COUNCIL OF Brussels, 10 March 2011 THE EUROPEAN UNION 7578/11 AGRI 203 FAO 6 CONUN 24 NOTE From : Presidency To : Council Subject : FAO - institutional questions - background paper Delegations will find attached in Annex the background paper prepared by the Presidency in view of the discussion over lunch at the Council (Agriculture and Fisheries) on 17 March 2011. _________ 7578/11 JPS/lf 1 DG B EN ANNEX "FAO - institutional questions" Presidency Background paper for the lunch of the Ministers for Agriculture The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and debate policy. FAO is also a source of knowledge and information. FAO assists developing countries and countries in transition to modernize and improve agriculture, forestry and fisheries practices and to ensure good nutrition for all. Since its founding in 1945, FAO has focused special attention on developing rural areas, home to 70 percent of the world's poor and hungry people. At the end of 2005, FAO’s governing bodies commissioned a comprehensive Independent External Evaluation of the Organization, carried out by a team of high-level consultants. The evaluation concluded with a central message of “reform with growth”. It was examined by the November 2007 session of the FAO Conference. Then an extensive process of analysis and intergovernmental discussion of the evaluation’s findings took place during 2008. This culminated in the adoption of Resolution 1/2008 by the 35th (special) session of the Conference in November 2008. The membership agreed to the implementation of an Immediate Plan of Action for FAO’s renewal, to unfold over the three-year period from 2009 to 2011. 7578/11 JPS/lf 2 ANNEX DG B EN The election of the Director-General At its 37th session, to be held in Rome from 25 June to 2 July 2011, the FAO Conference will appoint the Director-General of FAO for the period 1 January 2012 to 31 July 2015. By the 31 January deadline six countries had submitted nominations. The candidates, each nominated by his government, are listed in alphabetical order by country: Franz Fischler (Austria), José Graziano da Silva (Brazil), Indroyono Soesilo (Indonesia) Mohammad Saeid Noori Naeini (Iran, Islamic Republic of) Abdul Latif Rashid (Iraq) Miguel Ángel Moratinos Cuyaubé (Spain) The election of a new Director-General will take place in a secret ballot to be held at the beginning (probably on the 26th of June) of the 37th FAO Conference (Rome, 25 June to 2 July 2011) by the organization's 191 member nations. The next Director-General of FAO will be appointed for the period 1 January 2012 to 31 July 2015. The Director-General will be eligible for only one additional mandate of four years. The rules regarding the length of mandates and the issue of re-election were changed at the 36th FAO Conference in November 2009 as part of FAO's renewal process. FAO's new chief will be elected by a majority of votes cast. Each country will have one vote and the balloting is secret. 7578/11 JPS/lf 3 ANNEX DG B EN Since the establishment of FAO in 1945, there have been seven Directors-General: · Sir John Boyd Orr, United Kingdom, 1945-1948 · Norris E. Dodd, United States, 1948-1954 · Philip Vincent Cardon, United States, 1954-1956 · Binay Ranjan Sen, India, 1956-1967 · Addeke Hendrik Boerma, Netherlands, 1968-1975 · Edouard Saouma, Lebanon, 1976-1993 · Jacques Diouf, Senegal, 1994-current The Hungarian Presidency offered the possibility for the two European Candidates to introduce themselves and their programmes and share their vision on FAO’s future. This happened on the 4th of March, in the framework of the European Informal FAO Consultation held in Budapest, 3-4 March. The Consultation was attended by many of the EU Member States’ Representatives as well as a number of Delegations from European non-EU countries and from Central Asia. The 141st Session of the FAO Council (Rome, 11-15 April 2011) will have an item for information on its agenda: „Address by Candidates for the Post of Director-General” giving the possibility for FAO Member States’ Delegations to know better the candidates. On the 11th of April the deadline for nominations for the post of Independent Chairperson of the FAO Council will expire. Mr. Luc Guyau (France) currently fills the post and is eligible for re- election for a second (and last) two years period. One of the two Deputy Directors-General’s post is falling vacant (closing date for application is 21 March 2011 and earliest date of appointment is 1 July 2011). The present Director-General, Dr. Jacques Diouf (who will remain in his office until 31 December 2011) has the right to select his candidate for that post and according to non official information, he wishes to nominate someone from Europe. This may formally be approved by the FAO Council in April. ___________ 7578/11 JPS/lf 4 ANNEX DG B EN.