Contents -

PREAMBLE

The Government of the Republic of Venezuela (hereinafter referred to as the "Government "), represented by Dr. Aureliano Otanez, Minister of Foreign Affairs, duly authorized by the President of the Republic in the Council of Ministers, and

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (hereinafter referred to as the "Organization "), represented by its Director-General, Dr. P. V. Cardon, acting within the powers conferred upon him by Article VII of the Constitution and Rule XXIX of the Rules of Procedure of the Organization,

Considering

Having regard to:

Have agreed as follows:

ARTICLE I

Establishment of the Institute

The Government and the Organization undertake to establish, for an initial period of two years, at Mérida in the State of Mérida, Venezuela, a Latin-American Forestry Research and Training Institute, hereinafter referred to as " the Institute".

The Institute shall be placed under the auspices of the Organization as under Article XIII, paragraph 3 of the Constitution of the said Organization, and shall be governed by the following Articles.

The Institute shall have its seat at the Forestry School of the University of Los Andes, Mérida.

ARTICLE II

Functions

The purpose of the Institute shall be to assist in promoting the implementation of the Organization's programs in the field of forestry m Latin America, its functions being:

These activities shall be carried out in cooperation with the Forestry School of the University of Los Andes in accordance with arrangements made by the Government and by the Governing Body.

ARTICLE III

Organs

The Organs of the Institute shall be:

The Governing Body
The Director
The Technical Adviser.

ARTICLE IV

The Governing Body

The Governing Body shall consist of:

The Governing Body shall appoint its own Chairman and the Director of the Institute shall be its Secretary.

The Governing Body shall approve annually the program of work and budget of the Institute and generally supervise its activities. It shall report annually thereon to the Latin-American Forestry Commission. It shall perform such other functions as may be assigned to it in other Articles of this Agreement.

The Governing Body shall adopt its own Rules of Procedure.

ARTICLE V

The Administration

The Institute shall have the following Administration:

ARTICLE VI

Staff

The staff of the Institute shall be responsible to the Director or to the Technical Adviser, as specified in Article V. The responsibility of the staff, in exercising their functions and in orienting their work, shall be definitely international in character.

Temporarily recruited research workers and instructors shall not be deemed members of the staff of the Institute' save for such exceptions as the Governing Body may approve.

ARTICLE VII

Equipment, Budget and Finance

1. In order to provide for the establishment of the Institute, the Government undertakes to supply and maintain the premises, facilities and equipment listed in the appendix to this Agreement.

2. The Government also undertakes to contribute annually to the cost of the Institute up to a maximum of U.S. $30,000.

3. The Organization, for its part, undertakes to seek authority from the Technical Assistance Board, to include in its Expanded Technical Assistance Programs during the [two-year] initial period covered by this Agreement, contributions to the annual budget of the Institute, covering in particular the costs of technical staff and research and training facilities.

4. The Governing Body shall be empowered to accept annual contributions, gifts, legacies and grants from governments, institutions or private persons, provided that these contributions, gifts, legacies and grants are for purposes in keeping with the functions and aims of the Institute.

5. The Director shall draw up and present annually to the Governing Body for its approval all proposals concerning the program of work and expenses of the Institute, within the limits of the resources available to the Institute that fiscal year. Supplementary proposals may be submitted in case additional resources become available.

6. The Director of the Institute shall have the authority to make regular administrative disbursements within the limits of the approved budget. His accounts shall be open for inspection by the Board of Directors.

7. Arrangements shall be made by the Governing Body for an independent audit of the accounts of the Institute.

ARTICLE VIII

Legal Status

The Institute shall be recognized as an international foundation with a juridical personality.

Neither the Organization nor the Government shall assume any civil, financial or other responsibilities in respect of the working or management of the Institute.

The Institute shall be exempted from import duties on articles legally brought in for the sole use of the Institute, and from payment of income taxes, provided it complies with the procedures required by law.

The Government shall further legally grant to the non-Venezuelan staff of the Institute, and technical research workers and instructors, such diplomatic privileges and immunities as are necessary for the performance of their duties.

ARTICLE IX

By-laws

All the provisions necessary for the work and operation of the Institute shall be laid down by the Governing Body in Rules of Procedure which shall include, in particular, provisions relating to staff and to the financial management of the Institute.

ARTICLE X

Annual Report

A technical, administrative and financial report on the work of the Institute shall be submitted each year to the Latin-American Forestry Commission, to the Government and to the Director-General of the Organization. This Report shall be circulated to all the Members of the Organization.

ARTICLE XI

During the last six months that this Agreement remains in force, both parties shall, at the request of either, consult on the terms on which it shall be extended, or else terminated.

ARTICLE XII

Duration of Agreement

This Agreement shall enter into force on 1 January 1956, subject to approval by the Conference of the Organization at its Eighth Session, for two years.

The Government and the Director-General of the Organization agree to undertake a revision of its provisions in the light of the experience acquired during this period and of the offers of co-operation made by other Latin-American Governments, with a view to submitting to the Ninth Session of the Conference of the Organization a draft Agreement for a more permanent type of establishment.

ADDITIONAL NOTE

The Government of Venezuela and the Food and Agriculture Organization further to the Agreement signed on this date by its representatives concerning the establishment of the Latin-American Forestry Research and Training Institute in the city of Mérida, Mérida State, Republic of Venezuela, taking into consideration the mutual interest in the recently set-up institute having the necessary funds to ensure its normal working and its complete scientific success; likewise, taking into account the administrative difficulties that prevent FAO from deciding or specifying long-term budget commitments with the funds of the United Nations Technical Assistance Board's projects, declare:

The Government of Venezuela, having established its maximum financial liability in regard to the upkeep of the aforesaid Institute, desires FAO to contribute the funds essential to cover the needs entailed in the normal working of the Institute; and

The Food and Agriculture Organization, duly complying with the wish of the Government of Venezuela, offers during the period covered by the Agreement to contribute, under the Technical Assistance Program, a sum equivalent to that provided by the Government of Venezuela.

THE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
(hereinafter referred to as "FAO") and

THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE
(here in after referred to as " the Council ")

Considering that FAO has been established as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations to secure improvements in the efficiency of the production and distribution of all food and agricultural products with a view to raising levels of nutrition and standards of living and thus to contribute toward an expanding world economy;

Considering that the Council is a regional organization whose aim is to achieve a greater unity between its Members for the purpose of safeguarding and realizing the ideals and principles which are their common heritage and facilitating their economic and social progress; that this aim is to be pursued through the organs of the Council by discussion of questions of common concern, and by agreements and common action in economic, social, cultural, scientific, legal and administrative matters, and in the maintenance and further realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms;

Considering that the Council is thus concerned with any problem in those fields, the solution of which might promote greater unity among its Members, and that it is therefore interested in studying, on the European level, matters within the competence of FAO, if such studies would result in intergovernmental action which would not otherwise be possible;

Recognizing their mutuality of interest and being desirous of co-ordinating their efforts with a view to pursuing their common aims along agreed lines within the framework of the United Nation's Charter, the Constitution of FAO and the Statute of the Council of Europe; which implies that they should keep each other informed of their programs and activities, and avoid unnecessary duplication;

Have agreed as follows:

ARTICLE 1

Exchange of Information and Documents

1. Subject to such arrangements as may be necessary in certain cases for the safeguarding of confidential material, FAO and the Council will ensure prompt and full exchange of all information and documents concerning matters of common interest.

2. FAO and the Council will concert their efforts to obtain the best use of the statistical and legal information and to ensure the most effective utilization of their resources in the assembling, analysis, publication and diffusion of such information, with a view to reducing the burden on the governments and other organizations from which such information is collected.

ARTICLE 2

Mutual Consultation

1. FAO and the Council will consult each other at all stages of the preparatory work and execution of projects of common interest, with a view to securing effective coordination between them; each organization will consider any observations on such projects which may be conveyed to it by the other.

2. If the Council is interested in promoting on a European level projects within the competence of FAO, it will first ascertain what action the latter has taken or is contemplating in the matter. The Council may subsequently request FAO to extend the activities in question, in which case the Council will utilize the procedure set out in Article 4 below. If FAO is unable or unwilling to comply with such a request, it is understood that the Council may itself deal with the matter. In either event, all other provisions of this Agreement will still apply.

ARTICLE 3

Reciprocal Representation

1. FAO will invite the Council to be represented at the sessions of the Conference and Council of FAO, as well as any other conferences or meetings held under its auspices which consider matters in which the Council of Europe has an interest. The representatives of the Council of Europe may participate without vote in the deliberations of these bodies and of their committees with respect to matters in which the Council of Europe is interested.

2. Whenever questions of common interest are under discussion representatives of FAO will be invited to attend meetings of committees of Governmental Experts convened by the Committee of Ministers of the Council and may also be invited to attend other meetings or conferences held by or under the auspices of the Council.

ARTICLE 4

Proposal of Agenda Items

1. Subject to such preliminary consultation as may be necessary, the Committee of Ministers of the Council may, on its own initiative or at the request of the Consultative Assembly, propose items for inclusion in the agenda of the Council of FAO, or in the agenda of the FAO Conference.

2. Subject to such preliminary consultation as may be necessary, the Director-General of FAO may, on his own initiative or at the request of the FAO Council, propose to the Committee of Ministers items for discussion by the Committee or by the Consultative Assembly.

3. Each organization will have recourse to the provisions of this article for the purpose of referring to the other matters which it considers can be more appropriately dealt with by that organization.

ARTICLE 5

Technical Co-operation

Insofar as their resources permit, and within their terms of reference and programs,

FAO and the Council will co-operate in studying technical questions applying to Europe and will assist each other in the implementation of the results of such studies. If any such co-operation involves extra expenditures, consultation will take place with a view to determining the most equitable manner of meeting such expenditure.

ARTICLE 6

Administrative Arrangements

The Director-General of FAO and the Secretary-General of the Council will make appropriate administrative arrangements to ensure effective co-operation and liaison between the Secretariats of the two organizations.

ARTICLE 7

Entry into Force and Duration

1. This Agreement will enter into force as soon as it has been approved by both the Council of FAO and the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, but shall remain subject to subsequent confirmation by the Conference of FAO.

2. Either of the Parties may denounce the Agreement by giving six months' notice to the other Party.

Contents -