CHAIRMAN: The document concerned gives the provisional calendar of 1982-83 Sessions of the Council and those Bodies which report to the Council.
Of course, Council Members are aware that the General Conference has already taken a decision about the Conference dates: 5-24 November 1983.
DEPUTY DIRECTOR-GENERAL: I think I need say only very little about this because the proposals are self-evident. This schedule has been arrived at after very careful thought and planning within the House, taking into account the desires of Member Governments who might be hosting various meetings, particularly the regional conferences, taking into account the Director-General's schedule, the schedule of the senior staff who would be involved in the respective meetings, and also of course anticipating what the decision of the Conference might be regarding its next Session, and then of course, scheduling the pre-Conference and post-Conference sessions of the Council in the usual manner in relation to that. So it is a bit like a chess board; if you try to move one piece on it, then you upset some other part of the board. So by and large we express the hope that the Council will find it acceptable because, as I say, it has involved a great deal of planning and negotiation to get it to what we think is a fairly well-balanced stage.
CHAIRMAN: Shall we adopt this calendar? As you will see, the next meeting of the Council is scheduled for 22 November to 3 December 1982. Then we adopt this calendar for the 1982-83 Session.
It was so decided
Il en est ainsi decide
Así se acuerda
CHAIRMAN: I mentioned this morning that we would take up two items here. One we have already completed, the appointment of the Deputy Director-General, and we have passed a resolution supporting the Director-General's decision to appoint Mr. West. The next point is the site of the Ninth Forestry Congress 1984. I request the Director-General to introduce this topic.
DIRECTOR-GENERAL: The previous Session of the Council which was held on 3 November has already discussed this subject.
The Council had noted that three countries — India, Mexico and Philippines — had offered to host the Ninth Forestry Congress which is to be held in 1984.
After some discussion in the Council, it was decided that the Director-General should invite the Ministers of the countries concerned to consult on this matter while they attended the Conference.
The Council expressed a wish to decide at this Session about the site of the next World Forestry Congress.
The three countries are Members of the Council, Mr. Chairman, and you may wish to invite them to inform the Council on the outcome of the consultations which took place.
A. JUAN MARCOS ISSA (Mexico); Tal y como lo acordó el Consejo pasado, se reunieron los tres ministros involucrados en estos asuntos de los países de la India, Filipinas y Mexico, y después de intercambiar opiniones e ideas y manifestar el interés de cada país por ser la sede del próximo Congreso Forestal Mundial, los tres ministros acordaron presentar ante este Consejo la siguiente idea que espero transmitir fiel y objetivamente.
Primero, que consideraban que los congresos forestales dada la importancia en la materia y en la importancia de los propios congresos, se realizaban con intervalos de tiempo demasiado largos, por lo cual sugerían la conveniencia de que estos congresos forestales fueran celebrados con una periodicidad mayor, de preferencia cada dos o tres años.
Segundo, con respecto al proximo Congreso Forestal Mundial, consideraron que sería en México, pero que el siguiente Congreso el de 1984, fuese celebrado en alguno de los países restantes que han ofrecido la sede; y que el siguiente Congreso fuese celebrado en el país restante de los tres que han ofrecido ser sede.
Esto fue lo que los tres ministros involucrados pudieron convenir, y creo reflejar fielmente lo que acordaron los tres ministros.
J. VALERIO (Philippines): Pursuant to the decision of the 80th FAO Council Session that the matter of the Ninth World Forestry Congress be referred to the Ministers concerned of India, Mexico and Philippines for consultation and the results of consultation be reported during this FAO Council Session the three Ministers concerned had a friendly consultation.
Allow me to to reiterate our decision on this subject. We believe that the problems of forestry are vital and crucial to development, so that these problems be dealt with in the world forestry congresses within a shorter interval than the usual six years. While we are aware that this Council's terms of reference do not include the determination of the intervals between world forestry congresses, we just want to have this noted and transmitted to the next World Forestry Congress for consideration.
As a result of the consultations of the three Ministers concerned, the Philippines supports that Mexico host the Ninth World Forestry Congress, and we would like to offer that the Philippines host the Tenth World Forestry Congress. We believe that this is a reasonable arrangement because of the consideration of the principle of rotation and the fact that the Philippines has never hosted a world forestry congress before, document CL 80/10.
Allow me on behalf of my Government to reiterate the offer of facilities and accommodation for the Tenth World Forestry Congress. We would like to request that this Council takes note and gives due consideration to this proposal.
The Philippine Government affirms its readiness and availability to provide everything necessary to maintain the high standards set at previous congresses. This includes a special financing arrangement for experts and students from developing countries to attend the congress and the full cost of any assistance necessary from FAO for the preparation and conduct of the congress, including any assistance after the congress in order to finalize the proceedings.
I would like to reiterate also the assurance of the availability of the premises, facilities and accommodation for the Tenth World Forestry Congress.
Furthermore, the Philippines as a site for various regional, sub-regional and bilateral matters supports an intensive national afforestation programme and can be the administrative site for forestry programmes and forestry situations mostly similar to those of the developing world, especially in Asia and Africa.
It is the hope of my Government that to host the Tenth World Forestry Congress in the Philippines after the Ninth Congress in Mexico will provide FAO Member Nations with a rewarding and meaningful experience and the Tenth World Food Congress can therefore contribute to the continuing success of these endeavours.
To summarize the Philippines proposals to this Council: first, we wish to propose that this Council notes and transmits to the next World Forestry Congress for consideration the proposal for shortening the interval between forestry congresses; and secondly, the Philippines delegation strongly supports that Mexico should host the Ninth World Forestry Congress. The Philippine Government will be pleased and will appreciate it very much if this Council will take note and give due consideration to the offer of the Philippines to host the Tenth World Forestry Congress.
S.P. MUKHERJEE (India): My delegation would like to make one or two points clear before this august House. First, when we received some communication from FAO we were under the impression that there was no other country in the field and perhaps reference had been made to us as one country for offering its preparedness to host this congress. On that basis we offered very gladly and happily to host this congress. As you know, our Prime Minister herself is very keen on forestry considerations, social forestry, and so on. It was in that light that we felt it to be a privilege and an honour to offer our hospitality for the Ninth World Forestry Congress. But later on when it came to our notice that other countries had also made similar offers the Minister's meeting was held here, as enjoined by the previous meeting of the full FAO Council and my country's stand is that the question of which country would offer hospitality for the Ninth World Forestry Congress should not at all - I repeat, not at all - be a bone of contention or unhappiness among us. So I would not therefore insist that this should be taken to the stage of a controversy. But we always offer our hospitality for anything connected with forestry, and wherever this forestry congress may be held our Government will give the fullest support to the deliberations and participation in that congress.
We would however like to reiterate what has been said earlier, that perhaps the Council may consider compressing the period between two congress meetings so that a larger number of countries is able to host these congresses and incidentally thereby arouse a state of consciousness for forest conservation in a greater number of countries.
Ms. SAODAH SJAHRUDDIN (Indonesia): With due regard to the principle of rotation, my delegation is happy to state that Indonesia supports the offer made by the Mexican Government to host the Ninth World Forestry Congress, and taking into account the result of the consultation reached by the three governments concerned. We hope that this House, the Council, takes note with sympathy of the offer made by the delegation of the Philippines.
J.L. TAMAYO-RIGAIL (Ecuador): Solamente para manifestar a usted que el Grupo Latinoamericano ha decidido apoyar plenamente a que México acoja al Noveno Congreso Forestal Mundial.
DATUK AHMAD YUNUS (Malaysia): The Malaysian delegation welcomes the result of the consultations between the three Ministers in shortening the period between the congresses, and in favouring Mexico to be the host of the 9th World Forestry Congress.
We hope the Council will take note of the proposal made by the Philippines to host the 10th Congress in the Philippines.
CHAIRMAN: Distinguished members of the Council, it is clear now there is a unanimous view that Mexico should be the venue of the 9th Forestry Congress.
There are two other associated issues which have been mentioned. First, instead of six years between congresses, the time should be shorter. Two or three years were mentioned by the Philippines, but all here who are concerned with professional congresses will know that this is a decision to be taken by the congress. As the Director-General informs me, the Congress authorities have just referred to FAO about the venue; as you know, FAO only helps them. The Congress authorities in certain services as a tribute to the FAO and its forestry division state that the World Forestry Congress is utilizing its services on payment. Therefore first we take the decision that we recommend Mexico as the venue for the 1984 Congress.
The second point, about the shorter duration, we can certainly forward the views of the members to the Congress authorities for appropriate action on the 84th Congress.
Regarding the 10th Congress, it is for the next Congress in Mexico to take a decision. We are grateful for the offer of the Philippines. In fact I know in the case of several international congresses there are very few takers because of the expenses and other difficulties involved. It is a tribute to forestry as a science that there are so many different people competing to be hosts to the Congress. We wish to express our thanks and we are grateful to all those who have come forward.
So we recommend Mexico and remit the other issues to the World Forestry Congress.
A.C. NGONG NAMANGA (Cameroon): Your summation took part of my fears away! I welcome the offer to sponsor the next Forestry Congress. The calendar which was given in the beginning gave us some fears because the assumption was that if some African countries wanted to host the Congress they would have to wait until the year 2000.
So my delegation is happy to hear that you are leaving this to the next Forestry Congress to settle.
CHAIRMAN: This item refers to the date and place of the 82nd Session of Council. It will be here in Rome, and the dates are as I read out earlier, 22 November-3 December 1982.
Before I go to the ballot to complete the composition of the Finance Committee, is there any matter which any member of the Council would like to mention, because if there is not we will proceed the voting and complete our session.
S.P. MUKHERJEE (India): Thank you for giving me this opportunity at very short notice. I would like to raise two minor points for the consideration of the Council.
Number 1 is that this year the World Food Day was celebrated in various countries with a lot of gusto, people's participation and enthusiasm, and I suppose that this is going to be an annual feature in future. I was wondering whether as a part of the World Food Day celebration every year it will not be fitting and perhaps useful functionally to take on one or two things in each year so that there is consciousness aroused as part of the World Food Day celebration? What I mean is, for instance, for the next World Food Day in 1982, whether this Council may decide whether our World Soil Charter which has been enshrined in one of the documents could not be taken as a theme for the participation of the people and governments in various countries. In future years, some other themes could be taken up, post-harvest conservation of food and so on. That is one of my suggestions.
My second suggestion concerns our resolutions regarding agricultural production and rural development where a number of action points have been identified. One of the action points was some sort of participation or involvement between developing countries with food resources, food production potential but less funds, and other countries with more funds but less food production potential, and whether some sort of informal get-together of these categories of countries should not be arranged so that some sort of working arrangement could be devised between these developing countries for mutual aid through trade or increase of agricultural production.
