VIII. Appointments and elections

143. The Conference had before it applications for membership from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. These applications had been submitted within the time limit prescribed by Rule XIX GRO. They contained, or were supplemented by, the formal instrument required under Article II of the Constitution, and were thus found to be in order.

144. The Conference proceeded to a secret ballot on the five applications at its Second Plenary Meeting on Friday, 20 October 1995, in accordance with Article II-2 of the Constitution and Rule XII-9 GRO. The results were as follows:

Admission of Azerbaijan to Membership

1. Number of ballots deposited	131
2. Defective ballots	1
3. Abstentions	1
4. Number of votes cast	129
5. Majority required	86
6. Votes for	128
7. Votes against	1

Admission of Georgia to Membership

1. Number of ballots deposited	131
2. Defective ballots	2
3. Abstentions	3
4. Number of votes cast	126
5. Majority required	84
6. Votes for	124
7. Votes against	2

Admission of Moldova to Membership

1. Number of ballots deposited	131
2. Defective ballots	2
3. Abstentions	2
4. Number of votes cast	127
5. Majority required	85
6. Votes for	125
7. Votes against	2

Admission of Tajikistan to Membership

1. Number of ballots deposited	131
2. Defective ballots	3
3. Abstentions	2
4. Number of votes cast	126
5. Majority required	84
6. Votes for	125
7. Votes against	1

Admission of Turkmenistan to Membership

1. Number of ballots deposited	131
2. Defective ballots	1
3. Abstentions	2
4. Number of votes cast	128
5. Majority required	86
6. Votes for	126
7. Votes against	2

145. The Conference accordingly admitted the five applicant nations to membership of the Organization.

146. The Conference decided that, according to established principles and custom, the contribution due for the last quarter of 1995 and the advance to be made to the Working Capital Fund by each new Member Nation was as follows:

Nation	Contribution	Working Capital
	Last Quarter 1995 (US$)	Fund Advance (US$)
Azerbaijan	100 880	32 500
Georgia	100 880	32 500
Moldova	69 840	22 500
Tajikistan	15 520	5 000
Turkmenistan	23 280	7 500

B. Election of council members

147. The Conference elected the following Member Nations as members of the Council

Period November 1995 to 31 December 1998

REGION (SEATS)	MEMBERS
Africa (5)	Algeria
	Congo
	Gabon
	Ghana
	Mauritius
Asia	None
Europe (3)	Ireland
	Portugal
	Romania
Latin America and the Caribbean (5)	Barbados
	Brazil
	Cuba
	Mexico
	Uruguay
Near East (2)	Kuwait
	Lebanon
North America (2)	Canada
	USA
Southwest Pacific	None
Period 1 January 1997 to November 1999
REGION (SEATS)	MEMBERS
Africa (4)	Mauritania
	Senegal
	South Africa
	Uganda
Asia (3)	India
	Malaysia
	Pakistan
Europe (4)	Denmark
	France
	Italy
	United Kingdom
Latin America and the Caribbean (1)	Honduras
Near East (3)	Egypt
	Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Syria
North America	None
Southwest Pacific (1)	Australia

C. Appointments

Appointment of the independent Chairman of the council
Appointment of representatives of the conference to the FAO staff pension committee

Appointment of the independent Chairman of the council

148. The Conference had before it one nomination for the office of Independent Chairman of the Council.

149. The Conference, after a secret ballot, appointed Mr José Ramón López Portillo to the office of Independent Chairman of the Council and adopted the following Resolution:

Resolution 26/95

Appointment of the Independent Chairman of the Council

THE CONFERENCE

Having proceeded to a secret ballot, in accordance with the provisions of Rule XII of the General Rules of the Organization:

1. Declares that José Ramón López Portillo is appointed Independent Chairman of the Council for a period of two years, that is, until the end of the regular session of the Conference to be held in 1997;

2. Decides that the conditions of appointment, including the allowances attached to the office of the Independent Chairman of the Council, shall be as follows:

a) An annual allowance of the equivalent of US$22 000 to cover the representation expenses and secretarial assistance in the Chairman's home station, on the understanding that the Director-General will provide secretarial assistance when the Chairman attends sessions of the Council or Conference; one-half of the allowance shall be payable in US dollars, the balance being payable, in whole or in part, in the currency of the home country of the Chairman, or in Italian fire, according to his desires;

b) a per diem allowance at a rate equivalent to that for the Deputy Director-General, while the Chairman is absent from his home station on Council business;

c) Travel expenses, including the above per diem allowance, shall be defrayed by the Organization, in conformity with its regulations and existing practice, when the Chairman attends sessions of the Council, of the Programme and Finance Committees, of the Conference, or when he is invited by the Council or by the Director-General to travel for other purposes.

(Adopted 31 October 1995)

Appointment of representatives of the conference to the FAO staff pension committee

150. In accordance with Article 6 (c) of the Regulations of the UN Joint Staff Pension Fund, the Conference appointed two members and two alternate members to the FAO Staff Pension Committee as follows and for the periods specified below:

For the period 1 January 1996 to 31 December 1998

Member

Mrs Kaija M. Ilander
Permanent Representative of Finland to FAO

Alternate Member

Ms Souad Abdallah
Permanent Representative of Syria to FAO

For the period 1 January 1997 to 31 December 1999

Member

Ms Gabriella Vassallo Consoli
Alternate Permanent Representative of Peru to FAO

Alternate Member

Olivier Margueritte
Alternate Permanent
Representative of France to FAO

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