| CL 116/INF/7
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| CL 116/INF/7
|
Hundred and Sixteenth Session |
Rome, 14-19 June 1999 |
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECISIONS TAKEN AT THE HUNDRED AND FIFTEENTH SESSION OF THE COUNCIL |
1. The Approved Methods of Work of the Council require that an information document be prepared for each Council session reporting on the implementation of the decisions taken at the preceding session (CL 60/REP, Appendix G, paragraph 7.8).
2. Listed hereunder are the decisions taken by the Hundred and Fifteenth Session of the Council and their implementation up to the date of going to press.
3. The text in the decision column includes the Agenda Item title underlined, the text of the Council decisions and a reference in brackets to the paragraph in the Council Report.
| DECISION | IMPLEMENTATION | |
| HUNDRED AND FIFTEENTH SESSION OF THE COUNCIL (Rome, 23-28 November 1998) |
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| WORLD FOOD AND AGRICULTURE SITUATION | ||
| State of Food and Agriculture 1998 | ||
| Promote a strong FAO Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS)
and the Emergency Prevention System (EMPRES) in anticipating the adverse effects of
natural disasters and in helping mobilize rapid and adequate measures for relief and
recovery {para. 6 (c)} |
The Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS) has intensified its monitoring of the world food situation in the face of increasing and more complex food emergencies. In this connection, the System has endeavoured to mobilize extra-budgetary funds to augment its limited resources. Additional resources will be required to cover increasing demands placed on the System in terms of crop and food supply assessments and improved flow of information from the field. | |
| ESN is contributing to the strengthening of the nutritional aspects of the GIEWS. | ||
| Promote international solidarity to cope with the number of countries
facing food emergency problems, including through food aid {para.6 (d)} |
Through its Special Reports and Alerts and media interviews, GIEWS has brought the plight of emergency-affected populations in various parts of the world to the attention of the international community, which has responded with generous assistance as a sign of solidarity. | |
| Promote adherence to FAO's Principles on Surplus Disposal and Consultation Obligation of Member Nations in connection with the decline in international financial assistance and the decline in the volume of food aid provided for non-emergency purposes {para. 6 (d)} | ESC continues to update the last five years of commercial and non-commercial rice and maize imports for all countries. This information is used by the Sub-committee on Surplus Disposal (CSSD) to establish Usual Marketing Requirements in helping it monitor food aid transactions between donor and recipient countries. | |
| Continue assisting developing countries and those in transition in better understanding the implications of the Uruguay Round Agreement and in increasing their capacity to prepare themselves for future World Trade Organisation (WTO) multilateral trade negotiations on agriculture {para 6 (e)} | ESC is implementing the FAO Umbrella training programme on the Uruguay
Round and future negotiations in agriculture as scheduled, entailing 15 sub-regional
training courses covering all developing and transition countries. ESS has organized and/or participated in a series of regional and sub-regional seminars and workshops attended by officers from developing countries who will be involved in future trade negotiations. |
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| The capacity of FAO decentralized offices, including Geneva, to handle Uruguay Round issues has been strengthened through the assignment of new senior officers who are experienced in economic and trade matters, as well as by providing appropriate training for the existing staff. | ||
| A multilingual Website (http://www.fao.org/ur/) on agricultural trade has been launched covering FAO studies on the impact of the Uruguay Round and related technical assistance activities. | ||
| ESN is engaged in training and capacity-building efforts related to the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and on the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade. In addition, ESN continues to assist Member Nations in strengthening their participation in the work of the Codex Alimentarius Commission and in developing their food quality and safety programmes to meet their obligations under their Agreements. | ||
| Promote the elimination of measures that lead to over-fishing and the
implementation of the Code of Conduct on Responsible Fisheries {para. 6(f)} |
The issue of overfishing was addressed at the Twenty-third Session of COFI through the adoption of three International Plans of Action (IPOA) for the Management of Fishing Capacity, for the Conservation and Management of Sharks and for Reducing Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries. | |
| COFI was also concerned about information presented indicating increases in illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, including fishing vessels flying "flags of convenience". The Committee urged, as a priority, those countries which had not yet ratified the Compliance Agreement to consider doing so as soon as possible. It further agreed that, pending the entering into force of the Compliance Agreement, other suitable measures to address these issues should be identified, reviewed by a Technical Consultation and submitted for the Committee's consideration at its Twenty-fourth Session. A Technical Consultation on the measurement of fishing capacity and the development of guidelines for integrated monitoring of fisheries will also be convened. | ||
| The Ministerial Meeting on the Implementation of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (Rome, 10-11 March 1999) endorsed the recommendations of COFI and agreed to work together through FAO and in collaboration with other organizations concerned with fisheries, to promote the effective implementation of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. The Ministers also resolved to take necessary actions on a priority basis to become parties to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Compliance Agreement and the UN Fish Stocks Agreement. | ||
| Continue South-South cooperation and the Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS) {para 6 (h)} | Efforts have continued in the implementation of the South-South Cooperation (SSC) initiative within the framework of the Special Programme for Food Security. Over 20 advanced developing countries have expressed their desire to provide expertise to other developing countries under the SSC and within the framework of the SPFS. The SSC between China/Ethiopia; India/Eritrea; Vietnam/Benin; Vietnam/Senegal; Morocco/Niger and Morocco/Burkina Faso are presently operational, with many more either formulated and ready for signature, or under formulation. | |
| Have the report on the State of Food and Agriculture, to the extent possible, be a forward-looking document with a balanced analysis of both the global agricultural situation and long-term progress in addressing food security challenges {para 6 (i)} | The latest editions of the State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) contain a forward-looking projection section, as well as a specific section reviewing both recent developments and longer-term trends in global food security. The document will also continue to identify and discuss issues of importance for agricultural development and food security, while continuously striving for qualitative improvements in its analysis. | |
| Promote land rehabilitation and sustainable forest management to offset increased deforestation and degradation of mountain watersheds {para. 6 (j)} | The 5th Ad Hoc Inter-Agency Meeting on Follow-Up to Agenda 21, Chapter 13, which FAO convened in March 1999, identified such issues to be carried out in the context of observing the International Year of Mountains - 2002 as land rehabilitation and sustainable forest management in offsetting increased deforestation and degradation of mountains watersheds. This last issue will also be addressed in an Electronic Conference on "Mountain People, Forests, and Trees: Strategies for Balancing Local Management and Outside Interests", organized by the Mountain Forum Network, in close collaboration with FAO, during April and May 1999. The outcome of this Conference is expected to lead to a better understanding of the causes of deforestation and degradation in mountain watersheds, and proposals for action to remedy the problem. | |
| Report of the Twenty-fourth Session of the Committee on World Food Security (Rome, June 1998) | ||
| Follow-up to the World Food Summit | ||
| Have the sessions of the Committee on World Food Security in even years
scheduled so as to take advantage of the results of the Regional Conference debates as
much as possible {para. 9 (b)} |
Action taken. | |
| Ensure that future monitoring reports on Follow-up to the World Food Summit are analytical in content, and that the reporting formats are results-oriented {para. 9 (c)} | Report formats are being designed to be results-oriented and analytical in content. | |
| Encourage countries to report promptly on World Food Summit Follow-up {para. 9 (d)} | The reporting schedule is included in the Report of the Twenty-fifth Session of the Committee on World Food Security. See document CL 116/10. | |
| Continue efforts to develop the Food Insecurity and Vulnerability Information and Mapping Systems (FIVIMS) at national and global levels {para. 9 (f)} | Progress has been rapid and encouraging with regard to FIVIMS (Food Insecurity and Vulnerability Information and Mapping Systems). A second meeting of the Inter-Agency Working Group (IAWG) on FIVIMS was held at IFAD in April 1998, during which Guidelines for National FIVIMS were approved. A third meeting of the IAWG took place in November 1998 in Washington, D.C., at the World Bank and focused on concrete steps needed to implement the various aspects of the FIVIMS programme. | |
| Participation in the IAWG has now increased to 23 organisations, including 13 in the UN System. | ||
| A Secretariat to co-ordinate Inter-Agency FIVIMS activities has been established at FAO and an independent Website is also being established. In the coming year, pilot FIVIMS activities will be launched at country-level, a Common International Database (CID) on Food Insecurity and Vulnerability Indicators will be initiated, and consensus on the identification of food insecure and vulnerable groups at the sub-national level will be sought. | ||
| Widely circulate as far in advance as possible the Secretariat document on Broadened Participation of Civil Society and Other Partners in the Work of the CFS, currently under preparation for consideration by the CFS at its next session {para. 9 (g)} | The document on Broadened Participation of Civil Society and Other Partners in the Work of the CFS has been shared informally with Members of the CFS Bureau and representatives of civil society based in Rome. An unofficial version has been placed on the Web. | |
| Other Matters Arising out of the Report | ||
| Promote increasing domestic production in a sustainable manner to ensure food security {para. 10 (a)} | In addition to the promotion of the Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS), FAO is enhancing the capacity of Member Nations to promote domestic production in economically- socially- and environmentally-sustainable ways through its technical, normative and policy programmes. | |
| Continue the pragmatic approach of the Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS), which offers direct help to small farmers to improve water management, increase productivity, diversify production, and remove contraints {para. 10 (d)} | The implementation of the Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS) continued with more countries coming on board. As of mid-April 1999, the First Phase of the SPFS was operational in 40 countries, with the Programme being formulated in another 33 countries. | |
| Give special attention to SIDS, continue preparation for the Special Ministerial Conference on Small Island Developing States in 1999 and appeal to donors for generous support to the organization of the Conference {para. 10 (f)} | FAO organized and held a Special Ministerial Conference on Agriculture in Small Island Developing States in Rome on 12 March 1999. The Conference adopted a Ministerial Declaration and a draft Plan of Action on Agriculture in Small Island Developing states is being presented to the Hundred and Sixteenth Session of the Council for adoption. See document CL 116/18. | |
| Take into account the consequences of major economic and financial crises on food security {para. 10 (j)} | GIEWS Crop and Food Supply Assessments have addressed the impact of economic and financial crises on food security in such affected countries, as Indonesia and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, as well as in countries in transition. | |
| An analysis of the consequences of major economic and financial crises on food security was prepared, and summarised in the Assessment Document for the Committee on World Food Security in May 1999. | ||
| The State of Food and Agriculture report regularly monitors macro-economic trends and developments and their impact on agriculture and food security and will, in this context, give due emphasis to international economic and financial crises. | ||
| Negotiations on the International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources | ||
| Accept Switzerland's offer to organize and host the Informal Meeting of a Group of Experts representing the various Regions and positions to negotiate the revision of the International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources in harmony with the Convention on Biological Diversity under the responsibility of the Chairperson of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Ambassador Gerbasi, as well as the arrangements being made by Switzerland and the United States of America to support the participation of developing countries in the Meeting (para. 14) | The Informal Meeting of a Group of Experts (representing the various Regions and positions) to negotiate the revision of the International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources in harmony with the Convention on Biological Diversity was held in Montreux, Switzerland, on 19-22 January 1999. The Meeting was hosted by Switzerland and the participation of experts from developing countries was financed by Germany, United States of America and Switzerland. Wide consensus was reached on a number of problematic issues, including access to germplasm, realization of farmers' rights and fair and equitable sharing of benefits and legal status of the Revised Undertaking. This consensus was crucial for the progress made in the negotiations carried out in the regular session of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA) (Rome, 19-23 April 1999). | |
| Encourage donor countries to make funds available for holding the Extraordinary Negotiating Session of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, and to facilitate the participation of developing countries (para. 15) | The Extraordinary Negotiating Session of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA) will be held subsequent to the April 1999 regular session. Funds have already been obtained from one donor country, and other countries have expressed their intention to contribute to the associated expenses. | |
| Have the Chairperson of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Ambassador Gerbasi, report on the further progress of the negotiations at the Hundred and Sixteenth Session of the Council in June 1999 (para. 15) | The Chairperson of the CGRFA, Ambassador Gerbasi, will report to the Hundred and Sixteenth Session of the Council on progress of the negotiations. | |
| ACTIVITIES OF FAO AND WFP | ||
| FAO's Response to Recent Natural Disasters | ||
| Have the Organization continue to respond in post-disaster situations in immediate relief and rehabilitation, but also in the longer-term rebuilding of the agriculture, livestock and fisheries sectors, as well as in disaster preparedness, prevention and impact mitigation measures (para. 17) | In 1998 and during the first trimester of 1999, FAO responded to numerous natural calamities in 42 countries by activating its disaster response mechanisms, both at Headquarters and field levels. During this period, FAO's Service for Special Relief Operations (TCOR) implemented 73 emergency projects, worth US$ 21.3 million. In the majority of cases, missions were dispatched to assess damages and evaluate requirements related to agricultural production, livestock, fishery, forestry and food security. These emergency missions, and follow-up interventions, were aimed at assisting affected populations and national authorities in the immediate post-disaster rehabilitation of key food-production activities, and at controlling outbreaks of animal diseases and plant pests. | |
| In October/November 1998, the FAO Investment Centre (TCI) fielded a Mission to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to identify investment opportunities for agricultural development. This mission formulated an Agricultural Rehabilitation and Environment Protection Programme (AREP) calling for an investment of $340 million over an initial period of three years. In addition to this Mission, TCI also participated in the two Donor Round-Table Conferences held in Geneva during May and November 1998 and provided technical support to facilitate discussions on the need for external funding assistance for agricultural development in the country. | ||
| Promote early warning and public information systems in the response to natural disasters (para. 18) | GIEWS has broadened its report disseminating channels to include the Internet, which can be accessed at http://www.fao.org./giews/ | |
| Have FAO continue to interact closely with other UN Agencies, particularly WFP and IFAD and NGOs, to ensure coordination of the Organization's responses in support of agricultural recovery (para. 19) | In preparing for, and responding to, emergencies, FAO has been acting in close cooperation with WFP, IFAD, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), other bodies of the UN System, the World Bank, the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement and NGOs. At present, TCOR is working on the finalization of two Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) for cooperation in emergency operations with WFP and UNHCR, and is revising with OCHA the text of an MOU signed with UNDRO in the 1970s. In January 1999, FAO further strengthened its cooperation with humanitarian agencies through the secondment of an OCHA officer to TCOR. | |
| Continue to make available the Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) and other applicable resources in accordance with relevant criteria (para. 20) | Action is being taken to this effect. | |
| PROGRAMME, BUDGETARY, FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS | ||
| FAO Strategic Framework 2000-2015 | ||
| General | ||
| Maintain the participatory nature of the Strategic Framework process and a constructive dialogue with and among the membership, and further refine the Strategic Framework until a definitive text can be submitted for approval by the next Conference (para. 31) | Action is under way according to the timetable and consultative modalities communicated to the Governing Bodies. | |
| Specific Views on Version 1.0 | ||
| Produce a more concise and less descriptive document to facilitate further discussions and find ways to present sufficient supporting material to meet the diverse interests of Members (para. 32) | This has been done in Version 3.0 of the Strategic Framework. See document CL 116/12. | |
| Part I | ||
| Take into account the far-reaching implications of the current economic and financial crisis, natural disasters and the important roles of women and youth (para. 35) | This has been implemented to the maximum extent possible. | |
| Place the contents of the part of the document on Major Trends and Global Perspectives in an annex (para. 36) | This has been implemented to the maximum extent possible. | |
| Ensure consistency between the Mission Statement and the BasicTexts and declarations of the recent intergovernmental conferences, including the Declaration and Plan of Action adopted by the World Food Summit (para. 37) | This has been implemented to the maximum extent possible. | |
| Further elaborate the Mission Statement and give it priority, while the Vision Statement can be addressed towards the end of the whole exercise (para. 38) | This has been implemented to the maximum extent possible in Version 3.0, which also includes a possible Vision Statement. See document CL 116/12. | |
| Part II | ||
| Simplify and refine the five proposed corporate strategies and related twelve objectives, and further specify the partnerships envisaged (including, where appropriate, with the private sector and NGOs) under each strategic objective (para. 39) | This has been implemented in Version 3.0. See document CL 116/12. | |
| Give greater emphasis to strategies and actions rather than description (para. 40) | This has been implemented in Version 3.0. See document CL 116/12. | |
| Reinforce complementarity and a balance between normative and operational
work (para. 41) |
This has been implemented in Version 3.0. See document CL 116/12. | |
| Give further attention to refining criteria for priority-setting in future versions and have the Organization's comparative advantage continue to be a key criteria, as previously identified by the Council (para. 43) | This has been implemented in Version 3.0. See document CL 116/12. | |
| Part III | ||
| Promote partnerships and alliances, in particular with the Rome-based Organizations and the rest of the UN System (para. 44) | Substantive initiatives have been undertaken by the Deputy Director-General. | |
| Future Steps | ||
| Seek ways to capture the essence of the proposals in Version 2.0 of the document to be prepared forthwith, in order for it to be available for discussion at the forthcoming sessions of the Technical Committees to be held in the January-March 1999 period, i.e. CCP, COAG, COFI and COFO (para. 46) | Version 2.0 was considered and discussed by the Technical Committees, and Version 3.0 was prepared as scheduled. See document CL 116/12. | |
| Have the Programme and Finance Committees and the Council consider Version 3.0 of the document at their May and June 1999 sessions, respectively, after above-noted Technical Committee views are voiced (para. 46) | Action taken. | |
| Programme Implementation Report 1996-97 | ||
| Have the CFS agenda determined in consultation between the CFS bureau and the Secretariat, although in view of the timing of the next CFS in early June 1999, it will not be possible to involve this Body in the same way (para. 47) | The CFS Bureau was fully involved in formulating the agenda for the Twenty-fifth Session of the Committee on World Food Security (Rome, 31 May - 4 June 1999). | |
| Promote greater progress in gender mainstreaming and in implementing the gender guidelines within FAO staff, reflecting the Council's support for the well-recognized priority on Women-in-Development (para. 50) | The SDW Division has taken the lead in preparing a report reviewing FAO's
mandate for gender mainstreaming and progress made at both the technical and institutional
level. The Corporate Progress Review on Gender Mainstreaming will be presented to the
Eighty-first Session of the Programme Committee in September 1999. Furthermore, given that
the Corporate Review takes place roughly at the mid-point of the period covered by the FAO
WID Plan of Action (1996-2001), it will also serve as a Mid-Term Review to the FAO Conference in November 1999. |
|
| Continue to scrutinize the issue of reducing support costs (para. 51) | This issue is under constant scrutiny and will be discussed by the Finance Committee, as appropriate. | |
| Produce an enhanced family of accountability reports which will
capitalize on the expected benefits of the new Programme-Budget Process, including greater
attention to outcome impact, crosscutting issues and lessons learned (para. 53) |
This is being planned over the longer-term, capitalizing on the revised programme-budget methodology. | |
| Reports of the Joint Meetings of the Programme Committee and the Finance Committee (Rome, May 1998 and September 1998) | ||
| Savings and Efficiencies in Governance | ||
| Have the 1999 Session of the Conference include the following innovations not requiring amendments to the Basic Texts: | ||
| a) Reduce the number of Commissions to two: Commission I on substantive and policy matters and Commission II on programme and budgetary matters, and abolish Commission III; | Action taken. See document CL 116/11. | |
| b) Do not have Commissions meet when items of special and wide interest, such as the Director-General's Statement, the McDougall Lecture or voting, are scheduled in Plenary; | Action taken. See document CL 116/11. | |
| c) Maintain the Resolutions Committee with its present Terms of Reference, submit Draft Resolutions well in advance of the discussions of the Item and ensure that they are broadly-supported, with co-sponsors from several Regions; | Action taken. See document CL 116/11. | |
| d) Have the Conference delegate further authority to the Council, provided that the additional work can be undertaken by the Council without unduly overburdening the Council Agenda or affecting its substantive work (para. 57) | Action will be taken when appropriate. | |
| Do not further reduce the duration of the Conference (para. 58) | Action has been taken. | |
| Have the Plenary continue to deal with the State of Food and Agriculture, and invite the Heads of Delegation to focus their statements on this Item which could be placed in the context of a thematic issue of particular interest to Members (para. 59) | Action has been taken. | |
| Submit a paper to the Joint Meeting of the Programme and Finance Committees at its Spring 1999 Session on the financial and scheduling implications of arranging for separate but simultaneous meetings at which Ministers could address selected topics and report outcome to Council at its June 1999 Session (para. 60) | Document JM 99/3 was submitted to the Spring 1999 Joint Meeting of the Programme and Finance Committees. | |
| Have the CCLM continue its examination of the Basic Texts and submit to the Hundred and Sixteenth Session of the Council in June 1999 draft amendments to the General Rules of the Organization and a covering Draft Resolution for the Conference for onward transmission to permit the situations listed in paragraph 61 of the Report of the Council (para. 61) | Action has been taken. See document CL 116/5. | |
| Submit the Final Progress Report on the Implementation of Conference Resolution 13/97 - Review of FAO Statutory Bodies and Panels of Experts to the Hundred and Sixteenth Session of the Council in June 1999 (para 62) | Action has been taken. See document CL 116//INF/16. | |
| Report of the Seventy-ninth (Rome, May 1998) and Eightieth (Rome, September 1998) Sessions of the Programme Committee | ||
| Programme Reviews | ||
| Submit a Progress Report to the Hundred and Sixteenth Session of the Council in June 1999 on the Conference on the Multi-functional Character of Agriculture and Land (Maastrict, Netherlands, September 1999) (para. 66) | Action has been taken. See document CL 116/INF/17. | |
| Other Aspects | ||
| Dispense with the preparation of a separate Medium-Term Plan document in 1999, but have the next Programme of Work and Budget nevertheless include a Medium-Term Perspectives Section (para. 68) | The Programme of Work and Budget 2000-2001 will include such a section. | |
| Have the Programme and Finance Committees consider a Report on Decentralization next year (para. 69) | Document JM 99/1 was submitted to the Spring 1999 Joint Meeting of the Programme and Finance Committees. | |
| Have the Programme Committee address such important issues as gender mainstreaming and gender balance within FAO, and FAO's policy for ensuring and maintaining adequate language balance in the work of the Organization, at forthcoming sessions (para. 70) | The issue of language balance was addressed by the May 1999 Session, and that of gender will be addressed by the September 1999 Session of the Programme Committe. | |
| Keep Council informed of analysis which would support discussions on
language balance (para. 70) |
See reports of Programme Committee (CL 116/14) and Finance Committee (CL 116/16). | |
| Reports of the Eighty-ninth (Rome, May 1998), and Ninetieth (Rome, September 1998) Sessions of the Finance Committee |
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| FAO Audited Accounts 1996-97 | ||
| Forward a Draft Resolution to the Conference on FAO Audited Accounts 1996-97 for adoption (para. 73) | Action will be taken. | |
| Status of Contributions | ||
| Encourage all Members, irrespective of size, to honour their financial
commitments towards the Organization in full as soon as possible (para. 75) |
With the new Oracle System, the Organization will be sending Member Nations quarterly statements of their accounts. These statements will show all current assessments, payments to date on current assessments, and the status of arrears. This will increase the frequency and comprehensiveness of formal contacts with Member Nations on the status of their payments. | |
| Format of External Audit Opinion | ||
| Change the format of the External Audit Opinion, as well as the related amendment to paragraph 5 of the Annex to the Financial Regulations "Additional Terms of Reference Governing External Audit" (para.76) | Having approved the proposed amendments to paragraph 5 of the Annex to the Financial Regulations, the Council recommended their transmission to the Thirtieth Session of the Conference in November 1999 for adoption. As this matter involves amendments to the Basic Texts, it is covered in the Provisional Agenda of the Conference (to be reviewed and approved by the Council in June 1999) under Item 16 - Amendments to the Basic Texts of the Organisation, Sub Item 16.1 - Financial Regulations. | |
| After-Service Medical Coverage | ||
| Forward a Draft Resolution to the Conference on After Service Medical Coverage for adoption (para. 78) | Action will be taken. | |
| Regional Offices, FAORs and Decentralization | ||
| Include the aspect of devolution of authorities to decentralized operations in the Study to be prepared for the Finance Committee on decentralization (para. 80) | The paper that responds both to this issue as well as to those raised by the Programme Committee on decentralization was considered at the Joint Meeting of the Programme and Finance Committees in May 1999. | |
| FAO Investment Management Practices and Arrangements for Review of Investments of the FAO Reserve Funds | ||
| Implement the proposed revised amendments for the review of investments of the FAO Compensation Plan Reserve Fund and the Separation Payments Scheme (para. 81) | The Investment Committee of FAO has been restructured under new terms of reference and Cambridge Associates Consulting has been contracted to help this Committee oversee the investment management function. | |
| Arrangements for the Selection and Appointment of the External Auditor | ||
| Implement the proposal covering the arrangements foreseen under Financial Regulation 12 for External Audit (para. 82) | During its Hundred and Fifteenth Session, the Council endorsed the proposed arrangements for the selection and appointment of the External Auditor. These will be followed when next selecting and appointing the External Auditor. | |
| CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL MATTERS | ||
| Report of the Sixty-eighth Session (September 1998) of the Committee on Constitutional and Legal Matters | ||
| Transmit the proposed amendments of paragraph 5 of the Annex to the Financial Regulations to change the format of the External Audit Opinion to the Thirtieth Session of the Conference in November 1999 for adoption (para. 88) | The proposed amendments to paragraph 5 of the Annex to the Financial Regulations are being submitted to the Thirtieth Session of the Conference in 1999 for adoption. | |
| Transmit the proposed amendments to Financial Regulation 9.1 to the Thirtieth Session of the Conference in November 1999 for adoption (para. 89) | The proposed amendments to Financial Regulation 9.1 are being submitted to the Thirtieth Session of the Conference in 1999 for adoption. | |
| Monitor the status of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties between States and International Organizations or between International Organizations, and once the Convention enters into force and an instrument of formal confirmation is deposited on behalf of the United Nations, place the issue of its formal confirmation on the Agenda of the FAO Conference, for appropriate action (para. 92) | The Convention has now been ratified by 26 States and a formal instrument of confirmation has been deposited by the United Nations. However the Convention will enter into force only after ratification or accession by 35 States. The status of the Covention will continue to be monitored. | |
| Date for Nomination to the Office of Director-General |
||
| Circulate Nominations to the Office of Director-General to all Member Nations of the Organization by 29 April 1999 (para. 94) | Action has been taken. See document C 99/18. | |
| Invitations to Non-Member Nations to Attend FAO Sessions | ||
| Invite the Russian Federation to attend the Hundred and Fifteenth Session of the Council as an observer (para. 95) | Action was taken. | |
| OTHER MATTERS | ||
| Date and Place of the Hundred and Sixteenth Session of the Council | ||
| Convene the Hundred and Sixteenth Session of the Council in Rome from 14 to 19 June 1999 (para. 97) | Invitations were despatched on 14 April 1999. | |
| Procedure for Selecting Host Countries for the World Forestry Congress | ||
| Implement the proposed updated guidelines on the function and the
organisation of world forestry congresses and the procedure for the selection of Host
Countries (para. 98 and para. 102) |
The updated Policy and Technical-Operational Guidelines were made available to all countries who contacted the Forestry Department, indicating interest in making a submission to host the XII World Forestry Congress. Two submissions were considered by COFO at its Fourteenth Session, but no recommendations were made to the Hundred and Sixteenth Session of the Council. | |
| Revise the second paragraph of the policy guidelines as per paragraph 100 of the Report of the Council (para. 100) | The second paragraph was amended in the Guidelines and was made available to interested countries. | |
| Ensure that FAO, as co-sponsor of the Congress, has a leading role, assisting in the selection of a few key unifying technical topics and in the preparation of a clear and well- balanced report (para. 101) | These aspects will be taken into account once the Council makes a decision on the Host Country of the XII World Forestry Congress and the preparatory process begins. | |
| Proclamation of an International Year of Mountains | ||
| Have the Director-General transmit a message of support to the Secretary General of the United Nations immediately on the adoption of United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/53/24 on the proclamation of the year 2002 as the International Year of Mountains, and the invitation to FAO to serve as lead agency for this year (para. 104) | The Director-General has sent a message to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, in support of the UNGA Resolution A/RES/53/24 on the proclamation of 2002 as the International Year of Mountains, accepting the lead agency role. | |
| Encourage the international community to support FAO in this endeavour which contains elements falling within its mandate (para. 105) | The Fifth Ad Hoc Inter-Agency Meeting on Implementation of Chapter 13, which took place from 10-12 March 1999 in Rome, dealt mainly with planning and organizing events and activities leading up to and during the observance of the International Year of Mountains in 2002. Preliminary indications of roles and responsibilities were given by the UN Agencies and international organizations participating in the Meeting. | |
| Assess the financial requirement for the above-noted undertaking, and report to the Council prior to the Thirtieth Session of the Conference in November 1999 (para. 105) | A preliminary discussion on funding and fundraising strategies for the International Year of Mountains was held at the Inter-Agency Meeting in Rome. Once financial requirements are more fully assessed over the next months, a report to Council will be produced. |
