C 2005/LIM/12

Conference

1. At its first meeting held on 22 November 2005, the Resolutions Committee nominated Ms. Patricia Borja from Ecuador as Chairperson of the Committee and nominated Mr. Médi Moungui from Cameroon, as Vice-Chairperson.

2. The Chairperson introduced the attached draft Resolutions on:

• the International Year of Potatoes submitted by Peru on behalf of GRULAC;
  
• the International Year of Natural Fibres submitted by the Philippines.
  

3. The Committee proceeded with the review of the above draft Resolutions in their present form (i.e. in Spanish for the first, English for the second one) and requested that they be translated into the FAO languages to be further reviewed at its successive meeting.
4. The Chairperson requested the members of the Committee to enquire in their respective Regional Group in order to assess whether other draft resolutions were in the process to be submitted.

5. It then adjourned the Session.

Draft Resolution ...../2005
for adoption by the

FAO Conference at its 33^rd Session

on

The International Year of Natural Fibres

Submitted by the Philippines

THE CONFERENCE,

Recalling that, following consideration by the Joint Meeting of the Thirty-Third Session of the Intergovernmental Group on Hard Fibres and the Thirty-Fifth Session of the Intergovernmental Group on Jute, Kenaf and Allied Fibres, and by the Sixty-fifth Session of the Committee on Commodity Problems, the Hundred and Twenty-Eighth Session of the FAO Council in June, 2005, had endorsed the proposal for an International Year of Natural Fibres;

Noting that natural fibres play an important part in clothing the world’s population as well as having traditional and promising new industrial uses;

Recalling that much of the world’s natural fibre was produced as a source of cash income by small farmers in low-income and developing countries;

Desiring to focus world attention on the role that income derived from the sale and export of natural fibres play in contributing to food security and poverty alleviation of the population;

Believing that while the production and consumption of natural fibres offer significant environmental benefits, concerted efforts should be made to ensure that these benefits are not compromised by unsound practices;

Recognizing that there were important potential partnerships among participants in the various natural fibre industries;

Affirming the need to heighten public awareness of the economic and environmental attributes of natural fibres:

1. Requests the Director-General to transmit this Resolution to the Secretary-General of the United Nations with a view to having the United Nations declare the Year 2009 as the International Year of Natural Fibres;
   
2. Further requests the Director-General to inform future Sessions of Conference and the Secretary-General of the United Nations of progress in making arrangements, including in securing funding, for the International Year of Natural Fibres and, subsequently, of the results of the Year once concluded.

(Adopted on ..... November 2005)

Draft Resolution ...../2005
for adoption by the

FAO Conference at its 33^rd Session

on

The International Year of Potatoes

Submitted by Peru

THE CONFERENCE,

Noting that the potato is a staple food in the diet of the world’s population;

Desiring to focus world attention on the role that the potato can play in providing food security and alleviating poverty of the population;

Convinced that concerted efforts are needed to address the issues and challenges that derive from the reduction of productivity, the depletion of natural resources, the problems of the environment and the loss of biodiversity in the present systems of potato cultivation;

Recognizing that there are important links between institutions engaged in potato research and development;

Recalling also that, at its 31^st Session, it endorsed the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture;

Affirming the need to revive public awareness of the relationship that exists between poverty, food security, malnutrition and the potential contribution of the potato to defeating hunger:

Requests the Director-General to transmit this Resolution to the Secretary-General of the United Nations with the aim of having the United Nations declare the year 2008 the International Year of Potatoes.

(Adopted on ..... November 2005)