Statute of the Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization

E/RES/2013/4View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the Economic and Social Council, under agenda item 10 Regional cooperation, published in 2013.

What other versions does this mandate have?

2 versions · 2013–2016

This is an older version — the most recent is E/ESCAP/RES/72/2

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
2016	E/ESCAP/RES/72/2	Statute of the Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization : Resolution / Adopted by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific	—	—
2013	E/RES/2013/4	Statute of the Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization	1,440	–

What’s in this document?

39 operative paragraphs

Endorses the revised statute of the Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization, as set out in the annex to the present resolution.

Statute of the Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization

Establishment

The Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization (hereinafter “the Centre”) was established as the Asian and Pacific Centre for Agricultural Engineering and Machinery on 22 May 2002 pursuant to Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific resolution 58/5 of the same date, and subsequently superseded by the United Nations Asian and Pacific Centre for Agricultural Engineering and Machinery through Commission resolution 61/3 of 18 May 2005.

The membership of the Centre shall be identical to the membership of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (hereinafter “the Commission”).

The Centre shall have the status of a subsidiary body of the Commission.

Objectives

The objectives of the Centre are to enhance technical cooperation among the members and associate members of the Commission as well as other interested States Members of the United Nations, through extensive exchange of information and sharing of knowledge, and to promote research and development and agro-enterprise development in the areas of sustainable agricultural mechanization and technology for the attainment of the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, in the region.

Functions

The Centre shall achieve the objectives set out above through the undertaking of such functions as:

Assistance in the improvement of agricultural engineering and sustainable agricultural mechanization;

Enhancement of farm mechanization technologies in addressing issues related to subsistence farming for increased food security and poverty reduction and in promoting agro-based small and medium-sized enterprise development and commercial farming, to seize opportunities for increased market access and agro-food trade;

Focus on an agro-based enterprise cluster concept and enterprise development activities to enhance the capabilities of members in identifying potential agricultural commodities in their respective countries on a clustering basis;

Regional cooperation in green agro-technology transfer, including through the networking of focal point national institutes in countries members of the Centre and other relevant institutions;

Setting-up of an interactive Internet website to allow members full access to information and technology databases, including the sharing of expert systems and decision support systems in the financial management of small and medium-sized enterprises;

Promotion of the process of technology transfer from research and development institutes to the agricultural and farm machinery extension systems in member countries for poverty reduction;

Assistance in the dissemination and exchange of sustainable and commercially successful machinery and related drawings of appropriate tools, machines and equipment;

Technical assistance projects, capacity-building programmes, training workshops and seminars and advisory services on sustainable agricultural mechanization and related food safety standards;

Tapping the resources of developed countries in building the capacity of member countries.

Status and organization

The Centre shall have a Governing Council (hereinafter “the Council”), a Director, staff and a Technical Committee.

The Centre is located in Beijing.

The Centre’s activities shall be in line with relevant policy decisions adopted by the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and the Commission. The Centre shall be subject to the Financial Regulations and Rules of the United Nations,² the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and the applicable administrative instructions.

²ST/SGB/2003/7 and Amend.1.

Governing Council

The Centre shall have a Governing Council, consisting of a representative designated by the Government of China and eight representatives nominated by other members and associate members of the Commission elected by the Commission. The members and associate members elected by the Commission shall be elected for a period of three years but shall be eligible for re-election. The Executive Secretary or his or her representative shall attend meetings of the Council.

The Director of the Centre shall serve as Secretary of the Council.

Representatives of (a) States that are not members of the Council; (b) United Nations bodies and specialized and related agencies; and (c) such other organizations as the Council may deem appropriate, as well as experts in fields of interest to the Council, may be invited by the Executive Secretary to attend meetings of the Council.

The Council shall meet at least once a year and may adopt its own rules of procedure. Sessions of the Council shall be convened by the Executive Secretary of the Commission, who may propose special sessions of the Council at his or her own initiative and shall convene such special sessions at the request of a majority of Council members.

A quorum for meetings of the Council shall be a majority of its members.

Each member of the Council shall have one vote. Decisions and recommendations of the Council shall be made by consensus or, where that is not possible, by a majority of the members present and voting.

The Council shall, at each regular session, elect a Chairperson and a Vice-Chairperson. They shall hold office until the next regular session of the Council. The Chairperson or, in his or her absence, the Vice-Chairperson, shall preside at meetings of the Council. If the Chairperson is unable to serve for the full term for which she or he has been elected, the Vice-Chairperson shall act as Chairperson for the remainder of that term.

The Council shall review the administration and financial status of the Centre and the implementation of its programme of work. The Executive Secretary shall submit an annual report, as adopted by the Council, to the Commission at its annual sessions.

Director and staff

The Centre shall have a Director, and staff, who shall be Commission staff members appointed under the appropriate United Nations regulations, rules and administrative instructions. The Director shall be appointed in a manner consistent with United Nations regulations and rules. The Council shall be invited to nominate candidates for the position of Director, once the vacancy is announced, and provide advice, as appropriate. Other members and associate members of the Commission may also submit nominations for the post.

The Director shall be responsible to the Executive Secretary of the Commission for the administration of the Centre and the implementation of its programme of work.

Technical Committee

The Centre shall have a Technical Committee consisting of experts from members and associate members of the Commission as well as intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations. Members and associate members of the Commission shall be invited to propose candidates for the Technical Committee. Members of the Technical Committee shall be appointed by the Director in consultation with the Executive Secretary. The Director may also invite governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental institutions to propose experts who would best contribute to Technical Committee discussions on a specific topic.

The Technical Committee shall be responsible for advising the Director on the formulation of the programme of work and on other technical matters concerning the Centre’s operations.

Reports of meetings of the Technical Committee, with the Director’s observations thereon, shall be submitted to the Council at its next session.

The Chairperson of the Technical Committee shall be elected by the Committee itself at each meeting.

Resources of the Centre

All members and associate members of the Commission should be encouraged to make a regular annual contribution to the operations of the Centre. The United Nations shall administer a joint contribution trust fund in which those contributions shall be deposited.

The Centre shall endeavour to mobilize sufficient resources to support its activities.

The United Nations shall maintain separate trust funds for voluntary contributions for technical cooperation projects or other extraordinary voluntary contributions for activities of the Centre.

The financial resources of the Centre shall be administered in accordance with the Financial Regulations and Rules of the United Nations.

Amendments

Amendments to the present statute shall be adopted by the Commission.

Matters not covered by the present statute

In the event of any procedural matter arising that is not covered by the present statute or rules of procedure adopted by the Governing Council under paragraph 12 of the present statute, the pertinent part of the rules of procedure of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific shall apply.

Entry into force

The present statute shall enter into force on the date of its adoption by the Commission.

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

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