1. Formal Opening of the Conference by the Director-General

2. Election of Officers and Appointment Of Committees

3. Adoption of the Agenda of the Session

4. Admission of Observers to the Session

5. Admission of New Members a. Application of Saudi Arabia b. Application of Israel

6. Declaration of Loyalty by Director-General and Deputy Director-General

a. The State of Food and Agriculture - 1948
b. National Progress in Food and Agriculture Programs

1. Report of the Director-General on the Work of the Organization, since the Last Session of the Conference, September 1947. (Work of FAO, 1947/48)

2. Program of Work for 1949 and Financial Implications in terms of Budget

1. Appointment of Chairman and Members of Council

2. Site of FAO Headquarters

3. Financial and Staff Affairs of the Organization

4. Relations with United Nations, its Specialized Agencies and other International Organizations

5. Diplomatic Privileges and Immunities

6. Information and Publications Policies and Channels of Communication with Member Governments and their FAO Committees

1. Application of the Holy See for Status of Permanent Observer

2. Proposal of the Director-General to set up an Administrative Tribunal in conformity with Article XV paragraph 3 of the Constitution

3. Site of Fifth Session of FAO Conference

Commission I-World Food and Agriculture Situation-to handle Item II of the Agenda;

Commission II-Technical Activities of FAO - to handle Item III of the Agenda;

Commission III-Constitutional, Administrative, and Financial Question-to handle Item IV (with the exception of Subitem no IV, 1) and Item V (with the exception of Subitem V, 1).

"The General Committee has carefully reviewed the request presented by the Holy See that it be permitted to take part as a permanent observer in the Conferences, meetings and activities of the Organization, both at the central scat of the Organization and in its regional offices, especially in those where the activity of the Holy See is likely to be most efficacious.

"The General Committee agrees with the views of the Council that this request is of an exceptional character, since the application would involve participation not only in the conferences of the Organization, but in other aspects of its activities as well, and because of the unique status of the applicant. The General Committee therefore Suggests that, in the absence of any provision in the Constitution or the Rules that would cover this special request, the Conference be requested to take a vote on the application, and unanimously recommends that it be accepted. "

"After considering the application for membership submitted by Saudi Arabia the General Committee has found the application to be in conformity with the Rules and Regulations and unanimously recommends to the Conference that the application be accepted. In conformity with Article II of the Constitution new members may be admitted to the Organization by a two-thirds majority vote of the members of the Conference and on condition that they accept the Constitution as in force at the time of admission.

"It is also necessary under Rule XX to determine the amount of the proportionate contribution to the expenses of the Organization to be paid by the new member. The General Committee has received a letter from the Chairman of the Committee on Financial Control specifying that the latter Committee is recommending that this contribution should be fixed at 0.1 percent of the budget, this is to say $5,000 on the basis of the present budget of $5,000,000. The General Committee recommends that this proposal be approved.

- Resolves that decision on the permanent site for the Headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations be postponed, and instructs the Council to proceed forthwith to complete the exploration of possible sites and to negotiate further with the authorities concerned with respect to the terms and conditions upon which sites considered suitable could be obtained, and to report to the Conference, preferably to a special session to be called by the Director-General as soon as the report of the Council can be made.

"In conformity with Rule XXIV of the Rules of Procedure, the terms of office of the following six members of the Council expire at the present session of the Conference:

"The vacancies thus created have to be filled and Rule XXIV of the Rules of Procedure contains the following provisions which are relevant to the election of new Council members by the Conference:

"In order to early out the functions assigned to it by the above provisions, i.e., of placing suggestions before the Conference, the General Committee requested that nominations should be forwarded to the Secretary-General. Twenty-five delegations have answered this request, the majority submitting nominations for a single seat while bile a few presented complete slates.

"The General Committee has carefully reviewed the results of this consultation and has the honor to submit to the Conference the following facts and suggestions for such action as the Conference may deem advisable. In agreeing upon this presentation the General Committee has had in mind the fundamental requirement that the composition of the Council should reflect a balanced geographical representation.

"Seat of Australia

"Seat of Egypt

"European Seats

"Seat of India

"Seat of Mexico

"In submitting this recommendation the General Committee has been prompted by the strong support for a re-election of all the above countries that is evidenced from the nominations submitted. The other countries that have been nominated for the European and Far Eastern seats did not get comparable support.

"The General Committee wishes to state that it attaches great importance to the principle of rotation in the membership of the Council. The reason for recommending re-election of the outgoing members this time is the exceptional situation arising out of the fact that the six countries in question have served for one year only.

"Should the Conference desire to proceed to a vote, the General Committee recommends that it should be by secret ballot by application of Rule XIl, paragraph 7 of the Rules of Procedure, and that the vote should be conducted with a view to obtaining a desirable geographical distribution."

Egypt, 39; Australia, 37; Mexico, 36; India, 34; France, 33; and Denmark, 31.

"The independent Chairman of the Council is appointed for one year only, and in accordance with Rule XXIV (a) of the Rules of Procedure the General Committee has the responsibility of submitting a nomination or nominations for this post. It is also the responsibility Of the General Committee to submit recommendations as to the conditions of appointment, including the allowances attached to the office

"The General Committee has given this matter careful consideration and wishes to recommend unanimously to the Conference that Viscount Bruce of Melbourne be reappointed as Chairman of the Council for another year, under the same terms and with the same allowance as applied during the first year.

"In making such recommendation the Committee wishes to express its appreciation for the very able manner in which Lord Bruce has conducted the work of the Council during the past year. It recommends his re-election with the fullest confidence that he will again make a great contribution in that capacity.

"The General Committee considers that it would be desirable to obtain the advice of the Committee on Financial Control regarding the conditions of appointment of the independent Chairman of the Council. It suggests therefore that the above Committee be invited by the Council to formulate its views for eventual transmission to the next session of the Conference. "

Commission I - World Food and Agriculture Situation-by unanimous vote;

Commissions II - Technical Activities of FAO - with one amendment, by unanimous vote;

Commission III-Constitutional, administrative, and Financial Questions - by unanimous vote.

"We, the delegates and observers at the Fourth Session of the Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization, note with regret the absence from this Session of a certain great and simple man-a farmer, a scientist and prophet of Aberdeen, Scotland; a founder of FAO and its first Director-General-Sir John Boyd Orr.

"We cannot let this Session of the Conference close without acknowledging our continued debt to the inspiration of Sir John Orr in the work of FAO and report to him our belief that the work done here at this Session will mark further progress and world co-operation towards the aims for which he has pioneered so long.

"Those aims are plenty and lasting peace, abundance for all men in the products of farms, forests and fisheries, which are essential for life and well-being, and security and prosperity for the producers of these things.

"To Sir John Orr this Conference sends its friendly greetings and good wishes."

- Whereas the voluntary non-governmental social welfare agencies functioning internationally have effectively helped to minister to the food and other needs of peoples in distressed areas without regard to political or ideological views in this period of grave postwar dislocation, and

- Whereas these agencies, exemplified by CARE, the Friends' Service Committee, the War Relief Services of the Catholic Welfare Conference, and their counterparts and branches throughout the world, working co-operatively with and through CARE, have concerned themselves constructively with the problems of food distribution and production to the end that suffering from lack of food may be diminished in accord with the principal aim of FAO's Constitution; therefore

- Be it resolved that FAO commend the work of these agencies and express its intention to continue collaborating with them within the terms of its authorization in the hope and expectation that their valuable undertakings will be sustained and be expanded.