The Contracting Nations,
Considering
the statutes of the International Poplar Commission established in 1947 in pursuance
of a proposal by the French Government following an International Poplar Week held
in Paris,
the intention of the founders of the International Poplar Commission to establish
it under the aegis of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations,
the views expressed by the Ninth Session of the Conference of the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations in Resolution 47/57 regarding the desirability
of avoiding any ambiguity with respect to the legal status of bodies promoted by the
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and of clarifying their legal
relationship with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and
reaffirming
the desirability of promoting international cooperation in the study of all scientific,
technical, social and economic aspects of Poplar cultivation,
The International Poplar Commission (hereinafter referred to as ,,the Commission”)
shall be placed within the framework of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations (hereinafter referred to as ,,the Organization”) and the present Convention
whose object is to achieve that purpose shall be governed by the provisions of Article
XIV of the Constitution of the Organization.
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2 The Commission may, by a two-thirds majority of its membership, admit to membership
such other States that are Members of the United Nations, any of its Specialized Agencies
or the International Atomic Energy Agency as have submitted an application for membership
and a declaration made in a formal instrument that they accept this Convention as
in force at the time of admission.
The functions of the Commission shall be:
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(a) to study the scientific, technical, social and economic aspects of poplar and willow
cultivation,
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(b) to promote the exchange of ideas and material between research workers, producers
and users,
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(c) to arrange joint research programs,
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(d) to stimulate the organization of congresses combined with study tours,
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(e) to report and make recommendations to the Conference of Organization, through the
Director-General of the Organization, and
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(f) to make recommendations to National Poplar Commissions, through the Director-General
of the Organization and the governments concerned.
Article IV. Establishment of National Poplar Commissions
Each contracting Nation shall make provision as soon as possible and to the best of
its ability, either for the establishment of a National Poplar Commission, or, if
not possible, for the designation of some other suitable national body, and shall
transmit a description of the competence and scope of the National Commission or other
body and of any changes thereto, to the Director-General of the Organization who shall
circulate this information to the other Member Nations of the Commission. Each contracting
Nation shall communicate to the Director-General the publications of its National
Commission or other body.
Article V. Seat of the Commission
The seat of the Commission shall be in Rome at the Headquarters of the Organization.
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1 Each Member Nation of the Commission shall be represented at sessions of the Commission
by a single delegate who may be accompanied by an alternate and by experts and advisors.
Alternates, experts and advisors may take part in the proceedings of the Commission
but not vote, except in the case of an alternate who is duly authorized to substitute
for the delegate. Each Member Nation of the Commission shall have one vote. Decisions
of the Commission shall be taken by a majority of the votes cast except as otherwise
provided in this Convention. A majority of the Member Nations of the Commission shall
constitute a quorum.
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2 The Director-General of the Organization, in consultation with the Chairman of the
Executive Committee of the Commission, shall convene a regular session of the Commission
once every four years. Special sessions of the Commission may be convened by the Director-General
in consultation with the Chairman of the Executive Committee, or if requested by the
Commission, or by at least one third of the Member Nations of the Commission.
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4 The Commission shall elect, at the beginning of each session, from amongst the delegates,
a Chairman and two Vice-Chairmen.
Article VII. Executive Committee
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2 Twelve members of the Executive Committee shall be elected by the Commission from
among individuals nominated by Member Nations of the Commission upon the suggestion
of their respective National Poplar Commissions. Members of the Executive Committee
shall be appointed in their personal capacity because of their special competence,
and shall serve for a period of four years. Members of the Executive Committee shall
be eligible for re-election.
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3 The Executive Committee may, in order to ensure the co-operation of the necessary
specialists, co-opt one to five additional members under the same conditions as are
provided for in paragraph 2 above. The term of office of the additional members shall
expire with the term of the elected members.
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4 The Executive Committee shall, between sessions of the Commission, act on behalf of
the Commission as its executive organ. The Executive Committee shall in particular
make proposals to the Commission regarding the general orientation and the program
of work of the Commission, study technical questions and implement the program as
approved by the Commission.
A Secretary of the Commission shall be appointed by the Director-General of the Organization
from amongst the senior staff of the Organization and shall be responsible to the
Director-General. The Secretary shall perform such duties as the work of the Commission
may require.
Article IX. Subsidiary Bodies
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1 The Commission may, if necessary, establish sub-commissions, committees or working
parties, subject to the availability of the necessary funds in the relevant chapter
of the approved budget of the Organization. Sessions of such sub-commissions, committees
or working parties shall be convened by the Director-General of the Organization in
consultation with the Chairman of such body.
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2 Membership in subsidiary bodies shall be open to all Member Nations of the Commission,
or shall consist of selected Member Nations of the Commission, or of individuals appointed
in their personal capacity, as determined by the Commission.
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1 Expenses incurred by delegates of Member Nations of the Commission and of their alternates
and advisors, when attending sessions of the Commission, or subsidiary bodies, as
well as the expenses incurred by observers, shall be borne by the respective governments
or organizations.
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5 When the Commission or Executive Committee hold sessions elsewhere than at the seat
of the Commission, all additional expenses related to such sessions shall be borne
by the host government. The expenses for publications relating to sessions of the
Commission other than the reports of such sessions, of the Executive Committee and
subsidiary bodies shall be borne by the host government.
Article XI. Rules of Procedure
The Commission may, by a majority of two-thirds of its membership, adopt and amend
its own rules of procedure, which shall be consistent with the General Rules of the
Organization. The Rules of the Commission and any amendment thereto shall come into
force upon approval by the Director-General of the Organization, and as from the date
of such approval.
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3 Amendments shall become effective only with the concurrence of the Conference of the
Organization and as from the date of such concurrence. The Director-General of the
Organization shall inform all Member Nations of the Commission, all Member Nations
and Associate Members of the Organization and the Secretary-General of the United
Nations of such amendments.
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4 Amendments involving new obligations for Member Nations of the Commission shall come
into force in respect of each Member Nation only upon acceptance by it. The instruments
of acceptance of amendments involving new obligations shall be deposited with the
Director-General of the Organization. The Director-General of the Organization shall
inform all Member Nations of the Commission, all Member Nations and Associate Members
of the Organization and the Secretary-General of the United Nations of such acceptance.
The rights and obligations of any Member Nation of the Commission that has not accepted
an amendment involving additional obligations shall continue to be governed by the
provisions of the Convention in force prior to the amendment.
Article XIV. Territorial Application
Member Nations of the Commission shall, when accepting this Convention, state explicitly
to which territories their participation shall extend. In the absence of such a declaration,
participation shall be deemed to apply to all the territories for the international
relations of which the Member Nation of the Commission is responsible. Subject to
the provisions of Article XVI, paragraph 2 below, the scope of the territorial application
may be modified by a subsequent declaration.
Article XV. Interpretation and Settlement of Disputes
Any dispute regarding the interpretation or application of this Convention, if not
settled by the Commission, shall be referred to a committee composed of one member
appointed by each of the parties to the dispute, and in addition an independent chairman
chosen by the members of the committee. The recommendations of such a committee, while
not binding in character, shall become the basis for renewed consideration by the
parties concerned of the matter out of which the disagreement arose. If as the result
of this procedure the dispute is not settled, it shall be referred to the International
Court of Justice in accordance with the Statute of the Court, unless the parties to
the dispute agree to another method of settlement.
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1 Any Member Nation of the Commission may give notice of withdrawal from the Commission
at any time after the expiry of one year from the date of its acceptance of this Convention.
Such notice of withdrawal shall take effect six months after the date of its receipt
by the Director-General of the Organization who shall inform all Member Nations of
the Commission, all Member Nations and Associate Members of the Organization and the
Secretary-General of the United Nations of such receipt.
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2 A Member Nation of the Commission that is responsible for the international relations
of more than one territory shall, when giving notice of its own withdrawal from the
Commission, state to which territory or territories the withdrawal is to apply. In
the absence of such a declaration, the withdrawal shall be deemed to apply to all
the territories for the international relations of which the Member Nation of the
Commission is responsible. A Member Nation of the Commission may give notice of withdrawal
with respect to one or more of the territories for the international relations of
which it is responsible. Any Member Nation of the Commission that gives notice of
withdrawal from the Organization shall be deemed to have simultaneously withdrawn
from the Commission, and this withdrawal shall be deemed to apply to all the territories
for the international relations of which the nation concerned is responsible, with
the exception of Associate Members.
Article XVII. Termination
This Convention shall be considered terminated if and when the number of Member Nations
of the Commission falls below 6 unless the remaining Member Nations of the Commission
unanimously decide otherwise subject to the approval of the Conference of the Organization.
The Director-General of the Organization shall inform all Member Nations of the Commission,
all Member Nations and Associate Members of the Organization and the Secretary-General
of the United Nations of such termination.
Article XVIII. Entry into Force
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2 With respect to such nations as are already Members of the Commission and who become
parties to the present Convention, the provisions of this Convention shall replace
the provisions of the statutes of the International Poplar Commission adopted at the
second session of the Commission held on 20 to 28 April 1948 in Italy.
Article XIX. Authentic Languages
The English, French and Spanish texts of this Convention shall be equally authentic.
