Last Friday the Council closed its week-long session with a standing ovation having reached consensus on the Programme of Work and Budget. In the past, budget negotiations have extended well beyond the Council session and were only concluded during Conference.

"For the first time FAO members reached consensus on the budget level at Council. Congratulations!" the Director-General said in his closing address to what he described as a "historic" session. "On behalf of FAO, I want to thank you for your trust in the Organization and leadership," he added, applauding the room that then moved to its feet in a standing ovation.

The budget level recommended by the Council for full delivery of FAO's Programme of Work for 2016-2017 amounts to US$1,035.7 million, US$ 30 million dollars more than the current budget.

The Programme of Work and Budget will be presented for formal approval by all Members in June at the FAO Conference.

The Director-General recognized the challenges faced by many member countries and underscored their efforts made in a spirit of collaboration and mutual understanding during the Council meeting. "I recognize the difficult global context and the little margin we had to negotiate. I want to thank all of our Members for the flexibility and readiness shown to support the consensus. We needed it."

The Director-General pointed out, however, that to reach consensus, the Organization needs to find approximately US$ 3 million in further efficiency savings, which is going to be a challenge without negatively impact delivery of programmes given the USD 108 million already found since January 2012.

In addition a proposed US$6.1 million increase to the Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP), specifically to support Small Island Developing States (SIDS) efforts to adapt to climate change, was to be met through voluntary contributions in the next biennium.

A trust fund is already being set up to receive these funds and was presented to Members on Friday. Members also agreed to bring the TCP budget to 14 percent in 2018-19, in line with Conference Resolution 89/9.

On the right track

In its final report for the March 2015 session, Council “underlined the importance of continuity in the strategic direction of the Organization” and said it appreciated "that the transformational changes undertaken at FAO since 2012 had resulted in a more efficient and effective Organization." 

The Deputy Director-General, Operations, Dan Gustafson, welcomed the result of Council and offered some context. “The level of consensus among Members was very high on all key issues on the Council agenda, something that FAO has not had in the past. Agreement at Council on the proposed PWB is unprecedented in the history of the Organization. Members showed that they believe in FAO and have trust in its leadership. This Council was another important step in building a more efficient and effective Organization that significantly contributes to ending hunger and malnutrition and promotes sustainable development.” said Dan Gustafson.

FAO's organizational restructuring proposals were also well received and the importance of consolidating decentralization efforts was emphasized.

Human resources management is part of the transformational change and the “significant progress” in this area was welcomed by Members.

Many of the observations contained in the Council report are in tune with the recent findings of the Multilateral Organisation Performance Assessment Network (MOPAN) - a network of 19 donor countries - which has noted how trust in the Organization has been strengthened and how it has sharpened focus.