Contents -

Coordinating committee

255. The Conference reviewed the work of the Coordinating Committee in the light of Resolution No. 84 adopted at the Sixth Session of the Conference which amended the Rules of Procedure so as to establish that Committee on a new basis. It noted with satisfaction the valuable work of the Coordinating Committee and commended it for the helpful suggestions it had made to the Director-General in preparing his program of work for 1954 and 1955 and for its valuable review, contained in its third report to the Council on both the Regular and the Expanded Technical Assistance Programs submitted to it by the Director-General in March 1953.

256. The Conference strongly favored that the Coordinating Committee meet as early as practicable and suggested that the agenda of this meeting include consideration of two special points referred to it by the Conference (see pp. 62 and 108) falling within the Committee's terms of reference. The Conference also considered that the Coordinating Committee should continue to advise the Director-General and to report to the Council on the progress of FAO undertakings, the broad fields of activity and program of work of the Organization and its longer term developments.

257. The attention of the Conference was also drawn to the recommendation of the Council at its Sixteenth Session that in years in which no regular Session of the Conference was held, the Council should be responsible for reviewing the Organization's program of work. The hope was expressed that the Council would rely in that connection in the first place on the Coordinating Committee to undertake the technical review of the program. It was recognized that the members of the Coordinating Committee act in their individual capacities and not as delegates of their countries, but it was hoped that wherever possible the Council would avoid repeating or duplicating the work of the Coordinating Committee.

Having reviewed the reports of the Coordinating Committee of its three sessions held since the Sixth Session of the Conference;

Commends the Committee for its valuable advice to the Director-General in preparing his program of work and for its comprehensive reviews to the Council on the Organization's activities and progress;

Recommends that the Coordinating Committee should be maintained with its existing terms of reference;

Concurs in the view of the Council, as expressed at its Sixteenth Session, that notwithstanding the technical review undertaken by the Coordinating Committee of the Organization's program and budget, the Council itself must accept the final responsibility for approving the program and budget in years in which no regular Session of the Conference is held and should itself undertake such revision of the program and budget as it considers necessary and desirable.

Contents -