Sri Lanka was elected by acclamation as a member of the FAO Council at the election of the members of the Council, during the 36th Session of the FAO Conference, held last week at the FAO headquarters in Rome returning to the FAO Council six years after it was elected to the 2001-2003 term.

China, Japan, The Philippines, South Korea and Thailand, all belonging to the Asia Group of the FAO, were also elected for the term November 2009-June 2012.

The FAO Council is the main executive organ of the Organization. It has 49 members out of the 192 member nations, and has powers delegated to it by the FAO Conference. In particular, it exercises functions dealing with the world food and agricultural situation and related matters, current and prospective activities of the Organization, including the Programme of Work and Budget, administrative matters, financial management of the Organization, and constitutional questions.

Sri Lanka’s nomination was submitted by India and Pakistan. Sri Lanka was able to secure a seat in the Council after six years, as a result of the active participation in the FAO activities by the Permanent Representation of Sri Lanka to the FAO led by Ambassador Hemantha Warnakulasuriya in Rome and the effective campaign carried out among the 192 member nations of the FAO.

The fact that India agreed to propose Sri Lanka, and Pakistan agreed to second it, as well as Bangladesh deciding not to contest Sri Lanka was significant, diplomats said.

Sri Lanka, which became a member of the FAO in 1948, has received assistance from FAO financially as well as technically in order to develop the Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, Forestry and Environment sectors of the country. FAO, which works closely with the Government of Sri Lanka, currently supports development oriented programmes as well as emergency response projects.   It has provided technical and financial assistance worth of US $ 25,551,420  to Sri Lanka during the last two years.

The FAO has also undertaken a needs assessment and rehabilitation programme formulation mission to Sri Lanka to develop the food production sector in the North, following a request made by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to Dr. Jacques Diouf, Director General of the FAO.