Twenty-fourth FAO Regional
Conference for the Near East
Damascus, Syria, 21-25 March 1998
Mr Chairman,
Distinguished Ministers
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Just four months ago, the FAO
Conference met in Rome where it reviewed the state of
food and agriculture in the world and the past and future
activities of the Organization.
Although according to the latest
estimates the overall world economy grew by a
satisfactory rate of approximately 4 percent in 1997, the
food and agriculture situation was one of contrasts.
Agricultural production only increased by an estimated
1.1 percent and cereal stocks are still below the
security threshold. Furthermore, development aid has
hovered in recent years at a nominal US $60 billion and
has therefore fallen in real terms, while the portion of
this aid earmarked for agriculture slumped from US $16
billion in 1988 to some US $10 billion in 1996.
For the Near East region, crop and
livestock production increased in 1996 by 5.6 percent.
Unfortunately, this excellent result was followed by a
decline in 1997 estimated at 0.4 percent. The region
continues to face a widening food gap resulting in
escalating imports of food. Net cereal imports increased
from 6.5 million tons in 1969-71 to 44 million tons in
1988-90 and are projected to reach 75.5 million tons by
the year 2010. With the exception of the Islamic Republic
of Iran, Turkey and Pakistan, most countries of the
region remain net food importers and face a noticeable
declining trend in their self-sufficiency ratio.
Furthermore, the high cost of food imports, combined with
the loss of income from commodity exports as a result of
falling prices and increasing debt burden, has caused
serious problems for many low-income food-deficit
countries and slowed their progress towards the
achievement of food security. In Iraq, while the food
supply situation has improved with the implementation of
the oil-for-food agreement, malnutrition remains a
serious concern.
FAO's activities in the previous
biennium were marked by the World Food Summit held in
November 1996 and several initiatives have now been
undertaken to implement the resulting Plan of Action:
- 150 national strategies for
agriculture and food security towards the year 2010
have been drafted with the governments of developing
Member Nations and others in transition, including all
the countries of the Near East Region;
- the Special Programme for Food
Security is now operational in 30 countries, including
4 in the Near East, and under formulation in 40
others, including 6 in the Near East; and
- the Food Insecurity and
Vulnerability Information Mapping System has been
established.
Further, two FAO programmes, namely
the Emergency Prevention System for Transboundary Animal
and Plant Pests Diseases (EMPRES) and the Regional Animal
Disease Surveillance and Control Network (RADISCON) are
making noticeable contributions in the Near East region
in the prevention and control of pests and animal
diseases. The desert locust component of EMPRES was
launched as a first step around the Red Sea or Central
region and will soon expand to the Western region. The
rinderpest component, operating through the Global
Rinderpest Eradication Campaign, plans to achieve its
objectives by the year 2010. RADISCON is a regional
project financed by the International Fund for
Agricultural Development for the promotion of regional
cooperation in controlling livestock diseases and
epidemics, involving 29 countries of the Near East
region.
At this juncture, it is with concern
that I inform you of an outbreak of the Old World Screw
Worm in Iraq. This serious plague, if not controlled
immediately could have devastating effects on animal
life, not only in neighbouring countries but also
throughout the entire region. FAO, in response to a
request for assistance from the Government of Iraq,
provided emergency advice as well as insecticides,
technical assistance and training. Control operations
will continue with funds provided by the Netherlands. In
this context, it can be recalled that the swift success
of the FAO-led campaign for the eradication of the New
World Screw Worm in Libya was greatly attributed to the
prompt response and cooperation of the world community.
During the last biennium, the
Organization has continued to help to implement the
Marrakech agreements, organizing two regional workshops
and executing three national projects. The Organization
will also step up its action to assist in the preparation
of future trade negotiations, working closely with the
WTO, the World Bank and UNCTAD.
In accordance with the directives
adopted by the Summit, FAO has also encouraged the
launching of "Food for All" campaigns to mobilize civil
society. A number of countries have already initiated a
process of national consultation to this effect. The
"TeleFood 1997" operation that was broadcast by some one
hundred television channels in over 70 countries gave 500
million viewers an added insight into the problems of
hunger and malnutrition and laid the foundations of a
system for the raising of funds which - already this year
- will finance small projects of direct assistance to
rural communities in developing countries, helping them
boost agricultural production. As endorsed by the last
Conference of FAO, TeleFood is to be an annual event to
be held within the celebration of World Food Day. The
next edition will be held from 16 to 18 October 1998 and
will be larger in scale than last year.
Finally, interagency cooperation for
implementing the Summit Plan of Action has been put in
place, with the establishment of a Network on Rural
Development and Food Security led by FAO and IFAD. The
mechanism for monitoring the Summit Plan of Action has
also been set up and the Committee on World Food Security
will evaluate progress at its next session, as you will
yourselves for the Near East region.
Among the other FAO initiatives with
worldwide impact undertaken during the 1996/97 biennium,
I should like to mention:
- with regard to the sustainable use
of natural resources, the adoption of the World Plan
of Action of the International Technical Conference on
Plant Genetic Resources and the revision of the
International Plant Protection Convention;
- as regards forests, programmes
focusing on the contribution of forestry to food
security, on effective and responsible forest
management and on maintaining a balance among the
economic, ecological and social benefits of forests;
assistance in formulating national forestry
programmes; support to the United Nations
Intergovernmental Panel on Forests and to the Eleventh
World Forestry Congress hosted by Turkey;
- regarding fisheries and
aquaculture, the reinforcement of the regional bodies
and the staging of 21 technical consultations on the
management of marine fishery resources of different
regions, within the framework of the Kyoto Plan of
Action on the Sustainable Contribution of Fisheries to
Food Security and the Code of Conduct for Responsible
Fisheries
The annual report State of Food and
Agriculture continues to be the main source of general
information in this area and now includes a section on
developments in food security in follow-up to the Summit.
This document is complemented by The State of World
Fisheries and Aquaculture and State of the World's
Forests. The Sixth World Food Survey was published in
1996. As for the long-term world outlook for agriculture
and food security, a study will be carried out on the
likely scenario until 2015, with a more general
evaluation taking us to 2030.
With respect to the dissemination of
information, the introduction of new technologies has
rationalized and modernized systems, while reducing
costs. The World Agricultural Information Centre
(WAICENT) now offers ready access to essential
information for food security and sustainable rural
development: FAOSTAT for statistical data, FAOINFO for
textual information and FAOSIS for specialized
information systems, in particular on animal genetic
resources, pesticides and the Global Information and
Early Warning System.
FAO's site on the Internet is posting
over 1 million hits each month and is providing
information to English-, Arabic-, Spanish- and
French-speaking users. At the same time, 2000 CD-ROMs
have been distributed to Member Nations to provide access
to WAICENT in areas where the Internet is not yet readily
available. These services will be further expanded in
1998-99 to enable Member Nations to take full advantage
of the Organization's wealth of documentary information.
Actions for the advancement of women
are given priority status in the general drive to involve
the whole of society in the common pursuit of "Food for
All". FAO's technical departments have been requested to
bear gender parity in mind when formulating programmes
and projects. The Special Programme for Food Security
should improve the access of rural women to technologies,
inputs and credit, which is why special emphasis has been
placed on poultry raising and market gardening.
The Organization has strengthened
coordination and cooperation with its partners to ensure
that all its programmes can be implemented against a
backdrop of budgetary constraint: with the World Bank and
the regional banks through new agreements, mainly for the
implementation of the Special Programme for Food
Security; with the food and agriculture institutions
based in Rome, IFAD and WFP; with the Consultative Group
on International Agricultural Research, its Technical
Advisory Committee and its institutes; with the other UN
agencies under the Administrative Committee on
Coordination; and with the private sector and the
community of non-governmental organizations.
Similarly, cooperation has been
stepped up with many Member Nations. Over the past three
years, some 1 300 experts have been implementing FAO
programmes under agreements for cooperation between
developing countries and countries in transition and
cooperation with academic and research institutions, and
by hiring retired experts. In support of the Special
Programme for Food Security, a number of South-South
cooperation agreements have enabled more advanced
developing countries, with FAO assistance, to provide a
critical mass of field technicians in the rural
communities of other developing countries. Three
countries from the Near East region have agreed to
provide such assistance and it is hoped that others will
join soon. Finally, with a view to building national
capacities, FAO is looking into training opportunities
offered by Member Nations in the areas of its mandate for
students and trainees from developing countries and will
itself employ young professionals, within the limit of
available resources, so that they can add practical
experience to their academic training.
One of FAO's ongoing concerns is to
promote investment in agriculture. During the last three
years, the Investment Centre has prepared investment
projects in the Near East region for a total value of US
$756 million, including US $370 million from external
funds.
FAO's Technical Cooperation Programme
continues to act as a strong catalyst on account of its
defining characteristics of rapid approval, limited
project duration, low costs and practical orientation. A
total of 63 new projects were implemented in the Near
East region in 1996-97.
The restructuring of FAO has proceeded
under conditions of severe budgetary limitations, with a
focus on identifying savings and improving efficiency
through decentralization.
Besides reducing the number of staff
members - posts fell from 4 185 in January 1994 to
3 599 in January 1998 - annual savings of US $25
million have been made by cuts in travel, translations,
publications and meetings. Growing attention is now being
given to training staff, raising the contingent of women
professionals and ensuring equitable representation of
Member Nations: the number of countries not represented
among the staff dropped from 54 in January 1994 to 29 in
January 1998, taking into account ongoing recruitment.
The decentralization process is
nearing completion: all the new liaison and sub-regional
offices are open including, as you know, the Sub-regional
Office for North Africa; the Regional Office has been
substantially strengthened with the addition of some 30
staff; Member Nation coverage by the network of FAO
representatives has been extended through multiple
accreditation and the use of National Programme Officers
and National Correspondents. At present, 39 percent of
the staff are assigned to decentralized offices. The
decentralization of policy assistance and project
operations will bring FAO more closely in touch with the
needs of its Member Nations.
The restructuring process has been
accompanied by a delegation of operational,
administrative and financial responsibilities to
departments at Headquarters and teams in the field, with
the establishment of the Management Support Units and
tighter audit control in all regional, sub-regional and
country offices.
I should like to conclude this
overview of the highlights of the last two years by
recalling that the Conference approved a Programme of
Work and Budget for 1998/99 with zero nominal growth
which, in real terms, equates to a reduction of 3.7
percent. Despite this, however, the Organization has a
unanimously endorsed programme which, in contrast to the
two previous biennia, will not need adjustment. I think I
can safely say that the Organization has successfully
completed its period of reform and that it can now look
to the future with confidence and buckle down to its
appointed mission of helping to achieve sustainable food
security for all.
Mr. Chairman,
I would like now to turn to some
selected issues on your agenda. The Conference will
review an important report prepared by the Senior
Officers Meeting which deliberated during the last two
days and which, in particular, reviewed the progress made
in the implementation of the World Food Summit Plan of
Action. It also considered a document on policy reform
and sustainable food security in the Near East -
Constraints and Options. This latter document raises a
number of points of special interest to the region such
as economic policy, the issue of water resources and
regional economic and technical cooperation.
The elimination of costly distortion
and interventions through appropriate macro-economic
policies are essential for sustainable and equitable
agricultural growth. The improvement of access of farmers
to modern inputs (improved seeds, fertilizer, machinery,
etc.), marketing and credit facilities, improved
technologies and know-how, is a prerequisite for
sustainable expansion of food production. Removal of
marketing constraints is essential for the provision of
adequate incentives and motivation to producers and
reducing unnecessary post-harvest losses and waste which
would lower the marketing costs and also benefit
consumers and the export industry. Without proper
planning, the fast urbanization expansion in the region
(54 percent of total population, compared to 45 percent
worldwide) would have dire consequences for food
distribution in addition to other ocial commercial, legal
and environmental problems.
The issue of water scarcity in the
Near East cannot be overemphasized. With the exception of
a few countries, the whole region is afflicted with water
shortages of varying degrees. Sixteen countries have
already been identified as water deficient. The high
variations in rainfall subject many areas of the region
to great risks and insecure food production. The World
Bank projections indicate that by the year 2025 the per
capita availability of renewable water for most countries
in the Near East will fall below 700 m3 (compared to a
world average of 4780 m3 ) . In ten countries, water use
exceeds 100 percent of their renewable resources, and
water quality problems plague another ten. Since almost
all easily accessible conventional water resources have
now been committed, the emphasis in the future must be
directed towards the efficient use of water.
Many common economic and technical
problems faced by individual countries of the region
could be better solved by joining efforts. In fact, FAO
has long supported and encouraged regional cooperation
through regional and sub-regional projects that deal with
common problems and joint utilization of resources for
the mutual benefit of the participating countries.
Furthermore, FAO has encouraged regional networks and
associations of agricultural institutions to act as fora
for deepening understanding and cooperation among
countries and for exchange of experience and information.
These fora have also acted as catalysts for development
of joint activities and harmonization of policies and
programmes. The strengthening or establishment by FAO of
regional and sub-regional offices is meant to foster and
develop this kind of regional cooperation. Now with the
sprouting interest in regional economic and technical
cooperation within the Near East region, there seems to
be an opportunity for strengthening collaboration among
Member Nations and with the regional and national funding
institutions such as the Islamic Development Bank, the
Arab Fund for Socio-Economic Development, National
Development Funds, in order to achieve maximum
complementarity, coordination and cost effectiveness.
In the past, a number of regional
institutions have been established under the auspices of
FAO and are still very active. The Organization stands
ready within its mandate and fields of competence to
support any new form of regional cooperation to promote
agricultural development and food production processes.
The various partnership programmes which I have already
mentioned are good examples of the possibilities. In this
context, I would also mention that the FAO Regional
Office for the Near East was instrumental in the
establishment and promotion, during the past two biennia,
of the specialized Inter-Agency Task Forces, with the
support of other multilateral and bilateral organizations
operating in the region. These mechanisms cover the
fields of plant production and protection, animal
production and health, rural human resources development,
environment within the framework of the Joint Committee
on Environment Development in the Arab Region, and land
and water resources. They aim at identifying joint
activities to be carried out under cost sharing
arrangements, exchanging information and coordinating
programmes, in order to avoid duplication and promote
complementarity and cost effectiveness among
participating organizations. Their activities are
continuously monitored by designated focal points and by
periodic technical meetings for coordination and
planning.
Finally, another mechanism of Regional
cooperation which merits special consideration is the
FAO/Near East Cooperative Programme (the NECP). As
reported to you at the last Regional Conference, the need
for revitalizing this initiative is more pressing than
ever before as the economic difficulties in the region
are greater now than they were when the Programme was
established. Further, the changes in international trade
and economic environment, with the emergence of several
large regional economic blocks, add to the need for
urgent strengthening of regional technical and economic
cooperation. The Conference is invited to review the
document on the NECP and consider one of the proposed
modalities for the funding and management of a
reactivated Programme. I would like to take this
opportunity to thank His Excellency the Minister of
Agriculture in Bahrain, and Chairman of the High-Level
Committee for the reactivation of the NECP, for all the
efforts made in guiding the preparatory work for
reinvigorating the Programme.
I wish you a very successful meeting.
