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b) Other aspects:

206. The Conference welcomed and approved the other measures proposed by the Director-General which consisted, in broad terms, of:

207. The Conference noted the views of the Finance Committee that the intent was in no way to reduce the amount of both quantitative and qualitative information made available at various stages to Member Nations or to affect the prerogatives of all the concerned bodies. The Conference looked forward to the expected result of a more manageable, transparent and consistent programme-budget process and agreed that these measures should be implemented on an experimental basis and in a pragmatic manner during the 1992-93 biennium, for the 1994-95 budgetary exercise.

D. Review of field programmes 1990-91

208. The Conference expressed its satisfaction with the improved and comprehensive document for the Review (and its two supplements), which provided a useful basis for the discussion. In particular, appreciation was expressed for the inclusion of extensive information on policies which would govern the future orientation of FAO's field activities, and for the presentation of the results of discussions on field activities which had taken place in the Organization's Technical Committees.

209. The Conference noted that FAO's field programmes had risen to record levels in current terms during the biennium, and that there had been growth in all three major categories of FAO's field activities, viz. UNDP, Trust Fund, and TCP-supported projects.

210. Concerning the FAO/UNDP Programme, the Conference noted that future prospects were dependent on the application of the new UNDP Support Costs Successor Arrangements, as well as the outlook for UNDP resources. Regarding the latter, some concern was expressed that, based on the recent UNDP Pledging Conference results, a growth in resources of only some 3.5 percent was likely over the next year, compared to a target growth for UNDP's Fifth Cycle resources of eight percent annually.

211. In viewing the steady expansion of Trust Fund programmes, the Conference noted with satisfaction the programme orientation of many of the projects concerned, with some two-thirds of all Trust Fund activities falling within the framework of FAO's Special Action programmes. The scope for further increases in Unilateral Trust Fund activities in connection with World Bank and other development bank funding was noted, in view of the increased emphasis which these institutions were now placing on technical assistance connected to their lending activities.

212. Concerning the content of Field Programmes, the Conference noted that a rise in the amount of policy advisory and sectoral/sub-sectoral analytical work characterized all major areas of intervention. The Conference urged that this trend be further strengthened, and noted that it would be accelerated by the introduction of the new UNDP support costs arrangements. In this connection, the Conference was informed that the small share shown for policy analysis activities in Chapter Two of the Review (eight percent) underestimated the total value of such activities since many policy advisory and sectoral analysis activities also fell within agricultural technical areas, as well as under forestry and fisheries.

213. In considering the extensive use made of national inputs in FAO assisted projects, the importance of support for TCDC and related initiatives was emphasized. In particular, the usefulness of technical cooperation networks was noted as a practical and cost-effective means of promoting TCDC approaches in FAO's field activities.

214. In reiterating the important role of FAO Country offices in field activities, the Conference underlined the need for close cooperation and coordination among the system's country teams under the framework of the Resident Coordinator Scheme. In this connection, Member Nations expressed support for increased decentralization through the strengthening of FAOR Offices.

215. In reviewing Chapter Three containing a synthesis of some 200 project evaluations undertaken during 1989-90, and a desk review of 58 TCP projects completed during 1986-90, the Conference stressed the importance of evaluation as a management tool for improving the quality of individual field operations as well as for enhancing the overall coherence and effectiveness of FAO's Field Programme. The importance of feedback from evaluation to programming and design of projects was particularly highlighted.

216. The Conference welcomed the steady progress in strengthening the evaluation of field projects, including improvements in the quality of project evaluation reports. While noting with satisfaction the improvements reported regarding project design, the Conference emphasized the scope for further improvements in various aspects of field operations, including project design, in order to ensure their efficient implementation as well as effectiveness in making a sustainable contribution to agricultural and rural development. In this context, the Conference appreciated the brief analysis of sustainability of FAO assisted projects, and encouraged further evaluation work in this respect. In particular, some Member Nations noted the importance of the institutional, policy and socio-economic context to projects' sustainability, and reiterated the need for greater emphasis on impact assessment of FAO field operations through ex post evaluations and sectoral/thematic evaluations.

217. The Conference welcomed the desk review of selected TCP projects, which it found to be informative and forthcoming. It endorsed the findings and conclusions of the desk review in general, and encouraged the implementation of the corrective measures recommended, among which more attention for environmental aspects and reporting on follow-up of TCP projects. Nevertheless, some Member Nations considered that such a desk review, carried out internally on a restricted information base, had its own limitations, especially in providing an objective and in-depth assessment of the impact of TCP projects in terms of their catalytic contribution.

218. Many Member Nations expressed satisfaction with the operations and criteria of the TCP, underlining the value of the timely and pertinent advice and assistance it provided in meeting urgent and unforeseen needs. In their view, the assessment of usefulness by the recipient country itself was the best measure of the Programme's success. They expressed strong regret at the limitations on the expansion of the TCP, deriving from the Organization's financial situation. Others, while recognizing the usefulness of TCP assistance to recipients in emergency situations, expressed the view that TCP criteria should be better defined with regard to non-emergency activities to facilitate rigorous assessment of TCP requests.

219. The Conference underlined the importance of reinforcing the environmental protection and sustainability aspects of FAO's Field Programmes, as described in Chapter Four. It noted that considerable progress had been made in this direction over the biennium, in particular affecting the formulation and design stages of projects and programmes.

220. The Conference expressed its appreciation for the results of the FAO/Netherlands Conference on Agriculture and the Environment, and gave its full support to FAO's substantive contribution to preparations for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, to be held in Brazil in 1992. The Conference urged FAO to further intensify its cooperation with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in particular in the execution of activities in connection with the UNEP Environment Fund.

221. In relation to future policy orientations for Field Programmes as presented in Chapter One and Supplement 1 of the Review, the Conference recognized that the new UNDP Support Costs Successor Arrangements would have significant impact on FAO's future technical cooperation activities. It expressed its appreciation for the strong role which FAO had played in the preparation process for these arrangements, as well as in the on-going consultations with UNDP and the other four agencies concerned (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), International Labour Organisation (ILO), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and United Nations/Department of Technical Cooperation for Development (UN/DTCD)).

222. In noting that the new system was complex compared to the present regime, the Conference recognized that extensive training and briefing activities were required at both Headquarters and field levels. In view of the costs of such activities, Member Nations emphasized that such training should be carried out on a joint basis with UNDP and other agencies wherever possible, and that stress should also be placed on refining and adapting necessary procedures as experience was gained. Several Member Nations noted that, in their view, the total cost estimate for FAO for such training (US$ 1.5 million) was too high.

223. Member Nations emphasized that the UNDP Support Costs Successor Arrangements were closely linked to major policy themes for the UN system's operational activities as set out in United Nations General Assembly Resolution 44/211 which, inter alia, highlighted the importance of placing greater reliance on government-led programme approaches and increased promotion of and reliance on national execution of programmes and projects. In this context, the Conference underlined the need for FAO to shift steadily the focus of its operational support away from administrative and operational services towards greater technical and substantive support, sectoral analysis and policy advice.

224. While recognizing FAO's mandated responsibility to respond to individual requests from Member Nations, the desirability of greater project selectivity, and the concentration of activities in areas where FAO had comparative advantage, were stressed by some Member Nations. Several Member Nations emphasized the importance of the criterion of cost-effectiveness in field operations.

225. In expressing its support for the increased national execution of projects, the Conference called for a gradual approach to the introduction of this modality, taking account of individual country circumstances and different national capacities within sectors and sub-sectors. The Conference underlined that, to be effective and sustainable, the shift towards a more direct and predominant government role in field operations should not be substituted for by an expansion in the project management activities of UNDP field offices, or by an increase in UNDP/Obligations and Payments System (OPS) Services. This would lead to increased costs by duplicating activities which FAO was presently equipped to carry out. Member Nations emphasized the importance of adequate FAO technical support to nationally executed projects in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, as intended under the new arrangements.

226. Recognizing the significant financial and related implications of the UNDP Support Costs Successor Arrangements for FAO, the Conference generally supported the Director-General's request for management flexibility, as experience is gained in dealing with the implementation of the new system. It was emphasized that any changes envisaged should be fully consistent with the Organization's financial regulations, and be submitted for review and approval by the Finance and Programme Committees. In particular, as regarded future possible changes in staff resources for supporting UNDP-funded programmes, it was emphasized that such adjustments as may be necessary should, inter alia, take full account of financial impact on FAO's Regular Programme resources.

227. In taking note of the proposals contained in Supplement 2 of the Review, concerning the need to consider a revised regime for the reimbursement of support costs in respect of Trust Fund projects, the Conference welcomed the intention to analyse such costs as both necessary and timely. In this connection, several Member Nations stressed that the costs of such support services should in principle be borne fully by the Trust Fund projects and programmes concerned. Other Member Nations expressed the view that some degree of cost-sharing was acceptable, as in the case of UNDP-funded programmes, in view of the benefits to Regular Programme activities of such projects and programmes.

228. Many Member Nations expressed the view that the proposed study and recommendations concerning FAO's Trust Fund projects should take account of a similar analysis being prepared for discussion at the Thirty-ninth Session of the UNDP Governing Council in May 1992. To the extent possible, a uniform approach to the application of new support costs arrangements to FAO's Trust Fund programmes was advocated. The Conference concluded that recommendations resulting from the analysis of this matter should be submitted to the FAO Council at its Hundred and second Session through the Programme and Finance Committees.

E. Strategy for fisheries management and development: Progress report

229. The Conference reviewed the second progress report on the implementation of the Strategy for Fisheries Management and Development endorsed by the 1984 FAO World Fisheries Conference. It noted that the document had been prepared in response to the Resolution adopted by that Conference and in accordance with the relevant decisions of the FAO Council and the Twenty-fourth Session of the Conference held in 1987.

230. The Conference welcomed the report which it considered to be well prepared and which contained instructive and valuable information on the progress achieved in implementing the Strategy. It noted that the report had been examined by the Nineteenth Session of the Committee on Fisheries (April 1991) and by the FAO Council at its Ninety-ninth Session (June 1991).

231. The Conference expressed its satisfaction that the Strategy had created a greater awareness of the need for action, and recognized that fisheries was an activity of increasing importance for food security, social and economic progress. It noted that the Strategy had continued to provide valid and useful guidance for the development of appropriate national policies and plans, as well as the basis for fisheries development cooperation programmes.

232. The Conference recognized that a number of member countries had been confronted with extreme economic difficulties during the period following the World Fisheries Conference. It regretted that the assistance provided to developing countries had declined in real terms and called upon the international community to increase its technical and financial assistance to meet their needs in fisheries management and development. The Conference further noted that there was need for increasing allocation for fisheries under the Regular Programme and extra-budgetary resources to meet the ever-growing request for the Organization's technical assistance.

233. The Conference, while generally recognizing the continued validity of the Strategy, agreed that environment and sustainability in fisheries, integrated coastal area management, removal of trade barriers, gender issues and increasing national research capacity be given greater emphasis. It however stressed the non-mandatory nature of the Strategy which should be flexibly applied to address issues requiring greater focus.

234. The Conference underlined the vital importance of training and transfer of appropriate technologies so as to improve the self-reliance of developing countries in planning and implementing fisheries development and management programmes. Special attention was drawn to the critical need for better and more comprehensive biological and socio-economic data, and the strengthening of national capabilities in the assessment and management of fisheries resources. FAO's key role in providing training and advice was reaffirmed, particularly in the planning, research and in the gathering, analysis and dissemination of statistics and other types of information.

235. The Conference agreed that, as research was an integral part of the fisheries management and development process, support to fishery research in developing member countries should be strengthened, especially through training of scientists and technicians within the context of applied research of direct relevance to national needs and in accordance with national policies. It endorsed the view of the Council at its Hundredth Session that FAO should continue its active role in this respect. The Conference also noted with appreciation that the Norwegian Government, in collaboration with FAO and UNDP, would continue to cooperate with developing coastal states, upon request, in the survey and assessment of marine fishery resources in their exclusive economic zones under a new development assistance programme with a newly constructed fishery research vessel replacing R.V. DR FRIDTJOF NANSEN. This would enable these countries to gain a better knowledge of the state of the fish stocks and assist them to achieve self-reliance in fisheries management and development.

236. The Conference noted that coastal areas were the most important from a socio-economic, as well as from a fisheries and environmental, standpoint. There was a need for multi-sectoral collaboration and commitment of resource-users in resource management and conservation. The Conference was informed that integrated coastal area management would be a major theme for UNCED and that FAO had been actively involved in the preparation of documentation in this regard. Furthermore, FAO would be organizing, in cooperation with the Government of Japan, an Expert Consultation on the development of community-based coastal fisheries management in Kobe in 1992.

237. The Conference expressed concern with the situation of high seas fisheries resources. It noted with appreciation the existing close cooperation between the United Nations Office for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UNOALOS) and FAO on high seas issues. Most Member Nations felt that there was evidence of the depletion of high seas fisheries resources by large-scale pelagic driftnet fishing. The Conference stressed the importance of the full implementation of the UN General Assembly Resolutions 44/225 and 45/197.

238. Some Member Nations stressed the importance of maintaining a balance between environmental protection and fisheries development and expressed the view that decisions should be made on the basis of scientific evidence.

239. Noting the complex and delicate nature of issues related to high seas fishing, the Conference endorsed the Council's recommendations to convene a Technical Consultation on High Seas Fishing in 1992, to be followed by an ad hoc government consultation.

240. With regard to the management of Indian Ocean Tuna, the Conference in adopting the amendments to the Basic Texts of the Organization regarding membership of Regional Economic Integration Organizations in FAO, noted that a Diplomatic Conference on the Establishment of an Indian Ocean Tuna Commission would be convened in June 1992.

241. The Conference emphasized the importance of the present and potential contributions of inland fisheries and aquaculture to increased food supplies and employment, particularly for rural communities and in land-locked countries. It called upon international organizations and donors to give increased technical and financial support to these activities through projects.

242. The Conference reiterated the importance of international and regional collaboration with regard to the implementation of fisheries management and control measures. In this connection, it underlined the role of FAO regional fishery bodies and non-FAO bodies. The Conference expressed its particular satisfaction with the initiatives taken by member countries to organize the Second Ministerial Conference on Fisheries Cooperation among African States bordering the Atlantic Ocean (Dakar, Senegal, July 1991) and the Second Ministerial Conference on Fisheries (La Toja, Spain, September 1991). The Conference noted the recommendations of these Conferences which called for cooperation in the conservation of fisheries resources and protection of environment, as well as in the establishment of cost-effective monitoring, control and surveillance of foreign fishing activities.

243. With regard to the opportunities and challenges arising from extended national jurisdiction over fisheries, the Conference observed that for many countries new policies adopted in the light of the UN Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) had produced beneficial and positive results, but in some other countries the effects had been somewhat negative. The Conference noted the steps being taken by the Secretariat to prepare a study on this subject to be published in a special chapter of FAO's annual publication "The State of Food and Agriculture" in 1992, the tenth anniversary of the adoption of UNCLOS.

244. The Conference concluded that the implementation of the World Fisheries Conference Strategy had been satisfactory and successful. It noted with satisfaction that member countries had renewed their commitments to continue to promote their fisheries development policies on the basis of the Strategy.

245. The Conference endorsed the recommendations made by the Committee on Fisheries and the Council that FAO should prepare a special publication summarizing all national reports and relevant debates, and highlighting the benefits derived from, as well as proposals for, a more rapid and efficient implementation of the Strategy, particularly by developing member countries. The Conference also re-affirmed the decision that the progress being achieved in implementing the Strategy should be prepared by the Organization, in collaboration with governments and international organizations at four-yearly intervals. It was agreed that future evaluation report on the Strategy would also include suggestions for modifications to the text so as to accommodate changing circumstances and issues requiring greater focus.

F. Implementation of the review of certain aspects of FAO's goals and operations

General
Selected aspects
Conclusions

General

246. The Conference considered the report of the Director-General in response to Resolution 10/89. It welcomed, in this connection, the views of the Programme and Finance Committees and those of the Council, to which the report had also been submitted at their last September and November sessions, respectively. The Conference also noted that a preliminary progress report, submitted on the initiative of the Director-General, had been considered by the same Committees and the Council during their autumn 1990 sessions.

247. The Conference expressed general satisfaction with the progress achieved in the implementation of its recommendations relating to the FAO Review. It recognized that the Director-General had undertaken action on a broad front, with a phased approach and within the limitations imposed by resource constraints. The Conference agreed that this progress reflected the commitment of the Director-General in giving concrete follow-up to these recommendations. The Conference concurred with the views of the Programme and Finance Committees that the Review and its follow-up constituted a well-timed investment, with the ultimate aim of strengthening FAO.

248. The Conference further recognized that in view of the broad scope of the Review, the Progress Report addressed a number of important areas and subject matters which were also covered under other items of its agenda, e.g., the Medium-term Plan, and FAO activities on environment and sustainable development. The Conference considered, therefore, that its views on this item should be seen also in conjunction with deliberations under other agenda items. Some Member Nations, while appreciating the overall scope of the report, observed that they would also have liked to have more information on the impact of the actions taken on FAO's programmes.

249. The Conference recalled that the implementation of the conclusions of the Review had taken place in a period of exceptional financial constraints on the Organization. It took note that extra-budgetary funds to assist in follow-up to the Review had not been forthcoming to any significant extent. The Conference expressed appreciation for the determination of the Director-General in pursuing his efforts to complete the implementation of the Conference directives. It agreed that the hoped-for return to renewed financial stability for the Organization would provide a more favourable framework for the continuation of these efforts.

250. In this connection, some Member Nations observed that further progress did not necessarily depend on the availability of additional resources and that the sharpening of FAO's comparative advantages and strengthening of its future action should be primarily achieved through further shifts in priorities within available resources and within FAO's normal operational activities. Other Member Nations underlined that, in the light of pressing demands placed on FAO and the need for the Organization to restore its capacity to meet such demands, it was not realistic to expect that this could be achieved within a static and even more a declining resource base, as reflected in the next Programme of Work and Budget.

Selected aspects

251. The Conference reaffirmed its satisfaction with the Medium-term Plan 1992-97 as a major outcome of the FAO Review. It underlined that the Medium-term Plan would provide an opportunity for Member Nations to regularly appraise the context of FAO action and the long-term orientations of the Organization in the light of changing circumstances.

252. The Conference more extensively addressed several aspects linked to FAO's field operations, as covered in the Report. It reiterated its strong support for further decentralization of FAO's work, particularly through the strengthening of FAO country offices. It underlined, in this connection, the need for enhanced delegation of authority to these offices for project development and monitoring. The strengthening of the substantive capacity of these offices also deserved attention, particularly in respect of their sharpened role in channelling assistance and policy advice to host countries. The suggestion was made to identify possibilities for shifting some staff resources from Headquarters to the country offices and to continue efforts to staff these offices with agricultural development professionals. In this connection, a few Member Nations suggested that a study be made of the role of Regional Offices in the light of the varying needs of each region. The Conference emphasized that FAO's decentralization policies had to be pursued in a comprehensive manner, with due regard for the complementary role of Regional Offices.

253. The Conference stressed that it was essential to strengthen FAO's technical backstopping capabilities in a rapidly evolving context of technical cooperation activities within the UN system. In this connection, the Conference agreed that the expected reduced involvement of the Organization in direct execution of field activities should facilitate a judicious shift of resources to enhance its technical backstopping capacity.

254. The Conference welcomed the new arrangements to involve the technical committees of the Council in a more systematic review of FAO's field operations, within their respective terms of reference. It urged that further measures be pursued to improve such discussions and also, more generally, to facilitate attendance by a broader range of specialists at sessions of these committees.

255. With regard to FAO's work in policy advice, the Conference welcomed the steps to strengthen FAO's action, including the establishment of a Steering Committee and Central Task Force on sector and structural adjustment work, as well as the planned establishment of a Country Policy Information System. It recognized that FAO's work in policy analysis and policy advice was undertaken within a complex framework and with a large number of partners, including other international organizations such as the World Bank, the IMF and Regional Development Banks. It noted, with satisfaction, the measures taken to ensure close cooperation with these institutions, and encouraged further progress in this direction.

256. The Conference briefly addressed other programme areas covered in the Director-General's report. In particular, it reiterated its support for the increased attention to sustainable development and environment, as exemplified by the recent strengthening of in-house coordination arrangements and such important events as the FAO/Netherlands Conference on Agriculture and the Environment. It also welcomed the importance given to FAO's support for agricultural trade negotiations through close cooperation with GATT, the foreseen enhanced role of Codex standards, and the implementation of the International Plant Protection convention (IPPC).

257. Some delegations indicated the importance they attached to Member Nations addressing the issue of improved methods of work of major FAO bodies.

258. The Conference welcomed the positive developments under the Management Review, as had been reported to the September session of the Finance Committee, and noted that further progress would be reported in more detail to the Finance Committee at future sessions.

Conclusions

259. The Conference was generally satisfied with the progress achieved in the implementation of its conclusions on the Review, despite the overall resource limitations. It concurred with the view of the Programme and Finance Committees that FAO, like every other institution, needed to continue to adapt to changing circumstances. It underlined the role the Medium-term Plan could play as a vehicle for this periodic stocktaking. The Conference underlined, in this connection, the new challenges facing the Organization and the evolving context of its field operations.

260. The Conference looked forward to further progress in the streamlining of FAO activities and the enhancement of their impact. It observed that this would be facilitated, in particular through multidisciplinary approaches and cross-sectoral priorities and ever broader cooperation with external partners, especially NGOs and the private sector.

261. The Conference recognized that such a process of continuing adaptation would need to build on a fruitful and constructive dialogue among Member Nations, and considered that its deliberations at its present session gave welcome signs of such a resolve. The Conference, however, recognized that there was also a need for Member Nations to exercise some restraint in placing demands on the Organization which should remain consonant with its capacity to respond.

262. The Conference observed that the streamlined programme-budget process it had decided to implement during the 1992-93 biennium, together with the periodic consideration of the Medium-term Plan, would permit greater participation of Member Nations in sharpening priorities and would, therefore, provide a sound basis for such a positive dialogue.

263. The Conference reiterated that the ultimate aim should remain to strengthen FAO's efficiency and effectiveness and enable it to respond to demands from Member Nations in a flexible and pragmatic manner.

G. Preparations for the international conference on nutrition 1992

264. The Conference reviewed the progress made in the preparations for the International Conference on Nutrition (ICN) to be held in December 1992. The Conference expressed its strong support for the ICN and the importance of the building-up of country and regional processes to identify major components for the ICN Plan of Action and follow-up.

265. The Conference welcomed the close collaboration between FAO and the World Health Organization (WHO) in preparing for the ICN and encouraged continued maximum cooperation with other UN agencies. It noted that several other UN agencies, particularly the United Nations Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF), were participating in the preparation of ICN theme papers, case-studies and the global assessment paper.

266. The Conference appreciated the comprehensive national preparations reported by a number of Member Nations. It noted with satisfaction that so far 122 Member Nations had appointed ICN focal points and were preparing country papers for the ICN. It welcomed the establishment of intersectoral committees involving agriculture, health, education and other related government agencies for preparing country papers, as well as the convening of national seminars and workshops. The participation in many cases of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), consumers, the scientific community, and the private sector was appreciated. The Conference stressed that as time wee limited to complete all country and regional activities envisaged, there was urgent need for intensive work and cooperation at all levels. Some Member Nations informed the Conference of the preparations that were underway for regional/sub-regional meetings.

267. The Conference stressed the importance of NGO involvement in ICN preparations at country, regional and global levels. It expressed its support for efforts by FAO and WHO to encourage NGO inputs into the ICN process. The Conference welcomed the linkage between the ICN and World Food Day 1992 which had Food and Nutrition as its theme. In this connection, the Conference pointed to the important role to be played by the media in raising the awareness of the public with regard to themes and results of the ICN.

268. The Conference recognized the need for adequate technical and funding support to assist developing countries with ICN preparations and follow-up, and noted that FAO/WHO had made some resources available for this purpose. It expressed its appreciation for the assistance already provided by a number of donor countries in this regard. It urged that additional resources be made available to ensure adequate developing country preparation and participation in regional/sub-regional meetings, the Preparatory Committee and the ICN itself. In this connection, the Conference welcomed the announcements made by a number of donor countries to provide additional support.

269. The Conference noted that the Plan of Action to be adopted by the ICN would recommend measures to tackle malnutrition, particularly in developing countries. It stressed the importance of effective follow-up for the implementation of the Plan of Action at national, regional and global levels, and expressed the hope that necessary priority would be accorded to it and that adequate resources would be made available.

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