LE PRESIDENT: Je vous propose d'examiner le point 8 de l'ordre du jour qui a trait au calendrier des sessions 1992-93 du Conseil et des organes qui lui font rapport. On a demandé, ce matin, de reporter ce point à l'ordre du jour de cet après-midi. Il fait l'objet d'un seul et unique document CL 101/5 Rev.l. Il s'agit du calendrier provisoire 1992-93.
Mohammad Saleem KHAN (Pakistan): Mr Chairman, I have asked for the floor because there is a problem that keeps recurring. There are several delegations at the Council from Islamic countries that normally celebrate the two festivals, one following the month of Ramadan, and one following the annual pilgrimage hajj. So many times these meetings coincide with those occasions. We would have preferred that FAO, as IFAD, celebrates those two Muslim holidays because there are at least 40 to 50 countries in the Council who do celebrate them.
However, without referring to that aspect of it, we wanted to make sure - that is why I had asked for deferment of this item - this had been catered for while keeping the dates. I had the occasion of speaking with Mr Linley of the GIC, who assures me that this has been done. I am most grateful. There is some problem about 1993. I would request that we look at it again. I know that this calendar will come back again to the 102nd Session of the Council, so one will be able to look at it again.
I must thank the Secretariat for having kept this under consideration and hope that this will be kept in view throughout the year when changes are being made to the calendar.
LE DIRECTEUR GENERAL (Langue originale arabe): En élaborant le calendrier des principales réunions qui se tiendront lors des deux prochaines années, on a tenu compte des dates des fêtes de différentes religions, dont le Ramadan et le Grand Baïram. Les dates des réunions de certains comités ont été fixées par les pays membres, et cela au cours de la dernière session tenue par les comités mêmes ou la Conférence. Quant aux réunions régionales, on a convenu de la date de ces réunions d'un commun accord avec les autorités concernées, c'est-à-dire les gouvernements qui ont proposé de les accueillir dans leur pays.
Nous devons fixer les dates bien à l'avance afin que toutes les dispositions soient prises à temps pour assurer le succès de ces réunions; par exemple il nous faut conclure des accords avec les interprètes et traducteurs plusieurs mois avant la tenue de la réunion, pour pouvoir nous assurer les services des meilleurs éléments.
S'il existe certaines observations en ce qui concerne les réunions prévues pour 1992, nous sommes tout à fait prêts à en discuter avec les autorités responsables.
LE PRESIDENT: Je vous remercie, Monsieur le Directeur général, pour cette précision.
S'il n'y a pas d'autres observations, le calendrier provisoire est approuvé tel qu'il nous est soumis par le Secrétariat.
Nous en avons terminé avec le point 8 de notre ordre du jour.
DIRECTOR-GENERAL: With your permission I would like to inform the members of the Council of the imminent departure of our colleague, Dr Dutia. He is one of my most valuable colleagues. He has been working 25 years for FAO, for the member countries. He has been Director of the Commodities Division, one of the most important divisions working and cooperating so closely with GATT. He has played a very important role in the work of the Committee on Commodities which is the only committee dealing with the problems of agricultural trade. He also played a very important role in improving our most prestigious publications such as the Situation of Food and Agriculture, which was one of his reponsibilities. The Committee on Food Security was created ten years ago when he was already with us and he was the spirit and the driving force of this Committee as it developed a policy on food security as well as a pact on international food security.
Mr Dutia also was one of the persons who played a very important role in organizing WCARRD; he was the technical secretary of the Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development and now he has been working very hard for the preparation of the International Conference on Nutrition.
I am very sad to see Mr Dutia, Assistant Director-General for the Economic and Social Policy Department, leave us. It is certainly a very big loss. His department is the largest one and includes, as you know, the divisions responsible for nutrition, statistics, human resources, commodities and policy analysis. I thought it appropriate to inform the members of the Council and also to pay a tribute to my colleague Dr Dutia.
LE PRESIDENT: Je voudrais m'associer aux paroles que vient de prononcer le Directeur général. M. Dutia est tellement présent dans cette maison qu'il en fait partie intégrante.
Je demanderai à quelques représentants de bien vouloir exprimer à M. Dutia toute la sympathie que nous éprouvons à son égard.
Mónica DEREGIBUS (Argentina): Señor Presidente, en nombre de la delegación de Argentina permítame expresar nuestro agradecimiento al Doctor Dutia por todo lo que él ha trabajado en esta Organización, y por la manera gentil en que siempre ha recibido a las delegaciones y les ha aclarado sus dudas y sus inquietudes, deseándole un feliz retiro.
Gonzalo BULA HOYOS (Colombia): El Director General ha descrito ya con elocuencia las altas calidades del Doctor Dutia. En muchas reuniones yo he sostenido siempre que el Doctor Dutia es uno de los funcionarios más competentes e inteligentes de esta Organización. Admiramos la competencia, la inteligencia y la ponderación con que actúa siempre. Tiene condiciones personales de sencillez y simpatía que, realmente, lo hacen una persona muy agradable.
Los representantes de Colombia deseamos al Doctor Dutia que en su merecido retiro goce de felicidad, de alegría y de salud con su distinguida familia.
Kuldip SAHDEV (India): This announcement by the Director-General I think has taken all of us a little bit by surprise. I was aware of the rumours that Mr Dutia might be leaving this Organization but I was not expecting to be told this formally at this time.
I would like to place on record the fact that Mr Dutia has always been found by all of us, and especially by me, to be not only one of the most perfect gentlemen that I have come across, not only an extremely modest but a highly competent and thorough professional but also a pillar of strength to the Indian community here in his after office capacities. I remember that one of the first persons I met on my arrival in Rome was Dr Dutia. I have always relied very heavily on his advice on matters concerning India and the Indian community here and whenever I had any doubts of how the FAO functions, which was quite often, I have relied on Mr Dutia once again.
I would be very sorry to see Mr Dutia leave this Organization but I am hoping that at least for some time, or at least while I am here, Mr Dutia can be persuaded to stay in Rome. I have no doubt that the loss of FAO would be a gain for India if he does decide to go back and settle down. There are a lot of people who would be looking forward to his advice and assistance and I would like to place on record our appreciation and my best wishes for his continuing success in the future.
Waleed A. ELKHEREIJI (Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of) (Original language Arabic): I have asked for the floor on behalf of the Near East group, on behalf of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as on my own personal behalf and I have had the opportunity to work very closely with Mr Dutia when I chaired the Commission I of the General Conference which has just concluded, so I can personally judge the great qualities and skills of Mr Dutia. These are qualities which I have had an opportunity myself to appreciate during the past weeks. He is a very competent person and he is a person who has a vast knowledge of the house and I think that this centainly is the fruit of the many years he has spent at the service of this Organization. On several occasions we were facing difficult situations, and in some cases I might describe them as embarrassing situations, and I must say that Mr Dutia's advice and counsel have always been very useful for us to overcome these problems.
Allow me to say to Mr Dutia that I certainly wish to give him my most heartfelt thanks for what he has done. Mr Dutia's retirement will probably be beneficial not only for himself but also for his own country.
Horacio M. CARANDANG (Philippines): In consultation with the Chairman of the Asian Group, I speak on behalf of Asia, the region from which Dr Dutia comes.
The Asian Group wishes to pay tribute to Dr Dutia and wishes him well in his retirement. We who have stayed long in FAO have a long history of work at the professional level with Dr Dutia. First, we met him in the Intergovernmental Group on Rice and in the various intergovernmental commodity groups of the Commodities Division. We then saw him rise to be the Director of that Division and later on to become the ADG of the Economic and Social Policy Division.
In that long association we have found in Dr Dutia a very competent professional. Not only that, we have found him always ready to listen to our problems, especially those of the developing countries which, as you know, are beset with many problems in the areas of his competence.
The Asian Group wishes to convey its wholehearted best wishes to Dr Dutia. We all wish him well in his retirement.
LE PRESIDENT: Je voudrais ajouter peut-être que Monsieur Dutia était tellement incorporé à la maison qu'il a prolongé au-delà de 1'âge de la retraite et que depuis deux ans il a accepté de rendre beaucoup de services à la FAO et je suis convaincu que dans l'avenir non seulement ses conseils judicieux et son travail continueront à être utile à son grand et beau pays, l'Inde, mais je suis convaincu qu'il aura encore l'occasion de donner beaucoup de sages conseils à notre Organisation.
B.P. DUTIA (Assistant Director-General, Economie and Social Policy Department): I am certainly most deeply moved by the kind words and the good wishes which you have all expressed this afternoon on the eve of my retirement. I have considered myself to have been priviliged to serve this great and noble Organization, and through it having served the member countries in achieving the noble goals for which this Organization stands.
I consider myself also to be lucky to have had the privilege of working with Mr Edouard Saouma, the Director-General, who has led this Organization. As my friend and colleague Vikram Shah said this morning, those of us who have worked with Mr Saouma have come to realize how important his leadership has been for this Organization, and how inspiring it has been for those colleagues who have worked with him. I thank Mr Saouma for the encouragement that he has given to me, for the trust he has reposed in me, and for the guidance that he has always provided.
Mr Chairman, I also feel somewhat humble at this stage. The tasks that lie before us are so vast and, at the same time, so important for humanity as a whole that whatever I might have been able to do, the little is so little that I feel very humble about it. I appreciate the warmth, the good wishes and the appreciation that you, whom I have always regarded as my friends, have expressed on this occasion.
On behalf of my family and myself, I thank you all for the good wishes that you have expressed for my days after retirement. I do not want to retire in the final sense of the word; I shall indeed be very happy to be of any assistance to any of the member countries who wish to take advantage of whatever I have to offer. Indeed, as far as the words of the distinguished Ambassador of India are concerned, I would indeed consider myself to be very privileged to be of any assistance to my own country, India.
Thank you very much.
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