Sixty-fifth General Assembly

Plenary

77^th Meeting (PM)

General Assembly, Adopting Resolution, Revises Election Scheme

 

for World Food Programme Executive Board

 

The General Assembly decided this afternoon on new rules for the election of the 36 members of the Executive Board of the World Food Programme (WFP).

Acting on the recommendation of the Economic and Social Council, the Assembly decided, by the terms of a consensus resolution annexed to a note by the Secretary-General on “Revision of the General Regulations of the World Food Programme” (document A/65/768), that the 36 members of the WFP Executive Board would be elected from the States listed in the agency’s basic texts.  It decided that those revisions, subject to the concurrence of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), would take effect from 1 January 2012.

The members would serve three-year terms and be elected as follows:  eight from list A (African States), including four elected by the Economic and Social Council and four by the FAO Council; seven from list B (Asian States), including four by the Economic and Social Council and three by the FAO Council; five from list C (Latin American and Caribbean States), including two by the Economic and Social Council and three by the FAO Council; 12 from list D (Western European and Other States), including six by the Economic and Social Council and six by the FAO Council; and three from list E (Eastern European States), including two by the Economic and Social Council and one by the FAO Council.  

Further to the text one additional member would be elected by the FAO Council on a rotating basis, including a State from list A to occupy a seat every other term, beginning 1 January 2012; another from list B to occupy a seat every fourth term, beginning 1 January 2015; and a third from list C to occupy a seat every fourth term, beginning 1 January 2021.  The rotating seat would rotate permanently among the States in lists A, B and C, without the need for further review, unless the majority of Board members requested it.  Such a review, however, could not occur before the completion of one full rotation scheme of four terms.  

The General Assembly will meet again at a time and date to be announced.

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For information media • not an official record