Council And Subsidiary Bodies
International Cocoa Council
The International Cocoa Council is the highest decision-making body of the ICCO
and is composed of all the contracting parties to the International Cocoa
Agreement, 2001. It holds two regular sessions per year, and special sessions
as required. Council sessions are attended by delegations of all cocoa
producing and cocoa consuming Member countries. Members of the Consultative
Board on the World Cocoa Economy participate as observers, as do
delegations from non-Member countries, cocoa sector associations and
international organizations.
The main function of the Council is to determine the strategy of the
Organization in addition to supervising its financial policies and reviewing
and approving its proposed work programme and budget for each cocoa year.
It is the body to which the different committees and working groups report.
The officers of the International Cocoa Council for the 2009/2010 cocoa year
are:
-
Mr. Jindrich Fialka
(Czech Republic)
- 1st Vice-Chairman: Mr. Enzo Barattini (European
Union)
-
2nd Vice-Chairman: To come from Malaysia
Mr. St-Cyr Djikalou (Côte d'Ivoire) is the spokesman for
producing countries, while Mr. Ewald Wermuth (Netherlands) is
the spokesman for consuming countries.
The Executive Committee mainly deals with financial and
operational matters. Its Members are elected annually by the Council,
representing a balanced proportion of cocoa producing and cocoa consuming
Member countries. The Committee regularly examines the world cocoa market
situation, reviews progress reports on projects and new project
proposals. The Executive Committee oversees the finances and
administration of the Organization.
The officers of the Executive Committee for the 2009/2010 cocoa year are:
-
Chairman: Mr. Tony Fofie
(Ghana)
-
Vice-Chairman:Mr. Juan Diego Stacey (Ecuador)
One of the most important improvements in the International Cocoa Agreement,
2001 was the establishment of the Consultative Board on the World Cocoa Economy
consisting exclusively of private sector representatives.
The Council officially inaugurated the Consultative Board on the World Cocoa
Economy in December 2003. Since its first meeting in March 2004, the
Board has implemented an ambitious work programme covering cocoa consumption,
cocoa bean processing into intermediate cocoa products, cocoa bean marketing,
post-harvest treatment of cocoa beans and training, and cocoa farm
establishment and cultivation.
The officers of the Consultative Board on the World Cocoa Economy are:
-
Chairman: Dr. José Antonio Martinez Rojas
(Dominican Republic)
-
Dr. Martin Gilmour (CAOBISCO)
The Working Group for a future International Cocoa Agreement was established at
the 31st special session of the Council in January 2008, to develop
suggestions and ideas for a future International Cocoa Agreement and to
formulate amended and new articles for a future Agreement. It is composed
of all Member governments of the Organization, as well as Observer countries,
invited parties, and the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Consultative Board
on the World Cocoa Economy.
Since its inaugural meeting in May 2008, the Working Group has met eight times, and its ninth meeting will take place on Thursday, 25 March 2010 in Yaoundé, Cameroon. The conclusion of the negotiations will be a United Nations' Conference in Geneva, scheduled for 19-23 April 2010. Among the many innovative ideas under discussion by the Working Group are the creation of an Economics Committee to work towards the improvement of market transparency and market development. The Working Group is also considering the ways and means to strengthen the operational activities of the Organization through the procurement of additional sources of financing, as well as the future development of a Sustainable Cocoa Economy. Also under discussion is a new system for the calculation of votes held by Members.
The officers of the Working Group for a future International Cocoa Agreement are:
-
Chairman: Dr. Victor Iyama
(Nigeria)
-
Vice-Chairman: Mr. Hagen Streichert (Germany)
The Expert Working Group on Stocks was created in 1989 to
support the ICCO Secretariat in considering the problems associated with
assessing the level of world cocoa bean stocks. It is composed of
representatives and analysts from cocoa producing countries, industry and trade
associations, cocoa processors and chocolate manufacturers. The Group
conducts an annual survey on warehouse stocks of cocoa beans and establishes an
assessment of the level of world cocoa bean stocks. It also considers
various other issues to improve the reliability of the assessment of the world
level of cocoa stocks, such as the harmonization of statistics on production,
grindings and stocks.
The Chairman of the Expert Working Group on Stocks is Mr. Philip Sigley
(The Federation of Cocoa Commerce Ltd).
The Expert Working Group on Quality was established in 1989 to
consider issues pertaining to cocoa quality. Among other issues, the
Group has considered the subject of ochratoxins in food products, including
cocoa; the issue of poly aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH); the progress made in the
development and implementation of the "Total Quality" project; and the
implementation of the Resolution on International Standards for Food Grade Jute
Bags used for exporting cocoa beans.
The Chairman of the Expert Working Group on Quality is Mr. Tom Harrison.
Secretariat Management:
-
Executive Director: Dr. Jan Vingerhoets
-
Director of the Economics & Statistics Division: Dr. Jean-Marc Anga