5. In accordance with Rule VII-1 of the General Rules of the Organization (GRO), the Council agreed to put the following nominations before the Conference:
| Chairman of the Conference | : Costas Petrides (Cyprus) |
| Chairman of Commission I | : Thomas Yanga (Cameroon) |
| Chairman of Commission II | : Jacques Laureau (France) |
| Chairman of Commission III | : Thomas A. Forbord (USA) |
6. In accordance with Rule XXIV-5(b) GRO, the Council elected the following 11 Member Nations to the Nominations Committee:
| CANADA | IRAQ | SPAIN |
| CROATIA | LIBYA | UNITED KINGDOM |
| DPR KOREA | MAURITANIA | ZIMBABWE |
| EL SALVADOR | PERU |
THE STATE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE 1995: SUMMARY2
7. The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) 1995 was introduced for information. The Council took note of the change in venue (Plenary instead of Commission I) and format as explained by the Secretariat. An advance copy of the published SOFA 1995 was displayed.
8. The Council took note of the information and draft Resolution in the document, and conveyed it to the Conference for consideration and action, requesting the Secretariat to provide responses in Commission I to queries raised by some Council members before the Conference adopted it. The Council expressed its concern for the late issuance of the draft Resolution. Some members indicated that they would have amendments to the draft Resolution to propose at Conference.
9. The Council briefly reviewed the three draft decisions concerning the Fourth Progress Report on Implementation of the Plan of Action and the revised Plan of Action for Women in Development (1996-2001). In particular the Council:
a) agreed that the Fourth Progress Report should be reviewed and adopted by the 28th Session of the Conference;
b) supported a recommendation stemming from the September 1995 meeting of Permanent Representatives to examine draft decisions for the 28th Conference Session that the Fifth Progress Report on Implementation of the Plan of Action should be submitted to the 29th Conference in 1997;
c) agreed that the revised Plan of Action for Women in Development should be reviewed and adopted by the 28th Conference.
10. The Council supported the three draft decisions without discussion.
PROPOSED STANDARD ON REQLTREMENTS FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF PEST FREE AREAS5
11. The Council recognized the importance of the Standard on Pest Free Areas in relation to the implementation of the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement in the World Trade Organization. It decided to forward the draft Standard to the 28th Session of the Conference for adoption. Some members proposed certain amendments to the Standard. The Council recommended to the Conference that a Contact Group be established by Commission I to consider these amendments, with the aim of reaching a consensus on the text by the time the item is formally discussed by the Conference.
UPDATING OF THE INTERNATIONAL PLANT PROTECTION CONVENTION6
12. The Council noted the proposals made by the Secretariat for the updating of the International Plant Protection Convention and forwarded them to the 28th Session of the Conference for discussion and decision.
DRAFT CODE OF CONDUCT FOR RESPONSIBLE FISHERIES7
13. The Council noted with satisfaction that the open-ended Technical Committee on the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries at its Second Session, (Rome, 25-29 September 1995) had finalized the negotiation and elaboration of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and had recommended to the Council that it be forwarded with the appropriate resolution for adoption by the Twenty-eighth Session of the Conference.
14. The Council commended the Technical Committee, the bureau and the Secretariat for producing a text which represented a balance of interests in a comprehensive and valuable instrument for achieving the objectives of responsible fisheries. It further recommended that the Conference consider the text as a package to be adopted in its current form. One member stated that, while not opposing the unanimous endorsement of the document, a technical reservation was necesary at this stage to provide time to verify the revised text in view of its late distribution. Another member stated that in the event of any language differences, the language of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement should prevail.
15. The Council unanimously agreed to forward the Code to the Conference for adoption and requested the Secretariat to prepare a resolution which should include an appeal for the expedient acceptance by member countries of the Agreement to promote Compliance with International Conservation and Management Measures by Fishing Vessels on the High Seas.
16. Accordingly, the Council submitted the following two draft Resolutions for consideration and adoption by the Conference:
A. Draft Resolution for the Conference
The Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries
THE CONFERENCE,
Recognizing the vital role of fisheries in world food security, and economic and social development, as well as the need to ensure the sustainability of the living aquatic resources and their environment for present and future generations,
Recalling that the Committee on Fisheries on 19 March 1991 recommended the development of the concept of responsible fishing and the possible formulation of an instrument on the matter,
Considering that the Declaration of Cancun, which emanated from the International Conference on Responsible Fisheries of May 1992, organized by the Government of Mexico in collaboration with FAO, had called for the preparation of a Code of Conduct on Responsible Fisheries,
Bearing in mind that with the entry into force of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982, and the adoption of the Agreement for the implementation of the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982, Relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks, as was anticipated in the 1992 Rio Declaration and the provisions of Agenda 21 of UNCED, there is an increased need for subregional and regional cooperation, and that significant responsibilities are placed upon FAO in accordance with its mandate,
Recalling further that the Conference in 1993 adopted the FAO Agreement to Promote Compliance with International Conservation and Management Measures by Fishing Vessels on the High Seas, and that this Agreement would constitute an integral part of the Code of Conduct,
Noting with satisfaction that FAO, in accordance with the decisions of its Governing Bodies, had organized a series of technical meetings to formulate the Code of Conduct, and that these meetings have resulted in agreement being reached on the text of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries,
Acknowledging that the Rome Consensus on World Fisheries, which emanated from the Ministerial Meeting on Fisheries (14-15 March 1995), urged governments and international organizations to respond effectively to the current fisheries situation, inter alia, by completing the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and to consider adopting the Agreement to Promote Compliance with International Conservation and Management Measures by Fishing Vessels on the High Seas:
1. Decides to adopt the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries;
2. Calls on states, international organizations, whether governmental or non-governmental, and all those involved in fisheries to collaborate in the fulfilment and implementation of the objectives and principles contained in this Code;
3. Urges that special requirements of developing countries be taken into account in implementing the provisions of this Code;
4. Requests FAO to make provision in the Programme of Work and Budget for providing advice to developing countries in implementing this Code and for the elaboration of an Interregional Assistance Programme for external assistance aimed at supporting implementation of the Code;
5. Further requests FAO, in collaboration with members and interested relevant organizations, to elaborate, as appropriate, technical guidelines in support of the implementation of the Code;
6. Calls upon FAO to monitor and report on the implementation of the Code and its effects on fisheries, including action taken under other instruments and resolutions by UN organizations, and in particular, the resolutions adopted by the General Assembly to give effect to the Conference on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks leading to the Agreement for the implementation of the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 Relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks;
7. Urges FAO to strengthen Regional Fisheries Bodies in order to deal more effectively with fisheries conservation and management issues in support of subregional, regional and global cooperation and coordination in fisheries.
B. Draft Resolution for the Conference
Agreement to Promote Compliance with International Conservation and Management
Measures by Fishing Vessels on the High Seas
THE CONFERENCE,
Recalling that at its Twenty-seventh Session in November 1993, it approved in accordance with Article XIV-1 of the Constitution the text of the Agreement to Promote Compliance with International Conservation and Management Measures by Fishing Vessels on the High Seas and acclaimed the Agreement as a momentous achievement and a milestone in the international management of high seas fisheries as well as urging members to accept the Agreement as soon as possible so as to bring it into force at the earliest possible time,
Bearing in mind that this Agreement constitutes an integral part of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries adopted at this session of the Conference,
Acknowledging that in the management of high seas fisheries, the adoption of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, and the completion of the Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 Relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks, has accentuated the need to bring into force as soon as possible the Agreement to Promote Compliance with International Conservation and Management Measures by Fishing Vessels on the High Seas,
Recognizing the importance of building up the register of fishing vessels authorized to fish on the high seas and the flow of information on such vessels provided for under the Agreement,
Noting that to date only seven countries have accepted the Agreement, and that a further 18 acceptances are necessary to bring it into force:
1. Urges members and eligible non-members of FAO to accept the Agreement to Promote
Compliance with International Conservation and Management Measures by Fishing Vessels on the High Seas so as to bring it into force as soon as possible.
1C 95/12; CL 109/PV/1.
2C 95/2; C 95/2 - Sup.1; CL 109/PV/3; CL 1O9IPV/6.
3C 95/17; C 95/17-Corr.1 (French only); CL 109/PV/3; CL 109/PV/4; CL 109/PV/6.
4C 95/14-Rev.1; C 95/14-Sup.1-Rev.1;CL 109/PV/4; CL 109/PV/6.
5C 95/22-Sup.1; CL 109/PV/3; CL 109/PV/6.
6C 95/22-Sup.2; C 95/22-Sup.3; CL 109/PV/3;
7C 95/20-Rev.1; CL 1091PV12; CL 1091PV15.
