Session Documents
The Council
The FAO Council was established in 1947 at the 3rd Session of the FAO Conference, replacing the original "Executive Committee".
The Council acts as the executive arm of the Conference between its sessions, exercising functions relating to the status of world food and agriculture, prospective activities of the Organization, administrative and constitutional matters. The Council plays a major role in deciding and advising on matters pertaining to the implementation of programme and budget execution, monitoring of the implementation of governance decisions and oversight of the administration of the Organization.
The Council holds five regular sessions in each biennium. It is directly assisted by a Programme Committee, a Financial Committee, and a Committee on Constitutional and Legal Matters.
- Council of the Organization (Vol.1, Art. V)
- The Council (Vol.1, Sec.B: GRO, B.)
- Rules of Procedure (Vol.1, Sec.D.)
Mr Mina Rizk (Egypt)
2025 – 2027
Appointment of the ICC (Vol.1, Art. V.2)
Appointment of the ICC (Vol.1, Sec.B, GRO XXIII)
Membership
Elected by the Conference, the Council consists of 49 Member Nations
elected for a term of three years with arrangements for staggering
expiry of terms of office. In selecting Members, the Conference
considers the desirability of a balanced geographical representation and
the rotation of membership. Each Member Nation has one representative
and one vote.
The Conference is also tasked to appoint an
Independent Chairperson of the Council (ICC) at each of its Sessions.
The ICC not only serves as Chairperson of all Council meetings but also
plays an inter-sessional role in convening informal consultations, taking
steps to achieve consensus among the Membership and liaising with
Management and other Chairpersons of Governing Bodies. The ICC is
elected for a period of two years, renewable once (Article V.2 of the
Constitution and Rule XXIII of the General Rules of the Organization).
FAO Member Nations by region for Council election purposes
(as from 1 July 2026)
- Angola3
- Argentina2,4
- Australia3
- Bangladesh1
- Brazil2
- Burundi1
- Cameroon3
- Canada2
- Chile1
- China1
- Colombia2
- Congo1,5
- Denmark3
- Dominican Republic3
- Egypt3
- Germany3
- Ghana2,6
- Guatemala1
- India3
- Indonesia1
- Ireland1,7
- Italy2,8
- Jamaica2
- Japan1
- Jordan3
- Kenya2
- Kuwait1
- Mexico2
- Morocco3
- Niger2,9,10
- Pakistan3,11
- Peru1,12
- Philippines1
- Poland1,13
- Qatar2
- Republic of Korea1
- Saudi Arabia3
- Senegal2
- Serbia2,14
- South Africa2
- Spain1,15
- Sudan2,16
- Switzerland3
- Thailand3,17
- Türkiye2
- Uganda3
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland3
- United Republic of Tanzania1
- United States of America2
Membership Information
1 Term of office: 1 July 2024 to the end of the 45th Session of the Conference (2027)
2 Term of office: end of the 44th Session of the Conference (2025) to 30 June 2028
3 Term of office: 1 July 2026 to the end of the 46th Session of the Conference (2029)
4 Argentina replaced Honduras from 1 January 2026 until 30 June 2028.
5 Congo was deemed to have resigned in accordance with Rule XXII.7 of the General Rules of the Organization (GRO).
6 Ghana was deemed to have resigned in accordance with Rule XXII.7 of the GRO.
7 Ireland replaced the Kingdom of the Netherlands for the remainder of its term of office (end of the 44th Session of the Conference [2025] to the end of the 45th Session of the Conference [2027]).
8 Italy will replace France from 1 July 2026 until 30 June 2028.
9 The term of office of Niger is from the end of the 44th Session of the Conference (2025) until 31 December 2026, and the term of office of Burkina Faso from 1 January 2027 until 30 June 2028.
10 Niger was deemed to have resigned in accordance with Rule XXII.7 of the GRO.
11 The term of office of Pakistan is from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2028, and the term of office of Uzbekistan will be from 1 July 2028 to the end of the 46th Session of the Conference (2029).
12 Peru replaced Ecuador from 1 January 2026 until the end of the 45th Session of the Conference (2027).
13 Poland replaced Croatia for the remainder of its term of office (end of the 44th Session of the Conference [2025] to the end of the 45th Session of the Conference [2027]).
14 Serbia will replace Ukraine from 1 July 2026 until 30 June 2028.
15 Spain will replace Iceland from 1 July 2026 to the end of the 45th Session of the Conference (2027).
16 Sudan was deemed to have resigned in accordance with Rule XXII.7 of the GRO.
17 The term of office of Thailand is from 1 July 2026 to 31 December 2027, and the term of office of Malaysia from 1 January 2028 to the end of the 46th Session of the Conference (2029).
Current Terms of Office: July 2024 – June 2029
| Africa | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 July 2024 – June 2027 (C 45) | July 2025 (C 44) – 30 June 2028 | 1 July 2026 – June 2029 (C 46) |
Burundi Congo1 United Republic of Tanzania | Ghana6 Kenya Niger7,8 Senegal South Africa | Angola Cameroon Morocco Uganda |
| Asia | ||
| 1 July 2024 – June 2027 (C 45) | July 2025 (C 44) – 30 June 2028 | 1 July 2026 – June 2029 (C 46) |
Bangladesh China Indonesia Japan Philippines Republic of Korea | India Pakistan13 Thailand14 | |
| Europe | ||
| 1 July 2024 – June 2027 (C 45) | July 2025 (C 44) – 30 June 2028 | 1 July 2026 – June 2029 (C 46) |
Ireland2 Poland3 Spain4 | Italy9 Serbia10 Türkiye | Denmark Germany Switzerland United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| Latin America and the Caribbean | ||
| 1 July 2024 – June 2027 (C 45) | July 2025 (C 44) – 30 June 2028 | 1 July 2026 – June 2029 (C 46) |
Chile Guatemala Peru5 | Argentina11 Brazil Colombia Jamaica Mexico | Dominican Republic |
| Near East | ||
| 1 July 2024 – June 2027 (C 45) | July 2025 (C 44) – 30 June 2028 | 1 July 2026 – June 2029 (C 46) |
Kuwait | Qatar Sudan12 | Egypt Jordan Saudi Arabia |
| North America | ||
| 1 July 2024 – June 2027 (C 45) | July 2025 (C 44) – 30 June 2028 | 1 July 2026 – June 2029 (C 46) |
Canada United States of America | ||
| Southwest Pacific | ||
| 1 July 2024 – June 2027 (C 45) | July 2025 (C 44) – 30 June 2028 | 1 July 2026 – June 2029 (C 46) |
| Australia | ||
Membership Information
1 Congo was deemed to have resigned in accordance with Rule XXII.7 of the General Rules of the Organization (GRO).
2 Ireland replaced Netherlands (Kingdom of the) for the remainder of its term of office (end of the 44th Session of the Conference to the end of the 45th Session of the Conference [2027]).
3 Poland replaced Croatia for the remainder of its term of office (end of the 44th Session of the Conference to the end of the 45th Session of the Conference [2027]).
4 Spain replaced Iceland from 1 July 2026 to the end of the 45th Session of the Conference (2027).
5 Peru replaced Ecuador from 1 January 2026 until the end of the 45th Session of the Conference (2027).
6 Ghana was deemed to have resigned in accordance with Rule XXII.7 of the GRO.
7 The term of office of Niger is from the end of the 44th Session of the Conference until 31 December 2026 and the term of office of Burkina Faso from 1 January 2027 until 30 June 2028.
8 Niger was deemed to have resigned in accordance with Rule XXII.7 of the GRO.
9 The term of office of France is from the end of the 44th Session of the Conference until 30 June 2026 and the term of office of Italy from 1 July 2026 until 30 June 2028.
10 The term of office of Ukraine is from the end of the 44th Session of the Conference until 30 June 2026, and the term of office of Serbia from 1 July 2026 until 30 June 2028.
11 Argentina replaced Honduras from 1 January 2026 until 30 June 2028.
12 Sudan was deemed to have resigned in accordance with Rule XXII.7 of the GRO.
13 The term of office of Pakistan is from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2028 and the term of office of Uzbekistan will be from 1 July 2028 to the end of the 46th Session of the Conference (2029).
14 The term of office of Thailand is from 1 July 2026 to 31 December 2027 and the term of office of Malaysia will be from 1 January 2028 to the end of the 46th Session of the Conference (2029).