Food and Agriculture Organization

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (English Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, FAO, French Organisation des Nations Unies pour l' alimentation et l'agriculture, ONUAA ), referred to in the German language as a Food and Agriculture Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations based in Rome.

It has the task to improve the production and distribution of agricultural products in general and food in particular the world to ensure the food and improving the standard of living. To this end it has developed such as the Codex Alimentarius, which defines international standards for food safety.

Tasks and objectives

The tasks and objectives of the FAO are laid down in the Constitution of the FAO, more precisely in the Preamble to the Constitution. The most important are:

  • Raising the nutritional and living standards of the peoples
  • Improve the production and distribution of food
  • Improve the living conditions of the rural population
  • Contribution to the development of the world economy, and thus to free the people from hunger

Here, the FAO must not interfere in the political circumstances of its Member States.

The main means to carry out these tasks, the technical assistance, especially for less developed regions. So about the transfer of technical know -how for the production of food. In reality, this unwanted technology transfer provide, however, many problems in the way. Above all applicable patents that prohibit the free sharing of knowledge, moreover, also adverse political conditions in recipient regions, as well as the cultural differences between rural and industrialized regions.

Looking at the tasks, so you can see that there is a number of overlaps with the areas of responsibility of other UN specialized agencies, which may lead to conflicts about with the WHO and the World Bank.

History

As predecessor the existing 1905-1944 " International Agricultural Institute " based in Rome can be considered.

The proposal for the establishment of the FAO was introduced in 1943 during a UN conference in Hot Springs (USA). Following this proposal, a committee was formed and tasked to prepare for the establishment of the new organization.

Two years later, on October 16, 1945 signed the first 42 Member States in Québec ( Canada ) the Memorandum. The FAO was thus a new official agency of the United Nations and had its seat (up to 1951) in Washington DC (USA). Commemorates the anniversary every year since the also " Welthungertag " said World Food Day as a UN Remembrance Day.

In 1951, the FAO moved from Wahington DC to Rome.

Since 2008, a program for reforming the organization.

Members

Since the FAO is one of the so-called " autonomous specialized agencies " of the UN, are countries that are members of the UN are not automatically members of the FAO. It is also possible - and already happened - that states are member who are not members of the UN. At the beginning (1945 ), the FAO had 42 Member States today (2011) are 191 States and the EU Member States federal government.

If a State member of FAO, as he thereby incurs commitments, see " Mission ". In order to create comprehensive international statistics and databases, requires the FAO states also to provide their data, especially in the areas of food, agriculture and forestry.

Fields of activity

The activities of the FAO include four areas:

  • The FAO acts as a knowledge network. In the FAO working plant and forest scientists, fisheries and livestock specialists, nutritionists, social scientists, economists, statisticians and other professionals. Collect, analyze and disseminate data. The FAO website is called a million times a month. The FAO publishes hundreds of newsletters, reports, books, magazines, CD -ROMs and electronic data. The FAO operates several online communities, such as the oriented projects of the ICT application in agriculture e - Agriculture or the specialized on food security issues FSN Forum.
  • The FAO shares her policy expertise. She advises Member States in the agricultural and development policy.
  • The FAO provides a forum for States. Each day, dozens of politicians and experts from around the world to discuss important food and agricultural issues.
  • The FAO brings knowledge for practice. It serves thousands of projects around the world. It mobilizes and has millions of dollars from industrialized countries and development banks. The FAO provides technical knowledge and in some cases financial support also. In times of crisis it is working with the World Food Programme and other humanitarian organizations.

Organizational structure

The conference

The supreme body of the FAO Conference, the so-called. It occurs normally every two years (including special sessions are possible) and elects the Director General for a term of six years (with each member state has one vote ). Its main activity is to decide on the budget of the organization and on its work program.

The Council and the Council President

Between meetings, the Conference of the FAO Council shall exercise the control function of the organization. It consists of 49 representatives of the Member States whose term of office is three years and meet two times per year. The Council's work is supported by committees, commissions, committees, working groups and expert panels. As the Council has an oversight function, then the Chairman of the Council (independent chairman of the council) are compared to that of a chairman.

The Secretariat and the Director-General

The Secretariat is the executive body of the FAO, the Director-General is the head of the Secretariat. He is assisted by a Deputy Director General.

The Secretariat is structured as follows:

  • "Office of the Director General " seven " departments " ( departments) The seven departments are subdivided each into " Divisions ". The divisions are subdivided respectively in "Services".

The seven major divisions ( departments) are initially the technical:

  • For Economic and Social Policy,
  • Of Agriculture,
  • Of Fisheries,
  • Of Forestry and
  • For development.

So are,

  • For Administration and Finance, and the
  • General Affairs and Information.

In addition there are a number of other units and programs that are also subject to the general manager.

Offices and Employees

In addition to its headquarters in Italy, FAO is present in another 130 countries.

As part of the international bureaucracy in the bureaucratic apparatus of the FAO constantly continues to grow. In 1980, she already had 7,500 staff constantly, of which about half worked in Rome. On 1 April 2011, the FAO had 3,691 fixed and long-term employees.

Financing

The FAO has firstly a regular budget funds from the Member States, in addition, also a considerable extraordinary budget funds from va the UN.

The regular budget financed by Member States depending on the size of their national product. In the founding year of the FAO, in 1945, it amounted to $ 2,000,000, in 1978, he already exceeded $ 200 million.

For the two years 2010 and 2011, the regular budget of 1 billion dollars, for the extraordinary budget exceeding $ 1.2 billion are expected.

List of specialized agencies of the United Nations Integrated Authority File
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