1. The terms of reference of the Ad hoc Legal and Financial Working Group of APFIC, approved by the Commission at its Special Session (Rome, Italy, 17 February 1999), are as follows:
a) To formulate programme of actions to be implemented by APFIC for the short- and medium- terms;2. The Commission also reviewed and approved the workplan of the Ad hoc Legal and Financial Working Group for 1999-2000 as follows:b) To review the extent of financial contributions that could be provided by the Member States, taking into account the methods of assessment adopted by other international and regional organizations;
c) To formulate the draft financial regulations of APFIC if it decides to move towards autonomy with support from its Members (either full or in part) for consideration by the Finance Committee of FAO; and
d) To review current Agreement and Rules of Procedure, and to propose amendments necessary to facilitate effective functioning of APFIC.
1. The questionnaire on future direction of APFIC was submitted to all Member States on 9 November 1998 to evaluate the future role of the Commission as required by its Members. The analysis on the responses received would form the basis for discussion on the future operation of APFIC, including inter alia its area of competence, functions, priority areas of activities, APFIC subsidiary bodies, contributions by Members, etc. The report on the future direction of APFIC will be prepared and submitted to Member States for consideration upon finalization of the return of the questionnaires by the Members.3. All Member States shall be invited to participate at the meeting of the Working Group as directed by the Commission at the Twenty-sixth Session. The expensed of the delegates however, shall be determined and paid by their respective governments as stipulated in Article VIII.1 of the APFIC Agreement.2. The Meeting of the Ad hoc Legal and Financial Working Group shall be convened by the Secretariat at the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok, Thailand, from 6 to 8 July 1999. The Working Group shall discuss the future programmes of APFIC, in the light of recent development and international instruments and arrangements in the region; membership; tentative scheme and scale of voluntary contributions from Members in support to the activities of the Commission as well as future support by FAO; financial regulations and possible amendments of the APFIC Agreement and Rules of Procedure to ensure effective implementation of activities as well as any other matters as recommended by the Working Group.
4. The Chairman of the Commission shall serve as the Chairman of the Ad hoc Working Group. He shall be assisted by a legal expert and other experts as required.
5. The report of the Working Group shall be submitted to the APFIC Executive Committee for consideration prior to its Sixty-eighth Session, scheduled to be held at the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok in March 2000[1]. The recommendations of the Executive Committee shall be forwarded to all Member States for consideration and further discussion at the Twenty-seventh Session of APFIC, to be held in the Philippines in November 2000.
6. Due to the current financial constraint, further comments and suggestions from the Members prior to the Twenty-seventh Session should be communicated to the Secretariat through correspondence, unless additional fund could be secured for the Second Meeting of the Ad hoc Working Group in the 1999-2000 biennium.
