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333 Cabinet Submission by Makin

Agendum 728A [CANBERRA, 28 June 1946]

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION

The Food and Agriculture Organization is now becoming effectively
established as an integral part of the new international machinery
of the United Nations. The First Conference, to which Australia
sent a delegation, was held in Quebec in the latter half of 1945.

Following the Conference, steps have been taken to build up a
permanent secretariat to carry out its functions.

2. A request has been received from the Director-General of the
Food and Agriculture Organization that an Australian F.A.0.

Committee be set up to provide an effective liaison between the
appropriate agencies in Australia and the Secretariat of the
Organization for the fulfilment of the purposes of F.A.O. [1] (See
Appendix 'A'). Following this, a further letter has been received
from F.A.O. [2] indicating the type of action which is being taken
in other countries, particularly the United States (See Appendix
'B').

3. In view of the Director-General's letter and the further
development of F.A.O., it has become necessary to reconsider the
arrangements for handling F.A.0. affairs in Australia. In
approving on 12th September, 1944, that a Bill be presented to
Parliament for Australia to adopt the Constitution of F.A.O.,
Cabinet also decided that an inter-departmental committee
comprising representatives of the Departments of External Affairs,
Treasury, Postwar Reconstruction, Commerce & Agriculture and
Health, should be appointed generally to consider matters
associated with this subject as they arose and to report to the
Minister for External Affairs. [3]

4. The present inter-departmental committee established at that
time has considered the Director-General's letter in relation to
the future work involved. Participation in F.A.0. will involve
regular preparation of reports on various subjects, the continuous
collection and presentation of statistics and making available the
services of expert personnel. It will be necessary to formulate
Government policy on a number of issues and to make known widely
the work and objectives of F.A.0. From time to time, certain
action to be taken by member governments in pursuance of its
objectives is likely to be recommended, which will require advice
and initiative from the appropriate Australian instrumentalities.

It is suggested by the present inter-departmental committee that
it should be replaced by a larger Australian F.A.0. Committee as
suggested by the Director-General of F.A.0. which would include
representation of all the main Commonwealth agencies concerned. It
proposes that the new Australian F.A.0. Committee should be
responsible, through its members, for making appropriate
arrangements in these matters, and for tendering advice to Cabinet
as necessary.

5. As strictly agricultural matters are handled mainly by State
Governments and agencies, it is thought that effective liaison
with them will be most important for the success of F.A.0.

purposes, and that the most appropriate channel would be through
the Department of Commerce & Agriculture and the Australian
Agricultural Council.

6. It is proposed by the Committee that the Chairman should be
nominated by the Secretary of the Department of Commerce and
Agriculture, and that it should be served by a joint secretariat
provided by the Departments of Commerce & Agriculture and External
Affairs, to ensure close contact with the Chairman, with the work
of other international bodies, and with international channels of
communication.

7. The present Inter-departmental committee also examined the
suggestion of the Director-General of F.A.0. to include outside
non-governmental representatives, and the possibility of setting
up a second committee consisting largely of outside persons whose
function would be mainly that of public relations. The importance
of building up the widest possible public interest and
participation in the work of F.A.0. was recognized. It was
decided, however, that this question should be deferred until the
F.A.0. Secretariat had been developed further and the exact nature
of its work had become clear. Only then would it be possible to
define the functions of a second committee with the degree of
exactitude necessary for effective action. The matter should,
therefore, be considered later in the light of further
development. In the meantime, it was thought that the facilities
of the Department of Information would be sufficient to provide
all the publicity required.

8. It is probable that F.A.0. Secretariat will be functioning
fairly fully towards the end of this year. A number of vacancies
on its staff have been notified which are open to subjects of all
member countries who possess the requisite qualifications.

Necessary steps have been taken to advertise these vacancies in
the Australian press, and to make provision for appropriate
recommendations to the Director-General of F.A.0. regarding the
applications received.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

9. The other Ministers concerned have concurred in these
proposals, and it is recommended that:-

(a) The present Inter-departmental Committee be replaced by an
Australian Food and Agriculture Organization Committee to be set
up in conformity with the request of the Director-General of
F.A.O., comprising representatives of the following Commonwealth
departments and agencies:-

Commerce & Agriculture Bureau of Agricultural
External Affairs Economics (now with
Treasury Department of Postwar
Health Reconstruction)
Information Council for Scientific and
Labour & National Service Industrial Research
Commonwealth Statistician
Forestry and Timber Bureau
(b) The Australian F.A.0. Committee have the following duties and
responsibilities:-

(i) Advising the Government on policy questions in regard to
F.A.0.

(ii) Collecting the information and statistics required by F.A.0.

Secretariat from Australia and approving such matter prior to
despatch.

(iii) Disseminating information provided by F.A.0.

(iv) Bringing to the notice of appropriate authorities any action
required on their part to carry out the purposes of F.A.0.

(v) Preparing the draft brief for Australian representatives
attending the Conferences and other meetings of F.A.0.

(vi) Furnishing a quarterly progress report to Cabinet and
reporting at other times as circumstances require.

(vii) Arranging suitable publicity for F.A.0. activities through
the Department of Information; and
(viii) co-operating with State authorities through the Department
of Commerce & Agriculture and the Australian Agricultural Council.

(c) The Committee's Chairman be nominated by the Department of
Commerce and Agriculture and its Secretariat be provided jointly
by the Departments of Commerce & Agriculture and External Affairs.

(d) The question of including non-governmental representatives or
of establishing a second committee be deferred for later
consideration when F.A.0. is fully established.

(e) That the Director-General of F.A.0. be informed of the action
being taken by the Australian Government. [4]

N. J. 0. MAKIN
Acting Minister for External Affairs

1 Orr's letter to Eggleston, dated 7 February, proposed a national
liation F.A.O. commitee in each member country, comprising
representatives relevant government departments and of non-
governmental bodies such as agricultural organisations.

2 Dated 2 April and requesting information on the composition and
terms of reference of Australia's national F.A.0. committee.

3 Agendum 728. See Volume VII, Document 272.

4 Cabinet approved the recommendation on 3 July, stipulating that
the Dept of the Interior be included on the committee in place of
the Dept of Labour and National Service.


[AA:A2700, VOL. 12, i]
Last Updated: 11 September 2013
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