INTER-AGENCY RELATIONS AND CONSULTATIONS ON MATTERS OF COMMON INTEREST
29. The Council noted that since it had last discussed "Recent Developments in the United Nations System of Interest to FAO" at its Seventy-ninth session in June 1981, two major United Nations conferences had been held, the United Nations Conference on New and Renewable Sources of Energy, held at Nairobi from 10 to 21 August 1981, and the Conference on the Least Developed Countries, held at Paris from 1 to 14 September 1981. The Nairobi Conference had adopted a Programme of Action which gave a prominent place to priorities of particular interest to FAO such as fuelwood and charcoal, bio-mass and draught animal power. The Conference on the Least Developed Countries had adopted a Substantial New Programme of Action for the 1980s which gave a prominent place to the need for increasing agricultural production and improving the food security position of the least developed countries and recognized FAO's role in this.
30. The Paris Conference had been the occasion for the Italian Government, as a follow-up to its initiative at the Ottawa Summit, to announce its intention of convening a meeting in Rome in which, together with partners in the European Communities, other donor countries and FAO and other United Nations Organizations and bodies in Rome, proposals concerning food production and food security would be discussed. The Council was advised that further information would be provided to the Conference at its Twenty-first session.
31. The Council felt that FAO should continue to give its active support to major conferences organized by the United Nations.
32. The Council noted the recent Summit of twenty-two Heads of State and Governments at Cancún in Mexico which had confirmed the desirability of supporting a consensus to launch Global Negotiations at the United Nations on a basis to be mutually agreed and in circumstances offering the prospect of meaningful progress. There was still no agreement on the procedures and the matter had been referred to the General Assembly at its current Thirty-sixth session. The Council was gratified to note that major importance had been given to the development of the agricultural sector during the discussion at Cancún, and at the Commonwealth meeting in Melbourne.
33. The Council decided to leave more detailed discussion of this item to the Conference at its Twenty-first session.
34. The Council considered the conclusions reached in the JIU Report as well as the ACC comments provided thereon. It fully agreed with the observations made by the Programme and Finance Committees as reflected in their report, including their views concerning para, 133 of the JIU Report concerning strengthening of UNDP country offices.
1C 81/19; C 81/19-Sup.1; CL 80/4; CL 80/PV/2; CL 80/PV/6.
2CL 80/9; CL 80/4, paras 3.107 - 3.109; CL 80/PV/2; CL 80/PV/6.
