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376. With respect to the Summary Programme of Work and Budget, the Conference noted that the Sixty-Sixth Council Session (June 1975) had observed that the submission of a Summary Programme of Work and Budget was not in conformity with the General Rules of the Organization. The Council had accordingly requested the CCLM to consider amendments to the relevant rules to bring them into line with current practice of submitting a Summary Programme of Work and Budget, rather than a full draft of the Programme of Work and Budget, to the Programme and Finance Committees, and to the June Council Session in the Conference year. The Thirty-First CCLM Session (October 1975), examined the relevant provisions and proposed certain amendments to the General Rules of the Organization, and the Financial Regulations. These proposed amendments were endorsed by the Sixty-Seventh Council Session. The Conference noted that most of the relevant provisions could be adapted to the current practice by the addition of a reference to the Summary Programme of Work and Budget, but that certain provisions appeared to relate exclusively to the summary or to the draft Programme of Work and Budget.
377. As regards the procedure for convening sessions of standing committees of the Council, the Conference noted that the Thirtieth CCLM Session (May 1975), when considering amendments to Rule XXXII GRO concerning the timing of sessions of COAG, had suggested a further amendment to paragraph 3 of that Rule with a view to eliminating a contradiction between its first sentence which provided that COAG shall determine the date and place of its sessions, and the second sentence which provided for the convening of sessions by the Director-General in consultation with the Chairman of the Committee The Conference, also noted that the Sixty-Sixth Council Session (June 1975), in endorsing the amendment to Rule XXXII-3 GRO, which wee designed to eliminate that contradiction, agreed with the CCLM recommendation that, in the interest of consistency, the corresponding provisions relating to other "open "Committes of the Council contained in Rule XXIX-4 (CCP), XXX 4 (COFI) and XXXI-3 (COFO) of the General Rules be likewise amended The Thirty-First CCLM Session (October 1975) proposed the necessary amendments to Rules XXIX-4, XXX-4, and XXXI-3 and these were endorsed by the Sixty-Seventh Council Session (November 1975)
378. Having considered the proposals made by the CCLM and endorsed by the Council, the Conference with 8 view to eliminating inconsistencies and in order to bring the relevant provisions up to date, adopted the following resolution
AMENDMENTS TO THE BASIC TEXTS
SUMMARY PROGRAMME OF WORK AND BUDGET AND PROCEDURE FOR CONVENING COUNCIL COMMITTEE SESSIONS
THE CONFERENCE,
Recalling its Resolutions 17/71 and 9/73, by which it adopted a number of amendments to the General Rules of the Organization, which had been recommended by the Committee on Constitutional and Legal Matters (CCLM) and endorsed by the Council,
Having considered the proposals made by the CCLM and endorsed by the Council at its Sixty Sixth and Sixty-Seventh Sessions, for certain amendments to the Basic Texts, with a view to eliminating inconsistencies and ambiguities and in order to bring certain provisions up to date,
Noting that the introduction of the format of a Summary Programme of Work and Budget for consideration by the Programme and Finance Committees and the Council prior to the establishment of a draft Programme of Work for submission to the Conference, wee not reflected in the Basic Texts,
Noting further that it would be desirable to harmonize the provisions relating to the procedure for convening the "open" Standing Committees of the Council,
Adopts the following amendments to the General Rules of the Organization (GRO) and the Financial Regulations (FR):
I.
(a) The words "summary and "are inserted before the word "draft" in the following provisions
(i) Rule XXIV, paragraph 2(a)(i) GRO;
(ii) Rule XXVI, paragraph 7(a)(ii) GRO;
(iii) Rule XXVIII, paragraphs 1, 2(a), (b), (c), (d) and 3 GRO;
(b) The word "summary "la substituted for the word "draft" in Financial Regulation 3.5
(c) Rule XXVI, paragraph 2 (g) GRO la amended to read as follows: (a) ...
(b) ...
(c) ...
(d) ...
(e) ...
(f) ...
(g) ...
(i) in the light of guidance given by the Conference and Council at previous sessions and by regional or technical conferences, commissions or committees, a summary Programme of Work and Budget for consideration by the Programme and Finance Committees, other appropriate organs of the Organization, and the Council, and
(ii) in the light of the observations by the aforementioned Committees and organs and by the Council, a draft Programme of Work and Budget for submission to the Conference."
II.
(a) Rule XXIX, paragraph 4, la amended to read as follows:
"4. The Committee shall normally hold two sessions during each biennium, to be convened by the Director-General in consultation with the Chairman of the Committee, taking into account any proposals made by the Committee. One of these sessions shall be convened sufficiently in advance of the session of the Council held approximately midway between the regular sessions of the Conference, in order that the report of the Committee may be circulated to the members of the Council in accordance with the provisions of Rule XXV. 7(a) of these Rules."
(b) Rule XXX, paragraph 4, la amended to read as follows:
"4. The Committee shall normally hold two sessions during each biennium, to be convened by the Director-General in consultation with the Chairman of the Committee, taking into account any proposals made by the Committee. One of these sessions shall be convened sufficiently in advance of the sessions of the Council held approximately midway between the regular sessions of the Conference, in order that the report of the Committee may be circulated to the members of the Council, in accordance with the provisions of Rule XXX.7(a) of these Rules."
(c) Rule XXXI, paragraph 3, is amended to read as follows:
"3. Sessions of the Committee shall normally be held once in each biennium, preferably early in non-Conference years. Sessions shall be convened by the Director-General in consultation with the Chairman of the Committee taking into account any proposals made by the Committee."
(Adopted 26 November 1975)
I. Amendment to the financial regulations
379. The Conference noted that the Sixty-Fourth Council Session (November 1974) had recommended that the Conference approve amendments to the Financial Regulations involving the reporting to the Finance Committee of budgetary transfers under the Organization's programme-budget system.
380. The Conference adopted the following resolution:
AMENDMENT TO THE FINANCIAL REGULATIONS
THE CONFERENCE,
Noting the need to provide acceptable and reasonable flexibility in a programme budgeting system,
Noting the Report of the Sixty-Fourth Council Session,
Decides that Financial Regulation 4.4(a) be amended as follows (Deletions in square brackets , additions underlined):
"4.4(a) Transfers within the same chapter of the budget may be effected by the Director-General J. who shall report thereon to the Finance Committee. He shall report such transfers to the Finance Committee in instances where funds are moved from one Division (or equivalent unit) to another and where, in addition, the amount involved in each such transfer exceeds a specific sum established in accordance with the provisions of Financial Regulation 10.1 (a) and of the General Rules of the Organization".
(Adopted 26 November 1975)
J. Site of FAO regional office for Latin America
381. The delegates of some Member Nations in the Latin American region proposed that the Conference recommend that the forthcoming FAO Regional Conference for Latin America formulate a concrete recommendation to the Director-General to enable the transfer of the Regional Office for Latin America from its present site to a place in the region where it would be sure of being able to perform its functions fully. In making this proposal, these delegates took into account the deliberations of the Conference relating to the promotion of greater decentralization of the Organization and its programmes and the need that the site of the Regional Office be established in accordance with the requirements of, and situation in, the countries of the region. In addition, these delegates stressed the need for the Regional Office to serve the countries in the region efficiently and that to be in a position to do so the Regional Office required all the necessary facilities to enable it to perform the functions entrusted to it.
382. Some delegates expressed support for the proposal. On the other hand, other delegates were unable to support the proposal. They considered that insufficient data had been adduced upon which to discuss any possible transfer of the site of the Regional Office, and stressed that the technical considerations and financial implication required careful analysis. Some delegates reserved their position since the proposal had not been made in time for them to obtain instructions.
383. Some delegates expressed regret that the question had not been fully discussed among all Member Nations of the region before the proposal had been made. It was generally agreed, however, that the moat appropriate place to discuss the question of the site of the Regional Office for Latin America wee at the Regional Conference, since the Member Nations moat directly concerned were those in the Latin American region.
384. At the conclusion of the discussion, the Conference recommended to the Director-General that he include on the agenda of the forthcoming FAO Regional Conference for Latin America, to be held in Lima, Peru, the study of the functioning of the Regional Office for Latin America at its present site, as well as solutions including the possibility of a change of site.
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