P.S. McLEAN (United Kingdom): I had asked for the floor before the adjournment simply to say very briefly, and with some regret, that I could not share the Deputy Director-General's view that the requirements of Financial Regulation XIII had been satisfied by what is written in previous documents on the subject or by the statements made orally by the Secretariat. I merely therefore wish to note in passing that it would appear that while Resolution 9/83 is mandatory and binding on the Council, Resolution 12/79 to which I make reference apparently is not.
DEPUTY DIRECTOR-GENERAL: I think I am obliged to reply to the point just made. I left the legal aspects of the matter to the Legal Counsel and you heard what he had to say both about Financial Regulation XIII and about the meaning of the text of the Resolution adopted by the Conference when requesting the Council to establish at this session a Commission. This addendum, Resolution 12/79, does not refer to a document which shall be prepared on the same day or the day before or the hour before the proposal to establish the new body is considered. It refers to a document prepared by the Director-General, and the document prepared by the Director-General is C 83/25 which was before the Council session preceding the Conference, was discussed during the Conference, and is still on the table before this Council, and in that document are set out all the considerations that could possibly inform any reader about why there should be an intergovernmental body, what its objectives should be and what it should do. The only thing it has been suggested to me that is missing from that description is a dollar figure, but again neither Resolution 12/79 nor Regulation XIII request financial figures. They refer to financial implications, and the financial implications clearly refer to implications for contributions by Member States towards additions to the budget, and it is clear from the Resolution, Report of the Conference, the document', everything, that there should be no financial implications in the sense that nothing is being added to the approved budget level. The Conference is the only body which can do this and it is established that the approved budget level is at a certain figure, and it has been made clear that whatever the implications of the proposal are in dollars, there will be no implications as regards further contributions from Member States. So in effect the question of administrative and financial implications has been dealt with. Now if it is contended - I would leave this to the Legal Counsel - but my own view is, as I have stated, this does not mean necessarily a new document in Resolution 12/79, but if it is stated that there must be a piece of paper before the Council I think we could produce one within a matter of minutes which would point out that the objectives are spelled out in the Conference Report and in the Conference Resolution. The manner in which the body will carry out its functions is spelled out in Article VI of the Constitution which is before you, and the financial implications are as I have just stated, and including the figures that I gave this morning. That piece of paper - if that is all that is the problem today - can be produced in a matter of minutes.
CHAIRMAN: Did the United States delegate want the floor?
Mrs M. FENWICK (United States of America): I just wanted to say: do.'
M AHMAD (Pakistan): I think the position has been very amply made clear by the Deputy Director-General and when reference was being made by the United Kingdom delegate to this, he only mentioned the Resolution of the Conference; he did not refer to any Constitutional provision. I think just as that Conference Resolution is binding, so is the effect of this particular Conference Resolution of yesterday, similarly binding, which requires the Council to establish at its next session, etc. Therefore we are obliged to follow this particular Resolution just as we were obliged to follow Resolution 12/79 to which reference was made by the distinguished delegate of the United Kingdom.
CHAIRMAN: If there are no further interventions or comments, can we take it that we adopt the Resolution contained in document CL 85/7 with the reservations mentioned by several delegations.
Mrs M. FENWICK (United States of America): I would like to see the document which we are being promised and which the regulations provide for. I would be happy to see that document before we have to vote
DIRECTOR-GENERAL: The text is ready in English. The other versions are not ready yet. With your permission we can distribute the English text.
CHAIRMAN: The Director-General announced that in English the text of CL 85/7-Sup.l is ready, the other languages are coming and will be distributed. If you would like to wait a few minutes to read it, In the meantime I would like to bring up one point concerning the Report of this meeting of the Council. We will see that everything is faithfully recorded but I would like to have your sense. We are here to take a decision on the genetic resources, the Commission, but would you like to leave it to the Chairman to see the draft and approve it ? If you want to adopt the Report yourself then we will have to meet tomorrow afternoon. The Director-General says the earliest the Report will be ready is tomorrow afternoon. So I would like to see that this point is clarified about this session's Council Report.
M. AHMAD (Pakistan): I support the first alternative that the Council should authorize you to approve the Report.
H. CARANDANG (Philippines): The Philippines wholeheartedly support the proposal made by the delegate of Pakistan.
G. BULA HOYOS (Colombia): Ha sido costumbre que en este período corto del Consejo se proceda en la forma en que ha sugerido Pakistán y Filipinas, a quienes apoyamos plenamente.
CHAIRMAN: Then I have your consent I did not want to have to meet again tomorrow afternoon. I will do my best to ensure that the points made are contained in the Report. We are back on item 9,
Mrs M. FENWICK (United States of America): If we are proceeding now to take action I would like to take note of a reservation of my government about this Resolution.
CHAIRMAN: The Ambassador of the United States has stated that the reservation of her government may be noted. Shall we then adopt the Resolution contained in the document?
P. GOSSELIN (Canada): First of all I would like to revert to the statement which you made earlier that the reservation that had been expressed earlier by a number of members of the Council would be reflected. I am just wondering how these reservations will be reflected. Will they be footnoted as in the previous Resolution, or will they be only in the text?
CHAIRMAN: It will be exactly like Appendix A of Resolution 9/83, as a footnote.
G. BULA HOYOS (Colombia): Usted ha dicho muy bien cuando ha hecho referencia a aquellos países que han expresado reservas a la Resolución 9/83 de la Conferencia; pero quisiéramos saber si esos mismos países también se van a reservar sobre esta Resolución que ahora estamos discutiendo aquí en el Consejo.
W.A.F. GRABISCH (Germany, Federal Republic of): If I may answer through you, Mr Chairman, Yes, and I tried to explain this at our morning session. I have nothing to add to that. I just wonder whether it would not be preferable to have also a very little paragraph in the Report of the session which states that "Some, several, or many countries, whilst having supported so far constructively the ongoing discussions on this very important subject, were for several reasons not in a position to lend their support to the proposed resolution", and then in the resolution the countries could be named in the footnote. This would be my preference and I hope that there would not be great difficulties about that.
G. BULA HOYOS (Colombia) : Yo creo que hay que proceder como ya se hizo en la Conferencia. Se pondrá al pie de la página los nombres de aquellos países que aquí reiteren sus reservas. Creemos que colocar un párrafo sería incoherente, porque no creemos que haya sido constructiva la actitud de esos países que están reservando su posición. Por el contrario, consideramos que ha sido una actitud muy negativa; iniciaron esta mañana el debate haciendo una serie de preguntas infundadas, inconsistentes y mínimas; se refirieron a las aclaraciones financieras; se les suministraron las aclaraciones en un documento rápido presentado por la Secretaría. Y ahora están demostrando que, en realidad, lo que querían con eso era entretenernos, prolongar el debate, porque han obtenido todo lo que querían, todas las explicaciones, y aún insisten en sus reservas. O sea que lo que hay que hacer es solamente eso, tal como se procedió en la Conferencia.
P.S. McLEAN (United Kingdom): I am not disposed to start crossing swords with my colleague from Colombia, but I fear that I have to say that I want to support the suggestion made by the delegate of the Federal Republic of Germany for the reasons he explained,, and by the same token I have to ask that the United Kingdom be footnoted as entering a reservation on the resolution. I have explained my reasons. To encapsulate them, it is simply that I cannot on behalf of the United Kingdom support a resolution on which we have had no opportunity to consider the full implications of the changes that were incorporated into that resolution at a very late stage of the Conference. Could I ask your indulgence, to make one final plea relative to this debate. It was envisaged by a number of those countries that have participated in the working groups and in the whole operations that have led to the debate here in this Conference over the last two years that the Undertaking should so far as possible be universal in its application, from which it follows that the widest possible membership should be granted to the intergovernmental body. I hope that given that the resolution is now adopted the Director-General is therefore authorized to proceed with the Commission under the terms of the resolution. It will be accepted that it is very desirable to keep constantly under review whether the membership which is now provided, which is restrictive, does sufficiently and adequately meet the objectives of the International Undertaking. In other words, I believe it may be necessary, perhaps at the next Conference, for the matter to be further examined. I make the point in a spirit of constructiveness because I believe that the views that we have expressed have been wrongly interpreted during the course of today's debate.
Mrs M. RAVN (Norway): I would just like to support the delegates of the Federal Republic of Germany and the United Kingdom. As you know, my delegation has made no reservations to the Undertaking or the resolution, but I still think that what took place in the debate today and the reservations that have been made by a certain number of countries, that was brought out during our discussions and as such could very easily be included in the Report as we normally do with our proceedings. Also I agree with the United Kingdom suggestion that we let the Conference review this at a later stage.
J. TCHICAYA (Congo): Depuis ce matin nous savions que les questions qui avaient été posées ne l'avaient pas été pour retarder les débats, et, comme nous l'avions dit ce matin, c'était un jeu d'obstruction auquel on se livrait. Parce que si l'on se réfère à la réponse que le Secrétariat a rapidement donné aux questions qui avaient été posées, et à l'attitude de ces mêmes délégations, nous comprenons qu'en fait elles ne s'intéressaient pas véritablement aux questions posées, et que c'était en quelque sorte un moyen pour retarder les débats qui avaient déjà été clos au niveau de la Conférence. Nous pensons pour notre part que nous ne pouvons pas faire plus que ce que nous avons fait au niveau de la Conférence. C'est pour cette raison que ma délégation pense nécessaire de maintenir, comme vous l'avez proposé vous-même la note de bas de page, et non d'ajouter des phrases qui compliqueraient les choses.
M A. FEQUANT (France): Je m'associe à la proposition faite par mon collègue allemand. Je pense que nous ne sommes pas obligés d'imiter sur tous les points la Conférence. D'autre part, il y a eu certainement, au Conseil, sur cette question précise, un débat plus large et plus étendu qu'à la Conférence, je ne vois pas pourquoi nous chercherions à l'escamoter.
P. GOSSELIN (Canada): I also would like to join my colleagues in adding our name to the proposal that has been put forward by the Federal Republic of Germany. I do not believe that the Canadian delegation has to explain Canada's record in the area of plant genetic resources. We certainly have been an advocate of all the principles that are at play here and have been very active in the financing of the work of the IBPGR. I trust however that honest disagreement is still possible in this Committee. For that reason we would like to support the proposal of the Federal Republic of Germany.
M. ABDELHADI (Tunisie): La proposition faite par mes collègues de Colombie et du Congo reçoit l'entière adhésion de ma délégation, à savoir: mentionner en bas de page les pays qui ont formule des réserves. En effet, je crois que la logique veut que l'on agisse de la même façon qu'à la Conférence.
M. FRANCISCI di BASCHI (Italie): Ce matin, la délégation italienne a exprimé ses regrets pour le fait de la participation bloquée à la Commission des ressources phytogénétiques. Néanmoins, je veux pré-ciser que nous n'opposons pas des réserves formelles au projet de résolution. Je voulais simplement donner mon avis sur la proposition avancée par la délégation de l'Allemagne fédérale que je considère comme tout à fait légitime, ainsi que celle exprimée par d'autres pays dans le même sens.
A. NAGA (Japan) : My delegation would like to support the proposal made by the delegate of the Federal Republic of Germany. We would also like to reserve our position and wish to be specified in the footnote.
Mrs M. FENWICK (United States of America): I would like to join with the delegate of Canada, who has expressed the hope that where we differ we are not reduced to questioning the motives of those who do not agree with us. We cannot have a deliberative body in which those who disagree with us are attacked for the reasons and motives for which they voted as they did. I think it would diminish certainly the civility and efficiency of this Organization.
F. DE MENEZES (Sao Tomé-et-Principe): Ma délégation voudrait appuyer ce qu'ont dit le distingué am-bassadeur du Congo et le délégué de la Tunisie. Cette question des ressources phytogénétiques est très importante pour les pays en développement et nous prions les pays industrialisés de repenser avec un esprit ouvert ce qu'ils ont dit lors de cette session du Conseil. Puisque tout le monde reconnaît que la création de cette commission est importante nous ne comprenons pas pourquoi certains pays développés sont en train de faire des réserves. Nous appuyons fermement ce qu'ont dit le Congo et la Tunisie.
M. AHMAD (Pakistan): Double reservations appear to be a little odd. Perhaps mention of the reservations in the Report would be in order, particularly when the original resolution of the Conference does have a footnote. In this particular resolution we are only acting on a directive given to us. I would therefore make an appeal to our colleagues from the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, Japan and Germany to reconsider whether this reservation should also go on to the resolution which we are approving today only in response to a directive of the Conference.
J.M. BOLIVAR SALCEDO (España): Nuestra delegación está escuchando, yo diría que con una gran satisfacción, la afirmación de espíritu constructivo que están expresando los mismos países que hacen una reserva. Incluso creemos también que es muy satisfactorio para todos, que algunas de estas delegaciones hayan expresado su interés en que en la próxima Conferencia vuelva a tratarse este tema, porque interpretamos que quizás consideran que aun hemos de avanzar más en un tema tan fundamental como son los Recurses Fitogenéticos. Quiero decir con esto, que nosotros, nuestra delegación no tiene ningún inconveniente en aceptar la propuesta de la delegación de la República Federal de Alemania de que en el Informe se incluya que estos países han colaborado con un espíritu constructivo, siempre que reconozcan que los demás países también hemos colaborado efectivamente con ese mismo espíritu constructivo. Porque consideramos muy importante que en este Consejo se afirme y se continúe en un espíritu de construcción de todos, que nos permita armonizar todos los intereses.
M. HAMDOON (Iraq) (original language Arabic): I believe that all the delegates here would like us to reach a unanimous agreement on this resolution. However, it seems that this is impossible so far for reasons which I do not fully understand. This resolution, if it is adopted unanimously, is one of the major resolutions of this Conference. If unanimously adopted, it will be, therefore, I repeat, a major resolution which will affect all the peoples of the earth. It is a humanitarian resolution. This is why I do not understand that there are countries that object to it. What do they want in fact? Do they have a better resolution? If so, we are willing to accept it. This morning they stated that the objection was financial, and the Secretariat afterwards proved that we will not need to spend one more dollar on this resolution than already foreseen in the budget. The developed countries wish perhaps to cast doubts over some of the resolutions upheld by developing countries. The developing countries see in this resolution a resolution that will be of benefit to their peoples, as Colombia and the Congo said. This resolution will have an influence on food security. I should like to understand what the developed countries really want. Why do they object? Do they wish to add a footnote stating that we accept this resolution provided it does not add to the expenditure of the budget? If they want this, then we will accept it. However, we would like them to state clearly what they want. We call on all the delegations here to approve this resolution unanimously because it will be of great benefit to all the countries.
E.J. STONYER (New Zealand): I had no intention of speaking at all in this particular argument we seem to be drifting into. The New Zealand delegation has no intention of standing out against this resolution. We think it is important, we think the progress has got to be made, but we also understand those people who have stood up and put forward their reservations and suggested that in fact the way this thing has been handled has cast a cloud over this whole issue. Most of us came here in a very constructive frame of mind. We came here determined to set about this task of collecting the gene resources of the world in a competent and structured way, but unfortunately, the developments that have taken place tend to work against this sort of arrangement. I would just like to appeal to all the delegations that we should draw this particular discussion to a close. It is an important issue. Let us not undermine it any more.
CHAIRMAN: I think now, since you have left the onus of approving the Report on my hands, I would like to be very clear as to the countries which would like to be listed under the reservations. If you can just show your hands, we can take it down. Canada, Federal Republic of Germany, France, Japan, United States and the United Kingdom would like to be footnoted at the end of the resolution, same as was done in the case of the Conference resolution.
W.A.F. GRABISCH (Germany, Federal Republic of): Once you speak about your intention as to how the Report is going to be structured, could we please get also your decision on whether you would accept what I humbly propose, namely, that the Report should be a true reflexion of the debate which did take place today, and if this were to be the case, then I would repeat again I am not making reference to some words.which were voiced this afternoon, I will refrain from doing so, but could you then please accept what I humbly proposed, that a little paragraph be introduced explaining exactly that it was not the budgetary reasons but many other reasons which were given which led to a different point of view.
CHAIRMAN: Obviously, the Report of our Council should truthfully reflect what has happened here, and the fact remains that you and several other delegations have expressed this view, and I think we have to say that the Report contains a reference to the views of some of the delegations. I have here a suggested version. "As requested by the Conference in Resolution 9/83, the Council took up the establishment of a Commission on Plant Genetic Resources. Some members expressed concern that despite their constructive interest and involvement in Plant Genetic Resources activities they had had no opportunity to consider the implications of the Conference Resolution, nor did they consider that they had received in time for adequate consideration a document on administrative and financial implications as laid down in Conference Resolution 12/79. They also considered that the success of the Undertaking would depend on the scope of the membership of the Commission. It was suggested that this question would need to be reviewed at the next session of the Conference. Some members reserved their position on the resolution and requested that their reservations be recorded accordingly. The majority of members, however, considered that the Conference request was binding on the Council, which had therefore to proceed immediately to establish the Commission. They noted that relevant administrative and financial implications had been set put in the Director-General's report" - and the Report number will be given - " and in the proceedings of the Conference. They also noted the further information on these implications provided to the Council. The Council accordingly adopted the following Resolution". This is the suggested wording of the Secretariat. I think it reflects the scope of the discussion and, as mentioned by New Zealand, we can go on discussing it indefinitely.
W.A.F. GRABISCH (Germany, Federal Republic of): I am awfully sorry. Perhaps just one word could be added, because we also felt that universality which it was intended to have would not be guaranteed or something like that.
CHAIRMAN: I think it is conveyed here. "The success of the Undertaking would depend on the scope of the membership of the Commission."
W.A.F. GRABISCH (Germany, Federal Republic of): Thank you.
CHAIRMAN: This is what you really meant and what the United States mentioned this morning. I am very grateful to you.
G. BULA HOYOS (Colombia): Yo creo que usted, Sr. Presidente, ha hecho un esfuerzo, pero también espero que usted entienda que no considero oportuno ni adecuado que vayamos a convertirnos en un Comité de Redacción. Nosotros creemos que en este período de sesiones, corto y limitado a temas específicos, convendría simplificar las características del informe, como se ha hecho en el pasado. Nos preocupa en la lectura que usted dio a su texto y que, naturalmente, nos llego muy rápidamente a través de la traducción, algunas referencias excesivas a la Resolución 12/79 y a otros argumentos que parecen prevalecer sobre aquellas ideas y aquellos razonamientos que expresamos la mayoría de los miembros del Consejo. Yo creo que podríamos tratar de dar satisfacción a los colegas de la República Federal de Alemania y a otros procediendo de una manera más simple y más sencilla. Habría un párrafo que diría simplemente "algunos miembros", y si ellos prefieren poner los nombres de sus países, "no estuvieron en condiciones de expresar su apoyo a la Resolución y manifestaron su interés por ocuparse de este asunto en la próxima Conferencia". Esto es lo que han dicho. Luego "sin embargo el Consejo decidió adoptar la Resolución", ahí no habría ninguna nota al pie de página porque ya se habría complacido a los colegas que insisten en que haya un párrafo.
CHAIRMAN: I will give the floor first to France and then to the United Kingdom. Kindly be very brief-because we really want to get on with the job. If you want the Commission to meet I think it has to be with cooperation with everyone. It has to succeed in this job, and therefore let us not go on quarrelling about minor words. What is important is that the Director-General has an authority to go ahead and call up the commission before COAG in 1985. I would request everyone who is really concerned with genetic resources that we get on with the job that we all desire rather than quibble about one or two words here and there, and who said what and so on. Otherwise, if everybody wants to make a drafting exercise I will have to rule that we will set up a drafting committee, and we will have to meet because we cannot do a drafting here. I have allowed one piece of drafting given to me by the Secretariat which seems to reflect some of the views. If it is your desire to set up a drafting committee which can meet later and then we will meet tomorrow afternoon, I am quite prepared, but on the other hand if all others are really interested in the cause which we are expounding then I think it is important to end in a spirit of cooperation which has always been characteristic of this Council. I appeal to you before about seven or eight speakers who have raised their flag. I would like to hear everyone and I am prepared to sit as long as interpreters are available. I am not in a hurry but I think we must, at some time or another, come to a conclusion, and that conclusion in my view, in accordance with our own tradition, should be one where we all sometimes agree to disagree, but we all agree - perhaps it does not matter - but that we go ahead; that is more important.
A. FEQUANT (France): Je soutiens les points de vue soit de la majorité, soit de la minorité, de la manière dont ils sont exprimés dans le texte du secrétariat. Si tout le monde pouvait en faire autant, la discussion serait terminée.
A. PINOARGOTE CEVALLOS (Ecuador): Yo pienso que este debate no ha sido inútil porque inicialmente se planteo una serie de objeciones que seguramente hicieron dudar sobre el procedimiento. Pienso que han sido muy útiles las observaciones de los países que, coherentemente con su posición anterior de hacer una reserva en la Conferencia, lo han mantenido aquí en el Consejo. Ha sido muy útil porque hemos comprobado que el procedimiento jurídico es nítido, limpio, correcto, que no hay ninguna duda sobre lo que se está resolviendo aquí, que las cuestiones financieras y administrativas son nítidas, limpias y correctas, que no hay irregularidad, que todo es normal, que el Consejo cumple con su deber de poner en ejecución un mandato preciso y concreto de la Conferencia.
En lo que yo estoy en desacuerdo es con la redacción del informe; la excepción, lo excepcional se ha considerado como lo principal. Es decir que se ponga como un "sin embargo" que el Consejo aprueba crear esta Comisión. Lo importante es que el Consejo, cumpliendo su mandato, crea la Comisión. El "sin embargo" debe ser en el sentido de que los países que hicieron reservas en la Conferencia las reiteraron aquí en el Consejo, y yo pienso que incluso no se debería ahondar en cada uno de los argumentos exhibidos, porque esos argumentos han sido esclarecidos de manera tal que ya no queda duda sobre la rectitud de procedimiento del Consejo. Esa es mi opinión.
J.R. LOPEZ-PORTILLO ROMANO (México): Estamos totalmente de acuerdo con lo dicho por el Sr. Delegado del Ecuador; creo que la redacción debe ser muy balanceada y debe expresar la generosidad de los países desarrollados en el sentido de mantener una actitud constructiva, que creo que es lo único que se puede poner en ese párrafo, porque de otra manera la reserva está ya hecha, no se puede hacer referencia a una reserva que de todas maneras ya se hizo, es una redundancia inútil. Redactar el párrafo de esa manera podría tener la implicación y matiz que todos consideren que hubo mala fe el día de ayer, una actitud poco constructiva de parte de la mayoría que aprobó esta Resolución y que, por tanto hizo que los países desarrollados mantuvieron una actitud constructiva y tuvieron que abstenerse. Ese matiz no podemos permitir que se deje traslucir. Creo que todos estamos de acuerdo en que hay buena voluntad, pero que todos los países aquí presentes hemos expresado esta voluntad, y eso es lo que debe quedar en el informe, y en ese sentido recoger primero, por supuesto, como lo ha aclarado el Delegado del Ecuador, la volundad de la mayoría y posteriormente las reservas, haciendo referencia específica a los países que la hicieron; pero manifestar, apoyar, subrayar la actitud constructiva que esos países han mantenido y que desean seguir manteniendo.
LE DIRECTEUR-GENERAL: Je regrette d'avoir à intervenir. Mais comme je suis responsable de la mise en oeuvre de la résolution et que je suis très informé du sujet, qui nous concerne beaucoup à la FAO, je voudrais dire qu'il faut être raisonnable.
Le système que nous proposons ne marchera pas si les Etats-Unis, la Grande-Bretagne, l'Australie, etc., n'y participent pas. Je ne parle pas du point de vue financier mais du point de vue technique. Les collections de matériel génétique se trouvent surtout dans ces pays. Pour travailler, nous avons donc besoin de ces pays, pour que la Commission puisse fonctionner, pour que l'on puisse échanger le matériel. Ce sont eux qui ont fait le plus de recherches. On dit dans le texte: "... despite this constructive interest and involvement". Je ne vois pas pourquoi l'on voudrait empêcher ces pays de s'exprimer. Monsieur le Président, vous avez toute autorité pour approuver le rapport. Vous n'allez pas encore renvoyer la décision. Nous avons voulu montrer notre bonne foi, être justes et honnêtes et M. West en quelques minutes a résumé le débat et proposé un texte. On y parle d'ailleurs beaucoup des pays qui ont approuvé la résolution.
Il faut souligner un aspect très important, c'est que, si l'Union soviétique et la République démocratique allemande ne sont pas incluses dans la Commission, elles ne viendront pas. Pourquoi ces pays entreraient-ils par la petite porte, comme observateurs? Ils viendront s'ils sont membres, et encore, ce n'est pas sûr...
Nous avons dit dans le projet de rapport que la prochaine Conférence reverrait la situation. Il faudrait trouver le moyen de permettre à l'Union Soviétique de participer, puisqu'elle dispose presque du tiers du matériel génétique stocké dans des collections.
Il ne s'agit pas de victoire ou de défaite. Je regrette de le dire, mais dans ce domaine, il y a des pays qui ne sont pas égaux aux autres. Si certains pays sont absents, on ne peut pas faire valablement fonctionner la Commission. Ce n'est pas la peine d'entrer dans le détail. Ce sont ces pays qui ont fait les recherches. Laissons-leur écrire cinq ou dix mots dans le rapport. D'ailleurs, beaucoup ne le liront pas, ce rapport. Ce qui est important, c'est la résolution. Une fois la résolution adoptée, la Commission peut commencer ses travaux. Elle ne commencera pas par la lecture du rapport, ni par vouloir savoir comment la Commission a été créée.
Je fais appel à tous, et en particulier à mes amis et collègues d'Amérique latine. Laissez aux sept ou huit pays qui ont fait des réserves la possibilité de s'exprimer comme ils l'entendent, et ne comptez pas les mots, il faut les encourager à participer, sinon, je ne suis pas sûr que ces pays viendront à la réunion de cette Commission. Comment discuteront les pays du tiers monde, qui n'ont pratiquement pas de matériel génétique, et très peu de généticiens, et qui devront nécessairement demander la coopération des pays developpés?
Je pense donc qu'il est plus constructif de laisser le texte tel qu'il est. D'ailleurs, Monsieur le Président, vous êtes autorisé à approuver ce texte. C'est simplement la synthèse des discussions, et ce ne sont pas les mots qui comptent.
Je vous remercie, et je vous prie de m'excuser d'être intervenu de façon aussi intempestive.
Applause
Applaudissements
Aplausos
CHAIRMAN: I think with this acclamation we have adopted the Resolution on the setting up of the Commission on Plant Genetic Resources. It is Thanksgiving Day!
It was so decided.
Il en est ainsi decide.
Así se acuerda.
Applause
Applaudissements
Aplausos
CHAIRMAN: We now move on to the other items left on our Agenda for today.
CHAIRMAN: The Director-General will introduce this item.
LE DIRECTEUR GENERAL: Durant la session de la Conférence, un ou deux délégués s'étaient étonnés du fait que le règlement prévoyait un vote pour l'élection d'un seul candidat à un seul poste. Ils avaient suggéré que les procédures des élections soient revues, pour étudier la possibilité, dans des cas pareils, - il s'agissait par exemple de l'élection du Président du Conseil - par consensus -de ne pas procéder au vote. Le Président de la Conférence avait indiqué que cette question méritait d'être étudiée.
Je suggère donc que la question de la révision des procédures pour les élections au Conseil et à la Conférence soit étudiée par le Comité approprié du Conseil, c'est-à-dire le Comité des Questions Constitutionnelles et Juridiques qui nous préparera un document à ce sujet.
CHAIRMAN: I take it that we approve the procedure suggested by the Director-General; if this is acceptable to you, we shall act accordingly. Thank you very much, Sir, for your suggestion.
LE SECRETAIRE GENERAL: Dans le document, il y a quelques modifications que nous soumettons à votre appréciation.
Pour la réunion du comité des pêches, qui est prévue dans le document du 11 au 15 mars 1985, nous proposons que cette date soit fixée du 22 au 26 avril 1985.
Comme l'a dit le Ministre de l'agriculture du Mexique, en consultation avec le Directeur général, il est maintenant proposé que le Congrès forestier mondial se tienne du 1er au 12 juillet 1985 au lieu du 22 au 26 octobre 1984.
Voici les deux modifications portées au document que vous avez devant vous.
P. GOSSELIN (Canada): The World Forestry Conference or Congress which was to be held in 1984 is now moved to 1985; I understood that there was at some point an earlier date to be considered in January or February. The reason that I raise this problem is that as some members may know, and certainly those from the Commonwealth, that the Commonwealth Forestry Congress will be held in September of that year so I would just like to record that it is unfortunate that both these very large conferences will be held a few months apart and with finances being what they are in most countries, it is unfortunate because it will mean that the audience or the participation to both the Conferences will be thus unfavourably affected.
CHAIRMAN: I take it that there are no further comments on these changes. Shall we adopt them? Then we adopt the proposals as amended in the case of the Committee on Fisheries and the World Forestry Congress in 1985.
LEGAL COUNSEL: Mr Chairman, as you mentioned yourself, at the beginning of the session, among the personalities whom we have lost recently was Ambassador Spinelli who for many years was the Chairman of the Appeals Committee provided for in our Staff Regulations. I think all member governments and also the staff will express their deep regret, as the Director-General has done in the opening paragraph of document CL 85/6.
After having been himself a distinguished international civil servant, Ambassador Spinelli then went on to use part of his retirement in the service of international civil servants; and his fairness and impartiality were appreciated by all. In these sad circumstances the Council is called upon to appoint a successor to Ambassador Spinelli. As pointed out in paragraph 4 of the document before you, there are two alternate Chairmen. In the event, that one of these were to be appointed as the Chairman, you would then have to proceed to a second nomination in order to fill the post vacated by the alternate Chairman who would become Chairman of the Appeals Committee.
G. BULA HOYOS (Colombia): La Delegación de Colombia se ha adherido con todo respeto a las manifestaciones de condolencia que se han expresado esta mañana y esta tarde sobre las dos distinguidas personalidades desaparecidas en el presente mes de noviembre. Ahora, para nuestra Delegación es grato proponer a Su Excelencia el Sr. A.K. Atal como Presidente Independiente del Comité de Apelaciones. El Sr. Atal ha tenido una distinguida carrera diplomática en su país, la India, dentro de la cual ha ejercido altas funciones en diversas capitales, incluyendo Roma. El Sr. Atal es el más antiguo de los Vicepresidentes de ese Comité de Apelaciones; fue elegido por este Consejo desde el año 1975. Además, durante el período en que el Embajador Spinelli estuvo gravemente enfermo, el Sr. Atal le suplió en las funciones de Presidente en ese Comité con mucha consagración y eficacia. Por las razones anteriores la Delegación de Colombía propone al Sr. Atal como Presidente Independiente del Comité de Apelaciones.
M. FRANCISCI di BASCHI (Italie): La délégation italienne se joint aussi aux condoléances qui ont été exprimées pour le décès de M. Spinelli.
J'ai le plaisir maintenant d'appuyer l'initiative colombienne proposant comme président du Comité de recours M. l'ambassadeur Atal dont les qualités ont été rappelées par mon collègue de Colombie.
CHAIRMAN: You heard the proposal by Colombia that His Excellency A. K. Atal be appointed Independent Chairman of the FAO Appeals Committee. The proposal has been seconded by Italy. Do I hear any other nominations or views? If not, then we shall take it that the proposal by Colombia, seconded by Italy has our unanimous approval. Thank you very much. So we declare His Excellency Atal Independent Chairman of the Appeals Committee.
It was so decided.
Il en est ainsi décidé.
Así se acuerda.
This then will create the vacancy of an alternate Chairman.
F.G. POULIDES (Cyprus): I have great pleasure in proposing as alternate Chairman of the Appeals Committee my colleague Ambassador Carlos di Mottola Balestra. Ambassador di Mottola needs very little introduction to most of us here. I would nevertheless like to recall his previous service as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to FAO and to international organizations in Geneva from 1963 to 1978. From 1975 to 1977 he represented his country on the Committee on Constitutional and Legal Matters, the CCLM. From 1973 to 1978 he was also ambassador of Costa Rica to Greece. Ambassador di Mottola was again accredited as Permanent Representative to FAO in 1982. I am sure that his intimate knowledge of the workings of FAO will be a valuable asset in considering all the activities that the function requires of appeals lodged by the FAO staff.
P.S. McLEAN (United Kingdom): It is a great pleasure for my delegation to second the nomination of Ambassador di Mottola of Costa Rica as the alternate Chairman of the FAO Appeals Committee.
CHAIRMAN: You have heard the nomination by Cyprus of Ambassador Carlos di Mottola Balestra as the alternate Chairman of the Appeals Committee and this has been seconded by the United Kingdom. Do you have any other nominations or suggestions? If not, shall we take it that the appointment of Carlos di Mottola Balestra of Costa Rica has our unanimous approval as alternate Chairman.
It was so decided.
Il en est ainsi decide.
Así se acuerda.
C. di MOTTOLA BALESTRA (Observador de Costa Rica): Deseo agradecer encarecidamente al Embajador de Chipre y al Embajador del Reino Unido por sus palabras y a todo el Consejo por esta elección que me honra y a la que trataré de responder con una actividad pertinente.
CHAIRMAN: According to the programme you have just now approved in document CL 85/5 the next meeting is scheduled from 19 to 30 November 1984. Unless you have any doubt we will record the date and place of the Eighty-sixth session here in Rome from 19 to 30 November 1984.
W.A.F. GRABISCH (Germany, Federal Republic of): You may recall that the Conference yesterday paid tribute to the outstanding services the Assistant Director-General of the Department of General Affairs and Information, Mr Sylla, has rendered to our Organization. My delegation cannot but echo this tribute fully. It was expressed yesterday the noble, efficient and dignified manner Mr Sylla functioned in his very important post. We all owe him very much also here in the Council. If no mention would be made of this in the Conference proceedings I should humbly like to suggest that the Report of this Council should carry a little paragraph of that tribute which was paid to Mr Sylla.
A. FEQUANT (France): La delegation française appuie chaleureusement cette proposition.
CHAIRMAN: We shall see to it, with pleasure, that it is recorded in our Report.
D.H.J. ABEYAGOONASEKERA (Chairman, Finance Committee): I asked for the floor mainly to congratulate you on your election to this respected post of Independent Chairman of the Council.
Secondly I want to express my thanks and very sincere gratitude to the members of this Council for the great honour they have bestowed on my country and me personally by re-electing me as Chairman of the Finance Committee for a second term of office. In spite of your superior wisdom I still have misgivings about your choice but nevertheless I think that your trust and confidence in me will make my task much easier. Let me say this, of my team-mates who have served this Committee during the last biennium and who are not with me next year. They were truly worthy of the trust and confidence you have bestowed on them and they gave their very best. But for them and their hard work and cooperation my task would have been difficult. All of them were competent, intelligent in their judgement and completely dedicated to the work entrusted to them.
To the newly elected members I extend a warm and sincere welcome and I look forward to working with them with the same cooperation and shared purpose. I am sure with their wide experience and the knowledge gained in the wide range of disciplines in their own national governments they will enrich the quality of our deliberations and enable us to do our job better.
Finally I wish to emphasise that this election does not signify a change which is synonomous with break. We will continue working as a team to assist you in the functions which have been delegated to us.
LE DIRECTEUR-GENERAL: Je voudrais dire simplement quelques mots, parce que, jusqu'à présent, je n'ai pas eu l'occasion de vous féliciter, Monsieur le Président, pour votre brillante élection. Je désire féliciter également les membres du Conseil de la FAO qui ont été élus, en particulier Sao Tomé-et-Principe, et la République Démocratique Populaire du Yémen, qui pour la première fois font partie du Conseil. Je félicite les présidents et les membres du Comité financier et du Comité du programme, et ceux du Comité des questions constitutionnelles et juridiques. Tous sont assurés de notre soutien et de notre coopération.
J'espère vous revoir bientôt dans d'autres réunions, l'année prochaine. Nous aurons l'occasion de nous revoir, ne serait-ce que pour les Conférences Régionales, le Comité de l'aide alimentaire, le Comité financier, le Comité du programme, la Conférence mondiale des pêches...
Je vous souhaite à tous une bonne et heureuse année, ainsi qu'à vos familles, un bon retour dans vos foyers, et je vous remercie encore, M. le Président, au nom de tous mes collègues et en mon nom personnel.
Applause
Aplaudíssèments
Aplausos
CHAIRMAN: Thank you very much, Mr Director-General. Fellow Council members, I would be failing in my duty if I do not convey on your behalf and on my own behalf our sincere gratitude to the numerous people, anonymous people, who work for the success of the Conference and the Council. I mean starting with the messengers here, the various people, the verbatim reporters, the people who produce the documentation, the interpreters who help us to cross language barriers, and the very large numbers of staff of this Organization who have been helping both at the meetings of this Conference and the Council. In fact our Council started on November 1 and, so continuously during the whole of this month, and of course prior to that also, they have all been working, and for several of them there is a double day. When we end they again continue their work, and I want to express the gratitude of the Council to all these numerous staff members of the Director-General here.
Secondly, I must again put on record the appreciation of the Council to the outgoing members of the Council whose term has expired - Afghanistan, Angola, Barbados, Ireland, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Poland and Romania. They left the Council at the Eighty-fourth Session and we want to place on record our very sincere appreciation for their excellent contributions to the work of the Council. I do hope many of them will continue to participate as observers in Council meetings and help us in our work.
I also want to welcome the new members, many of them have spoken today, and made outstanding contributions.
I would also like to place on record our appreciation of the work done by the members who have left the Programme Committee. As I mentioned this morning, Ambassador Arrhenius de Freitas is unfortunately no longer with us. Madame Hayat of Kuwait, Mr Mohammed Sidki Zehni of Libya, and Mr Palmer of Sierra Leone have all made outstanding contributions. These three Members have rendered great service to the Programme Committee, and I want to record our appreciation, and welcome the new members who have joined.
In the Finance Committee, Mr H. Mends, of Ghana, Mr Papageorgiou of Greece, Madame M. Ivankovich de Arosemena of Panama, and Mr Papa Yoro Diallo of Senegal. They are leaving the Finance Committee and we want to express our sincere gratitude to them for their work.
Mr Ramadhar of the Programme Committee has also left, but India continues to be a member of the Programme Committee and he will be replaced by Mr Ramesh Gupta.
Then in the Committee on Constitutional and Legal Matters we want to record the services of Hungary, Nigeria, Switzerland and the United Kingdom for their contribution, and I want to express our warm welcome to all the new members who will be taking their positions.
I want to express gratitude to the three Vice-Chairmen, some of whom participated in today's debate, Mr Okwakol of Uganda, Mr Amin Abdel-Malek of Lebanon, and Mr Eric James Stonyer of New Zealand for lending their names to this particularly important session of the Council. We have taken some historic decisions at this meeting and when the record comes I am sure you will be proud to have been Vice-Chairmen of this very important session.
I want to associate myself with the sentiments already expressed about the contributions of our Secretary General, Mr Sylla whom, as I have already mentioned in earlier meetings of the Council, has been a great source of strength to the Council. He is a great humanist and a man combining competence with humility and we want to wish him all the best in the next phase of his career. I want to record our appreciation of the outstanding services of Mr Sylla.
Finally to you, Mr Director-General, and to your Deputy Director-General and many others, we want again to convey our appreciation, gratitude and compliments on the outstanding way in which this whole Conference has been organized. The very important decisions which have been taken including the unanimous approval of the Programme of Work and Budget provide proof of the well deserved compliments made at the Plenary by most of the Ministers to your leadership. I want to assure you of my own personal continued assistance to the Organization now that I have been given the privilege of continuing to serve the Council for two more years. We will all serve a common cause because, as we have already stated, the cause is a very important one and you, Mr Director-General, as the Captain of the Ship, you have to steer it through the stormy seas, and in this you will have the full support of the Council and best wishes.
Finally, I want to congratulate all the members of the Council, observers, delegates, all those present here and those who are not. My own very best wishes of the season go to those who celebrate Christmas, which is a very important part of the year, and we are not very far from that time. It is the season of good will towards all men and peace on earth. I hope that 1984 - although it is associated with George Orwell and his not very pleasant predictions - yet we hope that by the time the Council meets next year in November 1984, some of the dark clouds which have frequently been referred to in the Conference and the Council about Africa and many other parts of the world, will have given way to some bright sunshine. After all, there cannot always be darkness; where there is darkness there has to be light and we are hoping that by the time we meet next year, the food situation, thanks to the work of FAO and everyone here, governments, farmers themselves, the fishermen, we shall have a much better atmosphere in terms of the world food position. We also hope for good weather. Finally, let me say, as has been referred to by some, that I consider this session of the Council a historic one because we have not only passed a resolution on plant genetic resources yesterday but also taken action; the next step has been taken as this meeting of the Council and I think when people accuse organizations of being slow and lethargic and so on, it is a matter of extraordinary speed, commendable speed with which action has been taken. But I want to repeat again that all of us should give a helping hand to promote the common cause of conserving genetic resources. Somebody asked: why plant genetic resources alone? Well, plants are primary producers of energy, we live here on earth as guests of green plants and they convert solar energy into food. So unless we can conserve these, then the other resources cannot be conserved. So this is an excellent beginning and the Council can be proud of this fact, although some say we have spent so many hours discussing it. But I am happy because it shows the seriousness with which delegates have participated; they have taken it wholeheartedly, it is not a matter to be brushed aside in one minute. We are all very grateful for the outstanding contributions that have been made. I shall now give Mr Sylla the floor before closing this session.
LE SECRETAIRE GENERAL: M. le Président, après vingt et un ans de service aux Nations Unies je peux dire que c'est ici avec la FAO que j'ai vécu une expérience véritablement extraordinaire. Surtout dans ce Conseil, avec des femmes et des hommes sans cesse préoccupés de trouver une réponse simplement humaine, sinon satisfaisante, à l'un des plus graves problèmes auxquels fait face notre planète. Cette expérience a été pour moi très enrichissante; cela a également été pour moi une fierté de côtoyer et de travailler au Secrétariat avec des hommes et des femmes de qualité, de compétence et de dévouement exceptionnels pour la cause dont s'occupe cette Organisation.
Personne ne doute de l'ampleur des tâches qui sont les vôtres. Personne n'ignore également qu'il n'y a pas de miracles en la matière. D'un côté comme de l'autre il faut plus que de la détermination, je crois qu'il faut aussi de l'abnégation, de l'abnégation et surtout de la continuité dans l'effort. C'est un domaine où il faut toujours plus de militantisme, comme le dit souvent le Directeur général, et j'ajoute: plus de militantisme et de foi. C'est convaincu de ces impératifs qui ne sont au demeurant jamais absents de vos préoccupations, ni de celles du Secrétariat, que j'ai décidé, après 36 ans de vie active, de prendre du recul sans pour autant tourner le dos aux problèmes qui sont les vôtres et les nôtres. Mais grâce à l'expérience acquise de les voir sous d'autres angles et, d'une façon ou d'une autre, à mon niveau, d'essayer de contribuer à vos efforts vers leurs solutions. Que Dieu vous assiste dans votre noble tâche et surtout que celle-ci contribue au développement et à la consolidation de la solidarité et de la coopération internationales. Vous avez tous et toutes droit à ma gratitude et je vous prie, en toute humilité, de l'accepter avec l'expression de mes bien vifs remerciements pour la compréhension et pour la sympathie que vous m'avez toujours témoignées. Je resterai fidèle aux idéaux de la FAO.
Que Dieu vous garde tous!
Ovation
Ovation
Ovación
CHAIRMAN: Thank you very much, Mr Sylla for your inspiring message. I think with this we will bring the Eighty-fifth Session of the Council to a close. To those who are leaving Rome - myself included! - I wish us all a safe and pleasant journey back. Let 1984 be a good year, Martin Luther King has been frequently remembered this year and his favourite song was "We shall overcome". I think on the food front FAO and we all will work to overcome our problems during 1984. I wish you all a very pleasant personal and professional life and every satisfaction during the New Year,
Applause
Aplaudissements
Aplausos
The meeting rose at 16.30 hours
La seance est levée à 16 h 30
Se levanta la sesión a la 16.30 horas
