135. The Conference, at its Thirteenth Session (1965), decided to increase the number of Council Seats from twenty-seven to thirty-one and to that effect adopted amendments to Article V-1 of the Constitution and to Rule XXII-1(b) of the General Rules of the Organization. The Conference further
“…requested that before its Fourteenth Session, the Council take measures to:
prepare for the Conference proposals to increase by three the number of Council members, one of these seats being allocated to the Region of Asia and the Far East, the second to the European Region, and the third to the Near East Region;
draft the necessary amendment to the Constitution and instruct the Director-General to circulate it to Member Governments at least 120 days before the opening of the Conference Session, and also draft the consequential amendments to the General Rules of the Organization so that the increase in the number of Council seats could be effected at the Fourteenth Session.”
136. The Council had before it document CL 47/20 which contained the text of two draft amendments to Article V-1 of the Constitution and Rule XXII-1(b) of the General Rules of the Organization, respectively. After having considered the afore-mentioned texts, the Council decided to recommend to the Conference the adoption of the following resolution:
DRAFT RESOLUTION FOR THE CONFERENCE
Increase in the Number of Council Seats
THE CONFERENCE
Recalling that it requested the Council, at its Thirteenth Session, to prepare proposals to increase by three the number of Council Members, and to draft a necessary amendment to the Constitution to be circulated by the Director-General to Member Governments at least 120 days before the opening of the Fourteenth Session of the Conference;
Having examined the draft amendment to Article V-1 of the Constitution and the consequential amendment to Rule XXII-1(b) of the General Rules of the Organization, recommend by the Council;
Adopts the following amendments to the Constitution and the General Rules of the Organization (underlined words to be added, [bracketed] words to be deleted);
Article V-1 of the Constitution
“A Council of the Organization consisting of [thirty-one] thirty-four Member Nations shall be elected by the Conference…”
Rule XII-1(b) of the General Rules of the Organization
“The Conference shall make such provisions as will ensure that the terms of office of [ten] eleven members of the Council shall expire in each of two successive calendar years and [eleven] twelve in the third calendar years.”
Reaffirms its decision, taken at the Thirteenth Session, that one of the additional Council seats shall be allocated to the Region of Asia and the Far East, the second to the European Region, and the third to the Near East Region.
137. The Council requested the Director-General to circulate the above draft amendments to Member Governments at least 120 days before the opening of the Fourteenth Session of the Conference.
138. At its Thirteenth Session (1965), the Conference in order to save time on the voting for uncontested Council seats, suspended Rule XII-9(a) of the General Rules of the Organization so that such seats could be filled by clear general consent without the formality of a ballot. The Conference requested the Council to consider Rule XII-9(a) with a view to amending it so that in the future the Conference would not need to cast ballots for uncontested Council seats.
139. At its Forty-Sixth Session (December 1965) the Council referred the question to the Committee on Constitutional and Legal Matters (CCLM) whose Report thereon was submitted to the Council (document CL 47/21).
140. The Council noted the information and arguments contained in the CCLM's Report which militated in favor of leaving the procedure for the election of members of the Council unchanged, and therefore endorsed the CCLM's recommendation that no amendment should be made to Rule XII-9(a). The Council also asked the Director-General to examine possible practical arrangements that might be made in order to avoid loss of time at the Conference while elections to the Council were being held; for example the continuation of the debate while voting was taking place.
141. The Council recalled that, following the elections to the above two Council committees conducted by the Council at its Forty-Sixth Session some delegates had expressed the view that these elections had not always resulted in equitable geographical distribution of membership. The Council considered that it was not yet in a position to take a final decision regarding the membership of the two committees, which would in any case involve changes in the General Rules of the Organization. Acordingly, it requested the Director-General to present a more complete document to its Forty-Eighth Session, taking into account the views expressed by Member Nations and the two committees. The Council expected that, with more time to study the question, it would then be in a position to make more reasoned and useful recommendations to the Fourteenth Session of the Conference.
1 Agenda item 22 (see Appendix A).
142. Establishment of Technical Committees of the Fourteenth Session of the Conference. In accordance with Rule XV-3 of the General Rules of the Organization, the Conference at its Thirteenth Session had decided to establish the following six Technical Committees of the Conference, open to all delegations of Member Nations and Associate Members at its Fourteenth Session (1967):
| Technical Committee on Agriculture | (Animal Production and Health; Land and Water Development; Plan Production and Protection; Atomic Energy in Agriculture) |
| Technical Committee on Economics | (Commodities; Economic Analysis; Rural Institutions and Services; Statistics) |
| Technical Committee on Fisheries | (Fisheries) |
| Technical Committee on Forestry | (Forestry) |
| Technical Committee on Nutrition | (Nutrition and Home Economics) |
| Technical Committee on Public Relations and Legal Affairs | (Legal Counsel; Conference and Operations; Liaison and Protocol; Legislation Research; Library; Public Information; Publications) |
143. The Council recommended that delegates attending the different Technical Committees should have specialized knowledge in the various subjects listed above.
144. Timing of Meetings of Technical Committees. The Technical Commitees will convene immediately prior to the formal opening of the Fourteenth Session of the Conference. The precise timetable will be determined by the Council at its Forty-Eighth Session (June 1967).
145. Functions of Technical Committees. The functions of the six Technical Committees of the Conference will be as laid down in Rule XV-3 of the General Rules of the Organization, i.e.:
review the activities of the biennium coming to an end, relating to the regular, technical assistance and other programs;
consider from a technical standpoint the different chapters of the draft program of work for the ensuing biennium;
consider the trends in the program of work beyond the ensuing biennium, and
study such items as may be specifically referred to them by the Council.
146. The Council stressed that the Technical Committees should give adequate attention not only to the draft programs of work for the ensuing biennium mentioned in para. 145 (b) above, but also to each of the other functions listed in (a), (c) and (d).
147. Agenda for the Technical Committees. The agenda for the Technical Committees will be determined by the Council at its Forty-Eighth Session in June 1967. The agenda should not subsequently be amended except for the inclusion, if necessary, of sub-items. In this way delegations will know in advance the items to be considered by the Technical Committees and can prepare adequately for the Committee discussion.
148. The Director-General was requested to place draftsof these agendas before the Council at the June 1967 Session, for consideration and and adoption. Items which the Director-General may consider need special attention can either be highlighted or alternatively be specifically referred by the Council in June to the Technical Committee concerned in accordance with para. 145 (d) above.
149. Documentation for Technical Committees and Order of Discussion. The Council agreed with the Program Committee that the basic documents for the Technical Committees should consist of The Work of FAO, which should be an accountability report for the concluding biennium, and the review of development programs requested under Conference Resolution 8/65. The first of these documents should as far as feasible present the material in concise tabular and graphic form.
150. The Council also decided that the Technical Committees should review first the activities of the biennium coming to an end, then turn to the program for the ensuing biennium, and from there proceed to an examination of future trends.
151. The Council noted that the Program Committee also had drawn attention to the time spent on oral presentation of divisional and branch programs and reviews by staff members. The Council stressed that the necessary documentation should be distributed early enough for study by delegations prior to the opening of the Technical Committee meetings. The Council considered that if this were done, the presentation of divisional programs could be concisely undertaken by the division directors, with branch chiefs being available to respond to questions as required.
152. In this connection, attention was also drawn to Conference Resolution 33/63 concerning the avoidance of laudatory expressions; while the request contained in this Resolution had been drawn to the attention of Technical Committee members at the opening of the Thirteenth Session, there had been some occasions during the Session when chairmen of Technical Committees had had to remind delegates of the Resolution's terms.
153. Officers of Technical Committees. Each Technical Committee will appoint its own chairman and two or more vice-chairmen from amongst the delegations attending the committee meetings.
154. At its Forty-Eighth Session (June 1967) the Council will appoint a committee rapporteur for each Technical Committee. If any changes in nominations become necessary after the Forty-Eighth Session because the persons designated are not available, the Director-General will consult with the Chairman of the Council and the Chairman of the Program Committee to make alternative nominations.
155. Each committee rapporteur will be responsible for drawing up the report of the Technical Committee to which he is appointed, in accordance with the instructions set out in paras. 156 to 160 below, and will act as assistant to the General Rapporteur on the Work of the Technical Committees (see paras. 160 to 165 below). Each committee may, if it so desires, also appoint a small drafting sub-committee to assist the committee rapporteur in the compilation of the report of the Technical Committee.
156. Reports of the Technical Committees. The Technical Committees' reports should contain four sections based on the terms of reference set out in para. 10 above. The sections on the activities of the biennium coming to an end, the program of work for the ensuing biennium and future trends should be the subject of across-the-board treatment division by division.
157. Matters, in any, that require formal Conference action should be set out, preferably at the end of each divisional section, and be treated as fully as adequate reporting would warrant.
158. It is essential that the reports of the Technical Committees should be much shorter than in the past and be drawn up in conformity with these instructions, as completed by Resolution 33/63 of the Twelfth Session of the Conference.
159. As has been the case at recent Conference Sessions, the reports of the Technical Committees will not be formally presented to Commission II. Instead, the report of the General Rapporteur will be placed before Commission II. The reports of the six Technical Committees will, however, be available to the delegates and to the Director-General for reference purposes.
160. General Rapporteur on the Work of the Technical Committees. The function of the General Rapporteur on the Work of the Technical Committees is to prepare for action of the Conference within the area of responsibility of Commission II, and for Conference pronouncements on the salient points relating to policy, trends and methodology. The General Rapporteur can give valuable assistance to the Commission by enumerating and expounding specific matters and by collating the common salient features in the Technical Committees' reports. In addition the General Rapporteur, by confining himself to such considerations based on Technical Committees' reports that lend temselves to analysis along the lines of his requirements, will also be able to fulfil his task more easily. The General Rapporteur should take an active part in the drafting and adoption of these reports by the respective committee.
161. The General Rapporteur's report should follow the format of the reports of the Technical Committees, bringing out for consideration by Commission II only those matters upon which formal approval by the Conference is required, as well as salient points of the committees' reports which have a bearing upon the Program of Work and Budget for the ensuing biennium or considerations which affect the policies and operations of the Organization as a whole.
162. The Council also decided that as at the previous session of the Conference the conclusions of the Technical Committees should be presented to Commission II by the General Rapporteur and not by the chairmen of these committees. It is desirable that the Technical Committee chairmen and rapporteurs should be present at the discussion of their reports so as to be able to give supplementary explanation if required. The report of the General Rapporteur should be prepared in such a way that it can serve as the basis for the report of Commission II.
163. The Program Committee had recognized the burden placed upon the General Rapporteur on the Work of the Technical Committees. The Council concurred in this and agreed, as stated above (para. 155), that the rapporteurs of the Technical Committees will also serve as assistants to the General Rapporteur. In this way the General Rapporteur can ensure through the assistant rapporteurs that the instructions of the Council regarding the method of work and reporting by the Technical Committees is carried out, and the General Rapporteur's own report to Commission II prepared in accordance with the directives laid down.
164. The Council requested the Director-General to provide adequate staff assistance (both professional and secretarial) to the General Rapporteur and to the rapporteurs of the Technical Committees, so that their work might be accomplished expeditiously.
165. The Program Committee had also recommended that the General Rapporteur on the Work of the Technical Committees should not be asked also to serve as Rapporteur of Commission II. The Council agreed to this recommendation and transmits it to the Fourteenth Session of the Conference for its consideration.
166. Limitation of Resolutions. The Council recommended that both in the Technical Committees and in Commissions of the Conference, as well as in other bodies of the Organization, the number of resolutions be kept to a minimum and that they be confined solely to formal matters as follows:
proposals of amendment of the Constitution, General Rules and Financial Regulations of the Organization;
recommendations regarding the adoption of international conventions or agreements;
establishment of commissions, committees and working parties of Member Nations and Associate Members or of individuals appointed in their personal capacity, and proposals regarding the statutes, terms of reference and reporting procedures of the foregoing bodies;
convening of general, regional, technical or other conferences, consultations or ad hoc working parties, laying down their terms of reference and reporting procedures;
recommendations or decisions involving commitments by the Organization or regarding certain financial matters such as Working Capital Fund, scale of contributions, adoption of audited accounts;
the adoption of the Program of Work and Budget for the ensuing biennium, which will cover the entire Program and Budget for 1968/69. (It will therefore not be necessary for each Technical Committee to draft a separate resolution regarding the Program and Budget for the sector of work covered by the committee concerned, although each committee would be expected to include in its report an expression of views regarding the technical merits and balance of the program.)
167. Resolutions Committee of the Conference. The Council concurred with the Program Committee's recommendation that the membership of the Resolutions Committee of the Conference at the Fourteenth Session include four members of the General Committee of the Conference, selected by that Committee and also the chairmen of the Program, Finance and Constitutional and Legal Committees.
168. The functions of the Resolutions Committee will be, as heretofore, to examine all draft resolutions whatever their origin before they are submitted to the Commissions or the Plenary of the Conference for approval, and where desirable revise or consolidate them, or recommend that the substance be incorporated in the text of the report.
169. The Resolutions Committee will be responsible to the General Committee of the Conference. These recommendations as well as the existence and functions of this Committee should be brought to the notice of the delegates attending the Conference, its Commissions and Technical Committees at the opening of their meetings.
170. Commission II. The Council requested Commission II, in considering the report of the General Rapporteur on the Work of the Technical Committees, to report and to make recommendation on past, current and prospective activities of the Organization, 1 concerning in particular:
trends of FAO' programs, their implications and the policy conclusions to be drawn;
level of the budget (which would include taking action on recommendation of the Technical Committees which have budgetary implications);
action by Member Nations and Associate Members in connection with specific questions relating to food and agriculture not dealt with by Commission I (e.g., on soil conservation);
matters affecting UN Agencies and other international organizations regarding programs and methods of co-operation;
1 establishment by the Conference of commissions, committees and working parties comprising Member Nations and Associate Members to advise on the formulation and implementation of policy and co-ordinate the implementation of policy;
1 establishment by the Conference of committees and working parties of selected members or of individuals appointed in their personal capacity to study and report on matters pertaining to the purpose of the Organization;
1 determination by the Conference of the terms of reference and reporting procedures of such commissions, committees and working parties;
1 convening by the Conference of general, regional, technical or other conferences and consultations, and the laying down of their terms of reference and reporting procedures.
171. The term “matters requiring Conference action” should be interpreted as covering matters upon which formal Conference action is required under the Constitution and other existing regulations. In this connection, the Rapporteur of Commission II, if one is designated, or alternatively the Chairman of the Commission's Drafting Committee, would need to be able to consult with the Secretary-General of the Conference and the chairmen and secretaries of the individual committees, as well as the Legal Counsel of the Organization, as appropriate, in determining and reporting on the findings that require Conference action in accordance with the aforementioned criteria.
172. At its Thirteenth Session (November-December 1965) the Conference requested the Council to undertake over a four-year cycle the review of all FAO expert committees, working parties and panels of experts on the one hand and of committees and working parties of Governments on the other, to ensure that they are maintained only for the length of time required to accomplish their main purpose and avoid proliferation and duplication of functions (Report of Thirteenth Session, paras. 426–427).
173. The Council had before it a note prepared by the Director-General providing some of the background information needed to undertake the first stage of this review (CL 47/6 and CL 47/6 -Add. 1). In addition, the Director-General's note recommended certain specific action for the Council to take forthwith, with a view to bringing a number of matters in line with the decisions of the Conference and the existing constitutional provisions. To the Director-General's note was appended the Directory of FAO Statutory Bodies, 1966, in which details of all the statutory bodies concerned were given.
174. Bodies Dissolved or to be Abolished. In accordance with the Conference recommendation referred to above, the Director-General had examined the list of statutory bodies and reported on those which had now been dissolved as a result of Conference or Council action and those which he proposed might be abolished because they had accomplished their main task or duplicated the function of other existing bodies.
175. The Council accordingly agreed to the dissolution or abolition of the following bodies:
Working Partyon the Rational Utilization of Tuna Resources in the Atlantic Ocean
Joint Teak Sub-Commission
Working Party on Watershed Management
Committee on Silvicultural and Forest Management Research
Working Party on Techniques of Forest Extension and Restoration
Committee on Forest Research
Committee on Watershed Management and Torrent Control
Ad Hoc Working Party on Savana Forestry
Soil Resources Committee for South America
FAO Eastern African Desert Locust Control Sub-Committee
ECA Working Party on Rural Youth
176. In addition, the Council noted that the FAO Arabian Peninsular Desert Locust Control Sub-Committee would disappear when the Near East Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust is established.
177. The Council noted that the problem of proliferation of statutory bodies was a matter of concern and requested that the continuation of other existing bodies be given careful consideration in the light of the request of the Thirteenth Session of the Conference. The continuation of any statutory body should be based inter alia upon the value and upon the importance of the subject matter and the needs of the Member Nations of the Organization or of the members of the region concerned.
178. Functions of General Fisheries Council for the Mediterranean (GFCM) and European Inland Fisheries Advisory Commission (EIFAC). The Conference had also requested the Director-General to examine whether there was an overlap between the functions of the General Fisheries Council for the Mediterranean and the European Inland Fisheries Advisory Commission in relation to fish culture and if necessary to make proposals for revision of their terms of reference (see Report of Thirteenth Session, para. 251). The question was examined by EIFAC at its Fourth Session (9–14 May 1966), which concluded that it would be necessary to maintain the Inland Waters Committee of GFCM with functions more specific than at present. These functions will be examined by GFCM at its next session, scheduled for May 1967, and the matter reported upon to the Council when it again reviews FAO's statutory bodies.
179. In this connection, the Program Committee had drawn attention (CL 47/29, paragraph 79) to the fact that “in certain areas, and specifically in the Mediterranean, problems arose through the existence of two or more intergovernmental bodies having overlapping terms of reference and activities in the field of marine science, and it was suggested that FAO might take the initiative in attempts to resolve such problems with the sole view of achieving the highest efficiency.”
180. Bodies which had not been Officially Established, As a result of the amendment of the Constitution and General Rules of the Organization at the Eighth, Ninth and Thirteenth Conference Session, the existing bodies had been progressively brought within the terms of the revised provisions.
181. However, for various reasons certain of these bodies as set out below were still outside these provisions: 1
Working Party on Animal Production and Health in the Americas
Working Party on Animal Production and Health in the Near East
Working Party on Animal Production and Health in the Far East
Soil Correlation Committee for Latin America
Working Party on the Control of Olive Pests
Commission on Wheat and Barley Improvement and Production in the Near East
Working Party on the Development of the Grazing and Fodder Resources of the Near East
Working Party on Mediterranean Pasture and Fodder Development
Working Party on Pasture and Fodder Development in Tropical America
1 Details of these bodies are given in the Directory of FAO Statutory Bodies, 1966.
182. The Council decided to take no action to give these bodies official status at this time, and requested that the Director-General continue to convene ad hoc conferences or consultations until such time as the Council reached a decision on the action to take in regard to these bodies.
183. In this connection, and in the light of para. 200 below, the Council drew the attention of FAO's regional and technical conferences and statutory bodies to the problems which could be created by the establishment of additional regional commissions and of committees and working parties of selected members, and requested that recommendations to establish such bodies be kept to the minimum.
184. Joint Bodies: The Council noted that in the case of joint bodies with other agencies, where no special rules of procedure had been adopted, the Director-General will seek the co-operating agency's agreement on the use of FAO's General Rules, in accordance with the request of the Conference (see Report of Thirteenth Session, paras. 422 and 423).
185. The Council took note of document CL 47/6 Add.1 relating to a proposal that a joint FAO/UNCTAD Working Partyon Forest and Timber Products be established, and requested the Director-General to negotiate with UNCTAD the formal establishment of such a body insofar as FAO was concerned, and to report thereon to the Council.
186. Reduction in the Number of Conferences and Sessions of Statutory Bodies. Both the Conference and many individual delegates had commented on the large number of FAO sessions which both delegates and staff had to prepare for and attend. The financial burden of sending delegations to sessions was another factor which Governments had to take into consideration. At the same time the Council noted with satisfaction the steps taken by the Director-General to ensure that sessions of statutory bodies and ad hoc conferences and consultations are planned so as to render participation by Governments and staff as effective as possible, as requested by the Conference (Report of the Thirteenth Session, para. 313).
187. In this connection the Council noted that although the statutes of most of FAO's commissions, committees and working parties did not lay down any specific periodicity for convening sessions, in many instances the custom of holding annual or biennial sessions had grown up; the Council requested the Director-General also to examine critically whether in certain cases less frequent sessions might be held without impairing the work of the Organization. The possibility of conducting some of the business by correspondence should be examined more closely.
188. The Council also noted that the Director-General was carrying out a close survey of FAO's committees of experts, working parties of experts and panels of experts, and would make specific recommendations to the Council on this matter at a later date.
189. Regional Bodies. Under Article VI-1 of the Constitution, a statutory body open to all Member Nations and Associate Members of a given region is called a “Regional Commission.” The following bodies, which are open to such membership, do not follow this nomenclature:
Working Party on Animal Production and Health in Africa
Working Party on Land and Water Use in the Near East
Regional Working Party on Farm Management for Asia and the Far East
Committee on Horticultural Production in the Near East and North Africa
FAO/ECE/Conference of European Statisticians Study Group on Food and Agricultural Statistics in Europe
190. In order to bring these bodies in line with the Constitution, the Council decided that they should be renamed “Regional Commissions.”
191. The Director-General had drawn attention to the fact that in the case of the Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission, established by the Conference at its Fifth Session (1949), the Conference had not defined the region to be covered, which is of course not one of the seven FAO Regions (i.e. Africa, Asia and Far East, Europe, Latin America, Near East, North America, and South-West Pacific). The Council therefore adopted as a definition of the region the following, which will be incorporated into the statutes of the Commission:
“For the purposes of the Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission, the Asia-Pacific Region comprises the territories included in the FAO Asia and Far East Region and the South-West Pacific Region, as well as the territories in the Pacific Ocean lying west of the American continents.”
192. Some anomalies in the membership of the Regional Commissions arise from the fact that certain countries, previously in the Near East Region, transferred to the African Region when it was established in 1959. Thus Ethiopia, previously a member of the Near East Region, is still a member of certain Near East commissions established under Article VI-1. The Council agreed with the Director-General's suggestion that in such cases no change should be made in the membership of such Nations, unless there is an equivalent regional commission in the African Region of which they can become members.
193. A similar situation arises in the case of Member Nations lying on the boundaries of the region to which they are assigned. Turkey and Cyprus, although in the European Region for other purposes, are members of the Near East Forestry Commission. Since those countries have forestry problems in common with both the European and the Near East Region, the Council agreed that they continue to belong to both commissions.
194. Finally, there is a special problem in the case of the South-West Pacific Region, since there are no statutory bodies established specifically for this region. The Council therefore agreed that the Member Nations of that region should be permitted to become members of commissions, committees and working parties in neighboring regions when the subject matter is of interest to them.
195. Continuation of Council Review of Statutory Bodies. With regard to the second stage of the review by the Council of FAO's statutory bodies, the Council appreciated the information set out in the Director-General's note and in the Directory of FAO Statutory Bodies, 1966. In order to be in a position to undertake a more detailed review and to make positive recommendations to the Conference, the Council requested the Director-General to prepare supplementary information on the existing statutory bodies and their subsidiaries, setting out (i) the achievements of those bodies during the preceding four-year period 1964/67, and (ii) the relation between the activities of these bodies and the activities proposed in the draft Program of Work and Budget 1968/69.
196. The Council realized that the completion of this task would require some time, and therefore decided that the second stage of its review should be undertaken at its Forty-Ninth Session scheduled for October 1967. The additional information might be appended to the 1967 edition of the Directory of FAO Statutory Bodies, due to be issued in the early summer of 1967.
197. The Council also requested that the Director-General ensure that this additional information, together with the 1967 edition of the Director of FAO Statutory Bodies, be circulated sufficiently in advance of the Forty-Ninth Session to enable Members of the Council to study the documents prior to the session.
198. Finally the Council commended the decision of the Committee on Commodity Problems to reexamine the criteria for the establishment of commodity study groups (CL 47/3, para. 103), and recommended caution in the multiplication of such study groups except where absolutely necessary. Similarly, in considering the Report of the Committee on Fisheries (CL 47/5), some delegations had warned that Committee against the tendency to augment the number of its subsidiary bodies except where the Organization was fully satisfied with the necessity of creating new statutory bodies and sub-bodies. The Council accordingly requested the Director-General to elaborate draft criteria which could be applied to the establishment of all statutory bodies for presentation to the Council at its Forty-Ninth Session.
199. Bodies Composed of Non-Governmental Organizations and Private Institutions. The following bodies were included for information in Section IV of the Directory of Statutory Bodies, 1966.
The Advisory Committee of Non-Governmental Organizations on the Freedom from Hunger Campaign
FAO Fertilizer Industry Advisory Panel
The Council noted that Article VI did not permit the establishment of bodies of non-governmental organizations or private institutions, and requested the Committee on Constitutional and Legal Matters to look into this with a view to including a constitutional solution to the inclusion of these bodies in the framework of the Organization.
200. The Council took note of document CL 47/19 regarding the establishment of an Asia and Far East Working Party on Agricultural Extension. While there was unanimous recognition of the importance of agricultural extension work in all the developing regions, some members of the Council felt that this work could be equally well achieved in the Asia and Far East Region by continuing the present system of holding ad hoc regional conference on agricultural extension. However, other members of the Council, noting the wish of the Member Nations of the region concerned as expressed at the Seventh Regional Conference for Asia and the Far East in 1964, recommended the establishment of a permanent body in this field.
1 Agenda item 21(b). See also para. 183 above.
201. The Council accordingly decided to establish a permanent body which, in accordance with the nomenclature used in the Constitution, would be called the Regional Commission on Agricultural Extension for Asia and the Far East. The Council accordingly adopted the following resolution:
Resolution No. 2/47
REGIONAL COMMISSION ON AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION FOR ASIA AND THE FAR EAST
THE COUNCIL
Considering that the Ninth Session of the International Rice Commission (Manila, 2–6 November 1964) requested the Director-General of FAO “to organize a Working Party on Agricultural Extension in the Far East Region for the purpose of accelerating the tempo of agricultural production, with special emphasis on rice,”
Considering further that the Seventh FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Far East (Manila, 7–21 November 1964) emphasized the need for strengthening and improving agricultural extension services in the Region and drew attention to the recommendation made to this effect by the International Rice Commission at its Ninth Session,
Being aware that extension services are an important factor to induce farmers to apply research findings and other available knowledge for the improvement of agricultural production,
Recognizing that regular exchange of information and experience among countries of the Region will facilitate the improvement of the existing organization and methods of extension work, and believing that this can be stimulated by the establishment of a Commission composed of Member Governments of the Region,
Hereby establishes under Article VI, paragraph 2 of the Constitution of the Organization a Regional Commission to be known as the Regional Commission on Agricultural Extension for Asia and the Far East, the statutes of which shall be as follows:-
The terms of reference of the Commission shall be to study and report upon questions relating to the development of agricultural extension in the Asia and the Far East Region, with particular emphasis on rice production.
Membership in the Commission shall be open to all Member Nations and Associate Members of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations whose territories are situated wholly or partly in the Asia and Far East Region as defined by the Organization. Membership shall comprise such elegible Member Nations and Associate Members as have notified the Director-General of the Organization of their desire to be considered as members.
The Commission shall report and make recommendations to the Council through the Director-General, it being understood that copies of each report, including any conclusions and recommendations, will be circulated to interested Member Governments and international organizations for their information as soon as they become available.
The Commission may adopt and amend its own rules of procedure which shall be in conformity with the Constitution and the General Rules of the Organization and with the statement of principles governing commissions and committees, adopted by the Conference. The rules of procedure and amendments thereto shall come into force upon approval by the Director-General subject to confirmation by the Council.
Other statutory provisions and in particular the participation as observers of Member Nations and Associate Members that are not members of the Commission, of non-Member Nations of FAO that are members of the United Nations, and of international organizations shall be governed by the relevant provisions of the Principles adopted by the Conference regarding the establishment of Commission under Article VI-1 of the Constitution.
202. The Council noted that, as suggested by the Program and Finance Committees (CL 47/4, para. 8), the Director-General had communicated with the Member Governments concerned to obtain their views both regarding the establishment of such a body and the form it might take in in order best to perform its functions. The number of replies so far received was insufficient to make any recommendation on the question. Accordingly the Council deferred further consideration of this item until its Forty-Eighth Session (June 1967). The Council also requested that at an appropriate stage the legal and constitutional implications of the establishment of such a body be looked at by the Committee on Constitutional and Legal Matters.
203. See paragraphs 63–70 above.
204. See paragraph 48 above.
205. The Council reviewed the history of collaboration with IMCO in this field and noted that the conclusion of the FAO/IMCO Relationship Agreement, which was approved by the Forty-Third Session of the Council and confirmed by the Thirteenth Session of the FAO Conference, now made possible the development of existing ad hoc arrangements into a more concrete form, and noted that in a draft Resolution contained in document CL 47/28 the creation of a Joint FAO/IMCO Committee on the Safety of Fishing Vessels was proposed.
206. Two Council Members were of the opinion that questions of safety of fishing vessels at sea could well be left to the Maritime Safety Committee of IMCO and its sub-committees, in whose activities FAO would continue to be able to participate without the creation of a new body. However, a consensus emerged in support of the draft resolution. The two Members who had reservations as to the desirability of setting up the Joint Committee expressed the hope that such action would not lead to an excessive use of joint committees in the future.
1 Agenda item 16.
2 Agenda item 7.
3 Agenda item 15.
4 Agenda item 12.
207. The Council accordingly adopted the following resolution:
Resolution No. 3/47
ESTABLISHMENT OF JOINT FAO/IMCO COMMITTEE ON THE SAFETY OF FISHING VESSELS
THE COUNCIL
Noting the common interest of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO) in the safety of fishermen and fishing vessels;
Recalling Recommendation 4 of the International Conference on Safety of Life at Sea 1960 whereby Contracting Governments are recommended to transmit to the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization information as to the extent to which they have found it practicable to apply the appropriate provisions of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea 1960 to fishing vessels, with a view to such information being disseminated to Contracting Governments and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; and
Noting that such information has now been furnished; and
Considering that Article III of the Relationship Agreement between FAO and IMCO provides for the creation of joint commissions or committees; and
Considering further that it would be desirable for FAO and IMCO to set up a Joint Committee on Safety of Fishing Vessels through the concerted action of their governing bodies;
Acting, as regards FAO, under the terms of Article VI, paragraph 2 of the FAO Constitution;
Decides, subject to the approval of the competent organs of IMCO, to set up a Joint FAO/IMCO Committee to be composed of eight nations, four to be selected by the FAO Council from among Member Nations and Associate Members of FAO and four to be selected by IMCO;
Further decides that the Joint Committee shall consider such matters relating to the safety of fishing vessels as are referred to it by FAO or IMCO, particularly matters arising from the work of the Maritime Safety Committee of IMCO on which that Committee invites the views of the Joint Committee, and shall express its views and recommendations in its reports to be submitted in accordance with Article III-4 of the Relationship Agreement between FAO and IMCO;
Requests the Director-General to take, in consultation with the Secretary-General of IMCO, all necessary steps, in the light of Article III of the Relationship Agreement between FAO and IMCO and of the provisions and principles of FAO governing the activities of bodies established under Article VI of the Constitution, in order to ensure the proper functioning of the Committee.
208. The Council endorsed the proposal that Member Nations and Associate Members of FAO or IMCO that are not Members of the Joint Committee may be invited upon request to attend meetings of the Committee in an observer capacity.
209. The Council noted that its initiative in establishing a Working Party for the Rational Utilization of Tuna Resources in the Atlantic Ocean and its subsequent recommendation to the Thirteenth Session of the Conference that a conference of plenipotentiaries be called for the purpose of establishing a Commission for the conservation of tuna and tuna-like fishes in the Atlantic Ocean had resulted in the adoption of an International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, providing for the creation of such a Commission.
210. The Council stressed the importance of the Convention for the future for the tuna fisheries in the Atlantic area and urged all interested Governments to take the necessary measures for becoming parties to the Convention as quickly as possible. A number of Members of the Council stated that they were already taking steps in this direction. The Delegation of Argentina stated that its Government had not adhered to the Convention, as it considered that the approved text of such Convention did not reserve the rights of the coastal States.
211. The Council noted a recommendation by the Regional Fisheries Advisory Commission for the South West Atlantic (CARPAS) referred to in para. 28 of the Report of the First Session of the Committee on Fisheries (CL 47/5). This recommendation contained a request that the Director-General of FAO take the necessary steps for a revision of its statutes along lines which would ensure the active co-operation of all the countries whose fishing fleets frequent the CARPAS “Statistical Area” or undertake fishery research in that Area. This recommendation appeared to be closely related to the general question of the proper basis for regional fishery bodies, which was receiving attention by the Committee on Fisheries and its Sub-Committee on the Development of Co-operation with International Organizations concerned with Fisheries. The Council found itself in agreement with the proposal of the Director-General to await further clarification of the principles involved by the Committee on Fisheries before presenting specific proposals to the Council. The Council felt, however, that the recommendation made by CARPAS was in line with the Council's own view regarding membership of regional fishery bodies.
212. The Program Committee had noted that the Committee on Fisheries had at its First Session held in June 1966 adopted its Rules of Procedure in accordance with Rule XXX-9 of the General Rules of the Organization. The Program Committee had asked the Council to consider whether it would not be desirable for these Rules of Procedure to be modified in order to reflect expressly the substance of paragraph 7 of Rule XXX, which provides that recommendations of the Committee on Fisheries affecting the program or finances of the Organization shall be reported to the Council with the comments of the appropriate subsidiary committees of the Council.
213. The Council decided to request the Committee of Fisheries to amend Rule VI-1 of its Rules of Procedure at its forthcoming session, so as to read as follows - the words underlined being added:
“At each session, the Committee shall approve a report to the Council embodying its views, recommendations and decisions, including, when requested, a statement of minority views. Any recommendation adopted by the Committee which affects the program or finances of the Organization shall be reported to the Council with the comments of the appropriate subsidiary committees of the Council.”
214. The Council noted that the Committee on Fisheries at its First Session had established a Working Party on the Rational Utilization of Fishery Resources in the Indican Ocean in accordance with Rule XXX-10 of the FAO Council, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics be invited to membership in the Working Party.
215. The Council agreed that the USSR should be invited to become a member of the Working Party and approved in advance its admission if a positive reply to the invitation were received from the USSR.
216. The Council noted that the Committee on Fisheries will hold its Second Session from April 24 to 29, 1967 and anticipating that the USSR will again request an invitation to attend this session as an observer the Council authorized the Director-General to issue an invitation to the USSR accordingly, if such a request were received.
217. The Council authorized the Director-General to invite the USRR to attend the FAO World Scientific Conference on the Biology and Culture of Shrimps and Prawns in Mexico City in June 1967 in an observer capacity, if a request to this effect were received.
218. The Council considered a number of amendments which were required to be made to the Statures of the Codex Alimentarius Commission consequent upon the incorporation of the FAO/WHO Food Standards Program into the Regular Programs of Work and Budget of FAO and WHO. After examining the proposed amendments and incorporating other amendments suggested by various delegations, the Council adopted the revised Statutes of the Codex Alimentarius Commission as contained in Appendix D.
219. The Council was informed that the Director-General had received requests from several Member Nations of FAO which were not members of the Committee to be invited to attend sessions of the Committee in an observer capacity. In accordance with the authority granted to the Council under the pertinent provision of the “Statement of Principles Relating to the Granting of Observer Status to Nations” 1, the Council agreed that Member Nations and Associate Members, which were not members of the Committee could be so invited.
1 Basic Texts, Vol. II, page 5, Section A, para. 4.
2 Agenda item 39, “Other Matters.”
220. The Council also noted that certain non-governmental organizations having official status with FAO will be invited to attend as observers, and that the UN and the Specialized Agencies concerned will be invited to send representatives.
221. The Council noted that the Director-General had invited, as an emergency measure, Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and USSR to attend a session of the European Commission for the Control of Foot and Mouth Disease in 1966, because of the emergency situation which arose between two sessions of the Council.
222. The Council also concurred with the request of the Director-General that these nations be permitted to attend any session of the Commission held before the Forty-Eighth Session of the Council (June 1967).
223. The Council was informed that on certain occasions non-governmental organizations which had no official status with FAO had been invited to attend sessions of certain statutory bodies and conferences organized by the Organization. It decided to look into this question at its next session on the basis of a list prepared by the Director-General of those organizations which had been invited under such circumstances, with any observations and suggestions which the Director-General might wish to make in this respect.
224. The Program Committee had drawn attention to the provisions of Article XIII of the Constitution and Rule XXXV of the General Rules of the Organization 2 in relation to participation by national non-governmental institutions in FAO conferences and sessions of its statutory bodies (CL 47/4, paras. 94–105). The Council concurred with the recommendation of the Program Committee and requested the Director-General to employ these recommendations as guidelines in carrying forward the activities of the Organization. In this connection, the Council confirmed the Committee's request that the draft Program of Work and Budget for 1968/69 include in the lists of conferences and sessions proposed for the biennium a clear indication of the categories of participants to be invited to attend (Member Governments; intergovernmental and international non-governmental organizationshaving relations with FAO; individuals nominated to committees of experts, working parties of experts and panels of experts; participants from national non-governmental institutions).
2 Agenda item 39.
3 Previously this was Rule XXXIV.
225. The Council was informed that as an emergency measure, since there was no time to consult the Council, Singapore had been invited to attend in an observer capacity the Fourth Far East Regional Conference on Animal Production and Health, Nuwara Eliya (Ceylon), 7–16 October 1966.
226. The Council noted that an application for membership in the Organization had been received from the Government of the People's Republic of Bulgaria, and that this application would be before the Fourteenth Session of the Conference in November 1967.
227. The Council authorized the Director-General in the interim to invite Bulgaria to attend in an observer capacity the sessions of the Council held before the Fourteenth Session of the Conference, and also to invite Bulgaria to attend in an observer capacity technical and regional sessions of FAO bodies and ad hoc conferences of interest to it.
228. The Council noted the negotiations with the Organization for African Unity (OAU) regarding the conclusion of a formal relationship agreement and authorized the Director-General to invite OAU to FAO technical conferences, sessions and seminars on a provisional basis pending Conference approval, as soon as he was satisfied that concurrence reached on the draft agreement would, in his view, be acceptable to the Council.
