161. Telegram 106891 From the Department of State to Certain Diplomatic Posts, May 2, 1976, 1656Z.1 2
TELEGRAM
Department of State
106891
R 021656Z MAY 76
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO AMEMBASSY BAMAKO
AMEMBASSY BANGKOK
AMEMBASSY BELGRADE
AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
AMEMBASSY BONN
AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST
AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST
AMEMBASSY
BUENOS AIRES
AMEMBASSY CAIRO
AMEMBASSY CANBERRA
AMEMBASSY CARACAS
AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
AMEMBASSY DACCA
AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA
AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD
AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
AMEMBASSY KIGALI
AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY MEXICO
AMEMBASSY MOGADISCIO
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
AMEMBASSY
NAIROBI
AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA
AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI
AMEMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT
AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
AMEMBASSY PARIS
AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN
AMEMBASSY ROME
AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM
AMEMBASSY TEHRAN
AMEMBASSY TOKYO
INFO AMEMBASSY
CONAKRY
AMEMBASSY LIBREVILLE
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
STATE 106891
E.O. 11652:N/A
TAGS: UN, EGEN,
WFC, PORG
SUBJECT: PREPARATORY MEETING OF THE SECOND SESSION OF THE WORLD FOOD COUNCIL, MAY 10-14, ROME: AGENDA ITEM 2 - ADOPTION OF RULES OF PROCEDURE
ALL POSTS FOR MULTILATERAL AFFAIRS OFFICER ROME FOR FODAG
1. THE WORLD FOOD COUNCIL (WFC) WILL HOLD ITS SECOND SESSION IN ROME JUNE 14-16. PRIOR TO THIS SESSION A PREPARATORY MEETING WILL CONVENE TO IRON OUT POTENTIALLY DIFFICULT ISSUES FOR CONSIDERATION BY MINISTERS IN JUNE. THE WFC’S FIRST SESSION WAS HELD IN ROME, JUNE 23-27, 1975. AT THAT SESSION, A NUMBER OF CONTENTIOUS SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES CONTRIBUTED TO DISARRAY IN THE CONDUCT OF BUSINESS AND HELPED PREVENT AGREEMENT ON THE WFC’S DRAFT RULES OF PROCEDURE. THE U.S. IS CONCERNED THAT POTENTIALLY DIVISIVE ISSUES BE REDUCED TO A MINIMUM IN THE PREPARATORY MEETING. THERE EXISTS A GOOD POSSIBILITY THAT THE DRAFT RULES OF PROCEDURE MAY AGAIN BE THE FOCUS OF DISRUPTIVE DISCUSSION AT THE PREPARATORY MEETING OF THE SECOND SESSION OF THE WFC, SCHEDULED TO BE HELD MAY 10-14 IN ROME.
2. THEREFORE, ACTION ADDRESSEES ARE REQUESTED TO CONTACT AN APPROPRIATELY HIGH OFFICIAL INVOLVED WITH WFC AND REPORT REACTIONS TO THE FOLLOWING POINTS:
(A) U.S. IS INTERESTED IN SEEING THE WFC DEVELOP AS AN EFFECTIVE BODY, AND U.S. IS CONVINCED HOST COUNTRY SHARES THIS OBJECTIVE;
(B) FIRST SESSION WFC WAS MARRED BY EXCESSIVE DISCUSSION AND DISAGREEMENT ON ESSENTIALLY TECHNICAL QUESTIONS INCLUDING DRAFT RULES OF PROCEDURE, WHICH PREVENTED MINISTERS OR PLENIPOTENTIARIES FROM GIVING ATTENTION TO COHERENT INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ON FOOD PROBLEMS;
(C) AD HOC WORKING GROUP ON RULES OF PROCEDURE HAS CONCLUDED ITS WORK AFTER THREE SESSIONS OF EXTENDED NEGOTIATIONS AND HAS DEVELOPED TEXT OF DRAFT RULES (WITH A DRAFT RESOLUTION) WHICH FORMS A GOOD COMPROMISE RESULT;
(D) THOUGH TEXT DOES NOT REFLECT U.S. PREFERRED POSITION, U.S. WILL SUPPORT ITS ADOPTION WITHOUT AMENDMENT LARGELY BECAUSE OF U.S. DESIRE TO REMOVE OBSTACLES TO EFFECTIVE WFC DELIBERATIONS, AND ALSO BECAUSE U.S. IS CONVINCED DRAFT RULES ADEQUATELY REFLECT INTERESTS OF ALL CONCERNED PARTIES;
(E) WE ASK RESPECTIVE HOST COUNTRIES TO JOIN U.S. IN SUPPORTING ACCEPTANCE DRAFT RULES AND DRAFT RESOLUTION AS RECOMMENDED BY WG, I.E., WITHOUT AMENDMENT.
FOR CAIRO. DR. SAYED MAREI (EGYPT) SERVED AS SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE WORLD FOOD CONFERENCE AND IS THE CURRENT PRESIDENT OF THE WORLD FOOD COUNCIL. EMBASSY REP SHOULD INDICATE OUR CONTINUING SUPPORT FOR DR. MAREI AND REQUEST HE DO ALL HE CAN IN THE COUNCIL PREPARATORY SESSION TO EXPEDITE AGREEMENT ON THE DRAFT RULES.
FOR MEXICO. REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT CHAIRED THE RULES OF PROCEDURE WORKING GROUP SESSIONS. THEY WERE TO A LARGE EXTENT RESPONSIBLE FOR ACHIEVING THE AGREEMENT REACHED IN THE WORKING GROUP. THE EMBASSY MAY REQUEST MEXICO CONTINUE TO TAKE A LEADERSHIP ROLE WITH THE VIEW TO QUICK ENDORSEMENT OF THE DRAFT RULES.
EARLY RESPONSES REQUESTED. ADDRESSEES MAY DRAW ON BACKGROUND INFORMATION AS APPROPRIATE.
FOR USUN, CONAKRY AND LIBREVILLE. NO ACTION REQUESTED.
BACKGROUND:
3. THE FIRST SESSION OF THE WFC ESTABLISHED AN AD HOC WORKING GROUP (WG) ON THE WFC DRAFT RULES OF PROCEDURE WHICH MADE LITTLE PROGRESS. A SECOND SESSION MET FOR ONE WEEK IN OCTOBER 1975 AND A RESUMED SECOND SESSION MET IN JANUARY 1976. THE WG FINALLY AGREED IN JANUARY ON A TEXT OF DRAFT RULES AND A DRAFT RESOLUTION TO BE ENDORSED BY THE WFC WHICH, UPON ADOPTION BY THE UNGA, WILL GIVE LEGAL EFFECT TO CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF THE DRAFT RULES OF PROCEDURE. THE WG HAS RECOMMENDED THAT THE DRAFT RULES BE ADOPTED AND THE DRAFT RESOLUTION BE ENDORSED BY THE COUNCIL AT ITS NEXT (JUNE 14-16) SESSION. THE U.S. IS A MEMBER OF THE WFC AND WAS AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE WG.
4. THE ORIGINAL TEXT OF DRAFT RULES PREPARED BY THE WFC SECRETARIAT (WFC/2) WAS GENERALLY REFLECTIVE OF RULES OF PROCEDURE FOUND IN COMPARABLE UN BODIES. NEVERTHELESS, THE FIRST MEETING OF THE WG BROUGHT OUT THAT (A) SOME MEMBERS WERE MORE FAMILIAR WITH FAO THAN THE UN AND, PERHAPS FOR VARYING REASONS, UNWILLING TO RECOGNIZE THE WFC AS A UN ORGAN ACCOUNTABLE TO UN PRINCIPLES AND RULES: (B) A NUMBER OF DEVELOPING COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVES WERE DISPLEASED WITH THE MANNER IN WHICH THE UN SECRETARY-GENERAL HAD APPOINTED AN AMERICAN TO HEAD THE WFC SECRETARIAT; AND (C) AS A RESULT OF THE FOREGOING, THE DEVELOPING COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVES WISHED TO ALTER RADICALLY THE WORKING RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN THE WFC (E.G., BY GIVING THE WFC PRESIDENT--CURRENTLY AN EGYPTIAN--RESPONSIBILITIES AND FUNCTIONS WHICH PROPERLY RESIDED IN THE SECRETARIAT), AND WISHED TO AMEND THE RULES OF PROCEDURE TO ACCOMPLISH THEIR GOALS. THE PRESENT TEXT REACHED AFTER EXTENDED NEGOTIATIONS CONTAINS THE TWO MAIN POINTS THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES HAD SOUGHT, NAMELY, (A) THE TITLE OF THE HEAD OF THE WFC SECRETARIAT SHALL BE CHANGED FROM “EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR” TO “EXECUTIVE SECRETARY” (OSTENSIBLY A DOWNGRADING OF HIS STATUS); AND (B) THE “EXECUTIVE SECRETARY” SHALL BE APPOINTED FOR A FOUR-YEAR TERM BY THE UN SECRETARY-GENERAL, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE FAO DIRECTOR-GENERAL, AND SUBJECT TO UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY APPROVAL (A QUALIFICATION ON THE SECRETARY GENERAL’S APPOINTMENT POWER). BOTH OF THESE PROVISIONS ARE FOOT-NOTED (AT THE SUGGESTION OF THE UN LEGAL COUNSEL) TO INDICATE THAT THEY CANNOT HAVE LEGAL EFFECT UNTIL APPROVED BY THE UNGA. THIS IS WHY THE WG ALSO PREPARED A DRAFT RESOLUTION FOR UNGA ADOPTION.
5. WHILE SEVERAL DEVELOPING COUNTRY PARTICIPANTS (NOTABLY MEXICO, PAKISTAN AND YUGOSLAVIA) ON THE WG SUPPORTED THE WG RESULTS, THE REPRESENTATIVES OF GUINEA (CAMARA) AND GABON (LAPEBY) DISASSOCIATED THEMSELVES FROM ALL OR PART OF THE RESULTS, AND INDICATED THAT THEY WILL RAISE THEIR OBJECTIONS AT THE NEXT SESSION OF THE WFC. THEIR OBJECTIONS SEEM TO BE THE RESULT OF UNFAMILIARITY WITH (OR WILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT) THE APPLICABLE UN RULES AND PRINCIPLES. THAT THE CURRENT TEXT OF THE DRAFT RULES AND DRAFT RESOLUTION IS GENERALLY ACCEPTABLE TO THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES IS EVIDENCED BY THE SUPPORT GIVEN THOSE TEXTS IN THE WG BY ITS OTHER DEVELOPING COUNTRY MEMBERS (BANGLADESH, CUBA, KENYA, MEXICO, PAKISTAN, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO AND YUGOSLAVIA).
6. THOUGH THE DRAFT RULES AND DRAFT RESOLUTION SHOULD BE ACCEPTABLE AS CURRENTLY DRAFTED, THE DEPARTMENT IS CONCERNED THAT IF PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN THE REPRESENTATIVES OF GUINEA (MEMBER) AND GABON (OBSERVER),OR OTHERS, MAY SPEND AN INORDINATE AMOUNT OF THE WFC’S TIME DISCUSSING THE RULES OF PROCEDURE, AND MAY EVEN SUCCEED IN CONVINCING THE WFC TO REOPEN THE SUBJECT. NEITHER RESULT WOULD BE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE WFC. SISCO
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files. Limited Official Use. Drafted by Surena and Billo; cleared by Taylor, Washburn (for information), and in USDA; and approved by Byrnes. Sent to Multilateral Affairs Officers at Bamako, Bangkok, Belgrade, Bogota, Bonn, Bucharest, Budapest, Buenos Aires, Cairo, Canberra, Caracas, Colombo, Dacca, Guatemala, Islamabad, Jakarta, Kigali, London, Mexico, Mogadishu, Moscow, Nairobi, Ndjamena, New Delhi, Nouakchott, Ottawa, Paris, Port of Spain, Stockholm, Tehran, Tokyo. Also sent to Rome for FODAG. Repeated to Conarky, Libreville, and USUN.↩
- The Department instructed selected posts to request support for U.S. positions on issues to be addressed at the second session of the World Food Council.↩