289. The Council decided to postpone consideration of this matter and asked that, if the Director-General felt it necessary to pursue it, a note be submitted to its next session
290. The Council was informed that formal notice of the merger of the Republics of Tanganyika and Zanzibar had been received from the Secretary-General of the United Nations and circulated to all Member Nations and Associate Members of the Organization in 1964.
291. As all questions of membership in the Organization come under the exclusive authority of the Conference, the Conference at its Thirteenth Session would be requested to take formal cognizance of this modification in FAO's membership.
292. The Council took note of the fact that, meantime, the Director-General was addressing correspondence and invitations to the Minister of External Affairs of the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar.
293. The Statement of Principles relating to the Granting of Observer Status to Nations adopted by the Conference in 195721 contains the following provision concerning Nations which, while not Members of FAO, are Members of the United Nations:
“Such non-Member Nations may, on request and with the approval of the Council, attend regional or technical meetings of the Organization. In cases of urgency, however, where there is insufficient time to consult the Council, the Director-General may on request invite such non-Member Nations to send an observer to such meetings.”
294. The Director-General received requests from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics with regard to the participation of delegations of U.S.S.R. technicians in an observer capacity at the FAO African Regional Conference (Addis Ababa, 3–15 September), and at the Conference on Business Decisions in Fisheries Industries (Rome, 21–25 September). In both cases, the Director-General considered that there were sufficient technical reasons for permitting the U.S.S.R. to be represented by observers, and as there was insufficient time to consult the Council, the Director-General took the responsibility of inviting their attendance at both conferences in accordance with the terms of the paragraph quoted above.
21 See Basic Texts, Volume 2, page 5, paragraph 2.
295. The Council took note of the Director-General's decision in these cases.
296. The Council was informed that three applications for associate membership in FAO had been submitted by the Government of the United Kingdom in January 1964 on behalf of the three territories which originally made up the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. In conformity with the regulations, these applications were circulated to all Member Nations.
297. Nyasaland had subsequently acceded to independence and become the Republic of Malawi, but so far no normal application for full membership had been received from that Nation. It had likewise been announced that Northern Rhodesia would attain independence on 24 October 1964 and be known thereafter as Zambia.
298. In submitting the three applications for associate membership, the Government of the United Kingdom had noted that action by the FAO Conference could only be taken in November 1965. It had therefore requested that the Governments of Northern Rhodesia, Southern Rhodesia and Nyasaland be granted observer status and similar facilities, pending the consideration of the applications by the FAO Conference. In the light of paragraph 5, Section I (b) of the Statement of Principles relating to the Granting of Observer Status to Nations 22 the Council may invite applicants for membership to participate in an observer capacity in technical meetings.
299. One representative to the Council expressed a reservation regarding his government's position on the question of the admission of one of the applicants and recalled that it was for the Conference to reach a decision on the matter.
300. On the accession of any of these territories to independence, the respective application submitted by the Government of the United Kingdom for associate membership would, of course, no longer be valid.
301. The Council concluded that, pending action by the Conference on the applications submitted, the arrangements normally made by the Director-General would continue to apply.
302. The Council had before it a proposal circulated by the delegation of Finland, regarding the appointment and functions of the Vice-Chairmen of the Council (CL 43/LIM/12).
303. The Council decided to postpone consideration of this proposal until its Forty-Fourth Session and requested the Director-General to include the item on the agenda for that session and to refer the matter to the Committee on Constitutional and Legal Matters.
304. Recognizing the exceptional nature of such a tribute, the Council unanimously adopted the following resolution:
Resolution No. 8/43
RETIREMENT OF MR. MARC VEILLET-LAVALLEE
THE COUNCIL
Having learned that Mr. Marc Veillet-Lavallée retires from the Organization at the end of October 1964 after eighteen years of service as a senior officer of the secretariat,
Aware of the valuable and exceptional assistance which he has constantly given the Council since its establishment in 1947,
Recognizing unanimously the outstanding and innumerable services rendered by Mr. Marc Veillet-Lavallée both to the Conference and to the Council during these eighteen years, particularly in the organization of all of the sessions of those bodies,
Declares that Mr. Marc Veillet-Lavallée has served the Organization and its objectives with the greatest devotion and competence, and
Conveys to him its deep appreciation and warmly wishes him happiness and success in the future.
305. The Council decided to convene its next (Forty-Fourth) Session in Rome on Monday 21 June 1965.
