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645. The Conference noted that the Technical Committee had expressed some concern that there was danger of overlapping between the work of the Committee on Fisheries established under Article V of the Constitution and the Technical Committee of the Conference in the area that concerns the program of work of the Department of Fisheries. The important function of the Article V Committee was recognized, in offering advice on the formulation of the program of work at an early stage of its Development, at its session in the inter-conference year but the detailed technical review of the program when formulated was considered to be the proper function of the Technical Committee it self. The Conference thought that the problem could perhaps be resolved by the Article V Committee placing much greater emphasis on its program function in inter-Conference years than in Conference years, but felt that it was not yet possible to come to firm conclusions so early in the life of the Article V Committee.
c) Organization of conference sessions
646. The Conference adopted the following resolution:
Organization of Conference Sessions
THE CONFERENCE
Considering that under present working arrangements it is unable to examine in detail even the most important questions appearing on its agenda, or to exert to the full its influence on the Organization's Program of Work, or, again, to give worthwhile emphasis, in its report, to the conclusions reached in its deliberations;
Invites the Council, in the light of experience at the Fourteenth Session of the Conference, to study as quickly as possible, but in any event not later than the Fifty-First Session of the Council, by procedures it deems most appropriate, and in collaboration with the Director-General such reforms as should be made in the organization of Conference sessions in order to permit the fullest examination of the basic problems on the agenda, the formulation of guidance to the Director-General and the adoption of a report fully reflecting the conclusions reached in the Conference's deliberations.
(Adopted 23.11.67)
d) Procedure for the appointment of the director-general
647. The Conference adopted the following resolution:
Procedure for the Appointment of the Director-General
THE CONFERENCE
Recognizing that the office of Director-General is that of chief administrative and executive head of FAO;
Recognizing further that the main purpose of the biennial session of the Conference is to determine the policy of this Organization and to exercise the constitutional and administrative functions conferred upon it, and that the Conference needs all the time available to accomplish these primary purposes effectively;
Noting that the present procedures for the election of the Director-General have become unwieldy and extremely time-consuming, and thus seriously detract from the ability of the Conference in an election year to perform effectively its primary functions;
Believing that it may be possible within the provisions of the Constitution and the General Rules of the Organization, to propose procedures for selecting the Director-General which would not pre-empt the time of the Conference in an election year as at the Fourteenth Session and thus limit the ability of the Conference to carry out its primary functions;
Recommends that an ad hoc committee be appointed by the Council to report directly to the Council, and the Council in turn to submit its report on the question of the procedures for the election of the Director-General to the Conference at its Fifteenth Session (1969), and to suggest an alternative to the present procedure and possibly to the timing of the election.
Use of languages other than FAO's present working languages
a) Introduction of Arabic as a limited working language
b) Introduction of German for interpretation in the general conferences as well as in the regional conferences for Europe
c) Other language services
648. The Conference considered the questions of the introduction of Arabic and German interpretation in FAO on the basis of a report from the Council arising from its Forty-Ninth Session (C 67/LIM/9), and of a general study on the aspects and implications of the introduction of additional languages in FAO (CL 49/8), together with five specific proposals presented by the Director-General, as follows:
(i) That Arabic be adopted as a limited working language in terms such as proposed by the Eighth Regional Conference for the Near East in 1967.
(ii) That facilities for interpretation from and into German be provided in future at plenary and commission meetings of the FAO biennial Conference as also at the plenary meetings of the Regional Conference for Europe.
(iii) That the Council should entrust the Program Committee with the task of initial and periodic review of the Organization's language policy and practice, including all future proposals for changes or additions in the light of the criteria suggested in paragraph 5.5 of the consultant's report. The review should specifically include the definition of the concept of "working language" for various purposes and the classification of conferences and sessions from the point of view of the use of languages.
(iv) That the Council should endorse the proposal that, within available resources, the Organization should be in a position to award token subsidies to encourage the publication of suitably selected FAO works in any language.
(v) That the Council should authorize the issue, within available resources, of some public information material in selected non-working languages, including Arabic and German."
a) Introduction of Arabic as a limited working language
649. The Conference expressed almost unanimous support for the adoption of Arabic in the terms proposed by the Director-General in paragraph 648, sub-paragraph (i) above, on the basis of the following considerations. Arabic is the official language of fifteen Member Nations and two Associate Members, i. e. the largest group of users of any one language apart from the present three working languages. Its cultural value was unquestioned, and this would be the first non-European language to be used by FAO. Limited services in Arabic were already being provided in Unesco and in the ILO. The financial implications were limited to an amount of $16,000 to cover the cost of interpretation at the Ninth Regional Conference for the Near East and at the technical meetings scheduled to take place in the Near East Region in 1969, an expenditure which the Director-General expected to be able to absorb within the proposed Budget. With regard to the cost of Arabic interpretation at plenary and commission meetings of the Fifteenth Session of the Conference, estimated at about $40,000, the Director-General proposed to initiate discussions with Arabic-speaking countries in order to consider ways and means of financing the expenditure.
650. Accordingly the Conference approved the adoption of Arabic as a limited working language and that it be used for interpretation in the FAO Conference Sessions, as well as the Near East regional and technical conferences as from the Ninth Near East Regional Conference and the Fifteenth Session of the FAO Conference. The Conference further requested the Director-General to study the necessary measures for translating into Arabic certain documents and publications of FAO within the agreed limits of a specific schedule.
651. The Conference noted that the proposal for the use of German was limited Reinterpretation at the FAO Conference sessions and conferences of Member Nations in the European Region, and did not involve the adoption of German as an official or working language, nor the presentation of documents in German The offer made by the Federal Republic of Germany defray two-thirds of the cost of these services, estimated at $75,000 for the 1968/69 biennium, was also noted.
652. In the subsequent discussion, it was emphasized that the justification for the use of the German language was based on its importance for communication in technical, scientific and economic matters, particularly in FAO's fields of work, on the wide audience of the German language beyond the frontiers of German-speaking countries, and on the considerable financial contribution of German-speaking countries to the budget of the Organization.
653. On the other hand a few delegations opposed the proposal for the introduction of German on various grounds. These delegations expressed the opinion that the importance of the German language for communication in technical and scientific fields and the size of the financial contribution of German speaking countries would not be the pertinent criteria which could justify the introduction of German interpretation at FAO conferences on the basis of the Report prepared by a competent consultant (CL 49/8). They also felt that other criteria mentioned in the report, such as the number of German speaking countries, would even be against the introduction of German interpretation, and that in their opinion proposals for additional languages are almost bound to proliferate with each new claim. Therefore, any decision in favor of a new language would tend to create a precedent leading to further claims.
654. The proposal was approved accordingly.
655. A few delegations, while expressing reservations about the introduction of additional languages, did not wish to oppose the consensus of opinion reached for the Arabic language, as referred to in paragraph 650 above. The Conference agreed that the introduction of the Arabic language should not be taken as setting a precedent for the introduction of other languages. Moreover, the Conference was impressed by the likely hood that further claims might be pressed. The Conference therefore decided that the Council should entrust the Program Committee with the task of initial and periodic review of the Organization's language policy and practice, including all future proposals for changes or additions in the light of applicable criteria; such a review to include specifically the definition of the concepts of working language and official language for various purposes and classification of conferences and sessions from the point of view of the use of languages. In this Review, the Conference recognized that the claim for the use of Portuguese in governmental meetings in the Latin American region would require serious consideration.
656. Four delegations felt that all or at least a major part of the cost of introducing further new languages should be borne by the countries having a primary interest in their introduction.
657. The Conference also agreed that, within available budgetary resources, the Director-General should be authorized to award token subsidies to assist in the publication of suitably selected FAO publications in languages other than FAO working languages.
658. Finally, the Conference agreed that the Council should authorize the issue, within available budgetary resources of some Public information material in selected non-working languages.
Audited accounts
Financial position of the organization
Scale of contributions 1968/69
Contributions and advances by new members nations and associate members
Reimbursement of withdrawals from the working capital fund
a) Regular program and freedom from hunger campaign audited accounts for 1964/65
b) European commission for the control of foot-and-mouth disease audited accounts for 1965 and 1966
c) United nations development program special fund and technical assistance sectors
d) World food program audited accounts for 1965
(a) Regular Program and Freedom from Hunger Campaign, 1964/65
(b) European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease, 1965 and 1966
(c) United Nations Development Program:
(i) Special Fund Sector, 1965 and 1966
(ii) Technical Assistance Sector, 1965 and 1966
(d) World Food Program, 1965
659. The Conference considered the above accounts and stressed the importance of the reports of the External Auditor. It called attention to the desirability of broadening the scope of audits in line with the Committee of Fourteen's recommendation that External Auditors make observations on administration and management as well as on financial matters.
660. It noted that the External Auditor's comments are limited largely to a citation of the scope of the work performed. It requested the Director-General to inform the External Auditor of the desire of the Conference to have future reports include more substantive comments which would enable Member Nations to benefit from the External Auditor's observations on the way in which the Organization's resources are used, as the External Auditor's knowledge of the Organization's operations and policies could provide a constructive addition to the information available to Member Nations.
661. The Conference approved the above accounts and the Reports of the External Auditor thereon as submitted by the Forty-Seventh, Forty-Eighth and Forty-Ninth Sessions of the Council, and adopted the following resolutions:
a) Regular program and freedom from hunger campaign audited accounts for 1964/65
THE CONFERENCE
Having examined the audited accounts of the Regular Program and Freedom from Hunger Campaign for the financial period 1964/65 and the External Auditor's reports thereon,
Adopts the audited accounts for the above-mentioned period.
(Adopted 21.11.67)
b) European commission for the control of foot-and-mouth disease audited accounts for 1965 and 1966
THE CONFERENCE
Having examined the audited accounts of the European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease for the financial years 1965 and 1966,
Adopts the audited accounts for the financial years in question.
(Adopted 21.11.67)
c) United nations development program special fund and technical assistance sectors
THE CONFERENCE
Having examined the audited accounts of the United Nations Development Program - Special Fund and Technical Assistance Sectors - for the financial years 1965 and 1966, and the External Auditor's reports thereon,
Adopts the audited accounts for the financial years in question.
(Adopted 21.11.67)
d) World food program audited accounts for 1965
THE CONFERENCE
Having examined the audited accounts of the World Food Program for the financial year 1965 and the External Auditor's report thereon,
Adopts the audited accounts for the above-mentioned period.
(Adopted 21.11.67)
Financial position of the organization
662. The Conference noted the satisfactory rate of collection of the current year's assessments. However, noting also that some important amounts were still outstanding, it agreed that Member Nations should be encouraged to settle their obligations at an early date.
Scale of contributions 1968/69
663. The Conference examined the Scale of Contributions for 1968/69 as proposed by the Council at its Forty-Eighth Session, as amended at its Forty-Ninth Session, to take into account the admission of new Member Nations and Associate Members.
664. The Conference noted that, according to the decisions of the Eighth Session of the Conference, the Scale was based on the United Nations Scale of Assessments for the year 1967 as established at the Twenty-First Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations (United Nations General Assembly Documents, Twenty-First Session, Supplement No. 10 (A/6310) and Supplement No. 10A (A/6310/Add.1).
665. The Conference consequently adopted the following resolution:
Scale of Contributions 1968/69
THE CONFERENCE
Having considered the reports of the Forty-Eighth and the Forty-Ninth Session of the Council;
Decides to adopt for use in 1968 and 1969 the Scale of Contributions set out in Appendix D which is derived from the United Nations Scale of Assessments for 1967.
(Adopted 21.11.67)
Contributions and advances by new members nations and associate members
666. In accordance with the provisions of Article XVIII. 3 of the Constitution Rule XIX. 3 of the General Rules of the Organization and Financial Regulation 5. 8, the Conference decided that the contribution to be paid by the newly-admitted Member Nations and Associate Members for the year 1967 would be as follows:
Member Nations |
|
| Barbados | $ 2,400 |
| Bulgaria | $13,100 |
| Hungary | $42,900 |
Associate Members |
|
| Bahrain | $ 1,400 |
| Qatar | $ 1,400 |
667. In accordance with Financial Regulations 6.2(b) (ii), the advances due to the Working Capital Fund by new Member Nations were as follows:
| Barbados | $ 1,800 |
| Bulgaria | $ 9,900 |
| Hungary | $32,400 |
Reimbursement of withdrawals from the working capital fund
668. The Conference noted that at its Forty-Seventh Session, the Council had authorised the withdrawal of an amount of $300,000 from the Working Capital Fund, to meet the costs in the 1966/67 biennium of such extra space as would be required as a consequence of the expansion of the Organization's programs. At the same Session the Council had also authorised the withdrawal of $125,000 to meet the additional costs of the ad hoc Review Committee of the Council established for the review of the Organization's General Structure.
669. At its Forty-Ninth Session, the Council had authorised a further withdrawal from the Working Capital Fund up to $30,000 to cover the excess of the ad hoc Committee's cost over the amount of $125,000 previously authorised to the extent that such additional costs could not be met from savings.
670. The Conference endorsed the Council's recommendations that notwithstanding the provisions of Financial Regulation 6.1(b),
(i) an amount of $425,000 of the cash surplus of the 1964/65 biennium,
(ii) an amount of up to $30,000 of the excess miscellaneous income for the 1966/67 biennium be used to reimburse the Working Capital Fund with the amounts withdrawn for the above purpose.
671. The Conference adopted the following resolution:
Reimbursement of Withdrawals from the Working Capital Fund
THE CONFERENCE
Noting that the Council at its Forty-Seventh Session authorised the withdrawal of an amount up to $425,000 from the Working Capital Fund, and at its Forty-Ninth Session authorised the withdrawal of up to $30,000, both amounts, totaling $455,000, to be used to meet unbudgeted expenditure resulting from:
(i) the need of additional accommodation during the 1966/67 biennium, and
(ii) the review of the General Structure of the Organization as arranged by the Council in accordance with Resolution 1 65 of the Thirteenth Session of the Conference;
Noting that, in accordance with Financial Regulation 6.5(b) advances made from the Working Capital Fund shall be reimbursed by such method as the Conference determines;
Further noting that the cash surplus in 1964/65 amounted to $591,665 and that the Council at its Forty-Seventh Session instructed the Director-General to withhold the distribution of an amount of $425,000 of that surplus pending a Conference decision;
Considering that the actual amount to be withdrawn from the Working Capital Fund may now amount to as much as $455,000; and
Noting that the Miscellaneous Income of the current biennium is expected to exceed substantially the estimated amount;
Decides that, notwithstanding Financial Regulation 6.1(b):
(i) an amount of $425,000 of the above-mentioned cash surplus shall be used to reimburse the Working Capital Fund, and
(ii) an amount of up to $30,000 of the excess Miscellaneous Income for the biennium 1966/67 may be used to reimburse the Working Capital Fund.
(Adopted 21.11. 67)
672. The Conference was informed of the steps that had been taken by the Director-General to remedy the need for additional space at Headquarters in view of the delay in obtaining the transfer to the Organization of one further wing, building D, of the Headquarters buildings which is still occupied by the Ministry of Posts. The Conference was informed further that the appeal formulated by its Thirteenth Session and by the Council to speed up the release of building D had been transmitted to the Italian Government. The Conference noted that building D was not expected to be available until 1973 and that the Director-General was in contact with the Italian Government concerning other solutions to meet the present and future needs for additional space.
673. The Italian delegate reassured the Conference of the determination of the Italian Government to continue its undertaking to provide the required accommodation for the staff of the Organization and informed the Conference that the Italian Government was at present studying the acquisition of buildings and adjacent land that would meet the future requirements of the Organization.
674. The Conference expressed its gratitude for the co-operative attitude of the Italian Government and for its generosity in provision of accommodation.
675. One delegation, while concurring in the appreciation of the generosity of the Italian Government in this connection, expressed its concern at the rate of growth of staff.
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