article III.4 of the Constitution, at the beginning of the Session 22 Member
Nations (Antigua and Barbuda, Chad, Colombia,
Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Gabon,
Ghana, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea,
Sao Tome and Principe, Solomon
Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, The former Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Vanuatu and Yemen) had lost their voting rights
in the Conference, since the amount of their arrears of contributions to the
Organization exceeded the amount due for the two preceding years.
22.
Subsequently, five Member Nations (Colombia,
Dominican Republic, Ghana, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and
Vanuatu) made payments sufficient to regain their voting rights.
23.
The Conference decided to restore the voting
rights to Chad, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Sao Tome
and Principe, Somalia, South Sudan, Ukraine and Yemen which had requested
special consideration under Article III.4 of the Constitution.
24.
Four Member Nations (Antigua and Barbuda, Comoros,
Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands) did not register at the Conference and did
not request special consideration, and five Member Nations attending the
Session (Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Gabon, Papua New Guinea
and Turkmenistan) did not request restoration of voting rights, nor advised
that payment was in process.
25.
The Conference accepted the request by Libya
and Kyrgyzstan to repay their arrears through instalment plans and therefore
decided to restore their voting rights. To this effect, the Conference adopted
the following Resolutions:
Resolution 1/2017
Payment of Contributions - Libya
THE
CONFERENCE,
Noting
that the Government of Libya had made a proposal that it liquidate its arrears
of contributions over a period of 7 years commencing in 2018, in addition to
paying each current contribution in the calendar year of assessment.
Decides
that:
1) Notwithstanding Financial Regulation 5.5 the
arrears of contributions of Libya totaling USD 1,124,519.50 and EUR 946,643.27
shall be settled through the payment of seven annual instalments of USD 160,645.64
and EUR 135,234.75 from 2018 to 2024.
2) The first instalment shall be payable in 1 January 2018.
3) The annual payment of the instalments referred to above,
together with the payment of each current contribution in the calendar year of
assessment and any advances to the Working Capital Fund, shall be considered as
fulfilment of the financial obligations of Libya to the Organization.
4) Instalments shall be payable in accordance with
Financial Regulation 5.5.
5) Default in payment of two instalments shall
render this instalment plan null and void.
(Adopted
on 7 July 2017)
Resolution 2/2017
Payment of Contributions - Kyrgyzstan
THE
CONFERENCE,
Noting
that the Government of Kyrgyzstan had made a proposal that it liquidate its
arrears of contributions over a period of 20 years commencing in 2018, in
addition to paying each current contribution in the calendar year of
assessment.
Decides that:
1 Notwithstanding
Financial Regulation 5.5 the arrears of contributions of Kyrgyzstan totalling
USD 556,097.03 and EUR 1,027.82 shall be settled through the payment of twenty
annual instalments of USD 27,804.85 and EUR 51.39 each from 2018 to
2037.
2) The first
instalment shall be payable in 1 January 2018.
3) The annual
payment of the instalments referred to above, together with the payment of each
current contribution in the calendar year of assessment and any advances to the
Working Capital Fund, shall be considered as fulfilment of the financial
obligations of Kyrgyzstan to the Organization.
4) Instalments
shall be payable in accordance with Financial Regulation 5.5.
5) Default in
payment of two instalments shall render this instalment plan null and void.
(Adopted on 7 July 2017)
Intergovernmental Organizations and International
Non-Governmental Organizations
26.
The Conference reviewed the list of
intergovernmental organizations and international non‑governmental
organizations to which the Director-General had extended a provisional invitation
to the Session, and confirmed them.
27.
The Conference confirmed
the invitation issued by the Director-General to Palestine, at the suggestion
of the 155th Session of the Council.
28.
One hundred and one Heads of Delegation and
two Observers intervened on this agenda item, commenting on the agricultural
and food security situation at the global level and in their respective
countries, with a focus on the theme of the General Debate: Climate Change,
Agriculture and Food Security.
29.
The Conference:
a)
noted that climate change is already posing a major
threat to agriculture and food security;
b)
recognized the impacts of climate change
already felt in Member Nations, including in the form of increased frequency
and intensity of extreme weather events;
c)
noted that agriculture is one of the sectors most
vulnerable to climate change, but at the same time is also a contributor to
greenhouse gas emissions;
d)
recognized that the agricultural sector has
the potential to both adapt to climate change and contribute to mitigating
emissions;
e)
emphasized that, due to a growing population
and the need to limit impacts of and contributions to climate change,
agriculture will have to produce more with fewer resources in a more
sustainable manner; and
f)
stressed the importance of meeting the
commitments relating to food and agriculture, the context of nationally
determined contributions, made under the Paris Agreement, and reiterated its
commitment to reaching the goals and targets set under the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development.
30.
The Conference emphasized the need
for international support to developing countries for the implementation of
initiatives and policies that address agriculture, food security, and climate
change in an integrated manner, highlighting the importance of adequate
financing for climate-related action in the area of food and agriculture.
31.
The Conference further encouraged
countries and the international community to step up efforts in knowledge
transfer, innovations for adaptation to climate change, and improving
resilience of smallholders, family farmers, and youth.
32.
The
Conference endorsed the Report and took note of the recommendations
presented therein.
33.
It expressed its gratitude to Côte d'Ivoire, the host Country, for the
excellent organization of the Regional Conference.
34.
The
Conference endorsed the Report and took note of the recommendations presented
therein.
35.
It expressed its gratitude to Malaysia, the host Country, for the
excellent organization of the Regional Conference.
36.
The
Conference endorsed the Report and took note of the recommendations
presented therein.
37.
It expressed its gratitude to Turkey, the host Country, for the
excellent organization of the Regional Conference.
38.
The
Conference endorsed the Report and took note of the recommendations
presented therein.
39.
It expressed its gratitude to Mexico, the host Country, for the
excellent organization of the Regional Conference.
40.
The
Conference endorsed the Report and took note of the recommendations
presented therein.
41.
Appreciation
was expressed for the manner in which Lebanon chaired the Regional Conference.
42.
The Conference took note of the Informal
Regional Conference for North America held to allow Member Nations of the region
to make inputs into the Organization's prioritization process.
43.
The
Conference endorsed the conclusions and recommendations contained
in the Report of the 25th Session of the Committee on
Agriculture (COAG), and in particular:
a) the key role agriculture plays in achieving the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs);
b)
the call on FAO and countries to mainstream
biodiversity in agriculture, including livestock, to promote its contribution
to ecosystem services and to climate change adaptation and mitigation, and the
call on COAG, but also on COFI and COFO, to address it as a cross‑cutting
issue at their next meetings in 2018;
c) the importance of FAO's work on sustainable
food systems in relation to the UN Ten‑Year Framework of Programmes
on Sustainable Consumption and Production (10YFP-SCP);
d) the importance of FAO's role as an
intergovernmental platform in the Global Agenda for Sustainable Livestock; in
assisting countries in the development of their Agricultural Innovation System
Strategies; and in support for the work on the Globally Important Agricultural
Heritage Systems (GIAHS);
e)
continued collaboration with the
World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organization for Animal Health
(OIE) and all relevant stakeholders in implementing the Political Declaration
of the High-level Meeting of the General Assembly on antimicrobial
resistance (AMR), including strengthening the national and regional
capacities using One Health and multi-sectorial approaches;
f)
the need for Members to mainstream
nutrition into national and regional agricultural policies, including through
South-South Cooperation;
g) the need for countries to develop and implement appropriate
policies for promoting the production and consumption of pulses;
h)
the call on FAO to continue to strengthen its
normative and science and evidence‑based work with particular attention
to agroecology, biotechnology, sustainable production, climate change,
biodiversity, mechanization, statistics, food safety, nutrition, youth and
gender; and
i)
noted that COAG would discuss the creation of
sub-committees on livestock and climate change at its next session.
44.
The Conference also:
a)
welcomed the adoption of the Voluntary Guidelines for Sustainable Soil Management
which present scientific and evidence‑based principles to promote
sustainable soil management, looked forward to their implementation, and
recommended FAO to use this document in its activities; and
b) noted the creation of an informal open-ended
working group to consider options for adequate and sustainable funding for the FAO/WHO
Food Safety Scientific Advice Programme.
45.
The Conference
endorsed the conclusions and recommendations contained in the
Report of the 71st Session of the Committee on Commodity
Problems (CCP), and in particular:
a) underlined the importance of FAO's commodity market
monitoring and outlook work for better market transparency and for informed
policy decisions, and called on governments and other stakeholders to
increase their efforts to improve the monitoring and assessment of supply and
demand of food and agricultural commodities and make the results publicly
available in a timely manner;
b) encouraged
governments to carefully consider the consequences of any action that could
disrupt market and trade flows and propel price volatility;
c) commended the partnership between FAO and the Organisation
for Economic Co‑operation and Development (OECD) for the annual
production of the OECD‑FAO Agricultural Outlook, as well as with the
World Trade Organization (WTO), and looked forward to continued efforts
in this regard;
d) underlined the importance of the human and institutional
capacities of countries for the analysis of trade and related policies for food
security and nutrition; stressed the importance of FAO's assistance to
countries in facilitating trade policy dialogue, and encouraged FAO to
support countries in regional and multilateral trade and trade‑related
processes to ensure that these processes are coherent with, and supportive of,
countries' pursuit of food security objectives and the WTO multilateral
process; and
e) acknowledged the multiple benefits of pulses, and encouraged
governments to develop and implement policies and programmes promoting the
production and consumption of pulses.
46.
Furthermore, the Conference:
a) agreed that the CCP Bureau should, pursuant to Rule
I (4) of the Committee's Rules of Procedure, assess whether the request to
convene the Consultative Sub-Committee on Surplus Disposal (CSSD) was prima
facie justified and make a recommendation to the Director‑General,
who should make the final decision;
b) agreed that the secretariat of the CSSD be located in
Rome in the FAO Trade and Markets Division, home to the CCP Secretariat;
c) urged donors to notify FAO's Global Information and Early
Warning System (GIEWS) about their intention to provide food aid as soon as
decisions were made, including details on the commodities to be provided, the
mode of donation and the expected use of the food aid, as well as provide ex-post
data on monetization of in‑kind food aid, including the total value of
monetized food aid and the use of funds raised through monetization;
d) looked forward to further Ministerial Meetings on
commodity markets and prices in the future; and
e) noted the decision to maintain unchanged the name of the
Committee as Committee on Commodity Problems.
47.
The Conference
endorsed the conclusions and recommendations contained in the
Report of the 32nd Session of the
Committee on Fisheries (COFI), and in particular:
a) adopted the Voluntary Guidelines for Catch Documentation
Schemes, as set out in Appendix C to this report, and stressed their importance
as a guiding document for Members' and the international community's use as a
reference in related activities;
b) appreciated the
role FAO played in UN fora and processes related to fisheries and
aquaculture, and supported FAO's increased leadership role in these
processes;
c)
welcomed the growing number of Parties to the 2009 FAO Agreement on Port
State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and
Unregulated Fishing (PSMA) and the First Meeting of the Parties to the PSMA held
in Oslo, Norway on 29‑31 May 2017;
d)
underscored the
importance of the role of fisheries and aquaculture
in food security and nutrition and the importance of reducing food waste and
losses, particularly in the post‑harvest value chain, and welcomed
further work in this area;
e)
stressed the importance of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small‑Scale
Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF
Guidelines) and welcomed the inclusion of the SSF Guidelines in regional
and national policies, strategies and related implementation activities;
f) noted the ongoing work on the issues of
transshipment, gear marking and reducing food loss and waste in fisheries and
that these issues would be subject to continued focus at the next session of
COFI;
g) emphasized the importance of FAO maintaining its technical capacity in fisheries and
aquaculture; and
h) encouraged FAO
to continue to support developing countries in the areas of fisheries and
aquaculture through capacity development.
48.
The Conference
endorsed the conclusions and recommendations contained in the
Report of the 23rd Session of the Committee on Forestry (COFO).
In particular, the Conference invited countries to:
a) improve coordination between policies on forests, agriculture,
food, land use and rural development for more effective regulation of land use
change; promote integrated land use planning; strengthen tenure rights; and use
adequate policy instruments to increase sustainable agricultural production and
sustainable forest management;
b) promote sustainability for agriculture,
forestry and fisheries; strengthen dialogue on joining efforts for
transformative change towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDG); review and adapt existing mechanisms and tools, such as National Forest
Programmes (NFPs) and Criteria and Indicators (C&Is), for Sustainable
Forest Management (SFM) to inform and support decision‑making for
sustainability across sectors; and promote coherent and effective actions in
sustainable forest management in support of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda;
c) strengthen forest data collection to support monitoring progress
towards SDG targets at global, regional and national levels;
d) strengthen institutional frameworks and processes to ensure
sound forestry, and integrated, cross-sectoral approaches to climate change
including considering integrating forests into their Nationally Determined
Contributions (NDCs) and/or their National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), as
appropriate;
e) strengthen investments and
partnerships and enhance access to financial resources to improve financing for
SFM and to address climate change;
f)
disseminate
and implement the Voluntary Guidelines on National Forest Monitoring;
g) mainstream the important role of forests and trees outside
forests for food security and nutrition in policies and programmes and
across all four dimensions of food security; and
h) consider strengthening the mobilization of innovative and
enhanced financing for the restoration of degraded lands; and support actions to
contribute to a more efficient and successful achievement of the Bonn Challenge
and the related global initiatives.
49.
The Conference also requested FAO to
strengthen its work in the area of boreal and temperate forests, taking into
account their contribution to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development, including combating climate change and enhancing food
security and nutrition.
50.
The
Conference:
a) endorsed the conclusions and recommendations of the 42nd and
43rd Sessions of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS);
b) encouraged stakeholders to promote and support the
implementation of the "Framework for Action for Food Security and Nutrition in
Protracted Crises", the policy recommendations on "Connecting Smallholders to
Markets", "Water for Food Security and Nutrition", and "Sustainable
Agricultural Development for Food Security and Nutrition: What Roles for
Livestock?";
c) acknowledged the valuable learning emerging from the
first CFS Global Thematic Event on the use and application of the Voluntary
Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure, and noted the importance of
the monitoring function of the CFS;
d) welcomed the Committee's commitment to contributing to
the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including through contributions
to the High‑level Political Forum;
e) noted the important role to be played by the CFS, within its
mandate, in advancing nutrition, as well as its contribution to the Decade of
Action on Nutrition;
f) noted the importance of the independent evaluation of the CFS,
and looked forward to the Committee's response to the evaluation in
order to ensure the sustainability, effectiveness and efficiency of the
Committee in the future;
g) commended the work of the CFS High‑Level Panel of
Experts; and
h) looked forward to commitment to the CFS from all its
stakeholders, including the Rome‑based Agencies, and to ensure a solid
financing for CFS, bearing in mind the need to ensure a manageable workload
while reaffirming the vision of CFS.
51.
The Conference:
a)
noted the work undertaken
by FAO and commended its efforts for continuous engagement in the
implementation, monitoring, follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development at national, regional and global levels;
b)
noted the progress in
developing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) global indicators, and looked
forward to periodic reporting by the Secretariat;
c)
recommended FAO further strengthen support provided to national stakeholders,
so as to ensure that food and agriculture are prominently reflected in the
nationally identified priorities, as well as to enhancing national
stakeholders' capacity on monitoring and reporting;
d) encouraged the Secretariat to monitor progress on
engagement in the 2030 Agenda, including through provision of reports to
the United Nations High‑level Political Forum in this regard;
e)
noted the complementary
nature of national, regional, and global indicators, and encouraged
Members to report on the global indicator framework as endorsed by the UN Statistical
Commission and the Economic and
Social Council (ECOSOC); and
f)
encouraged strengthening of partnerships and alliances to support mobilization
of resources for the implementation of SDGs and the Addis Ababa Action
Agenda.
52.
The
Conference:
a)
welcomed the proclamation of the Decade of Action on Nutrition
(2016‑2025) by the UN General Assembly;
b)
acknowledged the progress made in following up on ICN2 commitments and
in implementing the Decade of Action on Nutrition, including the development of
its work programme;
c)
encouraged FAO to further support its Members, including through the
Decade of Action on Nutrition, in their efforts to fully achieve the global
nutrition targets, in line with the ICN2 commitments and the SDG targets;
d)
encouraged members to form action
networks to provide mutual support to accelerate implementation of the work
programme of the nutrition decade and submit their SMART commitments for action;
and
e)
encouraged FAO to strengthen cooperation on issues of nutrition with
other relevant entities and stakeholders including the CFS.
53.
The
Conference:
a) commended the Secretariat for the quality of the report
as well as progress made in the implementation of the UN General
Assembly resolutions on the Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review (QCPR)
of operational activities;
b) noted that the Organization is committed to implementing the
principles and guidance set out by the UN General Assembly through the QCPR, in
support of UN operational activities for development and member countries;
and
c) emphasized that ongoing efforts by FAO to implement the
QCPR would continue, especially in relation to the new 2017‑20 QCPR and
in the transition by the whole UN System to the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs).
54.
The Conference:
a)
welcomed and adopted the Report of the 16th Regular
Session of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture;
b)
adopted Resolution 3/2017 set out
in Appendix D to this Report, reaffirming the world's commitment
to the Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources;
c)
adopted Resolution
4/2017 set out in Appendix E to this Report, on the contribution
of the Commission to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals; and
d) welcomed the international workshop on access and benefit‑sharing
to be convened by the Commission Secretariat in collaboration with the Convention
on Biological Diversity (CBD) and Treaty Secretariats, subject to the
availability of extra‑budgetary resources, and encouraged donors
to provide the necessary funds.
55.
The Conference:
a)
welcomed FAO's initiative to act
as Biodiversity Mainstreaming Platform; and
b)
requested FAO to facilitate, in collaboration with its partners,
such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and other UN
organizations, the integration in a structured and coherent manner of actions
for the conservation, sustainable use, management and restoration of biological
diversity across agricultural sectors at national, regional and international
levels.
56.
The Conference:
a)
endorsed
the Report on the Evaluation of the International Year of Soils 2015;
b)
acknowledged the substantial achievements made at national, regional
and global levels in the context of the International Year of Soils (IYS) 2015;
c)
highlighted the importance of soils for contributing to the
achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030;
d)
encouraged FAO Members and other relevant stakeholders to pursue the
acquired momentum in terms of concrete actions against soil degradation and for
promoting sustainable soil management though
various initiatives, including the Global Soil Partnership; and
e)
invited FAO members to continue supporting awareness‑raising
on the importance of soils by joining the celebration of World Soil Day on 5
December and making diffusion of the Glinka World Soil Prize as two important platforms
that carry the IYS legacy.
57.
The
Conference:
a)
endorsed the Report on the Evaluation of the International Year of
Pulses 2016;
b)
noted the
substantial achievements made at national, regional and global levels in the
context of the International Year of Pulses (IYP) 2016;
c)
encouraged FAO Members and other relevant stakeholders to support the
IYP legacy activities, conditional on them being financed through voluntary
contributions, and promote the messages and themes of the IYP beyond 2016,
particularly the issues identified during regional and international
consultations; and
d) stressed the importance of pulses for the achievement of the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
58.
The Conference
considered the proposal endorsed by the Council at its 155th Session
for the Declaration of an International Year of Plant Health in 2020 and adopted
Resolution 5/2017 set out in Appendix F to
this report.
59.
The Conference considered the proposal endorsed by
the Council at its 155th Session for the Declaration of an
International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture in 2022 and adopted
Resolution 6/2017 set out
in Appendix G to this report.
60.
The Conference
considered the proposal endorsed by the Council at its 156th Session
for the declaration of an International Year of Camelids in 2024 and adopted
Resolution 7/2017 set out in Appendix H to this report.
61.
The Conference considered
the proposal endorsed by the Council at its 155th Session to declare
the annual observance of World Bee Day on 20 May and adopted Resolution 8/2017 set out in Appendix I
to this report.
62.
The Conference
considered the proposal endorsed by the Council at its 155th Session
to declare the annual observance of the International Day for the Fight against
Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing on 5 June and adopted Resolution 9/2017 set out in Appendix J to
this report.
63.
The Conference
considered the proposal endorsed by the Council at its 156th Session
to declare the annual observance of World Pulses Day
on 10 February and adopted Resolution 10/2017 set out in Appendix K to this report.
64.
The Conference
noted that activities associated with the World Pulses day would be financed
fully from voluntary contributions.
65.
The Conference considered the proposal endorsed by
the Codex Alimentarius Commission at
its 39th Session to declare the annual
observance of World Food Safety Day on 7 June and adopted Resolution 11/2017
set out in Appendix L to this report.
66.
The Conference:
a) endorsed the Annual Reports of the World Food Programme
(WFP) Executive Board to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and FAO on
its activities in 2014 and 2015;
b) noted WFP's involvement in
partnership and coordination efforts and its engagement with partners in the
Zero Hunger Challenge and development of the Sustainable Development Goals;
c) welcomed the efforts of WFP to strengthen collaboration
with the Rome-based Agencies and other UN system partners;
d) noted WFP's work in
South-South and Triangular Cooperation; and
e) commended WFP staff for their dedicated work in
challenging circumstances, in addressing concurrent Level 2 (L2) and Level 3
(L3) emergencies, in addition to protracted crises.
67.
The Conference endorsed the 2018-19 Biennial
Theme - Climate Change and its impact on the work and activities of FAO.
68.
The Conference:
a) noted the timeliness of the proposal in light of global
developments such as the Paris Agreement and the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable
Development, as well as the adoption of the FAO Strategy on Climate Change and
the launch of the Global Action Programme (GAP) on Food Security and Nutrition
in Small Island Developing States (SIDS);
b) recommended to include the topic of partnerships in paragraph 8
(Proposal for topics which may be considered for discussion in 2018-19),
in both sub-paragraphs (a) on Technical Committees and (b) 2018 Regional
Conferences of document C 2017/35 Rev.1. Inclusive partnerships would
enable synergies to be capitalized on in support of implementation efforts.
69.
The Conference:
a) noted further the important role FAO has to play in supporting
countries in implementing their nationally determined contributions (NDCs)
under the Paris Agreement, and in their general efforts to adapt to and
increase resilience to climate change, while contributing to mitigation to the
extent possible; and
b) encouraged FAO to provide regular updates to its Member
Nations on the progress made in the implementation of the FAO Strategy on
Climate Change.
70.
The Conference:
a)
endorsed the findings of the Report of the 154th Session
of the Council on the Programme Implementation Report
(PIR) 2014‑15;
b)
welcomed the
transformational changes introduced in FAO since 2012 which led to the delivery
of positive results by the Organization within the reviewed Strategic Framework
and Medium Term Plan 2014-17;
c)
expressed overall satisfaction at the
implementation of the programme of work in 2014-15 and welcomed FAO's
contribution to major global policy achievements aimed at addressing hunger,
food insecurity and malnutrition;
d)
welcomed the high proportion of results
delivered at country and regional levels and encouraged continued
efforts focused through the Regional Initiatives;
e)
expressed satisfaction at the increased
efficiency and value for money, including identification of
USD 36.6 million in savings;
f)
appreciated the mainstreaming of gender
across FAO's activities, as well as efforts made in enhancing partnerships,
including with academia, South-South Cooperation and language balance in FAO's
products, and looked forward to continued attention in this regard;
g)
welcomed the new format of the PIR document,
and looked forward to the adjustment of indicator targets, including
more ambitious targets, and to further refinement of reporting on Outcomes and
Outputs in the next PIR; and
h) endorsed the Programme Implementation Report 2014-15.
71.
The Conference:
a) welcomed the Programme Evaluation Report 2017, including
the main findings emerging from the thematic, strategic, country and project
evaluations completed during the period 2015‑16;
b) acknowledged FAO's role and comparative advantages in several
important food security and agriculture‑related areas and activities, inter
alia in policy assistance and capacity‑building;
c) appreciated FAO's progress in the decentralization process
which had enabled strengthened coordination with national partners, and the
development of strategic partnerships with other stakeholders, especially the
private sector and key development actors, and South-South Cooperation, and looked
forward to further strengthening these partnerships, especially with the private
sector;
d) encouraged collaboration with other UN agencies, including
WFP and IFAD, and looked forward to continuing progress in this
regard;
e) noted the improved alignment of Evaluation
activities with FAO's
reviewed Strategic Framework through
the ongoing evaluations of FAO's Strategic Objectives;
f) welcomed the mainstreaming and increased attention to
cross-cutting issues, and looked forward to the Evaluation of FAO's work on
gender to be submitted to the 2019 Conference; and
g)
appreciated the improvements introduced by the Office of
Evaluation and looked forward to additional improvements, including with regard
to timeliness of evaluations and their responses.
72.
The Conference welcomed
the Reviewed Strategic Framework and:
a) noted the clear description of the main challenges expected to
be faced by countries in food and agriculture in the coming years;
b) noted that more research is needed on understanding the link
between climate change and nutrition and diets;
c) noted that FAO's requests to Member Nations for information
related to its mandate should remain in conformity with international and
national law;
d) appreciated the alignment of FAO's Strategic Objectives
with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs);
e) supported the refocused title for Objective 6;
f) encouraged FAO to set targets that are more ambitious and
realistic for its Strategic Objectives, paying special attention to the
availability of resources; and
g) approved the Reviewed Strategic Framework, reaffirming
its support for FAO's Vision, Global Goals and Objectives.
73.
The Conference considered
the Medium Term Plan (MTP) 2018‑21 and the Programme of Work and Budget
(PWB) 2018‑19, the observations and recommendations of the Council, as
well as additional information
provided by the Secretariat in Information Notes 1, 2, 3
and 4.
74.
Regarding the
substance of the proposals in the MTP/PWB,
the Conference:
a)
welcomed continuity in the strategic direction of
the Organization in the Medium Term Plan and underlying Programme of Work, and appreciated the close alignment of FAO's Strategic
Objectives with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);
b)
supported the priorities and resources allocations, as well as the
identification of areas of programmatic de‑emphasis for the
Strategic Objectives and Objective 6, and looked forward to including the impact on results in future PWBs;
c)
approved the reformulation of definitions for priorities in paragraphs 52.b)
and 52.g) as well as guidance in reading specific paragraphs of document C 2017/3 as indicated in document
C 2017/LIM/4 Rev.1;
d)
noted that Council
would be reviewing the Strategic Objective Output
indicators and targets at its December 2017 session as presented in the
Adjustments to the PWB 2018-19; and
e)
encouraged the continued use of partnerships to enable the
Organization to leverage its comparative advantages, including through South‑South and Triangular Cooperation, and approved the new title of the Partnerships and South‑South Cooperation Division.
75.
In addition, the Conference:
a)
welcomed the proposed flat nominal budget level to carry out the full delivery of
the Programme of Work as realistic and innovative, especially in view of
prevailing global macro‑economic conditions;
b)
appreciated the identification of proposed areas of emphasis, de‑emphasis and savings with a view to reallocating the
USD 23.7 million to increase technical capacity in higher priority
areas and to improve programme delivery;
c) encouraged Members to provide voluntary contributions to address priorities that could not be accommodated within
the PWB net appropriation resources in a flat nominal budget;
d)
welcomed the increase of the share of the Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP)
to 14% of the net budgetary
appropriation, in line with Conference Resolution 9/89 and recommendation in
Conference Resolution 6/2015; and
e)
noted the ongoing
discussion of the After‑service Medical
Coverage past service liability by FAO and the UN Common system and encouraged the Secretariat
to continue its efforts to improve the longer-term
financial situation, liquidity and reserves.
76.
The Conference authorized the Director‑General,
notwithstanding Financial Regulation 4.2,
to use any unspent balance of the 2016‑17 appropriations for one-time use
to support programmes of the Organization, including for the Special Fund for
Development Finance Activities, in agreement with the Joint Meeting of the
Programme and Finance Committees, and the Council at their meetings in November‑December
2017. The amount and use of any balance carried over would be reported to the
Governing Bodies in 2018‑19 in line with established regulations.
77.
The Conference adopted the following Resolution as recommended
by Council:
Resolution 12/2017
Budgetary Appropriations 2018-19
THE CONFERENCE,
Having considered the
Director-General's Programme of Work and Budget;
Having considered the proposed total
net appropriation of USD 1,005,635,000 for the financial period 2018-19 at
the 2016-17 rate of EUR 1= USD 1.22, which assumes US dollar and EUR
expenditure equal to USD 546,399,000 and EUR 376,423,000;
Having considered that the above net
appropriation remains equivalent to USD 1,005,635,000 at the same budget
rate of EUR 1 = USD 1.22 established for 2018-19 after
translation of the EUR portion;
1. Approves the Programme of
Work proposed by the Director‑General for 2018‑19 as follows:
a) Appropriations are voted at a rate of EUR 1 = USD 1.22 for
the following purposes:
|
|
|
USD
|
|
Chapter 1:
|
Contribute to the eradication of hunger, food insecurity
and malnutrition
|
82,128,000
|
|
Chapter 2:
|
Make agriculture, forestry and fisheries more productive
and sustainable
|
196,952,000
|
|
Chapter 3:
|
Reduce rural poverty
|
66,207,000
|
|
Chapter 4:
|
Enable more inclusive and efficient agricultural and food
systems
|
105,399,000
|
|
Chapter 5:
|
Increase the resilience of livelihoods to threats and
crises
|
54,136,000
|
|
Chapter 6:
|
Technical Quality, Statistics and cross-cutting themes
(climate change, gender, governance, nutrition)
|
68,883,000
|
|
Chapter 7:
|
Technical Cooperation Programme
|
140,788,000
|
|
Chapter 8:
|
Outreach
|
78,754,000
|
|
Chapter 9:
|
Information Technology
|
36,244,000
|
|
Chapter 10:
|
FAO Governance, Oversight and Direction
|
70,923,000
|
|
Chapter 11:
|
Efficient and Effective Administration
|
65,308,000
|
|
Chapter 12:
|
Contingencies
|
600,000
|
|
Chapter 13:
|
Capital Expenditure
|
16,892,000
|
|
Chapter 14:
|
Security Expenditure
|
22,421,000
|
|
Total Appropriation (Net)
|
1,005,635,000
|
|
Chapter 15:
|
Transfer to Tax Equalization
Fund
|
87,450,000
|
|
Total Appropriation (Gross)
|
1,093,085,000
|
b) The appropriations (net) voted in paragraph (a) above minus
estimated Miscellaneous Income in the amount of USD 5,000,000 shall be
financed by assessed contributions from Member Nations of
USD 1,000,635,000 to implement the Programme of Work. Such contributions
shall be established in US dollars and EUR and shall consist of
USD 541,399,000 and EUR 376,423,000. This takes into account a split
of 54% US dollars and 46% EUR for the appropriations (net) and of 100% US
dollars for Miscellaneous Income.
c) The total contributions due from Member Nations to implement the
approved Programme of Work shall amount to USD 541,399,000 and EUR 376,423,000.
Such contributions due from Member Nations in 2018 and 2019 shall be paid in
accordance with the scale of contributions adopted by the Conference at its
Fortieth session.
d) In establishing the actual amounts of contributions to be paid
by individual Member Nations, a further amount shall be charged through the Tax
Equalization Fund for any Member Nation that levies taxes on the salaries,
emoluments and indemnities received by staff members from FAO and which are
reimbursed to the staff members by the Organization. An estimate of
USD 6,500,000 has been foreseen for this purpose.
2. Encourages Members to provide voluntary contributions to
facilitate achievement of the Strategic Objectives and implementation of the
integrated Programme of Work under the results framework.
(Adopted
on 7 July 2017)
78.
The Conference took note that the recommendations
arising from the Assessment of the Independent Review of FAO Governance Reforms
had been implemented by the competent Governing Bodies of the Organization.
79.
The Conference, in considering the Independent Assessment of the Technical
Capacity of the Organization, welcomed its main findings, and:
a)
appreciated the increase in technical capacity of the
Organization from 2012 to 2016, both at headquarters and in the decentralized
locations, in spite of a flat nominal budget level and overall decline in the
number of positions in the period under review;
b)
noted
the value of partnerships and South‑South Cooperation in the overall
technical capacity of the Organization;
c)
appreciated that the increased technical capacity was
aligned with FAO's Strategic Framework;
d)
noted
that the Report's conclusions were consistent with those of other independent
and external assessments of FAO, such as the Multilateral Organisation
Performance Assessment Network (MOPAN), the United Kingdom's Department for
International Development (DfID);
e)
welcomed the suggestion for greater collaboration
between FAO, IFAD and WFP on administrative areas, for cost‑reduction and
efficiency, and to leverage FAO's pre‑eminent position as a repository of
technical capacity;
f)
requested that in the future there be monitoring by
the Secretariat of the technical capacity of the Organization on a regular
basis, including in conjunction with workforce planning exercises, and ensuing
reporting to Members;
g)
noting
that the current report was quantitative in nature, in line with the agreed
Terms of Reference, requested that future assessments include a
qualitative analysis, and exposition of disaggregated data, including gender
data; and
h)
agreed that future assessments be internalized
and recommended the involvement of the Office of Evaluation, as well as
oversight by the Programme and Finance Committees.
80.
The Conference approved the following Resolution:
Resolution 13/2017
Amendment to paragraph 2 of Conference Resolution
9/2009 concerning qualifications for the Independent Chairperson of the Council
THE CONFERENCE
Having noted that according to Article V, paragraph 2, of the
Constitution, the Independent Chairperson of the Council is appointed by the
Conference and exercises such functions as are inherent in that office, or are
otherwise defined in the Basic Texts of the Organization,
Having regard to Rule XXIII of the General Rules of the Organization;
Recalling Resolution 9/2009 on Implementation of the Immediate Plan of Action
regarding the Independent Chairperson of the Council, set out in Volume II of
the Basic Texts which, inter alia, establishes the qualities that the Member Nations should
have regard to in nominating candidates for the office of Independent
Chairperson of the Council;
Further recalling that the Immediate Plan of Action for FAO
Renewal ("the IPA"), adopted by the Conference in its Resolution 1/2008 at its 35th
Session, provided that the Conference would assess progress in implementation
of the IPA in 2015 with an Independent Review and that, at its 148th
Session (Rome, 2-6 December 2013), the Council approved the arrangements for an
Independent Review of Governance Reform to assess the status of implementation
of the IPA;
Considering that the Council, at its 151st Session
(Rome, 23-27 March 2015), and the Conference at its 39th Session
(Rome, 6-13 June 2015), endorsed the Final Report of the Independent Review of
FAO Governance Reforms and proposed actions in response to the recommendations
contained therein, including Recommendation 6 on the qualifications for the
Independent Chairperson of the Council;
1.
Amends paragraph two of Resolution 9/2009 as
follows:
"2. In
nominating candidates for the office of Independent Chairperson of the Council,
Member Nations should have regard to the qualities that the Chairperson should
possess, including among others ability to be objective, sensitivity to
political, social and cultural differences, and appropriate experience in areas
relevant to the Organization's work and knowledge of the functioning of
FAO Governing Bodies";
2.
Affirms that, subject to the foregoing,
Resolution 9/2009 continues to apply in its entirety.
(Adopted on 7 July 2017)
81.
The Conference adopted, through a
nominal vote, the following Resolution:
Resolution 14/2017
Amendment to Rule XXV, paragraph 6(a) of the General
Rules of the Organization
THE CONFERENCE
Recognizing that the enhanced use of modern technology
and information technology, including through the implementation of a
PaperSmart approach, would support the efforts of the Governing, Statutory and
other bodies of the Organization to enhance the efficiency of their working
methods;
Acknowledging that the FAO Members Gateway portal
provides secure, password-protected, web-based access to documents, statements
and other meeting information in all six (6) official languages of the
Organization;
Having
taken note of the views of the Committee on Constitutional and Legal
Matters (CCLM), at its 104th Session (Rome, 13-15 March 2017) on the
proposed amendment to Rule XXV of the General Rules of the Organization;
Considering that the Council, at its 156th
Session (Rome, 24-28 April 2017), endorsed the proposed amendment;
1.
Decides to adopt the following amendment to
Rule XXV, paragraph 6(a) of the General Rules of the Organization:
"Rule XXV
Sessions of
the Council
6.
(a) The
Director-General, in consultation with the Chairperson of the Council, and
having regard to suggestions made by any Member Nation or Associate Member
acting within the limits of its status, shall prepare a provisional agenda and
dispatch it to Member Nations and Associate Members by airmail not less
than 60 days in advance of the session. Documentation shall be circulated with
the provisional agenda or as soon as possible thereafter".
2.
Further decides that, whenever the General
Rules of the Organization or the Rules of Procedure of Governing or Statutory
Bodies refer to dispatch, circulation, or communication of correspondence and
documents in connection with meetings, or to any procedural steps involving the
transmittal of information by the Organization, those references shall include
distribution by electronic means, including uploading on dedicated platforms
and other means using widely available modern information technology.
(Adopted
on 7 July 2017)
82.
The Conference adopted the following
Resolution:
Resolution
15/2017
Filing and recording of the FAO Constitution with the UN
Secretariat
THE CONFERENCE,
Recalling that the Committee on Constitutional and Legal Matters (CCLM), at its
102nd Session (Rome, 14-16 March 2016) reviewed a request made by
the Treaty Section of the United Nations to record and file the FAO
Constitution under Article 102 of the Charter of the United Nations, and
recommended that the Conference, through the Council, authorize the
Director-General to transmit the FAO Constitution to the United Nations Treaty
Section for that purpose;
Noting that
the Council, at its 154th Session (Rome, 30 May - 3 June 2016)
approved the report of the 102nd Session of the CCLM and, in particular,
recommended that the Director-General be authorized to transmit to the United
Nations Treaty Section the FAO Constitution and related instruments for filing
and recording and subsequent publication in the United Nations Treaty Series;
Authorizes the Director-General to transmit the FAO Constitution and
related instruments to the United Nations Treaty Section for filing, recording
and subsequent publication in the United Nations Treaty Series, under Article
102 of the Charter of the United Nations.
(Adopted on 7 July 2017)
83.
The Conference took note of the FAO Audited
Accounts 2014 and 2015 and the Reports of the External Auditor. The results and
official accounts of 2014 were examined by the Finance Committee at its
160th Session in November 2015 and by the Council at its 153rd Session
in November/December 2015. The results and official accounts of 2015 were
examined by the Finance Committee at its 164th Session in
November 2016 and by the Council at its 155th Session in
December 2016. The following Resolutions were adopted:
Resolution 16/2017
FAO Audited Accounts 2014
THE CONFERENCE,
Having considered the Report of the 153rd Session of
the Council, and
Having examined the FAO Audited Accounts 2014 and the External
Auditor's Report thereon
Adopts the FAO Audited Accounts 2014.
(Adopted on 7 July 2017)
Resolution 17/2017
FAO Audited Accounts 2015
THE CONFERENCE,
Having considered the Report of the 155th Session
of the Council, and
Having examined the FAO Audited Accounts 2015 and the External
Auditor's Report thereon
Adopts the FAO Audited Accounts 2015.
(Adopted on 7 July 2017)
84.
The Conference noted that at its
156th Session the Council had recommended that the FAO proposed
Scale of Contributions for 2018-19 be derived from the UN Scale of Assessments
established for those years in force in 2017.
85.
The Conference then adopted the
following Resolution:
Resolution 18/2017
Scale of Contributions 2018-19
THE
CONFERENCE
Having
noted the recommendations of the Hundred and Fifty-sixth Session of the
Council;
Confirming
that as in the past, FAO should follow the United Nations Scale of Assessments
subject to adaptation to the composition of FAO membership;
Decides
that the FAO Scale of Contributions for 2018-19 should be derived directly from
the United Nations Scale of Assessments in force during 2017;
Adopts for use in 2018 and 2019
the Scale set out in Appendix M to this report.
(Adopted
on 7 July 2017)
86.
The Conference set the lump‑sum payment due
by the European Union to cover administrative and other expenditures arising
out of its membership in the Organization at EUR 573,823 for the 2018-19
biennium.
87.
As in previous biennia, it was proposed that the
sum due by the European Union be paid into a trust or special fund established
by the Director-General under Financial Regulation 6.7.
88.
The Conference considered and approved
Resolution 19/2017, set out in Appendix N to this report, submitted
by the 167th Session of the Finance Committee regarding the
revised funding mechanism proposed for the Staff Welfare Fund (SWF).
89.
The Conference had before it six nominations for
the office of Independent Chairperson of the Council.
90.
The Conference appointed Mr Khalid Mehboob
(Pakistan) to the office of Independent Chairperson of the Council.
Resolution 20/2017
Appointment of the Independent Chairperson of the
Council
THE
CONFERENCE,
Taking
into account Rule XXIII of the General Rules of the Organization regarding
the Independent Chairperson of the Council and Resolution 9/2009 regarding the
Independent Chairperson of the Council;
Having
regard to the need to safeguard the independence and accountability of the
role of the Independent Chairperson of the Council:
1. Declares that Mr Khalid
Mehboob is appointed Independent Chairperson of the Council until the Forty-first
Session of the Conference (June 2019);
2. Decides that the conditions of
appointment attached to the office of the Independent Chairperson of the
Council will be as follows:
a) The Chairperson is required to be present in Rome for all
sessions of the Council, the Conference, the Finance Committee and the
Programme Committee and will normally be expected to spend at least six to
eight months of the year in Rome;
b) An annual allowance equivalent to USD 23 831 will be paid
to the Chairperson;
c) A per diem allowance equivalent to the applicable
standard daily subsistence allowance (DSA) rate at 140% will be paid to
the Chairperson [while in Rome] and when travelling in the performance of his
functions;
d) The travel expenses of the Chairperson will be covered by the
Organization when he travels in the performance of his functions;
e) [In the performance of his functions, whether in Rome or while
travelling, the Chairperson will be enrolled as a participant in the Basic
Medical Insurance Plan (BMIP) and that the cost for such medical insurance
coverage will be borne by the Organization for a total amount of USD 3,336.48
per annum;]
f)
Secretariat services will be made available to the
Chairperson to assist him in the performance of his functions;
g) Interpretation services will be made available to the
Chairperson, at his request, depending on the availability of resources;
h) Office space, equipment and supplies required by the Chairperson
in the performance of his functions will be made available to him;
i)
Assistance will be provided to the Chairperson in
carrying out the necessary administrative formalities for the acquisition of
the documents required for his stay in Rome and for his travels in the
performance of his functions.
3. Decides that the
implementation modalities of this Resolution will be agreed between the
Chairperson and FAO.
(Adopted on 7 July 2017)
91.
The Conference elected the following
Member Nations as Members of the Council:
Period from the end of the 40th
Session of the Conference (July 2017) to 30 June 2018
|
Region
(Seats)
|
Members
|
|
Europe (2)
|
1.
Estonia
2.
The
former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
|
|
Latin America and the Caribbean (1)
|
1. Venezuela
(Bolivarian Republic of)
|
Period from the end of the 40th Session of the
Conference (July 2017) to 30 June 2020
|
Region (Seats)
|
Members
|
|
Africa (4)
|
1.
Algeria
2.
Cabo Verde
3.
Cameroon
4.
South Africa
|
|
Asia (3)
|
1.
India
2.
Pakistan
3.
Thailand/Malaysia
|
|
Europe (4)
|
1.
Bulgaria
2.
Finland
3.
Italy
4.
Spain
|
|
Latin America
and the Caribbean (1)
|
1.
Ecuador
|
|
Near East (3)
|
1.
Afghanistan
2.
Egypt
3.
Saudi Arabia
|
|
North America (0)
|
|
|
Southwest
Pacific (1)
|
1.
Australia
|
Period from 1 July 2018 to the end of the 41st
Session of the Conference (June 2019)
|
Region (Seats)
|
Members
|
|
Europe (2)
|
1.
Austria
2.
France
|
Period from 1 July 2018 to the end of the 42nd
Session of the Conference (June 2021)
|
Region (Seats)
|
Members
|
|
Africa (3)
|
1.
Congo
2.
Equatorial Guinea
3.
South Sudan
|
|
Asia (6)
|
1.
China
2.
Japan
3.
Philippines/Myanmar
4.
Republic of Korea
5.
Sri Lanka
6.
Viet Nam/Indonesia
|
|
Europe (3)
|
1.
Estonia
2.
Russian Federation
3.
The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
|
|
Latin America
and the Caribbean (3)
|
1.
Chile/Peru
2.
Nicaragua
3.
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)
|
|
Near East (1)
|
1.
Jordan
|
|
North America (0)
|
|
|
Southwest
Pacific (0)
|
|
92.
In accordance with Article 6(c) of the Regulations
of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund, the Conference appointed
four members and two alternate members to the Staff Pension Committee as
follows and for the periods specified below:
For the
period 6 July 2017 - 31 December 2018
Member
Ms
Saadia Elmubarak Ahmed Daak
Alternate Permanent
Representative of the Sudan to FAO
For the period 6 July 2017
- 31 December 2019
Member
Mr Anton Minaev
Alternate Permanent
Representative of the Russian Federation to FAO
For the period 1 January 2018 to
31 December 2020
Member
Mr Antonio Otávio Sá Ricarte
Deputy Permanent Representative of
Brazil to FAO
Alternate Mr
Vlad Mustaciosu
Deputy Permanent
Representative of Romania to FAO
For the period 1 January 2019 to 31
December 2021
Member Ms
Alice Gisèle Sidibe-Anago
Deputy Permanent Representative of
Burkina Faso to FAO
Alternate Mr
Shahin Ghorashizadeh
Chargé
d'affaires a.i.
Alternate
Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to FAO
93.
The Conference decided that its 41st
Session should be held in Rome from 22‑29 June 2019.
94.
The
Conference took note of the review of the arrangement regarding the FAO Awards
Ceremony, previously a standing item on the Provisional Agenda of the FAO
Conference, following the first edition of the event held in November 2015, and
recommended that the new arrangement be maintained.
|
Appendix
C
Voluntary
Guidelines for Catch Documentation Schemes
|
1.
Scope and Objective
1.1.
These Guidelines are voluntary and cover Catch
Documentation Schemes (CDS) for wild capture fish caught for commercial
purposes in marine or inland areas, whether processed or not.
1.2.
These guidelines are elaborated recognizing that
all available means in accordance with relevant international law and other
international instruments, such as, the International Plan of Action to
Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing
(IPOA-IUU) should be used to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported,
and unregulated (IUU) fishing. CDS build on the primary responsibility of the
flag state to prevent, deter and eliminate IUU fishing. They also constitute a
valuable supplement to port state and other measures.
1.3.
The objective of these Guidelines is to provide
assistance to states, regional fisheries management organisations, regional
economic integration organizations and other intergovernmental organisations
when developing and implementing new CDS, or harmonising or reviewing existing
CDS.
1.4.
States should give full recognition to the special
requirements of developing states when implementing CDS taking into account paragraph
7.
1.5.
States, relevant international organisations,
whether governmental or non-governmental, and financial institutions are
encouraged, individually or through coordination, to provide assistance and
capacity building, including financial and technical assistance, technology
transfer and training for developing states in order to achieve the objectives
of these Guidelines and to support its effective implementation, especially
regarding issuance of electronic catch certificates.
1.6.
CDS should account for the needs and special
requirements of small scale fisheries (SSF).
2.
Definitions
For the purposes of
these Guidelines:
2.1
"Catch Documentation Scheme", means a system with
the primary purpose of helping determine throughout the supply chain whether
fish originate from catches taken consistent with applicable national, regional
and international conservation and management measures, established in
accordance with relevant international obligations, hereinafter referred to as
"CDS".
2.2
"Catch certificate" means
an official document accompanying a consignment and validated by the competent
authority, allowing accurate and verifiable information concerning fish passing
through the supply chain.
2.3
"Fish" means all species of wild capture living
aquatic resources, whether processed or not.
2.4
"Consignment" means fish, which are either sent
simultaneously from one exporter to one consignee or covered by a single
transport document covering their shipment from the exporter to the consignee.
2.5
"Fishing vessel" means any vessel of any size used
for, equipped for use for, or intended for use for the purposes of fishing or
fishing-related activities, including support vessels, fish-processing vessels,
vessels engaged in transshipment and carrier vessels equipped for the
transportation of fishery products, except container vessels.
2.6
"Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing" means
the activities set out in paragraph 3 of the 2001 FAO International Plan of
Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated
Fishing, hereinafter referred to as "IUU fishing."
2.7
"Landing" means the initial movement of
fish from a vessel to dockside in a port or free-trade zone, even if
subsequently transferred to another vessel. The offload or transfer in port of
fish from a vessel to a container is a landing.
2.8
"Regional fisheries management
organization" means an intergovernmental fisheries organization or
arrangement, as appropriate, that has the competence to establish fishery
conservation and management measures, hereinafter referred to as "RFMO/A."
2.9
"Supply chain" means a sequence of processes
involved in the production and distribution of fish from catch to the point of
import in the end market, including events such as landing, transshipments,
re-export, processing, and transport.
2.10
"Transshipment" means the transfer of
fish that have not previously been landed, from one vessel directly to another,
at sea or in port.
3.
Basic Principles
The Guidelines are
based on the principles that CDS should:
3.1
Be in conformity with the provisions of relevant
international law;
3.2
Not create unnecessary barriers to trade;
3.3
Recognize equivalence;
3.4
Be risk-based;
3.5
Be reliable, simple, clear and transparent; and
3.6
Be electronic, if possible.
4.
Application of Basic Principles
The application of the
principles set out in paragraph 3 should be guided by the following:
4.1
Any measure
taken should be in conformity with the
relevant provisions under international law, inter alia the World Trade
Organization agreements, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,
and should take into account the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries;
4.2
To avoid unnecessary barriers to
trade, a CDS should clearly define its objective, be the least
trade-restrictive measure to achieve its objective, and be designed to minimize
the burden on those affected by its requirements. A CDS should be applied on a
non-discriminatory basis and notified in accordance with subparagraph 4.5;
4.3
Different CDS could be recognised as
equivalent for the purpose of achieving the objectives of the guidelines if
they result in equivalent outcomes. In addition, existing schemes should be
taken into account; and
4.4
Every effort should be made to ensure that CDS are
only implemented where they can be an effective means to prevent products
derived from IUU fishing from entering the supply chain. To that end CDS should
be implemented from within the context of an effective fisheries management
regime. CDS should be designed and implemented based on risk analysis and
be proportionate to the risk that IUU fishing poses on the relevant stocks and
markets. A risk assessment should include:
(a) the systematic and transparent identification of risk and the
implementation of all measures necessary for limiting exposure to risk. This
includes activities such as collecting data and information, analysing and
assessing risk, prescribing and taking action, including regular monitoring and
review;
(b) consideration of any IUU fishing activities within, inter
alia, fish stocks, fleet, geographical area, or fishery that impact
negatively on management and control measures, fisher's income and livelihood,
markets and other relevant factors;
(c) consideration of whether the vessels or fleets in question are
flying the flag of a state that has not implemented relevant international
obligations and guidelines; and
(d) in the case of CDS to be developed within a RFMO, the RFMO
should additionally consider the ability of CDS to address the IUU risk due to
potential gaps in its existing conservation and management regimes, including
the effectiveness of current monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS)
measures.
4.5
To improve the transparency of the supply
chain and markets CDS should ensure accurate and verifiable information along
the supply chain. To ensure CDS are reliable, simple, clear and transparent:
(a)
catch certificates should be user friendly
and contain verifiable information that is relevant, necessary and readily
available; and
(b)
a proposed measure should be publicized and
a reasonable time for comments should be given before the measure is adopted.
Adopted measures should be made available on relevant websites.Such notice should include an explanation of how domestic and
imported products are treated to ensure even-handedness.
4.6
Secure electronic systems should be used to reduce
the risk of falsification. The systems should:
(a)
serve as the mechanism of issuance and, validation
of catch certificates by the competent authority and should function as the
repository of catch certificate and supply chain data to allow verification of
information;
(b)
ensure that accurate and verifiable information is
available along the supply chain through cooperation of states involved in it;
(c)
be based on agreed international standards and
formats for information exchange and data management, ensuring that its
components provide for interoperability;
(d)
be flexible, user friendly and minimise the burden
on users. Functions such as routines for uploading of scanned documents,
printing of documents, cancelling documents, and data queries should be
considered;
(e)
include secure access by use of logins and
passwords or by other appropriate means;
(f)
define roles and responsibilities for data inputs
and validation and specify which parts, functions and levels of the system the
individual user or user group may have access to;
(g)
facilitate the documentation flow;
(h)
provide for greater flexibility in the information
requirements; and
(i)
assure support for developing States in the
development and implementation of secure electronic systems.
5.
Cooperation and Notification
5.1
CDS are most
effective when all states involved cooperate in the schemes. States should seek
wide multilateral engagements in the development and implementation of CDS,
based on the risk assessment approach and cost-effectiveness considerations.
Multilateral or regional CDS are preferred.
5.2
States should make every effort to cooperate in the
design, implementation and administration of CDS. Such cooperation should aim
to:
(a)
ensure that the risk assessment is based on clear
objective criteria;
(b)
ensure that imports of fish originate from catches
made in compliance with applicable legislation;
(c)
facilitate the importation of fish and the
verification requirements of catch certificates; and
(d)
provide for the establishment of a framework for
the exchange of information.
5.3 The acceptance of catch certificate should be subject to the
notification by the validating state that:
(a)
it has in place national arrangements for
the implementation, control and enforcement of laws, regulations and
conservation and management measures that must be complied with by fishing
vessels; and
(b)
the competent authority is empowered to
attest to the veracity of the relevant information contained in catch
certificates and to carry out verifications of such certificates on request
from the importing state. The notification should also include the necessary
information to identify and contact the authority. If the
information provided in the notification is incomplete, the importing state or
RFMO should indicate to the state validating the catch certificate, without
delay, which elements are missing and request that it provide a new
notification as soon as possible.
All states involved in
events in the supply chain in the CDS should designate a competent authority to
ensure availability of accurate and verifiable information along the supply
chain.
6.
Recommended Functions and Standards
6.1
The CDS should be
based on a clearly defined objective, enabling determination of the level of
traceability and functions required. It should be designed to meet its
objective and minimize the burden on users.
6.2
The CDS should
clearly specify the species and stocks concerned, wherever applicable, product
types, and exemptions associated with the scheme, and list all applicable
Harmonized System (HS) classifications.
6.3
In the CDS validation
process, different roles of relevant states to authorise, monitor, and control
fishing operations and verify catch, landing, and trade should be fully
recognized, consistent with relevant national and international law,
multilateral measures, instruments and obligations. Validation of the catch
documentation information should be done by a competent authority. According to
the specific circumstances of the fisheries, all relevant states could take
part in the verification of information in the catch documentation. Importing
states may request verification by the competent authorities validating the
catch documentation.
6.4
The CDS should include
requirements for unique, secure document numbers. In the case of split
consignments, or processed products, clear links to the underlying catch
certificate should be available to facilitate verification by importing states.
6.5
When establishing
a CDS, due consideration should be given to:
(a)
applicable
monitoring, control and surveillance requirements;
(b)
relevant standards
for information exchange and data confidentiality;
(c)
use the operative
languages necessary to the efficient and effective function of the CDS; and
(d)
user manuals for
various user groups and provide appropriate training, taking into account, the
special requirements of developing states.
6.6
Core information
elements for CDS are set out in the Annex. To ensure the link between the catch
and the products, information along the supply chain should be included
as appropriate. In specific instances, CDS may incorporate additional elements
as necessary to achieve their objectives.
7.
Cooperation with and Recognition of the Special
Requirements of Developing States
7.1
States should give full recognition to the special
requirements of developing States, in particular the least-developed among them
and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), to ensure that they have the ability
to implement these Guidelines.
7.2 In this regard, States may,
either directly or through international organizations, including RFMO/As,
provide assistance to developing States in order for them to enhance their
ability to, inter alia:
(a)
develop, implement and improve practical and
effective CDS;
(b)
develop an adequate legal and regulatory framework
for CDS;
(c) strengthen institutional organization and infrastructure needed
to ensure effective implementation of CDS;
(d)
build institutional and human resource capacity including
for monitoring and control purposes and for training, at the national and
regional levels, for CDS; and
(e)
participate in international organizations.
7.3
States may, either directly or through FAO, assess
the special requirements of developing States to implement these guidelines
including the needs for assistance identified in subparagraph 7.2.
7.4
States may cooperate to establish appropriate
funding mechanisms to assist developing States to implement these guidelines.
These mechanisms may be directed specifically towards the needs for assistance
identified in subparagraph 7.2.
7.5
States may establish an ad hoc working group to
periodically report and make recommendations on the establishment of funding
mechanisms.
7.6
Cooperation with and among developing States for
the purposes set out in these guidelines may include the provision of technical
and financial assistance, including South-South Cooperation (SSC).
ANNEX
Information
elements for Catch Certificates and
additional
information along the supply chain
1.
When considering the data elements to be included
in the catch certificates, due consideration should be given to the fisheries
concerned, the outcome of the risk assessment, the objective of the CDS and the
complexity of the supply chain. Core elements include:
(a) Unique and secure identification of document
(b) Information
on catch and landing (fishing vessel or vessel group (SSF), species, catch
area, landing information etc.)
(c) Transshipment
at sea or in port, as appropriate (donor and receiving vessel, area, date)
(d) Description
of exported product(s) (product type, weight)
(e) Issuing
Authority validating the catch certificate, including contact details
(f) Exporter
identity and contact details
(g) Importer
identity and contact details
(h) Export
and transport details
2.
In addition to the core elements, elements unique
to re-export and processing:
(a) Link to originating catch certificate
(b) Description of imported products(s)
(c) Description of re-exported or processed product(s)
(d) Issuing Authority validating the re-export or processing statement,
as appropriate, including contact details
