Food and Agriculture Organization

The 31st session of the Council of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) was held in Rome, June 15–24, 1959. At the onset, the Council was reminded of the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the UN Technical Assistance Program under which FAO had received about $60 million for participation in its operations. At present the Program was facing constrictions due to a deterioration of its financial position causing, in turn, curtailments in FAO's part of the program. The Council also was reminded that since its last session the UN Special Fund had commenced its activities and had requested FAO to be the executing agency for five of its projects—the survey of the Volta River flood plain in Ghana, a pilot project on ground-water development in Greece, one on watershed management in Israel, and two in the United Arab Republic: one for draining land, and another for conducting a soil survey. The Council heard reports concerning and discussed the developments of the Freedom-From-Hunger campaign, the control of foot-and-mouth disease, and FAO's joint programs with the UN Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF). A report from the Committee on Commodity Problems emphasized the continued growth of surpluses and the unfavorable terms of trade which were causing hardships in agricultural exporting countries. The resolutions passed by the Council pertained to administrative and financial matters, e.g., the scale of contributions, the establishment of a publications revolving fund, and so on.