FAO TERM LIMITS: AGREEMENT ON 10 YEAR MAXIMUM AND

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 001558 SIPDIS PARIS FOR UNESCO STATE FOR IO/EDA SHARON KOTOK, SETH WINNICK USDA/FAS LYNN REICH, DICK HUGHES MEXICO CITY FOR BRAKEL FROM FODAG E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC KUNR FAO KUNR AORC FAO SUBJECT: FAO TERM LIMITS: AGREEMENT ON 10 YEAR MAXIMUM AND UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ROME 01558 01 OF 02 111415Z NO TRANSITION MEASURES REF: A) ROME 822, B) SECSTATE 68986 ¶1. SUMMARY: THE FRIENDS OF THE CHAIR ON UN FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION (FAO) DIRECTOR GENERAL TERM LIMITS HELD ITS FIFTH AND FINAL SESSION MARCH 29. THE GROUP AGREED AD REFERENDUM TO A PROPOSAL TO LIMIT TO TWO THE NUMBER OF TERMS THAT A DIRECTOR GENERAL COULD SERVE, WITH THE FIRST TERM BEING SIX YEARS, AND ANY SECOND TERM BEING FOUR YEARS. THE GROUP AGREED THAT THE PROPOSAL WOULD BE SILENT CONCERNING THE INCUMBENT. ONCE APPROVED BY THE JUNE SESSION OF THE FAO COUNCIL, THE PROPOSAL WILL GO FORWARD TO THE NOVEMBER 2003 FAO CONFERENCE FOR FINAL ADOPTION. AS THE PROPOSAL IS NOT RETROACTIVE, THERE IS NO LEGAL BAR TO THE CURRENT DIRECTOR GENERAL RUNNING AGAIN. HOWEVER, THE FIVE SESSIONS OF THE FRIENDS OF THE CHAIR PROVIDED AMPLE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE MAJOR DONORS TO MAKE CLEAR THAT, WERE HE TO DO SO, HE WOULD NOT ENJOY THE SUPPORT OF THOSE COUNTRIES WHICH FUND THE LION'S SHARE OF THE FAO'S BUDGET. IT ALSO SENT A CLEAR SIGNAL TO OTHER REGIONS WITH AN INTEREST IN THE POSITION THAT NEW LEADERSHIP IS AVIDLY SOUGHT. END SUMMARY. ¶2. THE FOURTH AND FIFTH SESSIONS OF THE FRIENDS OF THE CHAIR ON FAO DIRECTOR GENERAL (DG) TERM LIMITS MET MARCH 17 AND MARCH 29. THE INDEPENDENT CHAIR OF FAO COUNCIL, AMBASSADOR MEKOUAR (MOROCCO),CHAIRED THE FOURTH SESSION BY VIDEO-CONFERENCE, AND THE FIFTH AND FINAL SESSION IN PERSON. FOURTH SESSION -------------- UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ROME 01558 01 OF 02 111415Z ¶3. THE FOURTH SESSION WAS DEVOTED TO INCONCLUSIVE DISCUSSION OF LENGTH OF TERM AND THE QUESTION OF TRANSITION MEASURES. THE G-77 RALLIED AROUND A SIX-YEAR TERM AND THE OECD MEMBERS REITERATED SUPPORT FOR A FOUR-YEAR TERM. ON TRANSITION MEASURES, THE U.S., NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA ARGUED FOR A SPECIFIC PROHIBITION ON THE INCUMBENT RUNNING AGAIN. THE EU PUT FORWARD ITS PROPOSAL THAT THE DG BE ALLOWED TO RUN FOR ONE MORE TERM ONLY. THE AFRICAN GROUP RESPONDED INDIGNANTLY THAT THEY WOULD NOT "NEGOTIATE THE RIGHTS OF THE DG" TO RUN AGAIN. ¶4. BRAZIL STATED SPECIFICALLY THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO REFERENCE TO THE INCUMBENT IN THE PROPOSAL. THE FAO LEGAL ADVISER RECONFIRMED THAT SILENCE ON WHAT HAD BEEN CALLED "TRANSITION" MEASURES WOULD BE UNDERSTOOD TO MEAN THAT THE CURRENT DIRECTOR GENERAL WOULD NOT BE AFFECTED RETROACTIVELY BY THE AMENDMENT TO THE BASIC TEXTS, AND THEREFORE COULD RUN AGAIN AND BE TREATED ON THE SAME BASIS AS OTHER CANDIDATES. AMBASSADOR MEKOUAR SUMMARIZED THAT IF THE CHANGE TO THE BASIC TEXTS WAS "NOT DIRECTED AT THE CURRENT INCUMBENT" THEN PERHAPS THE CURRENT INCUMBENT SHOULD NOT BE MENTIONED AT ALL. FIFTH SESSION -------------- ¶5. THE FIFTH AND FINAL SESSION OF THE FRIENDS OF THE CHAIR MET SATURDAY, MARCH 27. ALL MEMBERS AGREED THAT THERE SHOULD BE A TWO TERM MAXIMUM. ON LENGTH OF TERM, MEMBERS RESTATED POSITIONS: G-77: 6 PLUS 6, OECD: 4 PLUS 4. THE U.S., CANADA AND THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA STATED THAT THEY UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 ROME 01558 01 OF 02 111415Z COULD ALSO CONSIDER A 10 YEAR MAXIMUM. THE AFRICAN GROUP LEADER STATED CATEGORICALLY THAT SHE "WOULD NOT TAKE BACK THE FOUR YEAR OPTION" TO HER GROUP. BRAZIL STRONGLY URGED FOR 6 PLUS 6, ARGUING THAT 6 PLUS 4 INTRODUCED AN INAPPROPRIATE "POLITICAL ELEMENT" TO THE DISCUSSION AS IT PLACED AN INCUMBENT ON DIFFERENT TERMS FROM NEW CANDIDATES. ¶6. LEAVING THE LENGTH OF TERM ASIDE, AMBASSADOR MEKOUAR TURNED THE GROUP TO DISCUSSION OF "TRANSITION MEASURES." THE EU RESTATED ITS POSITION OF ALLOWING THE INCUMBENT TO RUN FOR ONE TERM ONLY, BUT ADDED THAT IT COULD ALSO SUPPORT SILENCE ON TRANSITION MEASURES. OTHER OECD MEMBERS STATED THAT THEY COULD ACCEPT SILENCE AND THE G-77 AGREED AS WELL, NOTING THAT THE IMPORTANT ISSUE WAS NOT TO "DISCRIMINATE AMONG CANDIDATES IN ANY WAY." ¶7. TURNING BACK TO LENGTH OF TERM, AMBASSADOR MEKOUAR ASKED IF MEMBERS COULD SUPPORT TWO TERMS, THE FIRST BEING SIX YEARS, AND THE SECOND FOUR. THE GROUP AGREED TO THE PROPOSAL, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF AUSTRALIA, WHO NOTED THAT THE DECISIONS WAS AD REFERENDUM AND HE WOULD NEED TO CONSULT UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PTQ0036 PAGE 01 ROME 01558 02 OF 02 111415Z ACTION IO-00 INFO LOG-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 CIAE-00 INL-00 WHA-00 EB-00 EUR-00 UTED-00 FDRE-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 LAB-01 L-00 NSAE-00 OES-00 OIC-02 SS-00 TEST-00 DRL-01 SAS-00 /005W -------------- 54589A 111439Z /38 R 111410Z APR 03 FM AMEMBASSY ROME TO SECSTATE WASHDC 9220 INFO USDA FAS WASHDC 2614 USMISSION USUN NEW YORK USMISSION GENEVA AMEMBASSY PARIS USEU BRUSSELS 3192 AMEMBASSY MEXICO UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 001558 SIPDIS PARIS FOR UNESCO STATE FOR IO/EDA SHARON KOTOK, SETH WINNICK USDA/FAS LYNN REICH, DICK HUGHES MEXICO CITY FOR BRAKEL FROM FODAG E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC KUNR FAO KUNR AORC FAO SUBJECT: FAO TERM LIMITS: AGREEMENT ON 10 YEAR MAXIMUM AND UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ROME 01558 02 OF 02 111415Z NO TRANSITION MEASURES HIS CAPITAL AS HIS INSTRUCTIONS ONLY WENT SO FAR AS SUPPORTING A TERM OF FOUR YEARS (RENEWABLE ONCE). ON TO COUNCIL -------------- ¶8. THE REPORT OF THE FRIENDS WILL BE FORWARDED TO THE 124TH SESSION OF COUNCIL (JUNE 24-28). IF APPROVED IT WILL BE SENT TO THE FAO COMMITTEE ON CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL MATTERS FOR A LEGAL SCRUB AND THEN ON TO THE NOVEMBER 2003 CONFERENCE. ONCE ADOPTED BY CONFERENCE, IT WILL BE "APPLIED FROM THE THIRTY-THIRD SESSION OF THE CONFERENCE IN 2005" (PER THE 123RD COUNCIL DECISION). THE ELECTIONS FOR DIRECTOR GENERAL WILL BE AT THE CONFERENCE SESSION IN NOVEMBER 2005. COMMENT -------------- ¶9. THE OUTCOME DOES NOT BAR THE CURRENT DG FROM RUNNING AGAIN, OR LIMIT ANY RUN TO JUST ONE TERM (AS THE EU HAD INITIALLY HOPED). ON THE OTHER HAND, WE SUCCESSFULLY AVOIDED ANY ENDORSEMENT, IMPLICIT OR OTHERWISE, OF THE DG'S CANDIDACY SHOULD HE RUN AGAIN. IN ADDITION, THE FIVE SESSIONS OF THE FRIENDS OF THE CHAIR PROVIDED AMPLE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE MAJOR DONORS TO MAKE CLEAR THAT, WERE THE DIRECTOR GENERAL RUN AGAIN, HE WOULD NOT ENJOY THE SUPPORT OF THOSE COUNTRIES WHICH FUND THE LION'S SHARE OF THE FAO'S BUDGET. IT ALSO SENT A CLEAR SIGNAL TO OTHER REGIONS WITH AN INTEREST IN THE POSITION THAT NEW LEADERSHIP IS AVIDLY SOUGHT. HALL UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ROME 01558 02 OF 02 111415Z UNCLASSIFIED > 2003ROME01558 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED