FAO Council (CC-702)

Next Session

Council - 160th Session - 3-7 December 2018

Previous Sessions and documents

Council - 159th Session - June 2018
Council - 158th Session - December 2017
Council - 157th Session - July 2017
Council - 156th Session - April 2017
Council - 155th Session - December 2016
Council - 154th Session - May-June 2016
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Legal Framework

Article of Constitution

Article V

Origin

Established by the Conference at its Third Session (1947) to replace the original "Executive Committee of FAO" in accordance with a recommendation of the Preparatory Commission on World Food Proposals.

Rules of Procedure

See Basic Texts, Vol I - Section B, General Rules of the Organization and
Section D, Rules of Procedure of the Council of FAO

Category

Cat.1

Purpose

The Council, within the limits of the powers delegated to it by the Conference, acts as the Conference's executive organ between sessions. In particular, it exercises functions dealing with the world food and agriculture situation and related matters, current and prospective activities of the Organization, including its Programme of Work and Budget, administrative matters and financial management of the Organization and constitutional matters (Rule XXIV of the General Rules of the Organization).

The Council may establish Commissions, Committees and Working Parties under Article VI of the Constitution and approve, for submission to Member Nations, Agreements provided for under Article XIV.2 of the Constitution (Rule XXIV.4(a) and (b) of the General Rules of the Organization).

Note on methods of work of the Council

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Secretary-General

Mr Louis Gagnon, Director, Conference, Council and Protocol Affairs Division (CPA)

Membership

An Independent Chairperson, appointed by the Conference for two years, renewable for a further period of two years (Article V.2 of the Constitution and Rule XXIII of the General Rules of the Organization). Forty-nine Member Nations elected for three years, with arrangements for staggering expiry of terms of office, and each Member having one representative.

Chairperson

Mr Khalid Mehboob

Number of Members

49 Member Nations:

Afghanistan²
Algeria²
Argentina¹
Australia²
Austria⁴
Benin¹
Brazil¹
Bulgaria²
Cabo Verde²
Cameroon²
Canada¹
Chile^{3, 5}
China³
Congo³
Côte d'Ivoire¹
Ecuador²
Egypt²

Equatorial Guinea³
Estonia³
Finland²
France⁴
India²
Italy²
Japan³
Jordan³
Kenya¹
Lesotho¹
Mexico¹
Nicaragua³
Pakistan²
Philippines^{3, 6}
Qatar¹
Republic of Korea³
Romania¹

Russian Federation³
Saudi Arabia²
South Africa²
South Sudan³
Spain²
Sri Lanka³
Sudan¹
Thailand^{2, 7}
The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia³
Trinidad and Tobago¹
United States of America¹
Uruguay¹
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)³
Viet Nam^{3, 8}
Zambia¹

¹ Term of office: 1 July 2016 – end of the 41^st Session of Conference (June 2019)
² Term of office: end of the 40^th Session of the Conference (July 2017) to 30 June 2020
³ Term of office: 1 July 2018 – end of the 42^nd Session of Conference (June 2021)
⁴ Term of office: 1 July 2018 – end of the 41^st Session of Conference (June 2019)
⁵ Peru to replace Chile from the end of the 41^st Session of the Conference (June 2019) to the end of the 42^nd Session of the Conference (June 2021)
⁶ Myanmar to replace the Philippines from 1 January 2020 to the end of the 42^nd Session of the Conference (June 2021)
⁷ Malaysia to replace Thailand from 1 January 2019 – 30 June 2020
⁸ Indonesia to replace Viet Nam from 1 January 2020 to the end of the 42^nd Session of the Conference (June 2021)

Current term of office

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Languages

Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish

Document symbol

Frequency of Sessions

Normally holds at least five sessions in a biennium

Division

Conference, Council and Protocol Affairs Division (CPA)

Contact information/email

FAO-Council@fao.org

First Session

Washington, 4-11 November 1947