World Food Programme
- Author: UN General Assembly
- Document source:
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Date:
19 December 1961
XVI. RESOLUTION ADOPTED ON THE REPORT OF THE SECOND COMMITTEE
1714. World Food Programme
I
1. Approves the establishment of an experimental World Food Programme to be undertaken jointly by the United Nations and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, in co-operation with other interested United Nations agencies and appropriate inter-governmental bodies, bearing in mind that the establishment of such a programme in no way prejudices the bilateral agreements between developed and developing countries, and accepts and endorses the purposes, principles and procedures formulated in the first part of the resolution approved by the Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization on 24 November 1961, the text of which is annexed to the present resolution, including the safeguards mentioned in that resolution and General Assembly resolution 1496 (XV), especially in paragraph 9 thereof;
2. Approves specifically the establishment of a United Nations/FAO Inter-Governmental Committee of twenty States Members of the United Nations and members of the Food and Agriculture Organization to provide guidance on policy, administration and operations, and of a joint United Nations/FAO administrative unit reporting to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization;
3. Requests the Economic and Social Council at its resumed thirty-second session to elect, subject to the provisions of paragraph 9 below, ten States Members of the United Nations and members of the Food and Agriculture Organization to the United Nations/FAO Inter-Governmental Committee, taking into account:
(a) The representation provided by the ten States that were elected to serve on the United Nations/FAO Inter-Governmental Committee by the Council of the Food and Agriculture Organization;
(b) The need for balanced representation of economically developed and developing countries, and other relevant factors such as the representation of potential participating countries, both contributing and recipient, equitable geographical distribution and the representation of both developed and less developed countries having commercial interests in international trade in foodstuffs, especially those highly dependent on such trade;
4. Calls upon the Economic and Social Council at its thirty-third session, in co-operation with the Council of the Food and Agriculture Organization, to review and to take appropriate action on the procedures and arrangements for the World Food Programme recommended by the United Nations/FAO Inter-Governmental Committee;
5. Decides that pilot projects to be undertaken by the joint United Nations/FAO administrative unit, under the guidance of the United Nations/FAO Inter Governmental Committee, involving the use of food as an aid to economic and social development, shall be undertaken in agreement between the Secretary-General, acting on behalf of the United Nations, and the Director-General, acting on behalf of the Food and Agriculture Organization;
6. Concurs in the calling of a conference where States Members of the United Nations and members of the Food and Agriculture Organization will be invited to pledge contributions;
7. Requests the Secretary-General, in co-operation with the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization, to convene such a conference at United Nations Headquarters as soon as feasible after the concurrent sessions of the Economic and Social Council and the Council of the Food and Agriculture Organization;
8. Urges States Members of the United Nations and members of the Food and Agriculture Organization, in considering their contributions, to make every effort to assure the early attainment, on a voluntary basis, of the $100 million programme;
9. Further requests the Economic and Social Council, in co-operation with the Council of the Food and Agriculture Organization, at its next regular session following the pledging conference, to review the composition of the United Nations/FAO Inter-Governmental Committee and to make, by election for the balance of the three-year programme, any adjustments of membership that might be deemed desirable in the light of the considerations outlined in paragraph 3 above;
10. Instructs the United Nations/FAO Inter-Governmental Committee, in preparing recommendations on the conditions and procedures for the establishment and operation of the programme for the review and approval by the Economic and Social Council and the Council of the Food and Agriculture Organization, to proceed on the basis of the present resolution and the resolution of the Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of 24 November 1961, taking into account the joint proposal by the United Nations and the Food and Agriculture Organization regarding procedures and arrangements for the multilateral utilization of surplus food, statements made during the debates in the General Assembly and in the Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization and such other conditions and procedures as may seem to it appropriate;
11. Recommends that Governments requesting assistance under this programme, the United Nations/FAO Inter-Governmental Committee, and the joint United Nations/FAO administrative unit responsible for the administration of the program, keep the resident representatives fully informed about, and, within their field of competence, associated with, activities under taken under the programme;
12. Invites the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization to ensure that, in carrying out the programme, the joint United Nations/FAO administrative unit rely to the fullest extent possible on the existing staff and facilities of the United Nations and the Food and Agriculture Organization, as well as other appropriate inter-governmental agencies;
13. Requests the United Nations/FAO Inter-Governmental Committee to report annually to the Economic and Social Council and to the Council of the Food and Agriculture Organization on the progress made in the development of the programme and on its administration and operation;
14. Decides to undertake, not later than at its nineteenth session, a general review of the programme, taking into account the objectives of its resolution 1496 (XV);
II
Recognizing that the experimental programme outlined above constitutes a step towards the broader objectives outlined in its resolution 1496 (XV), Recognizing further that the ultimate solution to this problem of food deficiency lies in self-sustaining economic growth of the economies of the less developed countries to the point where they find it possible to meet their food requirements from their food-producing industries or from the proceeds of their expanding export trade, Recognizing that the effective utilization of available surplus foodstuffs, in ways compatible with the principles of surplus disposal recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, provides an important transitional means of relieving the hunger and malnutrition of food-deficient peoples, particularly in the less developed countries, and for assisting these countries in their economic development, Recognizing further that food aid is not a substitute for other types of assistance, in particular for capital goods,1. Recognizes that food aid to be provided under this programme should take into account other forms of assistance and country plans for economic and social development;
2. Requests the Secretary-General of the United Nations, in close co-operation with the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and with interested groups or agencies, and jointly where appropriate, to undertake, as soon as feasible, expert studies which would aid in the consideration of the future development of multilateral food programmes;
3. Expresses the hope that, in the light of these studies and of the experience gained, the progress of the experimental programme will be such as to permit the United Nations and the Food and Agriculture Organization to consider the possibility and advisability of increasing the programme, taking into account the advantages to developing countries, the interests of the contributing States, the interests of the food-exporting countries, the effectiveness of the programme and its contribution to the objectives of General Assembly resolution 1496 (XV);
4. Endorses again the Freedom from Hunger Campaign launched by the Food and Agriculture Organization, and requests the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Director-General of the Food and
Agriculture Organization, simultaneously with the implementation of the present resolution, to pay particular attention to the necessity of improving and increasing local food production and to include, where appropriate, reference to this subject in the reports mentioned above, and requests the United Nations/FAO Inter-Governmental Committee to consider the possibility of applying to this purpose a reasonable proportion of resources resulting from the World Food Programme. 1084th plenary meeting,19 December 1961.
ANNEX PART I OF THE RESOLUTION ON THE UTILIZATION OF FOOD SURPLUSES ADOPTED BY THE CONFERENCE OF THE FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS ON 24 NOVEMBER 1961
The Conference,I
Resolves, subject to the concurrence of the General Assembly of the United Nations, that:1. An initial experimental programme for three years of approximately $100 million with contributions on a voluntary basis be undertaken jointly by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the United Nations, in co-operation with other United Nations agencies, and appropriate inter-governmental bodies;
2. Contributions to the programme, to be known as the World Food Programme, may be pledged by countries in the form of appropriate commodities, acceptable services, and cash aiming in the aggregate at a cash component of at least one-third of the total contributions, and countries should give due regard to the importance of achieving this over-all objective when determining the cash element in their contribution;
3. An Inter-Governmental Committee of twenty nations which are members of FAO or the United Nations be established to provide guidance on policy, administration and operations, as outlined in paragraphs 11 and 12 of part III of the joint report of the Secretary-General and the Director-General;
4. The Committee be elected half by the FAO Council and half by the United Nations, taking into account the need for balanced representation of economically developed countries and of less developed countries and other relevant factors. In appointing its representative each Government should pay due regard to the complexities of the executive and operational planning required for the proposed programme;
5. The Inter-Governmental Committee meet in Rome early in 1962 to develop detailed procedures and arrangements for the Programme on the basis of this resolution, taking due account of the joint report of the Secretary-General and the Director-General and giving consideration to the views expressed in reports of meetings related to this subject held under the auspices of FAO and the United Nations;
6. The procedures and arrangements drawn up by the Inter-Governmental Committee be reviewed and approved in concurrent sessions of the Council of FAO and the Economic and Social Council in New York in April 1962;
7. A conference for contributing countries to pledge their contributions in accordance with paragraph 2 above be convened by the Secretary-General and the Director-General after the concurrent sessions of the FAO Council and the Economic and Social Council;
8. The FAO Council and the Economic and Social Council, at their next regular meetings following the pledging conference, should make any adjustment of country composition on the Inter-Governmental Committee (of twenty) that might be deemed desirable in view of the considerations mentioned in paragraph 4 above;
9. Subject to the guidance of the Inter-Governmental Committee, the Programme will be carried on by a joint FAO/United Nations administrative unit located at FAO Headquarters in Rome and reporting to both the Director-General and the Secretary-General, with the costs of administration and operation under this resolution to be met from contributions to the programme;
10. In the administration of the Programme attention should be paid to:
(a) Establishing adequate and orderly procedures on a world basis for meeting emergency food needs and emergencies inherent in chronic malnutrition (this could include the establishment of food reserves);
(b) Assisting in pre-school and school feeding; and
(c) Implementing pilot projects, with the multilateral use of food as an aid to economic and social development, particularly when related to labour-intensive projects and rural welfare;
11. Projects should be undertaken only in response to requests from the recipient country or countries concerned;
12. The administration of the proposed Programme will require close co-operation, particularly on development projects, between FAO and the United Nations, as well as with appropriate United Nations agencies, and other appropriate intergovernmental bodies;
13. The Inter-Governmental Committee shall ensure that:
(i) In accordance with the FAO principles of surplus disposal and with the consultative procedures established by the Committee on Commodity Problems, and in conformity with the United Nations General Assembly resolution 1496 (XV), particularly paragraph 9, commercial markets and normal and developing trade are neither interfered with nor disrupted;
(ii) The agricultural economy in recipient countries is adequately safeguarded with respect both to its domestic markets and the effective development of food production;
(iii) Due consideration is given to safeguarding normal commercial practices in respect to acceptable services.
[1] Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, 1961. [2] Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, Thirty-second Session, Annexes, agenda item 8, document E/3509. [3] Official Records of the General Assembly, Sixteenth Session, Annexes, agenda item 28, document A/4907.
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