14. The Committee decided to consider agenda item 4(b) on the role and functioning of its intergovernmental commodity groups together with item 4(d) on possible approaches to international cooperation on tropical fruits, with the assistance of documents CCP 97/13 and CCP 97/18.

15. Within the context of the broader issues arising from the reform process underway in FAO, and in the light of the review of statutory bodies to be carried out by the Council at its 112th Session in June 1997, the Committee reviewed the progress which had been made since its last session in improving the effectiveness and containing the costs of intergovernmental commodity bodies.

16. The Committee endorsed the cost-cutting measures so far taken which had been achieved whilst maintaining a high standard of work in the Groups. The Committee urged the Secretariat to consolidate these improvements and to seek to implement further cost savings measures which would not compromise the quality of the output of the IGGs. The Committee made a number of suggestions for an improved balance of costs and benefits. Particular mention was made of the possible savings which might result from the innovative use of information technology and in networking among those interested in specific commodity issues.

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17. Pending a complete review of the structure of its intergovernmental group mechanism as referred to in paragraph 23 below, the Committee requested the Secretariat to seek to organize joint sessions of related IGGs on a selective basis with a view to achieving further savings whilst providing an opportunity for improved understanding of the underlying economic factors affecting these commodities.

18. The Committee agreed that in pursuance of this objective and, more importantly, in order to facilitate the participation of developing countries in IGG sessions, these should be held as much as possible at FAO Headquarters, but that this should be in line with the need to reduce costs. However, the Committee recognized that under exceptional circumstances IGG sessions could be held away from Rome.

19. In considering possible approaches to intergovernmental cooperation on tropical fruits, the Committee recognized the importance of these products for the improvement of nutrition, export earnings and food security in developing countries. It therefore decided to call on the Intergovernmental Group on Bananas to establish an interim Sub-Group on Tropical Fruits. The Committee further agreed that the Sub-Group on Tropical Fruits should subsequently be merged with the Intergovernmental Group on Bananas into one Group with separate sub-groups dealing with bananas and tropical fruits.

20. The Committee stressed that the additional costs of work on tropical fruits should be offset, as indicated in paragraph 22(f) of document CCP 97/18, by savings including reduced frequency of sessions of the Intergovernmental Group on Wine and Vine Products, and other measures such as the convening of joint sessions of other intergovernmental groups (see paragraph 17). The Committee also decided to abolish the Intergovernmental Group on Cocoa which became inactive two years after the establishment of the International Cocoa Organization in 1973.

21. With the aim of becoming the regional centre for the trading and development of tropical fruits, the delegate of Thailand expressed the offer of his government to host a meeting of the Sub-Group on Tropical Fruits in Bangkok probably in April 1998. The Committee expressed appreciation for the willingness of Thailand to host this meeting.

22. The Committee agreed that the forthcoming session of the Intergovernmental Group on Bananas would operate according to its present mandate and would take place as scheduled during the first part of 1997.

23. The Committee decided that there was a need to carry out an in-depth review of the mandate and structure of its intergovernmental commodity group system, with a view to rationalizing and strengthening the functions and scope of the IGGs to achieve maximum benefits from their operations. Such a review might entail the restructuring of the IGG system. This would also include the above decision on the merging of the Intergovernmental Group on Bananas with the Sub-Group on Tropical Fruit. The Committee therefore recommended that the role and functioning of the IGGs be again considered at its 62nd Session, taking into full account the conclusions and guidance of the Council and the Conference with regard to the ongoing review of all statutory bodies. The Committee requested the Secretariat to provide it with all relevant documentation for such a review.