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Programme Framework

Context

1. As stressed in the Director-General's Introduction, the formulation of this Programme of Work and Budget (PWB) was facilitated by the assessment of long-term trends and the attendant policy orientations set out in the Strategic Framework 2000-2015, and endorsed by the last session of the FAO Conference. The PWB, moreover, builds on the substance of the Medium Term Plan1 (MTP) 2002-2007, which translated the Strategic Framework into a six-year programme, defined in terms of constituent programme entities. These entities have a rationale, objectives, major outputs and indicators, as well as an indication of the timeframe and of overall resources required. The 119th session of the Council in November 2000, in effect, invited the Secretariat to prepare the PWB taking as a starting point, the substantive content of the MTP. Thus, the formulation of proposals for the next biennium became essentially a matter of fine-tuning of planned outputs and staffing requirements - in conformity with the revised programme budget process endorsed by the Conference.

2. This fine-tuning took place through the usual process of detailed submissions by all Headquarters departments and offices, as well as Regional and Sub-regional Offices in response to senior management's guidance. These submissions were reviewed, and key features discussed at policy level, during a series of "budget hearings". Due attention was paid to consultations with offices outside Headquarters through regional videoconferences, in addition to the day-to-day contacts between outposted teams and their counterpart departments and divisions.

3. Finally, the views and recommendations of the Technical Committees of the Council at their 2001 sessions, in particular those of the Committees on Agriculture (COAG), Fisheries (COFI) and Forestry (COFO) and, to a lesser extent, the Committees on World Food Security (CFS) and on Commodity Problems (CCP) were taken into account. These Committees called for strengthening of FAO's action in a large number of substantive areas, the Committees on Fisheries and Forestry in particular inviting "preferential" treatment to be given in relative terms to their respective sectors. To this recent inter-governmental guidance, must be added the deliberations of the FAO Regional Conferences held in 2000. The total sum of these recommendations would translate into a substantial additional workload, as was intimated to the 120th session of the Council in June 2001, through a specially-prepared information document2. Nevertheless, the real growth proposals presented in this PWB document, are expected to go a long way towards giving justice to the cumulative demands expressed by these Bodies.

Programme Structure

4. The articulation of the PWB proposals under substantive programmes in terms of constituent entities is very similar to that indicated in the MTP 2002-2007 submitted to, and endorsed by the 119th session of the Council in November 2000, with rare exceptions to take account of developments since the latter document was formulated.

5. The principles of the enhanced programme approach approved by the FAO Conference are worth recalling below. Accordingly, the "building blocks" of FAO's substantive work fall under three categories:

  1. technical projects (identified by codes 2XXA1 to 2XXO9 - under Chapter 2), which have the following general characteristics: a duration of up to six years; precise time-bound objectives defined in terms of the use which target users will make of outputs; definition of the major outputs; demonstrable effectiveness criteria and indicators; specification of target users and of linkages with partners - both internal and external - that will be necessary to achieve these objectives;
  2. continuing programme activities (identified by codes 2XXP1 to 2XXR9), which vary from technical projects primarily because they are activities of an ongoing nature that are not amenable to time bound objectives (e.g. collection of statistical time series), while the same approach concerning effectiveness criteria, user focus and linkages applies; and
  3. technical services agreements (identified by codes 2XXS1 to 2XXZ9), the third type of entity which is designed to cover demand-oriented services, such as advisory services to Members or technical support services (TSS) to projects and can include servicing of regular meetings.

6. As several important aspects in the design of the above entities, such as rationale, indicators and partnerships, were specified in the Medium Term Plan and associated database available on FAO's website, for the sake of brevity, the narratives for individual entities in the Programme Budget section are limited to statements of objective(s) and summaries of outputs planned for the next biennium labelled "Approach". While the objectives are generally "lifted" from the MTP, some rephrasing by the concerned units, has taken place to make them more concrete or understandable by non-specialist audiences. As recalled in the Director-General's Introduction, more detailed lists of biennial outputs are available on FAO's website at the address http://www.fao.org/pwb.

7. If comparison is made with the predecessor PWB 2000-2001, it may be noted that when the MTP was prepared during the year 2000 and subsequently, to take account of Programme Committee's comments, there were instances where programme entity numbers were changed, generally because a programme entity in the form of technical project or technical service agreement was converted to a continuing programme activity or vice versa. As a result, some programme entities have been renumbered in the base for PWB 2002-03, as follows:

Table of Renumbered Programme Entities

PWB 2000-01

PWB 2002-03

Entity Number

Title

Entity Number

Title

221A1

Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme (Codex Alimentarius)

221P2

Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme (Codex Alimentarius)

221P1

Food and Nutrition Assessment

221A1

Human Nutrition Requirements

221P2

Nutrition Policy at Country Level

221A2

Nutrition Improvement for Sustainable Development

221P3

Nutrition Programmes

221A4

Community Action for Improved Household Food Security and Nutrition

222P7

Virtual Library Support and Information Management

222P9

Virtual Library Information Services

244P2

Support to Initiatives in the Follow-up to UNCED

244A1

Follow-up to UNCED and International Forestry Processes

251P2

Cross-sectoral Mechanisms for Implementation of Agenda 21, International Environmental Conventions, Agreements and Obligations

251A6

Support to Environmental Agreements and Promotion of Integrated Environmental Planning and Management

256A1

SPFS Formulation

256P2

SPFS Formulation

256A2

SPFS Implementation

256P3

SPFS Implementation

311S1

Direct Support to Agricultural Policy Work in the Regions

311P4

Coordination of Country Focus

311S3

Support to Building In-house Capacity in Food and Agricultural Policy Analysis

311A1

Development of On-line Training Capacity in Food, Agriculture and Rural Development Policy and Planning

312S2

Support and Training in Sector/Sub-sector and Specific Agricultural Policies

312P3

Advice and Capacity Building in Agricultural Policies

31900

Programme Management

319S2

Divisional Direction

8. There is no change at the "macro level" of chapter, major programme, programme or sub-programme (in non-substantive areas) headings, except for Programme 3.1.1, now entitled Coordination of Policy Assistance and Field Programme Development to better reflect its increasing emphasis on field programme development.

Import of Proposals

9. The following table describes the proposed distribution of resources at the level of the Programme of Work (i.e. the gross budget including resources from other income) prior to the addition of anticipated cost increases.

Proposed Overall Resources Allocation for the Programme of Work (RG Before Cost Increases)

Major

 

2000-01

   

2002-03

Programme

Description

Programme

Programme Change

Programme

and Chapter

 

of Work

   

of Work

   

US$ 000

US$ 000

%

US$ 000

11

Governing Bodies

17,671

41

0.2%

17,712

12

Policy, Direction and Planning

22,479

1,533

6.8%

24,012

13

External Coordination and Liaison

13,140

(9)

(0.1%)

13,131

19

Programme Management

789

29

3.7%

818

Chapter 1

General Policy and Direction

54,079

1,594

2.9%

55,673

21

Agricultural Production and Support Systems

89,372

5,351

6.0%

94,723

22

Food and Agriculture Policy and Development

87,047

4,229

4.9%

91,276

23

Fisheries

39,231

2,605

6.6%

41,836

24

Forestry

30,439

2,175

7.1%

32,614

25

Contributions to Sustainable Development and Special Programme Thrusts

52,575

2,145

4.1%

54,720

Chapter 2

Technical and Economic Programmes

298,664

16,505

5.5%

315,169

31

Policy Assistance

27,042

1,195

4.4%

28,237

32

Support to Investment

46,546

12

0.0%

46,558

33

Field Operations

23,879

(4,331)

(18.1%)

19,548

34

FAO Representatives

72,403

5,540

7.7%

77,943

35

Cooperation with External Partners

8,786

1,243

14.1%

10,029

39

Programme Management

882

1,042

118.1%

1,924

Chapter 3

Cooperation and Partnerships

179,538

4,701

2.6%

184,239

41

Technical Cooperation Programme

89,118

10,318

11.6%

99,436

42

TCP Unit

2,337

476

20.4%

2,813

Chapter 4

Technical Cooperation Programme

91,455

10,794

11.8%

102,249

51

Information and Publications Support

16,560

674

4.1%

17,234

52

Administration

48,767

916

1.9%

49,683

Chapter 5

Support Services

65,327

1,590

2.4%

66,917

60

Common Services

44,790

83

0.2%

44,873

Chapter 6

Common Services

44,790

83

0.2%

44,873

70

Contingencies

600

0

0.0%

600

Chapter 7

Contingencies

600

0

0.0%

600

TOTAL

 

734,453

35,267

4.8%

769,720

Main Resource Changes in the Programme of Work

10. In line with the decisions of the Joint Meeting of the Programme and Finance Committees to integrate "other" income into the PWB (adopted since the PWB 1998-99), tables throughout the document, especially in the section Programme Budget, deal with the Programme of Work. Resource changes over the PWB 2000-01 are explained in the latter section, as appropriate. The following summary covers the main programme changes at the level of the overall Programme of Work.

Chapter 1 - General Policy and Direction

11. The major change under Major Programme 1.2, Policy, Direction and Planning, is attributable to the cost of rebuilding the Organization's Computerized Programme Planning and Budgeting System (PLANSYS). Amongst several offsetting changes, there is deliberate action to strengthen conference operations and to re-engineer language services to benefit from advanced technology, coupled with some required increases for the Offices of the Director-General and of the Inspector-General.

Chapter 2 - Technical and Economic Programmes

12. In line with the substantive content of the Medium Term Plan 2002-2007 and the pertinent recommendations of the Technical Committees of the Council, this chapter would benefit from a significant boost of resources, albeit at a lower level than that indicated for the biennium 2002-2003 in the MTP. Particular attention has been given to the major programmes on Fisheries and Forestry which show increases of 6.6% and 7.1% respectively. In effect, these have been reinforced in relative terms, even since the stage of the Summary Programme of Work and Budget, to respond to attendant requests. While Major Programme 2.1, Agricultural Production and Support Systems, shows an increase of 6.0%, this includes the effect of decisions taken at the last FAO Conference concerning the Rotterdam Convention and the Near East Desert Locust Commission (see details under programme entities 212P2 and 212A4 respectively) as well as the fact that this programme plays host to the amount of US$ 0.9 million set aside as central support to Priority Areas for Inter-disciplinary Action (PAIAs) under 210S5. If these exceptional entries are discounted, the underlying increase to Major Programme 2.1 is closer to 4.6%. At the same time, attention was paid to more balanced use of FAO languages in planned substantive outputs.

13. It is clearly not possible to provide here an exhaustive list of the substantive priorities embodied in these PWB proposals in response to expressed demands of the membership. Nevertheless, it is worth highlighting the following:

  1. the implementation of essential instruments such as the International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources, the International Plant Protection Convention, the Rotterdam Convention on chemicals and pesticides serviced by its Interim Secretariat, and the Codex Alimentarius;
  2. support to cooperation and action on food safety, both regarding outbreaks of animal diseases and food contamination, also addressing phytosanitary and biotechnology issues;
  3. advisory and training services in trade-related policy, particularly in the context of important negotiations;
  4. support to the establishment of effective national regulatory frameworks to allow all countries to avoid being excluded from the benefits of globalisation, and more generally to underpin their development efforts in all areas of FAO's mandate;
  5. the implementation of national Food Insecurity and Vulnerability Information and Mapping Systems (FIVIMS);
  6. support to the Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC) Network on Rural Development and Food Security, especially as the vehicle to reflect food security concerns in UN/World Bank country planning frameworks;
  7. assessing the policy implications of HIV/AIDS on agriculture and rural development;
  8. information dissemination to a broad range of users, inter alia through a continuously expanding website and a strengthened World Agricultural Information Centre (WAICENT) with its vast store of data on agriculture, fisheries and forestry;
  9. the implementation of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and the International Plans of Action (IPOAs) endorsed by COFI;
  10. forest resource assessment work and forestry outlook studies;
  11. support to the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF) and the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF); and
  12. assistance to countries in meeting the commitments of the World Food Summit, including through the extension of the Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS).
Chapter 3 - Cooperation and Partnerships

14. There are quite complex movements within this chapter, including net reduction in field operations services, especially in the Regional Offices, as well as further savings from the restructuring of the Technical Cooperation Department (TC), while additional resources are provided:

  1. to strengthen the FAORs;
  2. for policy assistance; and
  3. to develop the Field Programme Management Information System (FPMIS).
Chapter 4 - Technical Cooperation Programme

15. The additional resources aim to increase the share of this chapter to the budget at the same proportional level as indicated in the MTP for the 2002-2003 biennium, which reflected the need to respond to Conference Resolution 9/89.

Chapter 5 - Support Services

16. The main change under Major Programme 5.1, Information and Publications Support, is attributable to the reinforcement of public information activities in the Liaison Office in Washington and at Headquarters, in accord with the strategy for Communicating FAO's messages. The increase under Major Programme 5.2, Administration, reflects additional resources for the restructured Finance Division (AFF) and further funding to meet development costs of FAO's administrative and financial systems. This is partially offset by staff reductions in the newly-established Management Support Service (MSS) and in the Personnel Division (AFP), as well as a transfer of the Administrative Services Division (AFS) direction's cost and Regional Offices' Management Support Unit (MSU) costs to other chapters.

Chapter 6 - Common Services

17. Changes are principally on account of transfers from Chapter 5.

Distribution of the Proposed Appropriation

18. The following table examines the net impact on the Appropriation (i.e. consistent with the preceding Draft Resolution on Budgetary Appropriations for 2002-2003) including cost increases which have been calculated at 1 = US$ 0.880 (or US$ 1 = Lira 2,200). Calculation of cost increases is covered under the following section Budgetary Framework. The Appropriation is arrived at by deducting "Other Income" from the Programme of Work. While the movements under "Programme Change" are substantively the same in programme terms, the influence of changes in "Other Income" becomes apparent. The main variances between this and the previous table are explained below.

Proposed Allocation for the Appropriation (RG Including Cost Increases)

Major

 

2000-01

Programme

Cost

2002-03

Programme

Description

Budget

Change

Increases

Budget

and Chapter

       

after Cost

         

Increases

11

Governing Bodies

17,671

41

(682)

17,030

12

Policy, Direction and Planning

19,728

1,651

(344)

21,035

13

External Coordination and Liaison

12,703

(9)

1,557

14,251

19

Programme Management

789

29

(87)

731

Chapter 1

General Policy and Direction

50,891

1,712

444

53,047

21

Agricultural Production and Support Systems

88,093

5,348

887

94,328

22

Food and Agriculture Policy and Development

85,560

4,212

(1,346)

88,426

23

Fisheries

38,556

2,657

(146)

41,067

24

Forestry

29,699

2,464

(82)

32,081

25

Contributions to Sustainable Development and Special Programme Thrusts

47,261

3,057

319

50,637

Chapter 2

Technical and Economic Programmes

289,169

17,738

(368)

306,539

31

Policy Assistance

26,201

1,313

696

28,210

32

Support to Investment

18,839

(803)

168

18,204

33

Field Operations

4,955

(1,412)

(105)

3,438

34

FAO Representatives

63,666

1,820

2,995

68,481

35

Cooperation with External Partners

6,328

1,286

(233)

7,381

39

Programme Management

655

1,085

(147)

1,593

Chapter 3

Cooperation and Partnerships

120,644

3,289

3,374

127,307

41

Technical Cooperation Programme

89,118

10,318

3,680

103,116

42

TCP Unit

2,337

476

(75)

2,738

Chapter 4

Technical Cooperation Programme

91,455

10,794

3,605

105,854

51

Information and Publications Support

16,560

674

(298)

16,936

52

Administration

40,759

903

(1,635)

40,027

Chapter 5

Support Services

57,319

1,577

(1,933)

56,963

60

Common Services

39,922

424

(1,951)

38,395

Chapter 6

Common Services

39,922

424

(1,951)

38,395

70

Contingencies

600

0

0

600

Chapter 7

Contingencies

600

0

0

600

TOTAL

 

650,000

35,534

3,171

688,705

19. Major reductions in income which have been reflected, can be explained as follows:

  1. the Appropriation for Major Programme 2.4, Forestry, anticipates a reduction in budgeted income from the reimbursement of technical support services to the field programme which has not been matched by a corresponding reduction in the Programme of Work in view of the priority accorded to this major programme;
  2. the Appropriation for Major Programme 2.5, Contributions to Sustainable Development and Special Programme Thrusts, reflects the decline of support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in relation to FAO's work on population activities;
  3. besides the substantial decline under the Programme of Work arising from restructuring measures, Major Programme 3.3, Field Operations, shows a smaller decline under the Appropriation due to the impact of lower AOS income, which has decreased both in overall terms and in the amount allocated to this major programme; and
  4. Major Programme 3.4, FAO Representatives, shows a smaller increase under the Appropriation than under the Programme of Work, on account of an increase in AOS income allocated to this major programme. This is appropriate since the transfer of project operational responsibilities to the country level implies that FAOR offices would now generate a larger share of AOS income.

20. It is recalled that since the stage of the Summary Programme of Work and Budget, the allocations for Fisheries and Forestry as well as for the Technical Cooperation Programme have been further strengthened in relative terms (i.e. higher net programme changes).

ZRG Resource Levels

21. Given the interest of some countries in seeing alternative proposals, a possible zero real growth (ZRG) "scenario" for 2002-03 was intimated to the 120th session of the Council in June 2001. While the Director-General makes clear in his Introduction the justifications for the real growth proposals embodied in this document, in similar vein, possible zero real growth levels are also indicated throughout the Programme Budget section, together with descriptions of the eventual impact of these levels, in text boxes at appropriate places.

22. The breakdown by budgetary chapter of both the Programme of Work and the Appropriation at ZRG levels are given below, set against the real growth proposals in this PWB.

Real Growth and Zero Real Growth Comparative Table

   

Real Growth (RG)

Zero Real Growth (ZRG)

Reduction in

 

Chapter

Programme of

Appropriation

Programme of

Appropriation

Programme of

   

Work

 

Work

 

Work from

           

RG to ZRG

1

General Policy and Direction

56,117

53,047

54,893

51,823

(1,224)

2

Technical and Economic Programmes

314,847

306,539

300,657

292,348

(14,190)

3

Cooperation and Partnerships

187,770

127,307

181,270

120,819

(6,500)

4

Technical Cooperation Programme

105,854

105,854

95,195

95,195

(10,659)

5

Support Services

64,996

56,963

60,611

52,578

(4,385)

6

Common Services

42,922

38,395

42,922

38,395

0

7

Contingencies

600

600

600

600

0

Total

773,106

688,705

736,148

651,758

(36,958)

Other Strategic Dimensions

Distribution of Resources by Strategic Objectives

23. The Medium Term Plan 2002-2007 included information on the distribution of resources for substantive programmes (i.e. those under Chapter 2, Technical and Economic Programmes, and Major Programme 3.1, Policy Assistance) across the 12 objectives of the Strategic Framework (labelled A1 to E3 and listed on the back cover of this document).

24. The following table supplements the information provided in the MTP (adjusted to the first biennium 2002-2003 for comparative purposes) with similar breakdowns for the present Programme of Work and Budget proposals.

Substantive Programmes - Distribution of Resources by Strategic Objectives*

Major Programme

A1

A2

A3

B1

B2

C1

C2

D1

D2

E1

E2

E3

Medium Term Plan 2002-2007

2.1

Agricultural Production and Support Systems

2.2

Food and Agriculture Policy and Development

2.3

Fisheries

2.4

Forestry

2.5

Contributions to Sustainable Development and Special Programme Thrusts

3.1

Policy Assistance

Programme of Work and Budget Proposals

2.1

Agricultural Production and Support Systems

2.2

Food and Agriculture Policy and Development

2.3

Fisheries

2.4

Forestry

2.5

Contributions to Sustainable Development and Special Programme Thrusts

3.1

Policy Assistance

Legend

Greater than zero,
less than US$ 2 million

US$ 2 million to 4
million

US$ 4 million to 8
million

More than US$ 8
million

*(see back cover for detail of each strategic objective)

25. The resource breakdowns across strategic objectives are - not unexpectedly - broadly similar, although minor differences can be explained by the fact that lower resource levels characterise PWB proposals compared to the tentative resource distribution pattern in the MTP.

26. Individual tables showing the distribution of resources in relation to each of the twelve strategic objectives are provided at the beginning of each major programme in Chapter 2 and for Major Programme 3.1.

Overview of Planned Outputs

27. Specific biennial outputs are planned for implementation during 2002-03 under the technical and economic programmes. Outputs are defined as the goods and services which the Organization produces - always in the context of the objectives established in the Medium Term Plan and ultimately as a contribution to the achievement of the Strategic Objectives of the Organization, as approved by the Conference in the Strategic Framework 2000-2015. These outputs form the basis for programme implementation during the biennium, as well as subsequent reporting in the Programme Implementation Report. Details concerning the biennial outputs are provided in the 2002-03 Planned Outputs Database on the Internet at the address http://www.fao.org/pwb.

28. The analysis which follows is of a purely quantitative nature (numbers of ouputs) which is not necessarily a reflection of either resources or effort required. However, it provides a broad picture of the nature and volume of goods and services produced by the Organization.

Distribution by Major Programmes

29. Major Programme 2.2, Food and Agriculture Policy and Development, with 26 percent of the total has the largest number of planned outputs, followed closely by Major Programme 2.1, Agricultural Production and Support Systems, at 25 percent, as shown in the following chart. Headquarters technical divisions will be responsible for the implementation of 78 percent of the outputs, Regional Offices for 16 percent and Sub-regional Offices for the remaining 6 percent. The latter figures for decentralized offices are lower than might be expected, since they are based upon the lead division/office for individual outputs and, therefore, do not take into account the many contributions of the decentralized offices to outputs which are attributed to Headquarters' units.

Undisplayed Graphic

Distribution by Type

30. The distribution of biennial outputs by type is shown in the following chart. Coordination and information exchange, with 25 percent of the total, accounts for the largest portion of the outputs, followed by Direct advice to Members and field programme support with 18 percent. Information products, systems and databases; Methodologies and guidelines; and Studies and analyses also account for a significant portion of outputs, each with between 14 and 17 percent of the total.

Undisplayed Graphic

Coordination and information exchange

31. Networks, expert consultations, task forces and working groups are generally the main means by which coordination and information exchange is supported. Nearly all cooperation work with other UN organizations is included under this type of output. Major Programmes 2.1, Agricultural Production and Support Systems, 2.2, Food and Agriculture Policy and Development, and 2.4, Forestry, each account for about 20 percent of the coordination and information exchange outputs planned. However, this type of output is an important component of all major programmes, making up between 20 to 37 percent of the total outputs of each major programme. About 75 percent of these outputs will be undertaken by Headquarters divisions.

Direct advice to Members and field programme support

32. Direct advice to Members and field programme support are generally undertaken upon request and, therefore, specific outputs are difficult to plan in advance. Implementation has often diverged significantly from work planned, therefore, outputs of this type foreseen for 2002-03 should be considered as indicative. This category is an important component of all programmes and is particularly significant for Major Programme 3.1, Policy Assistance, which produces nearly 50 percent of the planned outputs. The decentralized offices also have a strong role in undertaking this type of outputs, accounting for about 50 percent of the total.

Information products, systems and databases

33. Information products, systems and databases are increasingly being made available on CD-ROM and over the Internet, in addition to more traditional publications. Major Programme 2.2, Food and Agriculture Policy and Development, accounts for over 35 percent of these outputs, and 25 percent of this major programme's outputs are of this type. This is explained, in particular, by the influence of WAICENT. Nearly 90 percent of the information products, systems and database outputs are planned to be carried out by Headquarters divisions.

International undertakings and agreements

34. Outputs of this type make up only 4 percent of the total planned for 2002-03. However, they are quite important, focusing on areas such as plant protection; the International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides; plant and animal genetic resources; phytosanitary measures; Codex Alimentarius; and the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and IPOAs on fisheries. Major Programme 2.2, Food and Agriculture Policy and Development, accounts for over 35 percent of the outputs related to international undertakings and agreements, followed by Major Programmes 2.1, Agricultural Production and Support Systems, with 28 percent and 2.3, Fisheries, with 18 percent. Over 90 percent of the outputs of this type will be carried out by Headquarters divisions.

Methodologies and guidelines

35. Methodologies and guidelines generally involve initial formulation work, followed by expert panel reviews and pilot testing before they are ready for dissemination. In the past, the time and effort required for the production of methodologies and guidelines has often been underestimated resulting in relatively low levels of delivery of this type of output. For 2002-03, methodologies and guidelines, at 14 percent of the total, make up a smaller proportion than in the past, when they often accounted for over 20 percent of planned outputs. Major Programme 2.1 accounts for over 30 percent of the outputs related to methodologies and guidelines followed by Major Programme 2.3 with 22 percent. About 90 percent of these will be carried out by Headquarters divisions.

Studies and analyses

36. Studies and analyses encompass a broad range of activities, e.g. conceptualisation of issues, assessment of techniques and results, analytical work and case studies. Major Programme 2.1 accounts for 28 percent of the outputs of this type, followed by Major Programme 2.2 at 24 percent. This type of output is an important component of all major programmes, making up between 11 to 19 percent of the total outputs of each major programme. About 85 percent of the studies and analyses outputs will be undertaken by Headquarters divisions.

Training

37. Training outputs include both the preparation of training materials and the delivery of training, directly or through distance-learning activities. Often individual training outputs include several discrete training courses. Therefore, the total training effort should not be perceived solely through counts of outputs of this type. Major Programme 2.1 accounts for over 38 percent, and decentralized offices have a important role, accounting for nearly 25 percent, of the biennial outputs of this type.

Language Balance

38. Attention to ensuring balanced use of FAO languages in all areas of work will continue in 2002-03. Significant efforts have already been made in the 2000-01 biennium towards improving language balance, in line with guidance provided by the Council at its June 1999 session and by the Conference. These efforts are reflected in the following chart and table. Publications in Arabic and Chinese have made strong gains in 2000 and 2001, while the proportion of publications in French and Spanish has remained at about the same level as in the recent past. However, the figures for 2001 should be treated with some caution, since they reflect only publications produced between January and June 2001.

Undisplayed Graphic

39. Also, the figures for 2002-03 are based upon planned publications by FAO units and do not include additional language versions which may result from the special provision available through programme entity 222P5, Programme for the Improvement of Language Coverage. Publications in Arabic and Chinese are, in particular, assisted by this provision. In the PWB 2000-01, Arabic publications were planned at 6.1% of the total, while actual achievement is expected to exceed 8%. For Chinese, planned publications were at 2.4% of the total, while actual achievement is expected to exceed 8% as well. Publications in Chinese are also enhanced through the standing arrangement for translation by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

Language

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001*

2002-03

Arabic

5.1%

5.2%

4.4%

5.1%

6.7%

10.8%

10.3%

Bilingual

2.0%

3.0%

4.0%

2.5%

1.9%

 

1.8%

Chinese

5.9%

2.2%

2.0%

2.2%

6.7%

10.0%

5.6%

English

35.4%

44.8%

46.8%

46.5%

41.3%

38.5%

38.3%

French

23.8%

18.8%

17.8%

19.3%

17.3%

16.9%

19.2%

Multilingual

0.3%

0.8%

1.0%

0.7%

1.4%

4.6%

2.7%

Spanish

17.6%

17.1%

13.8%

14.5%

17.3%

14.6%

16.6%

Trilingual

8.8%

7.3%

9.8%

8.7%

6.7%

4.6%

4.8%

Other

1.1%

0.8%

0.3%

0.4%

0.5%

 

0.7%

* January - June 2001

           

40. During 2002-03, publications in Arabic and Chinese are expected to consolidate the gains made in 2000-2001, whereas the share of English is expected to drop in proportion to the total publication programme towards the more appropriate level of 1996, when budget restrictions began and unduly led to lower volumes of translation into other languages. Publication production in French and Spanish is expected to remain close to the levels experienced over the past years.

Undisplayed Graphic

41. The following graph and table illustrate similar efforts to improve language coverage as regards documentation for meetings (which mirrors closely the spread of interpretation services). Chinese language coverage in meetings documentation is expected to continue to improve, while the percentage share of English to all meetings documentation will continue to decline.

Language

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

Chinese

7%

10%

6%

12%

7%

15%

10%

15%

Arabic

10%

13%

11%

15%

11%

17%

11%

17%

Spanish

19%

18%

23%

20%

20%

20%

21%

21%

French

26%

22%

26%

23%

25%

22%

25%

21%

English

38%

36%

35%

29%

37%

27%

34%

26%

42. Beyond the planned gradual improvements described above as regards documents and meetings, additional measures are included in the PWB 2002-03, as follows:

Allocation of Incremental Resources

43. A provision of US$ 2.1 million is made under entity 222P5, Programme for the Improvement of Language Coverage. This amount will be administered by the General Affairs and Information Department (GI) under the policy guidance of the Corporate Communication Committee (CCC). These additional resources will be applied to, inter alia, filling gaps in language coverage for priority publications and interpretation for meetings; and the extension of language coverage in WAICENT.

Impact of Improved Financial Arrangements

44. The central management of multilingual editorial services in the Information Division (GII) was one of the actions approved in the PWB 2000-01. Since its introduction in 2000, it has helped FAO units to utilise more fully these services for publications, leading to improvements in the quality of the various language versions. Efforts in this regard will continue in 2002-03.

Other Steps

45. The two P-2 Translator posts approved in the PWB 2000-01 have allowed the French and Spanish teams to reduce the high ratio of translation work done by external contractors in these two languages, leading to improved quality of output without impact on costs.

46. Also the two posts (i.e. one Arabic Language Editor and one French Language Production Clerk) approved in the PWB 2000-01 have enhanced the capacity to produce the relevant language versions of Cerestronic, i.e. the current information material put on FAO's website, which had previously been handled on an ad hoc basis. A further new post of Arabic Editor is proposed for 2002-03. Measures to improve the language skills of staff, developed by the Personnel Division (AFP) during 2000-01, will be actively pursued.

47. The issue of language use in FAO will be kept under review by the CCC to ensure that all departments and offices pay due attention to improving language coverage in the substantive activities of the Organization. Progress will be reported regularly to the Governing Bodies through the Programme Implementation Report (PIR), as recommended by the 81st session of Programme Committee.

48. In summary, the Programme of Work and Budget proposals seek to pursue improved language coverage in the biennial programme of publications and meetings, continue the special provision to stimulate additional language coverage, and include appropriate staffing arrangements for translation and multilingual editorial work. By these means, further progress should be achieved in this important aspect of FAO's work.

Priority Areas for Inter-disciplinary Action (PAIAs)

Background

49. The Medium Term Plan 2002-2007 gave due emphasis to needed cooperation across departments, in order to respond to the call in the Strategic Framework for enhanced multi-disciplinary approaches. Sixteen Priority Areas for Inter-disciplinary Action (PAIAs) were singled out, and are recalled below under the corporate strategies on which they are largely focused, bearing in mind that several also contribute to other strategies.

A - Contributing to the eradication of food insecurity and rural poverty
  1. Local Institution Building to Improve Capacity for Achieving Sustainable Rural Livelihoods (LHOO)
  2. Disaster Prevention, Mitigation and Preparedness and Post-Emergency Relief and Rehabilitation (REHA)
B - Promoting, developing and reinforcing policy and regulatory frameworks for food, agriculture, fisheries and forestry
  1. Biosecurity for Agriculture and Food Production (BIOS)
  2. WTO Multilateral Trade Negotiations on Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (AWTO)
  3. Climate Change Issues in Agriculture (CLIM)
C - Creating sustainable increases in the supply and availability of food and other products from the crop, livestock, fisheries and forestry sectors
  1. Organic Agriculture (ORGA)
  2. Food for the Cities (FCIT)
  3. Integrated Production Systems (SARD/SPFS) (PROD)
  4. Biotechnology Applications in Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (BTEC)
D - Supporting the conservation, improvement and sustainable use of natural resources for food and agriculture
  1. Integrated Management of Biological Diversity for Food and Agriculture (BIOD)
  2. Strengthening Capacity for Integrated Ecosystem Management (ECOM)
E - Improving decision-making through the provision of information and assessments and fostering of knowledge management for food and agriculture
  1. Definitions, Norms, Methodologies and Quality of Information (QINF)
  2. Spatial Information Management and Decision Support Tools (SPAT)
  3. Global Perspective Studies (GLOP)

50. The other two PAIAs are more thematic in nature, covering Gender Mainstreaming, and Ethics in Food and Agriculture (ETHI). As Gender Mainstreaming translates into a detailed Plan of Action on Gender and Development 2002-2007, also submitted to the FAO Conference at its request at its November 2001 session, this PAIA is not addressed below.

51. The substance under each PAIA was fully articulated in the Medium Term Plan, with description of the rationale and scope for enhanced inter-disciplinary work, the appropriate supervisory mechanism and the relevant programme entities or component activities. The following succinct narratives do not purport to repeat this extensive descriptive material, but aim at highlighting main expected achievements in the 2002-2003 biennium.

52. All concerned units have sought to identify the resources earmarked for the implementation of the above PAIAs under technical programmes in the 2002-2003 biennium. The resulting picture is given in the following table.

Distribution of Resources Allocated to PAIAs under Substantive Programmes (2002-2003)

 

Major Programme

AWTO

BIOD

BIOS

BTEC

CLIM

ECOM

ETHI

FCIT

GLOP

LHOO

ORGA

PROD

QINF

REHA

SPAT

2.1

Agricultural Production and Support Systems

2.2

Food and Agriculture Policy and Development

2.3

Fisheries

2.4

Forestry

2.5

Contributions to Sustainable Development and Special Programme Thrusts

3.1

Policy Assistance

 
 

Legend

Greater than zero,
less than US$ 250 000

US$ 250 000 to 1
million

US$ 1 million to 3
million

More than US$ 3
million

AWTO

WTO Multilateral Trade Negotiations on Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

BIOD

Integrated Management of Biological Diversity for Food and Agriculture

BIOS

Biosecurity for Agriculture and Food Production

BTEC

Biotechnology Applications in Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

CLIM

Climate Change Issues in Agriculture

ECOM

Strengthening Capacity for Integrated Ecosystem Management

ETHI

Ethics in Food and Agriculture

FCIT

Food for the Cities

GLOP

Global Perspective Studies

LHOO

Local Institution Building to Improve Capacity for Achieving Sustainable Rural Livelihoods

ORGA

Organic Agriculture

PROD

Integrated Production Systems (SARD/SPFS)

QINF

Definitions, Norms, Methodologies and Quality of Information

REHA

Disaster Prevention, Mitigation and Preparedness and Post-Emergency Relief and Rehabilitation

SPAT

Spatial Information Management and Decision Support Tools

53. It may be noted that provision has been made at central level (entity 210S5) for limited catalytic resources to be made available to the respective coordination mechanisms and Chairpersons depending on requirements, and on which some of the following planned achievements may depend. Some may also be subject to the availability of extra-budgetary support.

Overview of Planned Achievements in 2002-2003

Local Institution Building to Improve Capacity for Achieving Sustainable Rural Livelihoods
Indicative resource allocation in 2002-03: US$ 14.1 million

54. The pertinent coordination mechanism will ensure that a sequential set of activities is carried out by all concerned technical units, so as to assist Member Nations in building local capacities related to sustainable rural livelihoods. National Thematic Groups affiliated to the ACC Network on Rural Development and Food Security will also be instrumental in this regard. Expected achievements will include:

  1. normative materials translating lessons learnt into practical guidelines on important areas such as alternative crops and cultivars; household livestock production; provision of commercial, marketing, and mechanisation services; agribusiness development; small-scale integrated rural aquaculture; appropriate utilisation of forest resources and products; enhanced role of youth workers; improved extension, education and communication services; government-assisted agrarian reform; land regularisation and common property resources policies and instruments; decentralisation of rural institutions; household food security and community nutrition initiatives;
  2. harmonisation of technical documentation on a rich variety of subjects of direct relevance to rural livelihoods; and
  3. information dissemination activities through WAICENT tools and knowledge databases, including the virtual library and library information services.

Disaster Prevention, Mitigation and Preparedness and Post-Emergency
Relief and Rehabilitation

Indicative resource allocation in 2002-03: US$ 4.3 million

55. This PAIA embodies strengthened coordination in dealing with the different phases of the emergency cycle from prevention, preparedness, early warning, impact and needs assessment, to relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction, and sustainable recovery measures in the agriculture, fishery and forestry sectors. Coordination will be ensured by the inter-departmental Emergency Coordination Group (ECG). The implementation of the PAIA will incorporate policy, planning, institutional and technical considerations. It will promote improved knowledge, capacity building and exchange of relevant regional and national experiences in order to raise the level of preparedness of countries and regions and to improve the post-crisis recovery and rehabilitation process.

56. Major achievements in the biennium 2002-03 will include:

  1. improved accessibility to information in emergency situations;
  2. expanded monitoring and information systems on agricultural recovery, food security and nutrition;
  3. use of joint tools, including a database on the typology of disasters affecting the food and agriculture sector;
  4. increased participation of technical officers in disaster preparedness programmes at country level and in multi-disciplinary missions mounted by the Special Relief Operations Service (TCOR), as well as project backstopping; and
  5. joint training programmes and training of technical officers in the Regional and Sub-regional Offices to enable them to fully participate in impact and needs assessment missions.

Biosecurity for Agriculture and Food Production
Indicative resource allocation in 2002-03: US$ 10.8 million

57. Expected achievements include:

  1. Consultation on Biosecurity in Food and Agriculture (including Fisheries and Forestry) subject to extra-budgetary support, which will involve national regulators to develop guidance to national programmes in food safety, animal and plant health;
  2. development of an international biosecurity information exchange mechanism;
  3. FAO's website on biosecurity, with links to other relevant sites within and outside FAO;
  4. manuals and guidelines for the application of risk analysis principles; and
  5. coordinated support to technical assistance integrating the various elements of biosecurity at national level.

WTO Multilateral Trade Negotiations on Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
Indicative resource allocation in 2002-03: US$ 3.0 million

58. This PAIA is to enhance FAO's support to Members, particularly developing and transition countries, for their effective participation in multilateral trade negotiations (MTN) on agriculture, as well as their integration into global trade in food, agricultural, fishery and forestry products.

59. It is focused, therefore, on capacity building for trade, and involves normative and operational field activities. The main planned achievements of a cross-sectoral nature include:

  1. analytical studies on developments in commodity markets and trade (in both printed and electronic form);
  2. medium-term agricultural projections to 2010;
  3. studies on trade liberalisation and food security;
  4. analytical reports and information regarding the implications of alternative proposals emerging from the agenda of trade negotiations;
  5. meetings of experts on trade and food security issues under negotiation, including support to trade policy conferences;
  6. support to countries in the implementation of trade agreements, including the adjustment and adaptation of domestic policies;
  7. establishment of benchmarks for evaluating progress in developing countries' integration into global agricultural trade; and
  8. support to training activities related to commodity and trade policies for agricultural commodities, as requested

60. The PAIA will also benefit from a number of sectoral activities under various technical programmes which have clear trade-related dimensions.

Climate Change Issues in Agriculture
Indicative resource allocation in 2002-03: US$ 1.3 million

61. By the end of 2003, FAO is expected to have expanded its expertise in this complex area and strengthened its technical contributions to international initiatives linked to climate change adaptation and mitigation. Although the way and means by which the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC) will become operational are still being developed, areas where FAO will be most active are:

  1. ensuring that agricultural issues are given due consideration in meetings of the FCCC (including meetings of the Conference of Parties, scientific and technical bodies and the Secretariat), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC), as well as other high-level technical meetings where agriculture, forestry and fisheries are, or should be, prominent;
  2. technical support to Members in implementing the FCCC as relates to the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors, including the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration;
  3. capacity building in countries on climate change issues related to agriculture and food security, including for national reporting;
  4. collection, analysis and provision of agricultural and forestry data relevant to the FCCC process; and
  5. promotion of best practices and techniques that assist in mitigation of, and adaptation to potential climate change, including carbon management in biomass and soils, e.g. conservation agriculture, and substitution of fossil fuels through biofuels and other renewable sources of energy.

Organic Agriculture
Indicative resource allocation in 2002-03: US$ 1.0 million

62. Expected achievements include:

  1. ensuring convergence of all disciplinary inputs for effective policy advisory services to countries and development of technical decision-support tools for productive and efficient organic farming systems;
  2. ensuring coherent assessment of current developments and prospects for certified and uncertified organic agriculture;
  3. studies, technical assistance and policy advice relating to production and trade of certified organic agriculture products;
  4. information dissemination systems and networking arrangements for production, conservation, processing, labelling and marketing of organic produce;
  5. workshops and studies that integrate agronomic, environmental, economic and social criteria and indicators for assessing the contribution of organic agriculture to food security, income and employment generation and sustainability; and
  6. publications on key issues of importance to organic agriculture, including the links with the environment and food security, coupled with further development of information services on organic agriculture within the corporate FAO's website.

Food for the Cities
Indicative resource allocation in 2002-03: US$ 2.6 million

63. In addressing a wide range of issues such as urban and peri-urban agriculture, assembling, handling, processing, transport, credit, information, marketing and distribution, as well as food security, nutrition and environmental aspects, expected achievements under this PAIA will include:

  1. sensitisation and training activities on strategy, policy and programme formulation aimed at city and local authorities facing the problems and requirements of supplying food to rapidly expanding populations;
  2. technical guidelines to foster environmentally-sustainable urban and peri-urban agricultural systems;
  3. preparation of a briefing guide on urban and peri-urban agriculture, especially in the context of the SPFS; and
  4. study and development of sustainable irrigation practices in peri-urban areas, including safe use of waste water, as a precondition to the production of safe food and animal produce.

Integrated Production Systems (SARD3/SPFS)
Indicative resource allocation in 2002-03: US$ 10.1 million

64. During the biennium, thematic and regional working groups will be established to support work under this PAIA. Coordination will be operated through virtual means, the "PROD's" website and a discussion list. This will facilitate assembly of information and knowledge from Headquarters divisional and regional activities across disciplines. The PAIA will use entry-point thematic areas (which represent clusters of outputs in divisional programmes) as follows: conservation agriculture; good farming practices; crops-trees-livestock-fish systems; intensive forage production and use; livestock, environment and development; economics of production system intensification; vertical integration of production systems, products and marketing; integrated databases and information systems.

65. In addition, regional pilot projects will commence involving regional working groups and initial case studies and reports. The currently defined pilot projects are:

  1. integrated crop management practices for sustainable intensification of rice-wheat systems in Asia;
  2. integrated production systems in West Africa (oncho-freed ecosystems);
  3. integrated production systems in arid and semi-arid areas (IGAD4 and SADC5 areas);
  4. integrated production systems in arid and semi-arid areas of the Near East; and
  5. watershed management and participatory natural resource management in Latin America and the Caribbean.

66. For each regional pilot project, the following activities will be undertaken in 2002-03: field-level assessment of current systems and farming methods (consultant's report); meetings with local institutions and stakeholders; project proposal; and development of action plans.

Biotechnology Applications in Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
Indicative resource allocation in 2002-03: US$ 4.5 million

67. This PAIA links up to a vast number of sectoral outputs, involving the pertinent technical divisions, the Legal Office and WAICENT. Building on these, the major achievements of a cross-sectoral nature are foreseen to include:

  1. an enhanced website on biotechnology, with inter alia a discussion forum on cross-sectoral issues and dissemination of information on assessments of developments in biotechnology and their impact;
  2. coordinated policy advice and guidelines to Members on agricultural biotechnology applications; and
  3. establishment of a comprehensive database on biotechnology.

68. These activities should facilitate FAO's active engagement in the debates on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) through science-based contributions, and enable it to keep abreast of current scientific developments.

Integrated Management of Biological Diversity for Food and Agriculture
Indicative resource allocation in 2002-03: US$ 4.2 million

69. This PAIA will contribute to the establishment of FAO's coordinated position on biological diversity for food and agriculture. Major achievements are expected to include:

  1. promotion of ecosystem approaches for sustainable management of production systems, i.e. by examining the inter-relationship between socio-economic and biophysical factors and biological diversity to resolve inter-sectorial problems; this work will include case studies and the development of practical tools and methodologies;
  2. implementation of joint programmes with a range of partner organizations to promote the sustainable use and the conservation of biological diversity in ecosystems, also assisting countries in meeting their obligations under various international instruments, strategies and agreements; and
  3. improved awareness of the importance and value of biological diversity for food and agriculture, among all stakeholders including policy makers, consumers and the public, through inter alia specific awareness documents, tailored materials for different fora (i.e. video, articles, participation in regional and international fora and events, and support to networks).

Strengthening Capacity for Integrated Ecosystem Management
Indicative resource allocation in 2002-03: US$ 2.6 million

70. Bearing in mind the requirements for development of drylands and mountains, but also of other ecosystems, joint work is expected to focus on:

  1. better understanding of the concept of ecosystem management through technical documents on component issues, and meetings;
  2. reviews of past and current initiatives supporting integrated ecosystem management, including at country and regional levels;
  3. improved methodologies and practices in integrated ecosystem management, as relates to areas of FAO's mandate;
  4. improved in-house capacity to put integrated ecosystem management in action, coupled with training in countries and information exchange; and
  5. support to introducing integrated ecosystem management in the implementation of the Conventions on Biological Diversity and to Combat Desertification and, more generally, the management and conservation of natural resources for food and agriculture, in particular for fragile ecosystems.

Definitions, Norms, Methodologies and Quality of Information
Indicative resource allocation in 2002-03: US$ 4.4 million

71. Target accomplishments include:

  1. updated procedures to document and ensure the quality and consistency of statistical data regarding agricultural production, trade, food balance sheets (FBS), inputs, forestry and fisheries products, farm data and land and water indicators;
  2. further standardisation of terms, definitions and categorisation schemes regarding land use, plant production and protection, livestock, forestry and fisheries information as well as human nutrition aspects, establishing appropriate linkages among them;
  3. standards and norms regarding country-specific information to facilitate data dissemination and integration on a country basis; and
  4. standard data models to describe information resources such as experts, institutions, species and maps to assist in data exchange within and outside the Organization.

Spatial Information Management and Decision Support Tools
Indicative resource allocation in 2002-03: US$ 5.0 million

72. Expected achievements include:

  1. further development of spatial data standards and norms, under the leadership of the Geographical Information System (GIS) unit in the Research, Extension and Training Division (SDR), with links to the previous PAIA;
  2. effective "spatial networking" across units, also under the leadership of SDR, to facilitate wide accessibility of spatial data and information, including vector data (maps), raster data (remote sensing images), meta-databases and geo-referenced non-spatial information, and maintenance of related website;
  3. development of a meta-database and a corporate gateway on spatial products, under the joint leadership of SDR and GI/WAICENT; and
  4. integration of various thematic maps and filling of spatial data gaps.

Global Perspective Studies
Indicative resource allocation in 2002-03: US$ 3.3 million

73. Joint work under this PAIA is to improve coherence in analytical methods and databases used in global perspective studies. Expected achievements include:

  1. completion of a full technical report on Agriculture Towards 2015/30, and preparation and publication of a companion, shorter and more popular document under the same title;
  2. regional perspective studies for the livestock sector for Latin America, Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa;
  3. regional perspective studies for the forestry sector for Africa (2002), one for Latin America and the Caribbean, and one for Europe in the following biennium;
  4. perspectives for fish consumption, supply and trade by major geographical region, including supplies from both aquaculture and capture fisheries;
  5. new and improved estimates of the prevalence of under-nourishment;
  6. a new analytical framework for undertaking food and agriculture projections and scenario analysis for the crop and livestock sectors;
  7. improvements in the land and water (irrigation) databases;
  8. a study on the efficiency of water and fertilizer use;
  9. new and improved estimates of the environmental aspects of food and agriculture production for use in perspective studies; and
  10. implementation of a Country Profiles System to provide access to FAO country information in support of regional studies.

Ethics in Food and Agriculture
Indicative resource allocation in 2002-03: US$ 1.0 million

74. Besides sectoral outputs, such as meetings, publications and other activities that are directly related to ethical issues, expected achievements as the result of joint efforts include:

  1. two publications in an FAO Ethics Series;
  2. one meeting of the Panel of Eminent Experts on Ethics in Food and Agriculture;
  3. further development of an Ethics section of FAO's website and related information management tools; and
  4. close relations with other intergovernmental and UN bodies, in particular the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) on matters of common interest.

1 CL 119/17
2 CL 120/INF/17
3 Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development
4 Inter-Governmental Authority on Development
5 Southern African Development Community

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