CHAIRMAN: The meeting is called to order. May I invite His Excellency The Minister of Agriculture of Sierra Leone to take the floor.
B. MANSARAY (Sierra Leone): Mr. Chairman, Director-General, fellow delegates, I must confess that on behalf of the African Group we are very happy that you have given us the floor to express our congratulations on the election of the Chairman for this occasion. Mr. Chairman, on behalf of the African delegations to this 19th Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, it is my delightful pleasure to convey to you, Mr. Chairman, our very warm congratulations on your election to the position of Chairman of our Conference. We have no doubt with your sterling qualities, rich and deep experience in various matters relating to agricultural problems you will steer this Conference to a successful conclusion. We assure you of our total support in order that you may achieve this objective, and we are also confident that being a member also of one of the developing states you will share with us and we will also share with you cooperation that will make your election as Chairman a very successful one. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN: I thank His Excellency the Minister of Agriculture of Sierra Leone. May I invite the distinguished delegate of the United States to take the floor.
J. A. BAKER (United States of America): Mr. Chairman I also wanted on behalf of the delegations to the Conference from the North American Region to extend to you our most hearty congratulations for your election to the Chairmanship of this important Conference.
We have many issues here of significance which our Governments regard as crucial to the effort to meet the human needs of the kind that you most eloquently described in your address to us this morning. Your statement has convinced us that the work of this Conference is in excellent hands and we can assure you that the delegations here from the North American Region will give you every support and cooperation in your conduct and leadership of the work of this Conference. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
CHAIRMAN: Thank you, the delegate of the United States of America.
In accordance with the tentative timetable for the Conference as found in Appendix A to document C 77/12, the appropriate items are numbers 3, 4 and 5, respectively Adoption of the Agenda, Arrangements for the Session and Allocation of Agenda Items and Admission of Observers.
In conformity with the instructions received this morning from the Conference, the General Committee has prepared its first report containing proposals on these three items as well as on other necessary arrangements.
I now propose that this first report of the General Committee be read out section by section for the Conference's consideration. The report will be available as a document by Monday morning under document number C 77/LIM/12.
Will the Secretary-General please read out the first section of the report.
First Report of the General Committee
Premier rapport du Bureau
Primer informe del Comité General
SECRETARY-GENERAL: This is the first report of the General Committee, the Agenda for the Session.
With reference to the Provisional Agenda set forth in document C 77/1, the General Committee recommends that under item 20, Other Constitutional and Legal Questions, a sub-item 20. 4 be added, reading "Amendments to Conventions concluded under Article XIV of the FAO Constitution - International Plant Protection Convention; International Popular Convention".
The Committee also draws the attention of the Conference to the fact that two additional applications for membership should be considered under item 24, namely that from the Republic of Djibouti and that from the United Nations Council for Namibia. This is explained in document C 77/14 and C 77/14-Supplement 1.
CHAIRMAN: Are there any comments on this section? If there are none I declare the section of the Agenda which has just been read adopted.
Adopted
Adopté
Aprobado
SECRETARY-GENERAL: (Establishment of Commissions and Provisional Timetable of the Session). At its Seventy-First Session, the Council proposed the Arrangements and Tentative Timetable for the Nineteenth Session of the Conference, which were circulated to all Member Nations in early August as document C 77/12. Since then it has been arranged and the Council informed accordingly that the Tenth McDougall Lecture will be delivered by His Excellency Andrew Young, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations.
In addition the General Committee recommends that the informal Meeting of. Observers from Non-Governmental Organizations start on Tuesday, 15 November, in the morning and continue if necessary in the afternoon.
As regards the timetable of the Conference proper, the General Committee recommends the following changes: first, for logistic reasons Commission I start only in the afternoon of Wednesday, 16 November instead of the morning in order to avoid the simultaneous opening of both Commissions; second, that on 18 November, Commission I meet in the afternoon instead of the morning and that Commission III meet in the morning instead of the afternoon. This would give more time for that section of the Report of Commission III to be prepared for adoption on Monday, 21 November. The change will be particularly necessary, if, as the Seventy-First Session of the Council had suggested, the Conference agrees to keep free Monday, 21 November, for the Muslim Feast of Aid El Kabir, in which case the meetings foreseen for Monday, 21 November, will take place on Saturday, 19 November.
The third change concerns Wednesday, 23 November. It is recommended that Item 26. 1, Appointment of the Independent Chairman of the Council, be taken on Monday, 28 November. This change would permit all elections, that is, the election of the Independent Chairman of the Council, and Council members, to be concentrated on the same day.
The fourth change concerns Friday, 25 November, where it is proposed that Commission II take up Item 15. 3 in the morning instead of Item 15. 1, and Item 15. 1 on Monday, 28 November. This change will avoid having a discussion on relations with the World Food Council and IFAD at the same time in Commission II and Commission III.
Lastly, the attention of the Conference is drawn to the fact that in order to accommodate requests for speaking time by Ministers who will be in Rome only during the first days of the Conference, the General Debate during those first days may need to be prolonged to about 12. 45 hours in the morning and 18. 15 hours in the afternoon, on the understanding that morning and afternoon meetings must start sharply on time. In addition, the Committee recommends an evening Plenary on Thursday, 17 November, from 21. 00 to 23. 00 hours in order that all the requests received are accommodated.
The General Committee therefore recommends that the Conference approve the Tentative Timetable proposed by the Council with the above changes.
CHAIRMAN: Thank you, Mr. Secretary-General. Are there any comments on this section, Item 4? If there are none I declare the section Item 4, Arrangements for the Session and Allocation of Agenda Items, which has just been read, adopted.
Adopted
Adopte
Aprobado
SECRETARY-GENERAL: (Nomination of Chairmen of Commissions). Appointment of the Chairmen of the three Commissions: in accordance with Rules VII-1 and XXIV-5 (b) of the General Rules of the Organization and as indicated in document C 77/LIM/18, the Council at its Seventy-First Session nominated the following three Chairmen of the Commissions: Commission I - Mr. Juan Carlos Vignaud of Argentina, Commission II - Mr. Johan H. Dahl of Norway, Commission III - Sir Satcam Boolell of Mauritius.
The Committee recommends that the Conference confirm these nominations pending finalization of its own proposals concerning the Vice-Chairmanship of the three Commissions.
CHAIRMAN: Are there any comments on this section? If there are none I declare the section that has just been read adopted.
Adopted
Adopté
Aprobado
SECRETARY-GENERAL: (Appointment of Rapporteur from Plenary to Commission I) It will be recalled that the Arrangements for the Conference proposed by the Council included the recommendation that, as has been done since the Fifteenth Session of the Conference, the Conference should appoint, upon nomination by the General Committee, a Rapporteur from Plenary to Commission I, to inform the Commission of the salient points made by Ministers and Heads of Delegations in the General Discussion.
As proposed by the Seventy-Second Session of the Council, the Committee recommends that the Conference appoint Mr. Rittershaus of the Netherlands to this post.
CHAIRMAN: Are there any comments on this section? If none, then I declare this section which has just been read adopted.
Adopted
Adopté
Aprobado
SECRETARY-GENERAL: Item 5: (Admission of Observers from Applicants for Membership). As is customary, the Director-General has provisionally invited the applicants for membership to be represented by observers until their admission to the Organization has been decided upon. The Conference will no doubt wish to confirm these invitations.
CHAIRMAN: Are there any comments on this section? If none, I declare the section which has just been read adopted.
Adopted
Adopté
Aprobado
SECRETARY-GENERAL: (Admission of New Member Nations). In accordance with the provisions of Rule XIX of the General Rules of the Organization the following eight Applications for Membership had been received by the deadline of 13th October 1977: - Angola, Comoros, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Djibouti, Mozambique, Namibia, Sao Tomé and Principe, and Seychelles.
Under Article II of the Constitution the Conference decides by secret ballot on the admission of additional Member Nations by a two-thirds majority of the votes cast, which means effective and negative votes and does not mean the inclusion of abstentions or defective ballots. Membership becomes effective on the date upon which the Conference approves the application.
The Conference should now consider adoption of the Council's proposal to conduct the elections for the admission of the above-mentioned countries at the end of the Plenary meeting of Monday morning, the 14th November.
The results of the vote will be announced at the beginning of the afternoon Session of that same day and the short ceremony of the seating of the new members will follow. As customary, the Chairman will welcome the new members, and each of them may make a very brief declaration of appreciation. In order to save time, the Committee recommends that only one country speak for each Region, and welcome in the same short statement all the new members, all those it wishes particularly to welcome. Should a speech of a controversial nature be made and a delegation criticized for its Government's policies, the Committee recommends that in order to avoid delay and allow the Conference to follow the tight schedule of the day, the Conference allow for only one speaker against and one in favour.
CHAIRMAN: Thank you, Mr. Secretary-General. Are there any comments on this section?
J, A, BAKER (United States of America): I have no comment other than those made during the General Committee on which I think we have reached understanding.
CHAIRMAN: Thank you. Are there any other comments? If there are none, I declare the section that has just been read adopted.
Adopted
Adopte
Aprobado
SECRETARY-GENERAL: (Attendance by Liberation Movements). In line with the suggestion made at the Seventy-First Session of the Council, observers from the Palestinian Liberation Movement and from the African Liberation Movements recognized by OAU have been recognized by the Conference. The Conference will no doubt wish to confirm these invitations.
CHAIRMAN: Are there any comments on this section? If there are none, I declare the section which has just been read adopted.
Adopted
Adopté
Aprobado
SECRETARY-GENERAL: (Admission of Observers from Intergovernmental and International Non-Governmental Organizations). The list of Intergovernmental and Internationals Non-Governmental Organizations which have been invited by the Director-General to be represented in an observer capacity at this Session of the Conference is given in Documents C 77/13 and C 77/13-Sup. 1. The invitations to Intergovernmental Organizations which do not have a formal agreement with FAO and the invitations to International Non-Governmental Organizations which do not have consultative status with FAO are provisional and subject to approval by the Conference. Having reviewed this list, the General Committee recommends to the Conference that the provisional invitations so issued be confirmed.
CHAIRMAN: Are there any comments on this section? If there are none, I declare the section which has just been read adopted.
Adopted
Adopté
Aprobado
SECRETARY-GENERAL: (Informal Meeting of Observers from Non-Governmental Organizations).
The Council had recommended that, as at previous Conference sessions, observers from International Non-Governmental Organizations should be invited to attend an informal meeting in order that their views and suggestions on the activities and programmes of the Organization may be reported to the Conference. It has now been suggested that the meeting be held in the morning of Tuesday, 15th November, with a possibility of continuing into the afternoon if necessary. The Council át the Seventy-Second Session nominated Mr. E. Querin, Secretary-General, International Cooperation for Socio-Economic Development, Brussels, to chair this Informal Meeting. The Committee recommends that the Conference accept this proposal.
CHAIRMAN: Are there any comments on this section ? If there are none I declare this section which has just been read adopted.
Adopted
Adopté
Aprobado
SECRETARY-GENERAL: (Appointment of Independent Chairman of the Council). By the date determined by the Council, that is, 5th September 1977, one nomination had been received for the post of Independent Chairman of the Council, namely: Dr. Bukar Shaib of Nigeria. This single nomination was communicated to all Member Nations by circular letter CF 4/3(d) of 7th September 1977.
Under the terms of Rule XXIII, paragraph 1, of the General Rules of the Organization, the General Committee proposes that the secret ballot for this appointment be held in the morning of Monday, 28th November.
CHAIRMAN: Any comments on this section ? If there are none I declare the section that has just been read adopted.
Adopted
Adopté
Aprobado
SECRETARY-GENERAL: (Election of Members of the Council). Rule XXII-10 (a) provides that the Conference, on the recommendation of the General Committee shall - no later than three days after the opening of the Conference Session - decide the date of the election and the date by which nominations must be submitted.
The General Committee acordingly recommends:
(a) that the election be scheduled to begin on the morning of Monday, 28th November; and
(b) that nominations for Council seats to'be filled at this Session be submitted to the Secretary-General of the Conference in Room A-140 not later than '18 00 hrs on Thursday, 24th November.
In this connection, the Conference will note in particular paragraphs 3, 4, 5 and 7 of Rule XXII, which read as follows:
"3. In selecting Members of the Council, the Conference shall give due consideration to the desirability of:
(a) including in its membership a balanced geographical representation of nations interested in the production, distribution and consumption of food and agricultural products;
(b) ensuring the participation in the work of the Council of such Member Nations as contribute in a large measure towards the success of the Organization;
(c) giving to the greatest possible number of Member Nations an opportunity by rotation of membership, to serve on the Council.
4. Member Nations shall be eligible for reelection.
5. No Member Nation shall be eligible for election to the Council if it is in arrears in payment of its financial contributions to the Organization in an amount equal to or exceeding the contributions due from it for the two proceding calendar years,
7. A Member of the Council shall be considered to have resigned if it is in arrears in payment of its financial contributions to the Organization in amount equal to or exceeding the contributions due from it for the two preceding, calendar years, or if it has not been represented at two consecutive sessions of the Council''.
All relevant information concerning the seats for which nominations must be submitted are to be found in document C 77/11. Forms for submitting nominations will later be made available.
CHAIRMAN: Are there any comments on this section? If there are none I declare the sections that have just been read adopted.
Adopted
Adopte
Aprobado
SECRETARY-GENERAL: (Right of Reply). The Conference, at its five previous sessions, had taken a decision to the effect that, where a delegate wished to reply to criticism of his Government's policy, he should preferably do so on the afternoon of the day on which such criticism had been voiced, after all those wishing to participate in the discussion had an opportunity to speak.
The General Committee recommends that these same arrangements be followed at the present Session.
CHAIRMAN: Any comment on this section ? If there are none, I declare the section which has just been read adopted.
Adopted
Adopté
Aprobado
SECRETARY-GENERAL: (Verbatim Records). Under the FAO rules, verbatim records are kept of all Conference plenary and Commission meetings, and the right of delegates to check the accuracy of the records of their interventions is specially mentioned (Rule XVIII - 2).
The accuracy of the records may be maintained by either the correction of mistakes and typing errors, or the amendment of a word or phrase actually used. In practice, such corrections or amendments to interventions are accepted only from the delegation which made them and should be submitted within 48 hours of circulation of the draft verbatim record concerned.
During the 1959 Conference Session the number of heads of delegations wanting to speak in the opening general discussion was greater than the timetable would permit; and a request was made for those who so agreed to insert their statements in the record without delivering them in Plenary. In 1961 and since then this procedure has been formally adopted by the Conference at its sessions.
There have been other occasions also when delegates have had inserted in the verbatim records statements which were not in fact delivered.
While the Committee saw no objection in principle to the insertion of statements in the records when time does not permit them to be delivered, it recognized the difficulties which might arise if no occasion were given to a delegate to exercise the "right of reply" to any, criticism of his Government's policy made in the inserted statement.
The Committee therefore recommends that the Conference continue to permit the insertion of such satements on conditions that:
a) the Conference, or the Commission concerned, is informed by its Chairman that a statement not actually delivered, or a substantive addition to a statement that has been delivered, is being inserted in the record;
b) the text to be inserted is in English, French or Spanish, the languages used in the verbatim records;
c) the provisional verbatim record containing the additional statement is circulated at least three days before the closure of the Session; and
d) delegations attending the Session can avail themselves of the right of reply by having an opportunity to make, prior to the closure of the session, a declaration relating to the additional statement.
CHAIRMAN: - Are there any comments on this section? If there are none I declare the section that has just been read adopted.
Adopted
Adopté
Aprobado
SECRETARY-GENERAL: (Statements by Heads of Delegations (General Discussions)). Having noted the situation outlined earlier, the Committee recommends that a list of speaker be published daily in the Journal of the Conference, in the order in which they will be called upon by the Chairman.
The Committee also recommended that any additional speakers be placed on a reserve list. Speakers on this list will be fitted in if time permits, at the end of the morning or afternoon Plenary Meetings.
CHAIRMAN: Are there any comments on this section? I see none, and declare the section which has just been read adopted.
Adopted
Adopté
Aprobado
SECRETARY-GENERAL: (Statements in Plenary Meetings of the Conference by International Non-Governmental Organizations having Consultative Status). In accordance with Rule XVII, paragraph 3, of the General Rules of the Organization, observers of International Non-Governmental Organizations having consultative status may, with the consent of the General Committee, speak before Plenary Meetings of the Conference. Rule X, paragraph 2 (g) gives as one of the duties of the General Committee to "repor. t to the Conference on any request by a participating International Non-Governmental Organization to speak before a Plenary Meeting of the Session".
Such a request has been received to date from three organizations: International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU); International Federation of Agricultural Producers (IFAP); and World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU),
While one of the purposes of the informal meeting of observers from Non-Governmental Organizations, to be held on 15 November, is to permit such observers to convey-to the Conference their views in a. written report which is circulated to all delegations, the Committee recommends that the Conference concedes speaking time in Plenary to the above mentioned organizations on the understanding that a maximum time limit of 10 minutes will be observed and that in no case will such organizations be given priority in speaking over delegates of Member Nations.
CHAIRMAN: Are there any comments on this section? If there are none I declare the section that has just been read adopted.
Adopted
Adopté
Aprobado
SECRETARY-GENERAL: Lastly, the Committee recommends that the Conference confirms all the detailed arrangements for the Session as set out in document C 77/12 recently amended and that the normal working hours for meetings of both Plenary and Commissions be 9. 30 to 12. 30 hours and 14. 30 to 17. 30 hours, with the exception of the first week which we have mentioned. The approved Agenda and the revised Timetable as amended will be issued as document C 77/1-Rev. 1 and document C 77/LIM/21 by Monday morning.
CHAIRMAN: Are there any comments on the last paragraph of that section? If there are none I declare the section which has just been read adopted.
Adopted
Adopte
Aprobado
CHAIRMAN: This concludes the adoption of the First Report of the General Committee which, as I said will be available on Monday morning as document c 77/LIM/12. Before proceeding may I ask the Secretary-General for his announcements.
SECRETARY-GENERAL: I have two announcements to make. The first one concerns special guests. There has been a large number of delegates and special guests invited to the McDougall Memorial Lecture and the B. R, Sen awards. There will be only very limited space available during the morning session of Monday 14 November. It will therefore not be possible to admit either the public or friends or relatives of delegates, whose understanding and cooperation is requested in view of these special circumstances.
Lastly I want to inform you, with regard to today's Journal about television coverage of this Conference, we have been informed by Italian television that there has been a change in the time of the second edition of the Telegiornale news programme of this evening, which will now start later than 10 p. m., and certainly not before 10. 45,
CHAIRMAN: Now that all items for this afternoon have been discussed, I declare the meeting adjourned.
The meeting rose at 16. 55 hours
La séance est levee ä 16 h 55
Se levanta la sesion a las 16. 55 horas
