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1. The Nominations Committee, elected by the Council in conformity with Rule XXVI - (e) (vii) of the Rules of Procedure, recommended and the Conference approved the following appointments:

Seven elected members of the General Committee:

Members of the Credentials Committee:

2. On the Report of the Credentials Committee, the Conference found the credentials of all the 66 delegations of Member Governments attending the Session in order.

3. It noted that the Government of Peru had submitted credentials giving its delegation observer status only.

4. The credentials of the representatives of the international organizations which had been invited to attend the Session as observers were found satisfactory as, were the credentials of the delegation from the Holy See, Permanent Observer to FAO.

United Kingdom of Libya
Iran
Yemen

United Kingdom of Libya

5. The Conference noted that an. application for membership in the Organization had been received from the United Kingdom of Libya on 31 December 1951 and that in accordance with Rule XIX-2 of the Rules of Procedure the Director-General had transmitted copy of this application to Member Governments.

6. Article II-2 of the Constitution and Rule XII-7 provide that the Conference may decide on admission to membership by a two-thirds majority of the votes cast in a secret ballot, provided that a majority of the Members of the Organization are present.

7. The result of the vote was: Votes cast 60; Affirmative - 59; Negative - 1.

8. The United Kingdom of Libya was accordingly admitted to membership in the Organization as of 24 November 1953. It was decided that the contribution of the United Kingdom of Libya for 1953 should he $647.50. The credentials of its delegation were found in order.

Iran

9. The Conference was informed that the Government of Iran had empowered its delegate to the Seventh Session of the Conference to accept the FAO Constitution on behalf of his Government and that the delegate had deposited a formal instrument of acceptance of the Constitution.

10. Iran was a member of the Interim Commission and as such could, in conformity with the provisions of Article XX, paragraph 4, of the Constitution, join the Organization merely by accepting the Constitution. Therefore, Iran, having accepted the Constitution, was declared Member of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations as of 1 December 1953. The contribution of Iran for 1953 should be $4,403. The credentials of the delegation of Iran were found in order.

Yemen

11. The Government of Yemen had submitted a formal application for membership in FAO signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and dated 25 November 1953, which reached the Director-General on 30 November 1953. At the same time, in conformity with Article II, paragraph 2, of the Constitution, the Government of Yemen had submitted a formal instrument of acceptance of the Constitution, also signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

12. This application for membership did not fully conform with the requirements of the Rules of Procedure, since Rule XIX, paragraph 2, states that such application shall be transmitted immediately by the Director-General to Member Nations and shall be placed on the agenda of the next Conference Session which opens not less than 30 days from the receipt of the application.

13. Also, with respect to the instrument of acceptance received from the Government of Yemen, Rule XIX, paragraph 1, stipulates that "this formal instrument shall reach the Director-General not later than the opening day of the Conference Session at which admission of the applicant is to be considered. "

14. However, Rule XXXIV, paragraphs 1 and 2 permit the suspension of the Rules of Procedure. It reads as follows: "Subject to the provision of the Constitution any of the foregoing Rules other than Rule XXII may be suspended by a two-thirds majority of the votes cast at any plenary meeting of the Conference, provided that notice of the intention to propose the suspension has been communicated to the Delegates not less than 24 hours before the meeting at which the proposal is to be made."

15. Having in mind that if action was not taken at this Session on the application of the Government of Yemen, the admission of this Nation would be delayed for two years, the Conference decided to suspend Rule XIX, paragraphs 1 and 2 by application of Rule XXXIV, paragraph 1, by 61 affirmative votes against none negative.

16. The result of the vote on the application for membership by the Government of Yemen, taken in accordance with Article II, paragraph 2, of the Constitution and Rule XII, paragraph 7, of the Rules of Procedure, was: votes cast 62; affirmative 62; negative none. Yemen was accordingly admitted to membership in the Organization as of 9 December 1953 It was decided that the contribution of Yemen for 1953 should be $ 647.50.

17. Resolution No. 1

Noting the proposals of the Council made in conformity with Rule 11 of the Rules of Procedure,

Resolves to adopt the provisional agenda of the Seventh Session of the Conference (C 53/I - First Draft), and to include therein the supplementary list of items submitted by the Council at its Eighteenth Session (C 53/59).

The Agenda as adopted is given in Appendix A.

18. Resolution No. 2

Approves the arrangements proposed by the Council for the Seventh Session of the Conference (C 53/2 and C 53/2 Supp. 1)

Decides to establish three Commissions to deal respectively with:

(i) the world situation and out look in respect of food and agriculture;

(ii) the activities of the Organization;

(iii) constitutional, legal, administrative and financial questions;

Allocates the following agenda items to those Commissions:

Commission I - All items under Chapter II of the Agenda: "Review of the World Situation and Outlook in Respect of Food and Agriculture".

Commission II - All items under Chapter III: "Activities of the Organizations"

Commission III - Item 7 of the Agenda: "Nomination and Voting Procedure for Elections. to the Council", all items under Chapter IV, "Constitutional and Legal Questions", and Chapter V, "Administrative and Financial Questions"; the Budget as provided in C 53/2 - Supp. I. Item 33, "Selection of Members of Staff Pension Committee", Item 34 "Interpretation of Article XI (a) of the Agreement between FAO and the Government of Italy", and Item 35, "Composition of the Committee on Financial Control".

Establishes a Commission of the Whole which shall convene after completion of the work of the three Commissions to review their reports and coordinate their findings with a view to submitting appropriate final recommendations for adoption by the Conference.

19. Resolution No. 3

Acting on the proposals of the General Committee.

Resolves to appoint the following Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen for the three Commissions and the Commission-of-the Whole:

20. Resolution No. 4

Noting the list of international organizations (C 53/3) to which the Director General has extended provisional invitations to send observers to the Seventh Session of the Conference,

Decides to approve these invitations and to admit these representatives as observers to the Conference.

A list of observers who attended the Seventh Session of the Conference is given in Appendix I.

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