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G. Inter-agency relations and consultations on matters of common interest

Matters rising out of ECOSOC and ACC discussions and the report of the ad hoc committee of experts to examine the finances of the united nations and the specialized agencies
FAO/UNICEF relations
FAO/UNESCO relations in the field of agricultural education
FAO/WHO food standards program (codex Alimentarius)
FAO/IBRD co-operative program

Matters rising out of ECOSOC and ACC discussions and the report of the ad hoc committee of experts to examine the finances of the united nations and the specialized agencies

503. The Conference reviewed the report of the Director-General on matters arising out of ECOSOC and the Administrative Committee on Co-ordination discussions during 1967 (document C 67/27), and generally endorsed the manner in which the Director-General was arranging FAO's contribution to matters of inter-agency cooperation.

504. The Conference received a report on the implementation of the recommendations of the ad hoc Committee of Experts to examine the finances of the United Nations and the Specialized Agencies. The Committee's recommendations covered a wide range of subjects, some calling for action by the organizations individually and some for joint action by them.

505. The Conference noted that the report of the ad hoc Committee of Experts (A/6343) had been placed before the Forty-Seventh Session of the Council immediately on receipt. Thereafter, as desired by the Council, the Program and Finance Committees had made a detailed review of the individual recommendations. The views and suggestions of these Committees about the manner in which the recommendations could be implemented by FAO, were set forth in paragraphs 52-82 of their joint report (CL 48/6), and were fully considered by the Council at its Forty-Eighth Session.

506. The Conference requested the Director-General to continue to implement under his own authority as soon as possible the recommendations of the ad hoc Committee on the lines suggested by the Program and Finance Committees, and authorized him to continue to co-operate in inter-agency consultations on the implementation of those recommendations requiring concerted action with other organizations. One delegation expressed doubts on the soundness of some of the proposals of the Committees. The Conference noted that the Director-General had stated, with reference to the recommendation in paragraph 26 of the Report of the ad hoc Committee of Experts, that it would not be difficult to give to the FAO Council preliminary and approximate indications of the budget estimates. The Conference agreed that information on these lines would meet with the requirements of the recommendation, and asked that it should be furnished to the Council at its October Session in the non-Conference year.

507. The Conference also authorized the Director-General to arrange for the participation of FAO in the Joint Inspection Unit recommended by the ad hoc Committee of Experts as from 1 January 1968, on the basis of the conclusions reached at a joint meeting of the ECOSOC Committee for Program and Co-ordination and the Administrative Committee on Co-ordination (ACC) with respect to the modalities of the operation of this Unit.

508. The Conference noted that the Program and Finance Committee would submit proposals later to the Council on the procedures to be followed in the handling of reports of the Inspection Unit as far as FAO was concerned. The Conference authorized the Council to approve such proposals provisionally, pending formal acceptance by the Conference at its next Session.

509. The Conference adopted the following resolution:

Resolution No. 9/67

Recommendations of the ad hoc Committee of Experts to Examine the Finances of the United Nations and the Specialized Agencies

THE CONFERENCE

Having reviewed the report of the Forty-Eighth Session of the Council on the developments concerning the recommendations of the ad hoc Committee of Experts to Examine the Finances of the United Nations and the Specialized Agencies; and

Having noted the approval of these recommendations by the United Nations General Assembly on 4 November 1966;

Noting that a considerable number of the recommendations either correspond to FAO's practice or could be placed into effect by the Director-General under his own authority, and that in some instances this would only be done after consultation among the United Nations and the Specialized Agencies;

Noting with appreciation the co-operation of the Director-General in the work of the ad hoc Committee and in the subsequent inter-agency consultations;

Requests the Director-General to continue to implement under his own authority, as soon as possible, the recommendations of the ad hoc Committee where feasible and applicable and to inform the Council of the progress made in implementing these recommendations;

Approves the participation by FAO in the Joint Inspection Unit; and

Requests the Director-General to continue to co-operate in inter-agency consultations on the implementation of those recommendations of the ad hoc Committee requiring concerted action with other organizations.

(Adopted 22.11. 67)

FAO/UNICEF Relations

510. The Conference was informed of the continuing satisfactory progress in the Development of the joint FAO/UNICEF program.

511. The Conference noted that the Report of the Sixth Session of the FAO/UNICEF Joint Policy Committee had been accepted by the UNICEF Executive Board, and that the Council at its Forty-Eighth Session had taken note of the usefulness of the work of this Committee and of the great value of joint FAO/UNICEF activities to Member Nations.

512. The Conference noted that the FAO Council, at its Forty-Eighth Session, had decided that the FAO/UNICEF Joint Policy Committee should be continued for an indefinite period with the same terms of reference; that the Committee should normally be convened at intervals of about two years; that the FAO membership on the Committee should be augmented by the addition of one member; and that, in order to achieve better geographical representation, this additional member should be selected from African countries south of the Sahara.

513. The Conference also noted that there was a continuing need for FAO field experts on jointly-assisted projects and that, while a larger number of such experts was included in the UNDP/TA Program, UNICEF continued to contribute generously towards the costs of the Joint Program in providing funds to enable FAO to appoint field experts for jointly-aided projects.

514. The Conference welcomed the continuing close collaboration between FAO and UNICEF, and expressed the hope that the Joint Program would be still further developed.

FAO/UNESCO relations in the field of agricultural education

515. The Conference reviewed the state of relationships with Unesco in the field of agricultural education, in the light of the recommendations of the Forty-Ninth Session of the Council and a statement by the representative of Unesco regarding the debates on this subject at the Seventy-Seventh Session of the Unesco Executive Board.

516. The Conference expressed its deep concern at the inability to reach agreement over the problems of co-operation, and urged that efforts be continued at the secretariat level to achieve a solution. It noted that although full agreement on the mechanism for joint action might take time, there was no need to delay action to intensify co-operation in those fields of activities where a joint effort was obviously required. These included the use of mass media for farmers' education and training, adult education and literacy, and work among rural youth.

517. The Conference was concerned also at the apparent assumption that the solution lay in the creation of a joint division. While conceding that this might prove to be a necessary element in achieving satisfactory co-operation, the Conference urged that it should only be adopted as a last resort, after all other means had proved inadequate.

In this connection the Conference was informed that the Unesco Executive Board would review the situation in May/June 1968. The Conference agreed that the only suitable site for a joint division, if one were established, was Rome.

518. The Conference felt that the situation now needed guidance and decision at Government level. It accordingly approved the recommendations of the Forty-Ninth Council Session for an ad hoc Joint Intergovernmental Committee representing the two Agencies. The Conference invited the Council to make suitable arrangements for FAO participation in such a committee, to be set up after the May/June 1968 session of the Unesco Executive Board, with the object of reviewing the position reached in inter-Agency consultations and of agreeing on an effective pattern of cooperation for the future.

519. The Representative of Unesco informed the Conference that the Director-General of Unesco had been invited by Unesco's Executive Board at its Seventy-Seventh Session to inform the Conference of FAO that Unesco might usefully be associated on an equal footing with the preparation of the program for the World Conference on Agricultural Education and Training, proposed to be held in Rome in 1969, and of the working papers concerning items of the agenda coming within its competence.

520. The Representative of ILO reported the interest and willingness of his Organization also in co-operating in the World Conference on Agricultural Education and Training.

521. The Conference welcomed these expressions of interest, and was confident that practical arrangements for co-operation could be effected.

FAO/WHO Food Standards Program (Codex Alimentarius)

522. The Conference received a progress report on the work of the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Program and Codex Alimentarius Commission (C 67/30). It was noted that the workload falling on Member Governments and the FAO/WHO Secretariat was increasing rapidly as a result of the significant progress being made by the subsidiary bodies of the Commission in the Development of international food standards. The Conference, while stressing the importance of this work, urged that the Codex Alimentarius Commission should carefully examine its work priorities and endeavour to complete some of the work in hand before embarking on new subjects or proposing the establishment of any further subsidiary bodies. It also recommended the establishment of guidelines for use by the Commission in deciding on new work to be undertaken.

523. The Conference recommended that steps should be taken to integrate fully into the procedural framework established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission the Joint FAO/WHO Committee of Government Experts on the Code of Principles concerning Milk and Milk Products.

524. The Conference emphasized that membership of the Codex Alimentarius Commission did not involve Member Nations of FAO and WHO in any contributions additional to those they already made to the regular budgets of the two Organizations, and recommended that the Director-General should bring to the attention of Member Governments not yet members of the Codex Alimentarius Commission the advantages of membership of the Commission particularly in the fields of consumer protection, the promotion of international trade in foodstuffs, the removal of non-economic obstacles to international trade, and the Development of sound national food legislation.

FAO/IBRD co-operative program

Co-operation with area banks
FAO/UNIDO relations

525. The Conference recognized that General Assembly Resolution 2152 (XXI), which established the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, contained a special chapter on "Co-ordination and Co-operation with UN Bodies and other Organizations", as well as a clause that adequate arrangements were to be made by the Secretary-General of the United Nations for such co-ordination at the secretariat level.

526. The Conference was informed that the Director-General had pursued the matter of co-operation with UNIDO in appropriate forums, and that the ACC attached great importance to the working out of arrangements which would ensure harmonious working relations between the Specialized Agencies concerned and UNIDO.

527. In this connection, the Conference welcomed the efforts being made by the Director-General to arrange bilateral discussions between FAO and UNIDO to reach an agreement which would enable the two Organizations to pursue their respective activities in the industrial field without duplication of effort and with maximum co-operation in areas of common concern.

528. The Conference thought that it should not be difficult for these Organizations to avoid duplications and overlapping of their activities. Accordingly, while the Conference wished to see the proposed bilateral discussions resulting in a clear-cut demarcation of the respective roles and activities of the two Organizations with regard to areas of primary responsibility and initiative, it also looked forward to receiving proposals for joint action where appropriate in fields of common concern. The Conference believed that such timely action taken at this stage would be an insurance against any serious future jurisdictional conflicts of the type concerning FAO and Unesco in the field of agricultural education.

529. With the same objective in view, the Conference also called on the Director-General to bring to the attention of the Council any instances of duplication, particularly with respect of UNDP Special Fund projects and technical assistance activities, so that corrective measures could be taken at an early date by appropriate recommendations from the Council or the Conference to the Industrial Development Board of UNIDO. The Conference requested the Director-General to make available a detailed report to the next Council Session with regard to the outcome of the bilateral discussions with UNIDO.

H. Program of work and budget 1968/69

Appropriations for the biennium 1968/69
Publications revolving fund

Appropriations for the biennium 1968/69

530. The Conference discussed the Program of Work and Budget in the light of the Council recommendation that the Budget level should be $59,861,000, and that any changes to be made be accommodated within this figure.

531. Among views expressed were recommendations that greater emphasis be placed on FAO's work in the promotion of field activities than on the Headquarters Organization, and that the staff establishment should not be increased until the new structure had been agreed.

532. Some delegations expressed the view that the budget could be fixed at a somewhat lower level without in any way impairing the efficiency of the Organization, particularly if certain activities were re-assigned and if the number of high level posts was reduced. Other delegations felt that the budget level was low when set against the magnitude of the task that FAO had to perform in order to provide adequate assistance to Member Nations in solving their food and population problems. But the majority of those who spoke supported the Program of Work and Budget at the level presented, provided that any subsequent changes were accommodated within this figure.

533. Some delegations, looking ahead to succeeding biennia, found it difficult to accept that budgetary levels should continue to increase at a faster rate than that which applied to the growth of national income of member countries, but others felt that this was not an appropriate yardstick. Concern was expressed at the apparent tendency to increase the number of high level posts at the expense of those at lower levels.

534. The Conference reviewed various proposals for savings and also for considerable increases in certain areas of the Program of Work which had arisen from the Forty-Eighth and Forty-Ninth Sessions of the Council, from the Technical Committees and from the Commissions. It requested the Director-General to bear these in mind for implementation in the event of savings accruing during the coming biennium. In this connection, the Conference felt that high priority should be given, within the limit of available resources, to enable such redeployment of staff and strengthening of the corps of Country Representatives as was eventually decided in the light of the review of the structure and also to improve the machinery for co-operation with other international agencies. The Conference also approved the Council's recommendation that the proposed cut in travel funds of $100,000 should be used to promote the Junior Professional Training Program.

535. The Conference approved the following changes in the list of meetings contained in document C 67/3-Sup. 1-Rev. 1, and requested that the full revised list be circulated to Member Nations:

536. The Conference requested the Council and the Program Committee to study further the manner in which national organizations should be invited to take part in meetings of the Organization.

537. The Conference agreed to support the Program of Work and Budget as presented by the Director-General and accordingly adopted unanimously the following resolution:

Resolution No. 10/67

Appropriations

THE CONFERENCE

Having discussed the Director-General's Program of Work and Budget and the conclusions of the Technical Committees and Commissions;

Approves the Program of Work proposed by the Director-General for 1968/69;

Resolves that for the financial period 1968/69:

(Adopted 21.11.67)

Publications revolving fund

538. The Conference also adopted the following resolution with regard to the Publications Revolving Fund:

Resolution No. 11/67

Publications Revolving Fund

THE CONFERENCE

Approves the budget for the 1968/69 biennium for the Publications Revolving Fund as presented by the Director-General and contained in Annex XII to the 1968/69 Program of Work and Budget (document C 67/3) as revised, including an allocation not exceeding $50,000 for sales promotion purposes and an allocation not exceeding $120,400 for the Development of the FAO magazine;

Provided that the cost of additional print runs and reproduction of advertisements can be covered up to an amount of $43,740 from the income accruing during the biennium to the Publications Revolving Fund from the sale of and from advertising in the FAO magazine;

And provided further that the employment of personnel to be paid from the income of advertisement and sales will be subject to prior approval by the Council.

(Adopted 21.11.67)

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