Session Documents
The Council
The FAO Council was established in 1947 at the 3rd Session of the FAO Conference, replacing the original "Executive Committee".
The Council acts as the executive arm of the Conference between its sessions, exercising functions relating to the status of world food and agriculture, prospective activities of the Organization, administrative and constitutional matters. The Council plays a major role in deciding and advising on matters pertaining to the implementation of programme and budget execution, monitoring of the implementation of governance decisions and oversight of the administration of the Organization.
The Council holds five regular sessions in each biennium. It is directly assisted by a Programme Committee, a Financial Committee, and a Committee on Constitutional and Legal Matters.
Mr Hans Hoogeveen (The Netherlands)
2021 - 2025
Appointment of the ICC (Vol.1, Art. V.2)
Appointment of the ICC (Vol.1, Sec.B, GRO XXIII)
Membership
Elected by the Conference, the Council consists of 49 Member Nations
elected for a term of three years with arrangements for staggering
expiry of terms of office. In selecting Members, the Conference
considers the desirability of a balanced geographical representation and
the rotation of membership. Each Member Nation has one representative
and one vote.
The Conference is also tasked to appoint an
Independent Chairperson of the Council (ICC) at each of its Sessions.
The ICC not only serves as Chairperson of all Council meetings but also
plays an inter-sessional role in convening informal consultations, taking
steps to achieve consensus among the Membership and liaising with
Management and other Chairpersons of Governing Bodies. The ICC is
elected for a period of two years, renewable once (Article V.2 of the
Constitution and Rule XXIII of the General Rules of the Organization).
- Afghanistan3
- Angola2
- Argentina2
- Australia3
- Bahamas2
- Bangladesh1
- Belarus1
- Brazil2
- Cameroon3
- Canada2
- Chile1
- China1
- Congo1
- Costa Rica2
- Croatia1,4
- Côte d’Ivoire2
- Egypt3
- Equatorial Guinea1
- Ethiopia1
- Georgia3,5
- Germany2,6
- Guinea2
- India3
- Indonesia1
- Italy3
- Japan1
- Kenya2
- Kuwait1
- Lesotho3
- Lithuania2,7
- Mauritania2
- Mexico2
- Morocco3
- Nicaragua1
- Norway3
- Pakistan3
- Panama3
- Peru1
- Philippines1
- Qatar2
- Republic of Korea1
- Saudi Arabia3
- Slovenia2,8
- Spain3,9
- Sudan2,10
- Thailand3,11
- Uganda3
- United Kingdom1,12
- United States of America2
Membership Information
1 Term of office: end of the 42nd Session of the Conference (June 2021) to 30 June 2024
2 Term of office: 1 July 2022 to end of the 44th Session of the Conference (2025)
3 Term of office: end of the 43rd Session of the Conference (2023) to 30 June 2026
4 Croatia replaced Bosnia and Herzegovina from the end of the 43rd Session of the Conference (2023) to 30 June 2024
5 Switzerland will replace Georgia from the end of the 44th Session of the Conference to 30 June 2026
6 France will replace Germany from 1 July 2024 until the end of the 44th Session of the Conference (2025)
7 Lithuania replaced Israel from the end of the 43rd Session of the Conference (2023) to the end of the 44th Session of the Conference (2025)
8 Ukraine will replace Slovenia from 1 July 2024 to the end of the 44th Session of the Conference (2025)
9 The United Kingdom will replace Spain from the end of the 44th Session of the Conference (2025) to 30 June 2026
10 Sudan replaced Iraq for the remainder of its term (from the end of 43rd Session of the Conference to the end of the 44th Session of the Conference) as Iraq was deemed to have resigned in accordance with Rule XXII.7 GRO
11 Malaysia will replace Thailand from 1 January 2025 to 30 June 2026
12 The United Kingdom replaced Spain from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2024
Council Members - Current term of office (July 2021 - June 2026)
| Africa | ||
|---|---|---|
| July 2021 (C 42) - June 2024 | 1 July 2022 - June 2025 (C 44) | 1 July 2023 (C 43) - June 2026 |
Congo Equatorial Guinea Ethiopia | Angola Côte d'Ivoire Guinea Kenya Mauritania | Cameroon Morocco Lesotho Uganda |
| Asia | ||
| July 2021 (C 42) - June 2024 | 1 July 2022 - June 2025 (C 44) | 1 July 2023 (C 43) - June 2026 |
Bangladesh China Indonesia Japan Philippines Republic of Korea | India Pakistan Thailand7 | |
| Europe | ||
| July 2021 (C 42) - June 2024 | 1 July 2022 - June 2025 (C 44) | 1 July 2023 (C 43) - June 2026 |
Belarus Croatia1 United Kingdom2 | Germany3 Lithuania4 Slovenia5 | Georgia8 Italy Norway Spain9 |
| Latin America and the Caribbean | ||
| July 2021 (C 42) - June 2024 | 1 July 2022 - June 2025 (C 44) | 1 July 2023 (C 43) - June 2026 |
Chile Nicaragua Peru | Argentina Bahamas Brazil Costa Rica Mexico | Panama |
| Near East | ||
| July 2021 (C 42) - June 2024 | 1 July 2022 - June 2025 (C 44) | 1 July 2023 (C 43) - June 2026 |
| Kuwait | Sudan6 Qatar | Afghanistan Egypt Saudi Arabia |
| North America | ||
| July 2021 (C 42) - June 2024 | 1 July 2022 - June 2025 (C 44) | 1 July 2023 (C 43) - June 2026 |
Canada United States of America | ||
| Southwest Pacific | ||
| July 2021 (C 42) - June 2024 | 1 July 2022 - June 2025 (C 44) | 1 July 2023 (C 43) - June 2026 |
| Australia | ||
Membership Information
1 Croatia replaced Bosnia and Herzegovina from the end of the 43rd Session of the Conference (2023) to 30 June 2024
2 The United Kingdom replaced Spain from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2024
3 France will replace Germany from 1 July 2024 until the end of the 44th Session of the Conference (2025)
4 Lithuania replaced Israel from the end of the 43rd Session of the Conference (2023) to the end of the 44th Session of the Conference (2025)
5 Ukraine will replace Slovenia from 1 July 2024 to the end of the 44th Session of the Conference (2025)
6 Sudan replaced Iraq for the remainder of its term (from the end of 43rd Session of the Conference to the end of the 44th Session of the Conference) as Iraq was deemed to have resigned in accordance with Rule XXII.7 GRO.
7 Malaysia will replace Thailand from 1 January 2025 to 30 June 2026
8 Switzerland will replace Georgia from the end of the 44th Session of the Conference to 30 June 2026
9 The United Kingdom will replace Spain from the end of the 44th Session of the Conference (2025) to 30 June 2026
Upcoming Session: 175th Session of the Council
10-14 June 2024