CCP 03/1 |
|
CCP 03/1 |
COMMITTEE ON COMMODITY PROBLEMS |
Sixty-fourth Session |
Rome, Italy, 18 – 21 March 2003 |
PROVISIONAL AGENDA AND AGENDA NOTES |
1. Organizational matters
2. Statement on behalf of the Director-General
3. The State of World Agricultural Markets
4. Medium-term Outlook for World Agricultural Commodity Markets
5. Policy Developments affecting Agricultural Commodity Markets and Trade
6. International Action on Agricultural Commodities and Trade
7. Arrangements for the Sixty-fifth session
8. Any other business
9. Adoption of Report
The Sixty-fourth Session of the Committee on Commodity Problems will open at 10:00 hours on Tuesday,18 March 2003. The Committee is expected to adopt its report in the late morning of Friday, 21 March 2003.
1. Organizational matters
(a) Election of Chairperson and Vice-Chairpersons
The Committee will elect a Chairperson and a First and Second Vice-Chairperson. These officers will remain in office until the election of a new bureau at the Committee’s next Session. The current Chairperson is Mr K. Kostov (Bulgaria) and the Vice-Chairpersons are Mr B.J. Allawi (Iraq) and Mr Moussa Bocar Ly (Senegal).
(b) Adoption of Agenda and Timetable
The Provisional Agenda (CCP 03/1) has been prepared in consultation with the Chair of the Committee, taking into account the Committee’s Terms of Reference and the suggestions made at the Sixty-third Session. A suggested timetable will be circulated at the opening of the Session.
2. Statement on behalf of the Director-General
A statement on behalf of the Director-General will be delivered.
3. The State of World Agricultural Commodity Markets
Under this item the Committee will evaluate the state of world agricultural commodity markets. A discussion paper will be provided outlining Major developments and issues (CCP 03/7) to assist the Committee in this task.
In addition, the Committee will be able to draw on document CCP 03/7 Addendum Update on commodity market developments and short-term outlook, electronic commodity notes available to delegates through computer access outside the meeting room, and material from the State of World Agricultural Commodity Markets, a new regular publication from the Commodities and Trade Division.
4. Medium term outlook for world commodity markets
With the assistance of a document Medium term prospects for world agricultural commodity markets (CCP 03/8), the Committee will evaluate prospects to 2010 for production, consumption, trade and prices of agricultural commodities and their implications. This is a task undertaken periodically by the Committee, the last evaluation to 2005 having been carried out in 1999.
5. Policy developments affecting agricultural commodity markets and trade
Under this item, the Committee will have the opportunity to discuss major policy developments impacting on commodity markets and trade. These policy developments will be covered under two headings as follows.
a) Agricultural Exports: Recent Evolution and Constraints on Growth
A document on Major Policy Factors Having Implications For The Long-Term Performance Of Agricultural Exports (CCP 03/9) would provide the basis for the Committee’s consideration of policy impacts and implications, for example for commodity diversification and value addition. As suggested by the Sixty-third Session, reporting on protectionism in agriculture and on agricultural trade among developing countries under Conference Resolution 2/79 would be integrated into this document.
b) Trade Policy Issues in the Context of Food Security
Recent trends and projections indicate that global trade in basic foods, in particular imports by food deficit countries, could increase substantially in the coming years. These trends may have positive as well as negative consequences for food security. In addition, the incidence of external shocks in the form of depressed prices and import surges is expected to rise as the trade environment becomes increasingly open, while production and export subsidies remain high in some major producing areas. With the assistance of a background document on Trade Policy Issues in the Context of Food Security (CCP 03/10), the Committee will have the opportunity to review recent experiences and problems and to discuss response mechanisms, covering both WTO-related instruments and other policy measures.
6. International Action on Agricultural Commodities and Trade
Under this item, the Committee will be informed of international action affecting agricultural commodities, and will have the opportunity to recommend future action by member countries and the secretariat as appropriate. The item would be broken down into two parts dealing with different forms of international action as follows:
a) Analysis and Consensus-building
The Committee will review the work of the Intergovernmental Commodity Groups and of the Consultative Sub-Committee on Surplus Disposal which have met since its last Session. The Reports of these subsidiary bodies will be presented to the Committee for endorsement as well as any advice on future courses of action.
The Committee will have the opportunity to provide guidance on other analytical work and cooperation with other agencies, government, non-governmental, academic and private sector stakeholders concerned with commodities, with the help of a background document on Other Commodity Studies and Consultations (CCP 03/11), as well as the Report of the Consultation on Agricultural Commodity Price Problems (CCP 03/Inf 1) organized by the Commodities and Trade Division in March 2002.
b) Product and market development
The Committee will review international actions aimed at exploiting production and market development opportunities to enhance trade performance, competitiveness and diversification. As requested by the Sixty-third Session, information will be provided concerning ongoing activities in Commodity Project Formulation, Preparation and Supervision (CCP 03/12) to mobilise resources, notably from the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC), and ensure their effective use.
Representatives of other Organizations, including International Commodity Organizations and Agencies are invited to inform the Committee of their activities in this area, such as quality improvement schemes, demand and trade promotion and the provision of improved information and statistics to enhance market development. Any written reports provided in advance will be tabled at the Session.
7. Arrangements for the Sixty-fifth session
The Committee will consider the date of its next Session and any relevant organizational matters.
8. Any other business
9. Adoption of the Report
The Committee will consider its draft report for adoption. The report of the Sixty-fourth Session will be submitted to the FAO Council at its One Hundred and Twenty-fourth Session in June 2003.