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VIII. Appointments and elections

A. Applications for membership in the organization
B. Election of council members
C. Appointments

A. Applications for membership in the organization

Estonia
Latvia
Lithuania
Puerto Rico
European Economic Community

370. The Conference had before it applications for membership from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and South Africa and from Puerto Rico as Associate Member. These applications had been submitted within the time limit prescribed by Rule XIX GRO. They contained, or were supplemented by, the formal instrument required under Article II of the Constitution, and were thus found in order.

371. With regard to the application for admission by South Africa, the Conference agreed that no action should be taken at the present Session but that the matter should be placed on the provisional agenda of the Twenty-seventh Session of the Conference in November 1993.

372. The Conference then proceeded to a secret ballot on the remaining four applications at its third plenary meeting on Monday 11 November 1991, in accordance with Article II - 2 of the Constitution and Rule XII - 9 GRO. The results were as follows:

Estonia

Latvia

Lithuania

Puerto Rico

373. The Conference accordingly admitted Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to membership of the Organization and Puerto Rico as an Associate Member.

374. The Conference decided that, according to established principles and customs, the contribution due for the last quarter of 1991 by Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania amounted to US$6 960 for each country, while the advance to be made by each to the Working Capital Fund was US$2 000.

375. The Conference also decided that the contribution due for the last quarter of 1991 by Puerto Rico, as Associate Member, amounted to U$4 176 and that no advance was required for the Working Capital Fund.

European Economic Community

376. The Conference had before it an application from the European Economic Community (EEC) for membership in the Organization. The Conference decided after a vote to suspend paragraphs 1 and 2 of Rule XIX of the General Rules of the Organization (GRO) in accordance with Rule XLVIII1 thereof. The Conference duly noted the formal instrument of acceptance of the relevant obligations of the Constitution of FAO as provided for in Article II. 3 thereof, and found it to be in order. The Conference noted, further, that the EEC had also transmitted, pursuant to Article II. 5 of the Constitution, a declaration of Competence specifying the matters in respect of which competence had been transferred to the EEC by its Member States.

377. The Conference then proceeded to a secret ballot on the application at its nineteenth plenary meeting on Tuesday 26 November 1991, in accordance with Article II.3 of the Constitution and Rule XII of the GRO. The results were as follows:

378. The Conference, accordingly, admitted the European Economic Community to membership of the Organization.

379. The Conference warmly welcomed the membership of the EEC as the first regional economic integration organization to be admitted under the Constitution as amended at the current Twenty-sixth Session, which represented an historic moment in the life of the Organization, and opened up new horizons for international cooperation to the benefit of agricultural development in the world.

B. Election of council members

380. The Conference elected Congo to the Council seat that was vacant in the Africa Region for the period November 1991 to December 1992.

381. The Conference also elected the following Member Nations as members of the Council:

Period: November 1991 - 31 December 1994

Period: 1 January 1993 to November 1995

C. Appointments

Appointment of the independent chairman of the council
Appointment of representatives of the FAO conference to the staff pension committee

Appointment of the independent chairman of the council

382. The Conference had before it one nomination for the office of Independent Chairman of the Council.

383. The Conference, after a secret ballot, appointed Mr Antoine Saintraint, to the office of Independent Chairman of the Council for a period of two years up to the end of the regular session of the Conference to be held in 1993, and adopted the following Resolution:

Resolution 18/91

APPOINTMENT OF THE INDEPENDENT CHAIRMAN OF THE COUNCIL

THE CONFERENCE,

Having proceeded to a secret ballot, in accordance with the provisions of Rule XII of the General Rules of the Organization:

(Adopted 27 November 1991)

Appointment of representatives of the FAO conference to the staff pension committee

384. The Conference was informed of the field of activity of the FAO Staff Pension Committee and on the need to appoint at each session of the Conference members and alternate members to that Committee.

385. The Conference was also informed that the Staff Pension Committee had recommended that the term of office of its members and alternate members be changed from two to three years. In view of the growing complexity of the United Nations pension system, it was essential that members have the time to familiarize themselves with its functioning in order to deal effectively with the issues that were brought before the Staff Pension Committee.

386. The Conference endorsed this recommendation and decided to change the term of office of its members and alternate members on the Staff Pension Committee from two to three years, and to proceed at each ordinary session of the Conference with the appointment of one member and one alternate member for a three-year period, starting from the following January, and with the appointment of one member and one alternate member for a three-year period, starting from the month of January of the subsequent year.

387. The Conference also adopted the necessary transitional arrangements to facilitate the rotation of members and to avoid that they all be appointed at the same time. In particular, at its current session, the Conference should appoint one member and one alternate for a term of office of three years and two members and two alternates for a term of office of two years. At its regular session of 1993, the Conference should appoint one member and one alternate for a term of office of three years, starting in January 1994 and one member and one alternate for a term of office of three years, starting in January 1995. At the regular session of 1993, it should also be necessary to appoint one member and one alternate for a term of office of two years, starting in January 1994.

388. In accordance with Article 6(c) of the Regulations of the UN Joint Staff Pension Fund, the Conference appointed three members and three alternate members to the Staff Pension Committee as follows and for the periods specified below:

(a) period 1 January 1992 to 31 December 1994:

(b) period 1 January 1992 to 31 December 1993:

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