CL 128/LIM/2

Council

Hundred and Twenty-eighth Session

Rome, 20 – 25 June 2005

INVITATIONS TO NON-MEMBER NATIONS TO ATTEND FAO SESSIONS

1. Paragraphs B-1 and B-2 of the “Statement of Principles relating to the Granting of Observer Status to Nations”,¹ indicate that States which, while not Member Nations or Associate Members of FAO, are members of the United Nations, any of its specialized agencies or of the International Atomic Energy Agency may, on request, and subject to the provisions of paragraph B-4, be invited by the Conference or the Council to be represented by an observer at a session of the Conference or Council. Such non-Member States may, on request and with the approval of the Council, attend regional or technical meetings of the Organization.

2. In cases of urgency, however, when there is insufficient time to consult the Council, the Director-General may on request invite such Non-Member States to send an observer to such meetings.

I. INVITATIONS TO THE HUNDRED AND TWENTY EIGHTH SESSION OF THE COUNCIL (FOR DECISION)

3. A request was received on 25 May 2005 from the Russian Federation to attend in an observer capacity the Hundred and Twenty-eighth Session of the Council (Rome, 20-25 June 2005). An invitation was issued on 27 May 2005 subject to approval by the Council.

4. The Director-General requests Council approval to admit the Russian Federation as an observer at the Hundred and Twenty-eighth Session of the Council.

II. ATTENDANCE BY NON-MEMBER NATIONS AT PAST FAO SESSIONS (FOR INFORMATION)

5. The Director-General informs the Council that since its Hundred and Twenty-seventh Session, on being so requested, invitations have been issued to the following meetings:

RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Ministerial Meeting on Fisheries (FI-803), Rome, 12 March 2005;
Ministerial Meeting on Forests (FO-803), Rome 14 March 2005;
Twenty-sixth Session of the Committee on Fisheries (FI-701), Rome, 7-11 March 2005;
Sixteenth Session of the Committee on Forestry (FO-701), Rome, 15-19 March 2005;
Sixty-fifth Session of the Committee on Commodity Problems (ESC-701), Rome, 11-13 April 2005;
Nineteenth Session of the Committee on Agriculture (COAG-701), Rome, 13-16 April 2005.

¹ See FAO Basic Texts, Volume II, Section L (Appendix).