Future ministerial meetings in conjunction with sessions of COFI and COFO (ARC/96/8)
Proposal for shortening of regional conference reports (ARC/96/9)
22. The Conference commended the Director-General of FAO for his timely initiative in convening meetings of Ministers responsible for fisheries and forestry in March 1995. It provided them the forum to exchange ideas and share national experiences, as well as the opportunity to offer appropriate guidance to FAO in its work programme pertaining to these two sectors. Considering the many significant events which had taken place since the Ministerial Meetings of March 1995 and/or were planned for the immediate future, and recognizing that Ministerial guidance would still be necessary to enable FAO channel its technical assistance appropriately to member countries in future, the Conference:a. endorsed the convening of meetings of Ministers by the Director-General in principle in conjunction with sessions of COFI and COFO;b. agreed that the Director-General of FAO be given the flexibility for convening such meetings in future but opined that they should be held only when major issues pertaining to the sectors needed to be addressed;
c. agreed that the FAO Director-General hold consultations with member countries as appropriate before convening future Ministerial meetings;
d. advised that meetings of ministers would not be necessary in 1997; and
e. called for FAO's financial support to facilitate participation as required in such meetings.
23. The Conference took note of the recommendations adopted in 1995 by the FAO Council and Conference respectively, requesting the Director-General to implement cost-saving measures on governance of FAO and examined the details of a proposal for shortening Regional Conference reports. The Conference was informed that the Technical Committee meeting which preceded it had endorsed the proposal and the new format of reporting. The Conference therefore:a. agreed with the details contained in the proposal for shortening of Conference reports and approved the new format
