1. The Fifty-Fifth Session of the Council was held in Rome from 17 November to 1 December 1970, under the Chairmanship of M. Cépède.
2. The Council heard an introductory statement by the Director-General, the text of which may be found as Appendix D to this report.
3. The Agenda of the Session as adopted is set out in Appendix A to this report.
4. Miss Marina de Barros e Vasconcellos (Brazil) and A. Löchen (Norway) were elected respectively First Vice-Chairman and Second Vice-Chairman. K.M. Ahsan (Pakistan) was elected Rapporteur and Chairman of the Drafting Committee.
5. The Council expressed deep sympathy for the victims of the recent cyclone which had devastated the coast of East Pakistan, and adopted the following resolution:
Resolution 1/55
ASSISTANCE TO PAKISTAN IN CONNECTION WITH THE CYCLONE AND TIDAL WAVES IN EAST PAKISTAN
THE COUNCIL
Noting with deep regret the tragic consequences of the cyclone and tidal waves in East Pakistan which have caused death and injury to thousands of persons and also extensive material damage;
Noting also that the magnitude of the disaster would call for external assistance to supplement the energetic and urgent measures that are being taken by the Government of Pakistan for the victims of the disaster and toward restoring normal living conditions in the devastated areas;
Expresses its deep sympathy to and solidarity with the Government and the people of Pakistan regarding this catastrophe;
Requests the Director-General of FAO and the Executive Director of the World Food Programme to provide with all possible speed emergency relief to the maximum extent as resources permit within their respective programmes, to meet the urgent needs as requested by the Government of Pakistan, and consider ways and means of rendering whatever further assistance they may be in a position to mobilize in connection with the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the devastated areas;
Invites the Member Nations of FAO and nongovernmental organizations to consider ways and means of rendering whatever assistance they may be in a position to offer to the Government of Pakistan, and requests them to keep FAO and WFP informed of such assistance.
6. The Council paid tribute to the memory of Maurice Gemayel of Lebanon, Chairman of the FAO Council from 1965 to 1969, who had died suddenly in October 1970.
7. The Council paid tribute to the memory of Marc Veillet-Lavallée who had been Secretary-General of the FAO Conference since 1946 and of the FAO Council since its inception in 1947. Marc Veillet-Lavallée died in France while the Council was in session.
8. The Council paid tribute to the memory of Adrian Janssen who had succeeded Marc Veillet-Lavallée in 1964 as Secretary-General of the FAO Conference and Council and had died in February 1970. Adrian Janssen had joined the Organization in 1947, from the Netherlands Civil Service.
9. The Chairman introduced A.G. Orbaneja, the new Secretary-General of the FAO Conference and Council.
