Specialized Agencies and Other Bodies
Part 3 Specialized Agencies and Other Bodies Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), established in 1945, is a UN specialized agency that provides global data and expertise on agriculture and nutrition, fisheries, forestry, and other food and agriculture- related issues. FAO is the UN system’s largest autonomous agency, with headquarters in Rome, and 78 country offices and 15 regional, sub-regional, and liaison offices, including one located in Washington, D.C. Jacques Diouf (Senegal), Director-General of FAO, is serving his second six-year term. FAO’s highest policy-making body, the biennial General Conference, comprises all 187 FAO member countries plus the European Commission. The General Conference determines FAO policy and approves FAO’s regular program of work and budget. Each biennial Conference elects a 49-member Council that meets at least three times between regular Conference sessions to make recommendations to the General Conference on budget and policy issues. The North America region, which comprises the United States and Canada, is allocated two seats on the Council and one seat each on FAO’s Program, Finance, and Constitutional and Legal Matters (CCLM) Committees. Through December 2005, the United States holds the North American seat on the Finance and Joint Staff Pension Committees; Canada holds the North American seat on the CCLM and Program Committees. In 2004, the United States continued to stress more efficient use of scarce resources and greater program effectiveness; support for FAO’s normative work; improvement of emergency needs assessments and response capabilities; and continued pressure on the organization to work proactively to hire and retain more staff from traditionally underrepresented countries.
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