[ EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 497, January 31, 1978 ]

CREATING COMMITTEES FOR THE FIFTH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT (UNCTAD V)



WHEREAS, the Philippine Government during the Fourth Session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD IV) in Nairobi, Kenya, offered to host the Fifth Session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD V) to be held in Manila on 3 May - 1 June 1979, which offer was accepted by the UNCTAD Trade and Development Board at its seventeenth session and approved by the United Nations General Assembly at its thirty-second session last year;

WHEREAS, the Philippine Government attaches great importance to the Conference which will consider vital questions of trade and development affecting particularly the developing countries;

WHEREAS, it is extremely important that such session of considerable magnitude and significance be efficiently organized and that all governmental and non-governmental agencies concerned should cooperate to ensure its success;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law do hereby order and establish the following Committees that will take charge of the substantive and physical preparations for the Fifth Session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development to the end that the session can bring the desired results to the country and the international community;

1) Committee on Substantive Matters

The Secretary of Foreign Affairs shall be the Chairman, the Secretary of Trade as Co-Chairman, and the Secretary of Finance as Vice-Chairman and the Secretary of Economic Planning as Co-Vice-Chairman. The members of the Committee shall be the Secretary of Industry, Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary of Natural Resources, the Secretary of Social Services and Development, the Secretary of Tourism, Secretary of Public Information, the Governor of the Central Bank, and the President of the Philippine National Bank.

2) Committee on Conference Arrangements

The Committee shall be in charge of preparation for conference facilities and services. The Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs shall be the Chairman, the Undersecretary of Trade as Co-Chairman, and the Assistant Secretary for United Nations Affairs and International Conferences, Department of Foreign Affairs, as Vice-Chairman. The Representatives of the Departments of Finance, Economic Planning, Tourism, Public Works, Industry, Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Public Information, and of the Central Bank, Philippine National Bank, Budget Commission, Immigration Commission, Metro-Manila Commission, the Presidential Security Command, and the National Media Production Center, shall serve as members of this Committee.

The Secretary of Foreign Affairs shall establish a system of per diems and allowances, for secretariat and other service.

The Chairman of each Committee is hereby empowered to request any agency of the Philippine Government to assist in the discharge of the Committees duties and responsibilities and to designate such personnel, including consultants, it may require for the purpose.

The Budget Commission is hereby directed to appropriate and release the amount of P17,550.00 for the financial and operational requirements of the Committees from the Special Activities Fund for 1978.

This Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 31st day of January, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-eight.

(SGD.) FERDINAND E. MARCOS
President of the Philippines

By the President:

(SGD.) JACOBO C. CLAVE
Presidential Executive Assistant