- STATEMENTS BY HEADS OF DELEGATIONS (continued)
- DECLARATIONS DES CHEFS DE DELEGATION (suite)
- MANIFESTACIONES POR LOS JEFES DE LAS DELEGACIONES (continuación)
CHAIRMAN: Welcome to the Sixth Plenary Session. I call on the Head of the Irish Delegation to take the floor.
Ivan YATES (Ireland): During the past 50 years great strides have been made by the international community, FAO and other organizations to improve the food security of the world's people. Unfortunately, as we fast approach the third millennium, we are a long way from a situation where there is food for all.
In his 50th anniversary message the Director-General rightly emphasizes the worrying fact that, despite all the efforts made during the past 50 years to reach the goal of ensuring that all peoples all over the world have access to enough food, there are still some 800 million persons who are hungry or suffering from malnutrition. Sadder still is the fact that, of these, about 200 million are children under the age of five who are suffering from acute or chronic protein deficiencies. To go even some way towards resolving the existing problem is a major task in itself but the challenge facing us all in combatting hunger in the long term, unfortunately, will be made all the more difficult as the world's population is expected to reach some 9 billion by the year 2030, an increase of over 3 billion on the present population of 5 1/2 billion.
The agricultural sector is of course critical in the fight against hunger. In most developing countries the majority of the poor rely on agriculture for employment and income. This is demonstrated by the fact that in Africa and Asia about 60 percent of the people work in agriculture compared to 8 percent in Europe and North Central America.
Food security as a human problem is primarily one affecting the urban poor, the rural landless and smaller marginal farmers. This is particularly true in developing countries. The alleviation of hunger and malnutrition in developing countries is, in my view, dependent mainly on increasing sustainable agricultural production. The key to improved agricultural production is the introduction of better technology combined with training in modern agricultural production methods. This approach, however, can be successful only if structures are in place which, firstly, can provide the technology and training required and, secondly, a stable environment wherein farmers are motivated and rewarded for their efforts. Inadequate food supplies within a community or country signal serious social and economic stress and impede future development. Given projected levels of economic growth and investment in agriculture, population pressure and environmental limitations bring the possibility of acute and chronic hunger and malnutrition even nearer in many countries.
Ireland is very conscious of this problem and has developed a support strategy accordingly. Ireland's programme reaffirms its commitment to people who are in danger of death from drought, famine or disease or who are living in poverty or economic or social deprivation. The commitment in our programme to make substantial increases in Ireland's development assistance marks a watershed in the history of Irish aid. We have pledged to raise substantially our level of official development aid assistance through a series of specific annual increases. We also recognize that support is required for policies which will allow the economies of developing countries to grow and, in particular, for improved access to markets and a greater say in issues of world trade. In this way the developing countries can make a significant contribution to improving their own situation.
Ireland's historical experience, the fact that we experienced a long and devastating famine within the relatively recent past and our transformation from a comparatively underdeveloped rural economy have made us especially aware of and sensitive to the economic and social needs of developing countries.
In this, the 50th anniversary of the founding of FAO, I would like to extend our congratulations to the Organization. To mark the occasion my Government has presented a new Irish rug which is now installed in the lobby outside the Nordic Lounge to replace the one that was given previously by the Irish Government in 1953.
Coinciding with this 50th anniversary of the founding of FAO, my Government is also commemorating the 150th anniversary of Ireland's great famine from 1845 to 1850 - the largest-scale famine in Europe. Potatoes were the staple nourishing food for more than 3 million Irish people at that time. In 1846, following the blight which severely harmed the potato harvest of 1845, there was a total failure of the crop which affected people throughout the country. Those tragic years are part of our history and they make Ireland especially sensitive to the terrible plight of so many people in famine-ravaged areas of the world.
Apart from our national programme we also play our part within the EU Regional Programme. To date, experience has taught the European Union that the volume of aid alone, although extremely important of course, is in itself insufficient to ensure that it will achieve its objective. It is not enough simply to provide relief from disaster or poverty. The aim has to be to break the cycle of dependence and poverty by creating the conditions in which economic and social development can be self-sustaining.
Of course, emergency aid and food aid are the first priorities when dealing with natural or man-made disasters such as famine and war. They account for a significant part of the Union's budget; but the aim of development assistance must surely be the longer-term building of the economic and social structures which will lift people out of poverty permanently. Hence, the Union's Aid Programme is not only large, it is also varied and deploys a number of so-called "instruments" designed to deal with various aspects of the problems facing developing countries. These include rural development, food security, health, education and training, the position of women, support for export prices, structural adjustment - to mention a few examples.
At this stage, I wish to remind the Conference that Ireland has submitted its nomination for election to membership of the Council of FAO for the next three years. Ireland last served on the Council between 1981 to 1983. Since becoming a member of FAO in 1946, one year after it was founded, Ireland has had a deep interest in and commitment to the work of the Organization. We consider membership of the Council to be a great honour and, I might add, a great responsibility. Ireland would be fully committed to playing an active role in making its contribution to the work of the Organization over the next three years.
Many delegates will recall the words of Dr Jacques Diouf, Director-General of FAO, at the European Regional Conference held in Ireland in June 1994 when he stated that his first task as Director-General was to undertake a review of the programmes, structures and policies of the Organization, with the deep-rooted conviction that FAO needed to be reinvigorated and made more effective if it was to meet the two daunting challenges ahead: to eliminate the unacceptable human misery in which 800 million people still do not have adequate access to food; and to ensure that the world will produce, in a sustainable manner, enough to feed 9 billion people in the year 2030.
The Medium-term Plan of FAO covering the 1996 to 2001 period submitted to this Conference starts when FAO has crossed the 50-year mark and ends by crossing the dividing line between the 20th and 21st century. This significant plan not only deals with the present, but also makes provision for the challenges that lie ahead.
This policy document is innovative in addressing the substance of proposed FAO actions by focusing on cross-sectoral approaches. It emphasizes the main strategic thrusts proposed to guide FAO action over the next six years: the two common threads of food security and nutrition on the one hand, and sustainable agriculture and rural development on the other.
The Plan puts a special accent on partnerships and stresses this aspect of FAO's work. Over its 50 years of existence, FAO has adapted well to the bewildering political and other changes which have taken place since the end of the second world war. Indeed, the natural course of history, the constant emergence of new problems while many of the old ones still remain, the modernization forces and the powerful thrust of regional and sub-regional initiatives, have contributed to making the present international institutional arrangements a far cry from the relatively simple world that existed during FAO's earlier years. This Medium-Term Plan will be found useful by Member Nations in their search for the optimal balance and direction they wish to provide to FAO's work.
I wish to refer briefly to the Programme of Work and Budget for the biennium 1996-97.
I note that in his introduction to the Programme of Work and Budget for 1996-97, the Director-General acknowledges that the proposed budget amount is not acceptable to some members and it is for the delegates here to try and reach a consensus on this issue.
Ireland regards the redirection of resources proposed in the Programme of Work and Budget towards higher priority areas and particularly towards the Special Programme on Food Production in support of food security and low-income food-deficit countries as justified. While the goal of ensuring that all peoples all over the world have access to enough food has not yet been achieved, this special programme should achieve increases in both overall food availability and agricultural incomes in the 88 countries that fall into the low-income, food-deficit category. Ireland is also fully supportive of the emphasis which the Director-General has put on cost-cutting and increasing efficiency within the Organization during the past two years. Without the increased efficiency resulting from these efforts, I am certain that a considerably higher budget figure or, alternatively, a reduced programme of work would be before us for consideration at this Conference. A continuation of the search for a more efficient and streamlined Organization is, of course, a policy we support.
Integration of conservation strategies for plants and animals is desirable. Given that resources are limited, it is essential to avoid duplication or the development of conflicting strategies. We support the proposal to broaden the mandate of the FAO Commission on Plant Genetic Resources to cover animal and other genetic resources.
What can we expect in the years to come? Despite resource, environmental, and technology constraints, food production capacity in the world as a whole will probably be sufficient to meet the global increase in effective demand in the medium term. However, although much of the increase in both production and consumption will take place in the developing world, this progress alone may be insufficient to eliminate chronic malnutrition in the developing countries.
For the majority of the world's poor, the lack of food security remains their most serious constraint and leads to a level of suffering and lost potential that no family or nation can afford or tolerate. The World Food Summit being organized by FAO for 1996 must consider future action. The aim should be to raise public awareness at the highest level of the need for a global campaign to eradicate hunger and malnutrition and provide food security for all. A recurring message should be that food insecurity is not just a problem for developing countries but threatens the peace and stability of the world as a whole.
There is still a long way to go to complete the mission set forth in FAO's Constitution of "ensuring humanity's freedom from hunger".
The World Food Summit will, I hope, consider and adopt a policy on food security and a plan for its implementation. Participating countries should seek ways and means of fulfilling their commitments according to their respective abilities.
Finally, I would like again to congratulate the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations on the 50th anniversary of its foundation and to wish it success in its future actions on behalf of the world's poor.
John M. NASASIRA (Uganda): Mr Chairman, on behalf of my Delegation and my country, I would like to join my colleagues in extending our heartfelt condolences to the Iraqi Delegation on the untimely death of their country's Minister of Agriculture.
Mr Chairman, let me also take this opportunity to congratulate you and other members of your Bureau on your election. Let me also thank the FAO Secretariat for the good organization of this Conference.
This FAO Conference, 28th Conference, comes soon after FAO's 50th Anniversary celebration and a Ministerial Meeting on World Food Security that took place in Quebec, Canada. The Conference also takes place a year before the planned World Food Summit in November, 1996. It is therefore important that we reflect on the successes and shortcomings of the past 50 years and plan for the challenges of the future, starting with the objectives and successes of the planned World Food Summit.
Mr Chairman, FAO was formed 50 years after the 44 Member Nations had realized that the chaos of war and poverty in the world had brought about a desperate food situation. During the last 50 years, FAO has tried to address this situation with a high degree of success. Many achievements have been made in food production, agriculture, fisheries, and forestry in the world. Major improvements have been made both in quantity and quality of food supplies. The rate of growth in food production has exceeded the high population growth in all regions except for sub-Saharan Africa.
Despite the above achievements, millions of our people are still undernourished, and millions of our children have chronic protein and energy deficiency. The situation is expected to get worse into the next century. Therefore, Mr Chairman, the problems that faced the 44 nations 50 years ago are still with us today. The only difference is that this problem is now being addressed by 176 nations, and it is not global but is now mainly in developing countries and, more precisely, in the least developed countries, and most of them sub-Saharan Africa. Mr Chairman, the irony of the matter is that most of these affected countries' economies depend on agriculture and most of the population live in rural areas and depend on the land.
Mr Chairman, just as the ravages of war 50 years ago caused hunger and poverty, it will be found that today food insecurity is due to either all or some of the following: political instability; civil strife; internal and regional conflicts; unfair terms of trade between agricultural producers and manufacturers of agricultural tools of production; lack of human resources to carry out agricultural research and extension services; inadequate production technologies, and yet their agriculture is rain-fed; debt burden; inadequate income to invest in agriculture; dumping of cheap food into some countries, which negates food production; unprofitable production systems practised by the small-scale or peasant farmers, and therefore lack of adequate income for their sustenance; and the majority of people live in rural areas as peasants.
Therefore, the reality of it all is that food security is not just a production and supply issue; it relates to income and purchasing power of the people. In order to address the issue of food security and sustainable development, we have to seriously address the issue of poverty.
Mr Chairman, we in Uganda have experienced most of the problems I have mentioned above. Our agriculture, which contributes 50 percent of our GDP, is rain-fed and depends on 88 percent of our population that lives in rural areas as peasant farmers. Despite our fertile soils, adequate rainfall, and 40 000 square kilometres of fresh water fill of fish, only 30 percent of our arable land is under cultivation and 60 percent of fish harvested. The livestock sub-sector still remains relatively underdeveloped. Although we now grow enough food to feed our people and agriculture has grown at an average rate of 6 percent per annum for the last five years, our population still has a dietary and energy deficiency.
Mr Chairman, the Uganda Government has, for the last ten years, been making all the efforts to address the problems that I listed earlier. We have, among other things, returned the country on the road to political stability; invested in agriculture, road infrastructure and industry; liberalized our economy and reduced inflation to less than 10 percent; put a favourable investment code in place; constitutionalized a land tenure system that allows for foreign investment in rural land; constitutionalized the rights of women to property including land and their participation at all levels of decision-making; launched a National Plan of Action on Nutrition; launched a National Environment Protection Action Plan.
What we now need in Uganda is assistance and support in three areas: We need support in enhancing our national capacities in implementation of our policies and programmes; strengthening our adaptive research and extension services; promoting investment in agriculture and agro-processing.
We believe that just as the developed countries have established manufacturing industries in developing countries to utilize cheap labour, these countries can equally produce food naturally and establish agro-processing industries in arable land that is still unutilized in our countries.
The purpose of investing in agriculture should be to eliminate peasantry farming and encourage industrialization. It will be the only way we can hope to achieve sustainable development and eliminate poverty, and hence, food insecurity.
In conclusion, I would like to thank the FAO Director-General, Dr Diouf, for his efforts towards solving the problems of food production, food security, and nutrition. I am confident he will steer this Organization to a successful and fruitful World Summit in 1996. This will, however, be possible if FAO's budget is not insecure; otherwise, FAO's capacity to lead the war against food insecurity will be seriously reduced with untold consequences. It is therefore my hope that the more developed members of our Organization, most of whom were founders of FAO and on whom the FAO budget heavily depends, will honour their commitment in time. The problem of hunger and poverty is still as grave as in 1944, especially for the least-developed countries of our global family.
CHAIRMAN: I call Mr Salah Hamdi of Tunisia to take the chair for a while. At the same time I call upon the Republic of Korea.
Salah Hamdi, Vice-chairman of the Conference, took the Chair Salah Hamdi, Vice-Président de la Conférence, assume la présidence Ocupa la presidencia Salah Hamdi, Vice-Presidente de la Conferencia
In-Kee CHOI (Korea, Republic of): Mr Chairman, Mr Director-General, and distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen.
First, I would like to join the previous speakers in congratulating you on your election as Chairman. I am sure the Conference will produce a fruitful achievement under your guidance. I would also like to extend my warmest welcome to the new FAO member countries.
The 28th FAO Conference draws special attention because we have just celebrated the 50th anniversary of FAO, and we are facing a challenging situation in world food and agriculture as we approach the twenty-first century. I am looking forward to hearing constructive policy suggestions on the world food and agricultural problems throughout this Conference.
While admitting that FAO has positively contributed to the coordination among member countries to achieve food security and nutritional improvements during the last 50 years, I would like to share some thoughts on the need for change in this Organization.
The role of FAO in the following areas has been more limited than I believe most of the member countries would have expected.
First, since food security is difficult to achieve on a universal basis, each government's responsibility in securing food for its people should be regarded as most important.
Nevertheless, many countries are exposed to the adverse impacts of agricultural trade liberalization without suitable consideration for national food security. I would like to question if the FAO has functioned properly as a forum for linking agricultural trade issues with food security and nutritional problems, and if the FAO shares the view that the tightness of recent world food markets is a result of agricultural trade liberalization.
Another important agenda in designing a change for the FAO includes: the duplication of activities with other international organizations; a lack of policy coverage; a weakening of the dynamism from the earlier times, and a possible flooding of technical jargon without relation to reality.
It is also urgent that the FAO change into a more effective organization which addresses such important issues as agricultural environment, technology, and trade. Each aspect of the change should be policy-oriented.
I am pleased with the reorganization programmes initiated by the Director-General since his assumption of office. I promise my support for him in pursuing greater efficiency in the organization and budget, and in correcting the geographical underrepresentation of the staff in the Organization.
Now I would like to touch briefly on the issue of the current world food situation. The FAO reported that the ratio of world food stocks to consumption for 1995-96 is only 14 percent, below the suggested level of 17 percent. In addition, various research institutions have reported that the long-term food situation is rather tight.
Food security and malnutrition problems in the developing countries, I believe, are closely related to the lack of human and physical capital. The international community must pay enough attention to facilitate a solution.
The developed countries should take seriously the FAO's warning of a possible disaster resulting from food insecurity and malnutrition in the developing countries and other parts of the world.
Enhanced economic cooperation among countries within regional economic blocs may contribute to regional food security. It may, however, result in a reduction in the amount of support for the low income food deficit countries.
The food situation in the low income food deficit countries is becoming worse as a result of tight supply and high prices which are due to the production reduction programmes in the developed countries. The problem is exacerbated by the lack of production capacities and purchasing power in the developing countries.
In order to achieve world food security and nutritional improvement, the stability of world food markets and the developed countries' aid to the food-deficit developing countries are very important.
In addition, support in the areas of policy-making and technology for agricultural development in the food-importing developing countries should also be emphasized.
Sustainable agricultural development in the developing countries, where the rural population is a majority, will result in food security and nutritional improvement by enhancing purchasing power. I share the view that this is an effective method of acquiring food security in the developing countries in the long run.
Food security is treated as one of our highest priorities in Korea. However, the rate of self-sufficiency in food is now less than 30 percent.
The Korean Government has a keen interest in the stability of world agricultural markets. While abiding by international trade commitments, we are focusing on measures designed to achieve an adequate level of national agricultural production.
We are pursuing a comprehensive investment scheme in order to accomplish increased agricultural competitiveness, rural reconstruction, and the improvement of farmers' welfare in Korea.
The public good functions of agriculture, including environmental conservation, land resource management, and balanced regional growth are also being emphasized in Korea.
The implementation of the Uruguay Round Agreement of the GATT has begun in 1995. The Korean Government is complying with market access commitments even if there are significant difficulties in our domestic agricultural and rural situation.
Turning to forestry policy, Korea considers the sustainable management of forestries under the principles and Agenda 21 of the UNCED very important. We have started forestry programmes designed to increase the economic value of our forests and to utilize forestry's public service functions.
In fisheries, Korea intends to harmonize sustainable fishery with resource conservation. We are looking forward to sharing our experiences with other countries during the 25th APFIC in Korea in 1996.
There is a saying in Korea that even a long journey begins with a single step. The path leading to world food security is not an easy one. But if we firmly set out to cooperate, I am confident that we can make steady progress towards our goal of global prosperity and welfare.
Jean Prosper KOYO (Congo): Monsieur le Président, Messieurs et Mesdames les chefs des délégations, Monsieur le Directeur général de la FAO, Mesdames, Messieurs, permettez-moi à mon tour, au nom de la délégation congolaise qui m'a accompagné, et en mon nom propre, de présenter toutes nos condoléances à la délégation irakienne suite à la disparition du Ministre Rachiid. Je voudrais aussi au même titre que ceux qui m'ont précédé, du haut de cette tribune, adresser nos sincères et cordiales félicitations au Président et aux membres du Bureau de la Conférence pour la confiance que Organisation a placée en eux, dans la direction des travaux de la présente réunion. Les mêmes félicitations s'adressent également au Directeur général de la FAO, Monsieur Jacques Diouf, qui, depuis son élection à la tête de notre Organisation s'attelle avec dévouement et abnégation à poursuivre les objectifs et principes de l'Organisation.
Monsieur le Président, la Vingt-huitième session de la Conférence générale de la FAO se tient dans un contexte d'anniversaire. En effet, la FAO vient d'atteindre l'âge adulte de 50 ans, mais qui dit anniversaire dit bilan. Certes, en 50 ans le monde a connu des transformations et des progrès considérables dans le domaine de production agricole, forestière et halieutique mais il n'en reste pas moins vrai qu'aujourd'hui encore, le monde continue d'être préoccupé comme en 1945 par les mêmes problèmes de famine, de pauvreté, aggravés par la dégradation fort inquiétante de notre environnement.
A l'actif de l'Organisation il y a lieu de mentionner d'une part, la qualité et la disponibilité de l'assistance technique que la FAO assure à travers le monde, en particulier dans les pays en voie de développement, ce qui a permis d'améliorer dans beaucoup de cas les conditions de production et de gestion des ressources rurales, et d'autre part, le fait que la FAO constitue le lieu où tous les pays du monde entier, au-delà des considérations d'ordre politique, économique, linguistique et géographique se retrouvent régulièrement pour réfléchir ensemble et s'enrichir mutuellement des expériences des uns et des autres en matière de développement rural.
S'agissant du passif, nous devons malheureusement reconnaître que les objectifs fixés en 1945 et actualisés à plusieurs reprises n'ont pas été entièrement atteints.
Car, outre le fait que l'humanité détruit de manière de plus en plus accélérée et dangereuse son environnement, nous devons noter avec tristesse que plus de 800 millions d'humains souffrent encore, de nos jours, de famine et de malnutrition, parmi lesquels 200 millions d'enfants.
Le fossé qui sépare les pays du Nord et ceux du Sud s'accentue de jour en jour.
Il est bien entendu établi que la première cause de la famine et de la dégradation de l'environnement se trouve être la pauvreté.
Cette pauvreté frappe plus particulièrement le continent africain qui, malgré ses énormes potentialités ne parvient pas à créer les conditions d'un réel développement socio-économique.
Monsieur le Président, en choisissant le thème "Nourrir le monde" pour la Journée mondiale de l'alimentation, année 1995, la FAO réaffirme sa mission première à savoir: produire davantage de denrées alimentaires, tout en assurant une bonne répartition et un accès au plus grand nombre.
C'est justement de cela qu'il s'agit dans la Déclaration de Québec, prélude au Sommet mondial sur l'alimentation prévu en novembre 1996, que nous venons d'adopter à Québec à l'occasion du cinquantième anniversaire de la fondation de notre Organisation.
Le Gouvernement congolais, tout en saluant l'initiative du Directeur général sur la tenue de ce Sommet mondial, s'engage à apporter sa contribution à ces assises au niveau le plus élevé.
C'est ainsi que Monsieur le Président de la République, le Professeur Pascal Lissouba a accepté avec plaisir l'invitation qui lui a été adressée sur le parrainage dudit Sommet.
Monsieur le Président, distingués invités, le Congo, à l'image de la plupart d'autres pays africains dispose d'énormes potentialités naturelles caractérisées par: 10 millions d'hectares de terres arables dont seulement 200 000 ha sont cultivés; 20 millions d'ha de forêts denses soit 60 pour cent du territoire national avec un volume sur pied commercialisable d'environ 200 millions de m3; 180 000 tonnes de ressources halieutiques.
Malgré ces fortes potentialités, le Congo continue de recourir à des importations de denrées pour couvrir une part importante de ses besoins alimentaires, surtout en zones urbaines.
Face à cette situation particulièrement préoccupante, le Gouvernement congolais a défini en 1993, dans le cadre du Programme d'action et de relance économique et sociale (PARESO), une nouvelle politique du secteur rural qui s'articule autour des axes ci-après: désengagement de l'Etat du secteur productif; décentralisation et renforcement des structures locales d'encadrement et de vulgarisation; relance de la production agricole forestière et halieutique, tout en conciliant développement et conservation du milieu; dynamisation de la coopération bilatérale et multilatérale.
C'est précisément dans le cadre de cette nouvelle politique que le Congo élabore à présent le schéma directeur du secteur rural, le Programme d'action forestier national et le Plan national d'action environnemental avec l'appui combien déterminant de la FAO, de la Banque mondiale et des coopérations bilatérales française et allemande.
La visite de terrain que le Directeur général de la FAO a effectuée au Congo en décembre 1994 est une forme très appréciée de la coopération agissante entre la FAO et le Congo.
Aussi, je profite de l'occasion qui m'est offerte pour, non seulement louer le rôle catalytique de la FAO dans la réalisation effective de la nouvelle politique congolaise en matière de développement rural, mais également réaffirmer le soutien du Congo au programme budget 1996-1997 proposé par le Directeur Général de la FAO.
S'agissant justement des moyens dont notre organisation a tant besoin pour mener à bien son programme, je suis heureux d'annoncer à la Conférence que le Gouvernement de mon pays vient de payer 20 millions de FCFA soit 39 443 dollars E.-U. au titre des arriérés de contribution.
En dépit de la crise financière qui secoue mon pays depuis une dizaine d'années, cet effort sera poursuivi par le payement d'ici la fin de l'année des 25 autres millions FCFA soit 50 000 dollars E.-U. au titre de la contribution de 1995 et du fonctionnement de la représentation de la FAO à Brazzaville.
Monsieur le Président, distingués Chefs de délégation, je ne saurais terminer mon propos sans attirer l'attention collective de la communauté internationale, que nous représentons tous ici, sur les risques graves et lourds de conséquences que court notre espèce si nous ne parvenons pas à créer, à moyen terme, les conditions d'éradication de la pauvreté sur notre planète, préalable sine qua none à la conservation et à la gestion durable de nos ressources naturelles aujourd'hui dangereusement menacées.
Kalevi HEMELA (Finland): Mr Chairman, first of all I would like to congratulate you, and the Vice-Chairmen on your elections. The delegation of Finland warmly welcomes all the five new members that have joined FAO during this Conference. We were also very pleased to learn in Quebec that the Russian Federation has officially informed FAO of its intention to join the Organization in 1997. This is an important step towards universality in the membership of FAO.
The delegation of Finland largely welcomes the new orientations and measures that the Director-General has taken during his first two years in office. The fact that the global food security situation and its outlook for the future are increasingly precarious was repeatedly emphasized in the ministerial meeting commemorating FAO's fiftieth anniversary in Quebec City last week. The situation in sub-Saharan Africa, where food production has declined for more than two decades, is a cause of growing concern also in this context.
Although the first call for FAO must be to improve global food security and in particular to increase food production and productivity in the low-income food-deficit countries, the overriding prerequisite for the success of such programmes is that the criterion of sustainability be brought into them right from the planning stages. Food production programmes must be integrated into and well coordinated with national development plans and the programmes of other external partners. The special programmes initiated by the Director-General must be tailor-made for the countries where they are launched. Yet, to be fully successful, they should provide a catalytic model for other countries in similar situations.
Increased food production and productivity, like other FAO programmes, must of course be seen in the light of FAO's ongoing work of promoting the objectives and programmes of action of the recent global conferences that are of particular relevance to FAO. Among them are sustainable agriculture, forestry and fisheries as a follow-up to Rio, striking a balance between economic growth, environmental concerns and population relevant policies adopted in Cairo, measures for reducing poverty and advancing employment as agreed in Copenhagen, as well as the empowerment of women and girls as a result of Beijing. By promoting these objectives the international community is jointly working for sustainable human and economic development. In our view FAO is a critically important partner in this effort, not least because of its special responsibilities in food production, in balanced utilization of renewable natural resources and in environmental protection as well as in enhancing the central role of women both as producers and consumers. FAO can provide invaluable normative support and policy advice as a centre of excellence in its own field of competence.
My own country, Finland, became a member of the European Union at the beginning of this year. Thereafter our agricultural policy became a part of the common agricultural policy of the European Union. This has caused considerable adjustment problems to our farming population and food industries because the producer prices declined steeply with the membership. Special support measures during the period of transition have, to some extent, helped the farmers, although the adjustment process is still under way.
Finland, like the other Nordic Countries, has always strongly emphasized the role of women in the activities of FAO. In all developing regions of the world, but especially in Africa, the role of women as food producers is of critical importance.
We have noted with satisfaction the revised FAO Plan of Action for Women in Development and its very down-to-earth approach to gender problems and its concrete and realistic proposals as to how FAO can be effective in assisting female farmers and other rural women to achieve their proper position in society. We attach special importance to FAO's work in close cooperation with NGOs, especially with farmers' unions, in this respect.
I also urge the member countries to make greater efforts to present women candidates for Professional posts within FAO, and to include more women in their delegations to FAO meetings and conferences.
Forestry is an important element of sustainable development in many countries. We hope that the outcome of the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests will, in the framework of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development, facilitate reaching an agreement on the international forest instrument. Finland supports the Panel by arranging a Seminar on Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management in August 1996. We have also offered, in cooperation with FAO, to arrange an Expert Consultation on Forest Resources Assessment 2000.
FAO gave a major input as a Task Manager of UN organizations in the field of forestry to the preparations of CSD session on forestry matters held this spring. We find it important that the Organization maintains its active role in the future as well. We also hope that the Organization will attach more importance to forestry and its connections to agriculture in its programme of work with a view to promoting sustainable forestry management and practices.
Our Organization finds itself in a financial crisis. If we really want FAO to perform those vital tasks that so forcefully were once more highlighted by the Ministers in Quebec City, it must have the resources for that performance. The Member States must meet their obligations to the Organization in full and on time. Yet, the budget to be adopted must be realistic in the sense that the expected income should cover the programme of work including administrative expenditures. In a year's time the World Food Summit will take place here in Rome. The decisions of the Summit will, without doubt, present new obligations to FAO.
Ira D'AUVERGNE (Saint Lucia): Mr Chairman it is my honour today to address this Plenary Session on behalf of the 14 Member states of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) as well as on my own behalf as Minister of Agriculture of Saint Lucia.
In this context, I wish to add our congratulations to yourself and the Vice-Chairpersons for the confidence placed in you as evidenced by your election to the respective offices of this 28th FAO Conference.
Mr Chairman, food for all does not only mean access by all people at all times to the food needed for a healthy life. More importantly, and indeed more profoundly, it means the opportunity for all peoples to feed themselves by their own efforts. Food aid is but a temporary solution to the main problem, but a plaster on a wound which, while giving some immediate relief, is not necessarily a cure. We must work as much as possible towards a total cure by assisting deprived people to find a lasting solution through equipping them to undertake that journey no matter how long and hazardous it may be, for, in the final analysis, it is the right of every human being to live in dignity and not in a situation of on and off dependence.
At the same time, developing nations which by their sustained efforts, with or without the assistance of donor countries, have managed over time to achieve a certain level of development, should not have this advance arrested or eroded by the sudden move into trade liberalization now being pursued by more powerful nations. This demonstrates insensitivity to the disastrous consequences to small nation economies which are not endowed with the technology and the resources to equip their human resources to meet this challenge in the short term.
Agriculture is the heart of the economic activity of most CARICOM States and is vital to our economic well-being and social and political stability. For example, our market share in bananas in the European Union is less than 3 percent and we depend on this minuscule percentage to maintain, educate and sustain our population. Therefore it goes without saying that if the rug of preferential protection is pulled from under our feet, the result will be serious economic and political upheaval thereby inflicting upon our people the unspeakable misery and degradation which every member of FAO, at this and other fora, has vowed to eliminate.
Therefore trade liberalization should be pursued in a reasonable and gradual way, in stages and not all at once. Simultaneously developing countries should be provided with technical assistance to help them diversify and improve their productivity especially in the poorer areas of the world.
We are here examining the State of Food and Agriculture even as some very challenging circumstances have an impact on the growth and development of the sector. From our perspective, the major global challenges affecting CARICOM agriculture are:
i) UNCED Agenda 21 (1992), and the need to pursue agricultural activities in a manner which does not result in destruction of the environment, yet still allows for increased efficiency of resource use in production;
ii) The Uruguay Round Arrangements (1994) (and the new international trading arrangements which have resulted) which now threaten the viability of our major agricultural crops which have traditionally benefited from special marketing agreements.
In this regard, I refer specifically to the incendiary debate on the banana trade and the recent interventions being made under the WTO to effect significant rolling back of current ACP-EEC arrangements with disastrous consequences to the banana industry and economies of many small island states of the Caribbean -St. Lucia being one of them.
In addition to these global challenges the vulnerability of our Member Nations states cannot be ignored. In this regard, our vulnerability can be viewed from two perspectives. Firstly, from an economic viewpoint we are not sufficiently large producers to command or demand a special price in the market and must per force accept the going price in most circumstances. Secondly, as has been evident this year, many of the island nations of CARICOM are prone to natural disasters, in particular hurricanes which wreak havoc with our economies overall and our agriculture especially. As an example Hurricane Luis destroyed 90 percent of the banana industry in Dominica. Antigua was devastated and suffered even greater losses. This was in the wake of Tropical Storm Debbie which in 1994 caused about US$111 million worth of damage in Saint Lucia.
Under these circumstances we in CARICOM stress the need for continuing in global partnership and strengthened cooperation and collaboration, with intergovernmental organizations such as FAO playing a pivotal role. We reaffirm that in the global circumstances of pervasive malnutrition and the projected demand for food for the anticipated increase in world population, the mission and mandate of FAO is still valid after 50 years.
It follows that the issue of food security, encompassing not only production but also distribution and availability and access to food, is one that should always be of common concern and receive the attention of all governments. Recognizing this the Standing Committee of Ministers Responsible for Agriculture of the Caribbean Community at its 18th Meeting in June 1995 in Trinidad and Tobago unanimously adopted a resolution in support of the initiative of the Director-General to convene the World Food Summit with its focus on world food security.
I am pleased to report that this resolution also received support at the highest political level within CARICOM with its endorsement by the July 1995 meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government. I am confident that many of our Heads of Government will participate in the World Food Summit in November 1996 since, as an indication of the importance attached to Agriculture, our Heads are convening a special Conference on Agriculture in March 1996.
The 28th Session of the FAO Conference marks the first opportunity for the membership to review the performance of our new Director-General and to provide him with the vote of confidence to pursue and deepen the strategies elaborated early in his tenure and to be formalized in the Programme of Work and Budget for the coming biennium. I take this opportunity to congratulate the Director-General on his sterling efforts to review, reorganize and restructure the operations of the Secretariat, positioning it to be more responsive, efficient and effective in addressing the needs of the membership, particularly those small and islandic developing countries like those of the Caribbean which continue to depend on this Organization for strategic policy assistance and advice and programmatic support in meeting the diverse challenges to agricultural, forestry, fisheries and rural development. The leadership and direction provided by the Director-General in the first two years of his tenure have been exemplary.
This is reflected, too, in the quality of the documentation prepared for our consideration - the Programme Evaluation Report, the Programme Implementation Report and the Medium-term Plan, a triad of documents which form the context for the 1996-97 Programme of Work and Budget.
We fully endorse the budget proposals and would argue that the proposals of the Director-General for a zero real growth budget represents the very least that we should support in light of the continuing demands we make on FAO and the real need requiring to be met in relation to poverty alleviation, reduction of malnutrition and overall improvement of the well-being of rural peoples. In any event in a spirit of global cooperation we should strive for consensus on the level of the budget.
In assessing the proposals for the Programme of Work and Budget for the 1996-97 biennium, I submit that we should focus more on why than on how much. In this regard, Mr Chairman, reference is drawn to the recent statement of Ambassador Madeleine K. Albright, US Permanent Representative to the United Nations who, in a recent statement to the Fifth Committee of the UN General Assembly said "In approaching the budget in the Fifth Committee, we should ask not 'how much' but 'why?'". In like manner we need to ask ourselves why FAO should undertake the activities outlined in the Programme of Work and Budget rather than how much they would cost. In doing so, I submit that we would assist FAO to sharpen its focus, become even more productive and increase its delivery of policy advice and technical assistance to Member Nations.
It would be remiss of me, Mr Chairman, if I fail to refer to some of the initiatives being undertaken at a regional level in CARICOM and in my own country. At the Caribbean Community level we have recently prepared a revised programme for agricultural development which is underpinned by the philosophy and strategy of providing support to the differential agricultural thrusts at national levels. In addition, among other things we are increasing our cooperation in the sustainable management of fisheries and strengthening the linkages between indigenous primary agricultural production and agroprocessing. With the aid of FAO, IIC A, USD A (among other agencies), we continue to work on the eradication of the tick Amblyomma varìegatum which has decimated the livestock populations in some countries. Recently, some of these agencies have again joined forces with us to fight the spread of the Pink Mealybug which is currently widespread in Grenada, gaining foothold in Trinidad and Tobago and threatening to spread to other countries in the region.
With respect to my own country, recognizing the imperatives of the new international trading arrangements, we are working against considerable odds to promote the diversification of our agricultural production base. Among our limited successes to date are increases in commercial fisheries and aquacultural activity, as well as pineapple, vegetable and tree crop production. In addition, we have succeeded in establishing a community-based programme in watershed management which we are confident will contribute to the protection of our fragile ecosystem and the sustainability of our rural communities and agricultural production in the future.
The countries in the Caribbean have benefited in the past from the various partnership associations with intergovernmental organizations in our economies overall, and particularly in relation to agricultural production and its contribution to our strengthened food security. Of late, however, we see signs which could be interpreted to be the desire of some countries to withdraw from their association with the intergovernmental organizations which in turn, would severely weaken the association between the intergovernmental organizations and developing countries like ourselves. In view of the critical and immediate need to address national and global food security to which I earlier referred, I urge an urgent review of our approach to the FAO Programme of Work and Budget. Let us focus on the "Why" and not on the "how much".
Idi MAMANE (Niger): Monsieur le Président, Honorables délégués, Mesdames et Messieurs. La délégation du Niger présente ses condoléances les plus attristées à la délégation de l'Iraq suite au décès de son Ministre de l'agriculture. La délégation du Niger salue l'admission des nouveaux membres au sein de notre Organisation.
Monsieur le Président. Je m'associe aux honorables délégués qui m'ont précédé pour vous exprimer mes félicitations pour votre brillante élection.
Permettez-moi de saisir cette occasion pour exprimer également notre satisfaction et notre soutien au Directeur général, M. Jacques Diouf, pour les efforts déployés pour redynamiser notre Organisation et pour les réformes entreprises pour améliorer l'efficacité et l'efficience de notre Organisation.
Notre présente session se tient à un moment où l'analyse de la situation mondiale de l'alimentation et de l'agriculture révèle des inquiétudes. En effet, près de 800 millions de personnes souffrent de sous-alimentation chronique dans le tiers monde, dont 192 millions d'enfants de moins de cinq ans atteints de carences protéino-énergétiques aiguës ou chroniques.
Face à cette situation, le combat engagé il y a 50 ans par notre Organisation, pour contribuer à l'expansion de l'économie mondiale et libérer l'humanité de la faim, reste plus que jamais d'actualité.
Aussi, ma contribution abordera-t-elle la situation de l'alimentation et de l'agriculture qui prévaut dans mon pays et les mesures de politiques mises en oeuvre par le Gouvernement de la République du Niger pour améliorer la sécurité alimentaire et nutritionnelle des populations nigériennes.
Sur un plan d'ensemble, il y a lieu de rappeler que les productions végétales, l'élevage, la sylviculture et la pêche demeurent les principaux moyens de subsistance de la population nigérienne. En effet, l'économie nigérienne est largement dominée par les activités agricoles. L'agriculture constitue 85 pour cent des emplois et contribue pour 37,5 pour cent au Produit intérieur brut. La performance du secteur agricole et sa contribution au Produit intérieur brut, irrégulières depuis 30 ans, dépendent surtout des conditions climatiques.
Ainsi, depuis 1971, le Niger dépend de plus en plus des importations pour satisfaire ses besoins alimentaires, des importations alimentaires qui prennent des proportions très inquiétantes.
A partir de 1990, malgré une tendance à la normalisation de la pluviométrie, les importations céréalières ont contribué significativement à la satisfaction des besoins alimentaires des populations.
Pour les années 1994 et 1995, le coût des importations des produits alimentaires vont accuser une forte augmentation suite à la dévaluation du franc CFA intervenue en janvier 1994. Une hausse significative des prix est actuellement observée, notamment au niveau du riz importé.
Sur le plan nutritionnel, toutes les enquêtes réalisées de 1985 à 1992 ont révélé que la population nigérienne ne bénéficie pas d'un statut nutritionnel satisfaisant. Les principales pathologies nutritionnelles identifiées sont la malnutrition protéino-énergétique, l'avitaminose A, l'anémie nutritionnelle et les troubles dûs à la carence en iode. Elles sont des problèmes majeurs de santé publique au Niger.
Je voudrais à présent aborder quelques repères quant aux politiques mises en oeuvre ou envisagées par mon gouvernement pour améliorer l'état alimentaire et nutritionnel des populations nigériennes. Depuis plusieurs années, le développement rural a, de façon constante, occupé une place primordiale dans la politique de développement du Niger.
Notre stratégie repose aujourd'hui sur les axes prioritaires suivants: une gestion intégrée des ressources naturelles, l'organisation du monde rural, la participation des populations et la modification du rôle de l'Etat, la sécurité alimentaire, l'intensification et la diversification des productions, et le financement du monde rural.
La mise en oeuvre de cette politique s'exerce dans un cadre de libéralisation économique dans lequel le rôle de l'Etat consiste principalement à promouvoir un environnement institutionnel et juridique favorable, un environnement professionnel adéquat, un environnement financier actif, et un environnement économique incitatif.
Sur le plan nutritionnel, les orientations stratégiques ont pris en compte les objectifs généraux proposés par la Conférence internationale sur la nutrition et ont défini les objectifs spécifiques qu'il faut atteindre au cours de la période 1996-2000. Il s'agira de mettre en oeuvre des programmes pour vaincre les principales pathologies nutritionnelles.
Depuis la grande sécheresse de 1984, plusieurs secteurs de développement ont exprimé de façon explicite les préoccupations d'ordre nutritionnel dans leurs plans et programmes. C'est le cas notamment des secteurs de l'agriculture, de l'élevage, de la santé. Ces secteurs sont renforcés dans leurs actions par les plans d'opération des agences de coopération bilatérale et internationale, des bailleurs de fonds et des organisations non gouvernementales. Les efforts en la matière sont restés sectoriels et cloisonnés en raison d'un manque de cadre de concertation entre les différents acteurs et d'une orientation claire priorisant les questions nutritionnelles dans les plans et programmes de développement. Cette insuffisance est en train d'être comblée avec l'élaboration en cours d'une nouvelle stratégie de nutrition avec l'appui de la FAO.
Pour les prochaines années, le secteur agricole continuera d'être, au Niger, le principal moteur de la relance économique. A la faveur d'une amélioration des conditions climatiques de ces dernières années, on note avec satisfaction la reprise de certaines productions telles que l'arachide, principale ressource d'exportation du Niger pendant les années 1960. Dans le cadre de l'intensification et de la diversification de la production agro-sylvo-pastorale, des réflextions sont en cours pour développer les filières, notamment celles des produits agricoles bénéficiant des marchés extérieurs et pour lesquels le Niger jouit d'un avantage comparatif. Dans la perspective de la relance de ces filières porteuses, des mesures sont envisagées pour améliorer les conditions de l'investissement dans le secteur rural. Il s'agira notamment de trouver une solution adéquate et durable au problème de financement du monde rural, de promouvoir l'émergence d'opérateurs privés nationaux et étrangers compétents et de les amener à s'intéresser à la production, à la commercialisation et à la transformation des produits agricoles.
Dans le cadre de l'amélioration de leur sécurité alimentaire, plusieurs pays ont besoin d'une assitance financière et technique. Permettez-moi de saisir l'occasion qui m'est offerte pour exprimer notre reconnaissance aux pays et organismes qui soutiennent le Niger dans son combat contre l'insécurité alimentaire. Il me plaît de saluer ici l'initiative prise par le Directeur général de la FAO pour lancer le Programme spécial pour la production alimentaire dans les pays à faible revenu et à déficit vivrier. Il y a également lieu de saluer l'initiative du Directeur général de mettre en place un système de prévention et de réponse rapide (EMPRES) contre les ravageurs et les maladies transfrontières des animaux et des plantes dont l'extension est ici souhaitée pour prendre en compte l'Afrique occidentale qui renferme à son sein des zones de reproduction du criquet pèlerin.
Plusieurs pays ont eu et continuent à recourir à l'aide alimentaire pour sauver des vies humaines. C'est le cas de mon pays qui, confronté aux aléas climatiques, enregistre périodiquement des déficits vivriers qui exposent une partie de la population à l'insécurité alimentaire. Pour l'année 1996, la probabilité pour le Niger de recourir à l'aide alimentaire est grande. En effet, la campagne agricole qui vient de s'achever n'a pas partout répondu aux attentes des populations à cause des dégâts importants occasionnés par les sauteriaux sur les cultures.
Devant la diminution des livraisons d'aide alimentaire enregistrées ces dernières années, c'est le lieu ici pour les pays - comme le Niger, confronté aux déficits vivriers pour lesquels le recours à l'aide alimentaire devient souvent une nécessité - de reconnaître avec la plus grande lucidité, la contribution significative de l'aide alimentaire à l'amélioration de la sécurité alimentaire et au développement des pays à faible revenu et à déficit vivrier, et d'exprimer à juste titre leurs préoccupations quant à la tendance observée.
Dans le cadre de la recherche de la sécurité alimentaire, il me plaît de saluer la clairvoyance et l'initiative du Directeur général de la FAO d'organiser un Sommet mondial de l'alimentation.
L'on se souvient encore, en 1974, lors de la Conférence mondiale de l'alimentation, que les gouvernements ont proclamé solennellement que "chaque homme, femme et enfant a le droit inaliénable d'être libéré de la faim et de la malnutrition afin de développer pleinement ses facultés physiques et morales". Après plus de vingt ans, force est de constater que cet objectif n'est pas encore atteint. En effet, plusieurs millions d'êtres humains à travers le monde endurent les affres de la faim, de la sous-alimentation et de la malnutrition, véritables aberrations et scandales économico-technologiques à l'orée du 21ème siècle.
L'organisation du Sommet mondial de l'alimentation à Rome, en novembre 1966, à laquelle ma délégation adhère totalement, sera certainement l'occasion, pour les dirigeants de ce monde, au plus haut niveau, de réaffirmer leur adhésion aux principes sur lesquels se fonde notre Organisation et de renouveler leur engagement de supprimer la faim et la malnutrition et d'assurer la sécurité alimentaire pour tous, grâce à l'adoption des politiques et des mesures concrètes aux niveau mondial, régional et national.
Je voudrais, avant de terminer, réitérer notre profonde reconnaissance aux pays et organismes amis qui nous ont toujours appuyés dans notre bataille pour le développement et contre la faim, la sous-alimentation et la malnutrition.
Je souhaite plein succès à nos travaux.
Je vous remercie.
Theodoros STATHIS (Greece): On behalf of the Greek Government, I would like to congratulate you on your election to the chairmanship of the Conference. I also extend my congratulations to the Vice-Chairmen on their election.
The overall setting in which the 28th Conference of FAO takes place, on the eve of the 21st century, is one which seems to be moving towards a delicate balance. The world economy is currently regaining growth, mainly due to the continuing dynamic economic take-off of east Asia and, to a lesser extent, to the modest recovery of OECD countries. Furthermore, the Uruguay Round Agreements have initiated the liberalization of the trade process which is expected to provide some opportunities for several countries to exploit their comparative advantages and give a further boost to world trade.
We should not, however, overestimate these positive signs of recovery. As the UNCTAD Trade and Development Report states, the world economy has been losing steam in 1995. Growth in Latin America as a whole will fall from 3.5 percent to 2 percent. The developed market economies are also expected to slow down. However, growth in developing countries of Asia will accelerate and a number of countries in Central and Eastern Europe will also show continued advance. On the other hand, unemployment is now a veritable scourge in the developed market economies. Unemployment has risen sharply in the OECD countries, from an average of 3.2 percent of the labour force from 1960 to 1973 to 7.3 percent from 1980 to 1994. In the last year, 34 million people were out of work. The quality of new jobs created has been poor on the whole, while most are also low-paid. In addition, although today there is enough food in the world for everybody, there are still nearly 800 million people suffering from chronic malnutrition, and at least another 32 million victims of man-made and natural disasters are threatened with acute hunger.
I will not try to analyse what is very well established in this Organization, namely that at the root of the problem are poverty, underdevelopment and man-made disasters. It is appropriate to stress once again, however, that the elimination of hunger and malnutrition remains the main challenge even into the 21st century.
Food and agricultural development, on the other hand, is also in an unstable balance. The long depression of world market agricultural prices is at least partially halted. This very recent development, together with the initiation of reforms consequent to the Uruguay Agreement on Agriculture, is expected to provide benefits to exporting but not to importing countries. This means that of all countries those with low income will face the greatest difficulties.
The goal of universal food security and the objectives of reducing chronic undernutrition as well as improving nutritional well-being will retain its high priority. Over the last decades, many countries have admittedly experienced improvements in the quantity and quality of food supplies. Taking into account the latest assessments, however, according to which the world's agricultural growth rate up to 2010 is likely to be lower than at any time in recent history, we have to retain our cautiousness and remain alert.
In this respect, it is a very worrying fact that so-called "aid fatigue" now prevails among members of the international community. Taking into account the diminishing level of world cereal stocks, as well as the increasing budgetary restraints in all countries, it appears that even the exceptions that the Uruguay Round Agreement in Agriculture have initiated for the benefit of ensuring world food security may be proved insufficient to meet an extensive food emergency. The theme of the 50th anniversary of FAO, "Food for All", therefore, sends the right message: that effective production and distribution of food still remains a live issue.
In this context, the Quebec Declaration is a very useful document and will prove itself to be a locomotive, for both FAO and its separate Member Nations, taking us towards our future targets.
Lasting food security, sustainable development and equity imperatives cannot be met with the increased availability of food alone. It will be essential to discuss the theme "Invest to Nourish the World" at next year's World Summit Meeting. There is urgent need for investment both of human and physical resources in the agricultural sector. It is also true, however, that this will be met only if there is a favourable economic environment and proper financial institutions to ensure adequate revenue, stability and the reduction of risk for the producers. I believe that these are essential prerequisites for ensuring that investment in agriculture is met primarily by domestic savings at farm or household level.
Furthermore, the reconciliation of the long-term objective of sustainable development with the short-term objective of increasing agricultural and food production, as well as income for the present generation, is a very difficult but high-ranking task. Indeed, we understand that developed and developing countries attach different priorities to increased production and environmental protection objectives. We believe, however, that there is scope for achieving lasting and viable development for future generations by making agricultural systems more sustainable and by avoiding the export of bad farm practices to the developing world.
Agriculture can certainly have a dual effect on the environment. Agricultural activity may serve to protect but, at the same time, contribute to adverse effects on the environment.
Agricultural reforms that have been initiated by the Uruguay Agricultural Agreement can contribute positively to the aim of environmental protection and conservation of natural resources only if they lead to the adoption of slower evolutionary rather than revolutionary methods of production.
This brings me to the crucial issue of research in agriculture as a means for achieving the goals of Sustainable Agricultural and Rural Development (SARD). In my view, the new cooperation agreements between FAO and the Member States are of particular importance. My country's interest in this form of activity is reflected by the recent signing of such an agreement between FAO and the Greek Ministry of Agriculture.
Agricultural activities are the main but not the only ones practised in the countryside. The development of rural areas therefore calls for a more integrated approach. Rural development, being much broader than agricultural development, is not only an issue of increasing rural finance, improving infrastructure or enhancing the adoption of new and appropriate technologies or even coping with the problem of institutional reorganization. It is also an issue of human resource base development. This is the basic factor for success. In this regard the active participation of the rural population in the local decision-making process is of great significance.
Particular emphasis should be given to the role of women in the development process. I trust that the FAO revised Plan of Action for Women in Development will enforce their contribution and will provide the necessary response to the global events.
Last but not least, Mr Chairman, I would like to raise the issue on the roles of FAO in the context of severe budgetary restraints on the one hand and the need for FAO restructuring in order to adjust to the changing international environment on the other.
First of all, I wish to reaffirm my government's agreement to the basic roles of FAO as these are set out on the Medium-term Plan 1996-2001.
Furthermore, I fully agree that the translation of these roles into congruent sets of priorities and activities in the framework of the Medium-term Plan will clearly depend on the volume of resources put at the Organization's disposal.
It is true that the problem of budgetary constraints is currently characterizing practically all international organizations and countries; yet it is our indispensable duty to ensure that FAO, in its restructured form, will find its way to its future work without putting its basic programmes at any risk.
Aguinaldo LISBOA RAMOS (Cap-Vert): Monsieur le Président, Monsieur le Directeur général de la FAO, Monsieur le Président indépendant du Conseil, Messieurs les Ministres, Mesdames et Messieurs. Permettez-moi, Monsieur le Président, tout d'abord, de vous exprimer mes chaleureuses félicitations pour votre brillante élection à la présidence de la vingt-huitième session de la Conférence générale de la FAO. Ma satisfaction est encore plus grande puisque vous êtes l'illustre Ministre de l'agriculture d'un petit pays, insulaire comme le mien, donc profond connaisseur des problèmes particuliers qui caractérisent ce groupe de pays.
Je suis convaincu que vous saurez animer avec fermeté et dynamisme, les débats où seront analysées des questions vitales et d'extrême importance pour notre Organisation.
Je suis heureux de saisir cette occasion pour féliciter les nouveaux Etats Membres notamment l'Azerbaïdjan, la Géorgie, Moldova, le Turkménistan et le Tadjikistan.
Leur admission comme membres de cette noble famille réaffirme la vocation universelle de cette Organisation et constitue pour nous motif de satisfaction et de joie.
Permettez-moi, également, de saluer la présence parmi nous du Directeur général de la FAO, qui témoigne ainsi l'importance qu'il accorde à l'Organisation et aux problèmes qui l'affectent.
Pendant ces deux années de son mandat, il a su réaliser avec dévouement et zèle un profond travail, en mettant toute son intelligence au service de cette prestigieuse institution internationale.
Monsieur Jacques Diouf n'a pas permis que les espoirs et certitudes de ceux qui l'ont élu puissent être frustrés, en se consacrant avec courage, forte détermination et esprit créateur à l'accomplissement de son programme et des décisions issues de la 27ème Conférence. Il est juste de souligner comment, dans les étroites limites budgétaires, il a réussi à définir un programme continu de restructuration et de décentralisation de l'Organisation qui a été approuvé à l'unanimité par le Conseil à sa 106ème session et dont les résultats ont déjà commencé à être probants.
Avec cette restructuration qui continue et avec les deux programmes spéciaux également approuvés - le PSPA et l'EMPRES - son nom figure déjà, sans ambages, dans l'histoire de la FAO.
Je ne peux pas laisser de mentionner, à cette occasion, l'importance de la visite que le Directeur général a bien voulu effectuer au mois de mai dernier à mon pays, ce qui a été pour nous un motif de grande satisfaction et d'encouragement.
Ces visites se revêtent de grande utilité pour la FAO et ses Etats Membres parce qu'elles constituent des occasions uniques pour, d'un côté, le plus haut responsable de l'Organisation de connaître la réalité du pays, évaluer ce qui est fait dans les domaines de l'agriculture et d'établir des contacts à très haut niveau avec plusieurs responsables de l'Administration, et, de l'autre côté, pour ceux-ci de réaffirmer leur engagement et leurs compromis vis-à-vis de l'Organisation.
Monsieur le Président, la Conférence est un forum privilégié d'analyses et de débats de la situation de l'agriculture, des pêches, de l'alimentation et des questions importantes y afférentes.
Nous sommes, donc, sûrs que dans cette rencontre, comme par le passé, seront adoptées des résolutions capables de contribuer à l'élimination de la faim, de la misère et du sous-développement de la face de la terre.
De gros efforts sont déployés pour la résolution des problèmes les plus urgents qui affectent encore l'humanité, tels que la faim et la malnutrition, la pauvreté, la dégradation de l'environnement, la sécheresse, la désertification, les catastrophes naturelles lesquels, dans leurs ensemble, constituent d'énormes défis à relever dans le cadre de la politique de développement durable.
Malheureusement, c'est dans le continent africain que la situation se présente toujours avec une plus grande gravité. La faible augmentation de la production alimentaire ne suit pas la croissance démographique accélérée. Le nombre de personnes sous-alimentées ne cesse d'augmenter.
Le Cap-Vert est persuadé que la solution de ces défis est une tâche qui revient à toute la communauté internationale dans un cadre de solidarité entre les divers partenaires de développement. Il continue de soutenir indéfectiblement l'action de la FAO pour la totale réalisation des objectifs consacrés dans ses textes fondamentaux.
Monsieur le Président, pays sahélien avec un climat très irrégulier, écologiquement faible et vulnérable, toujours sujet à un processus de dégradation accélérée de l'environnement et de ses ressources naturelles, le Cap-Vert pratique une agriculture avec un potentiel de production de biens alimentaires assez limité, de loin insuffisant pour nourrir sa population.
Cependant le secteur agricole, malgré cette fragilité continue, a joué un rôle crucial dans l'économie nationale surtout si l'on tient compte qu'un pourcentage élevé de la population dépend de l'agriculture.
Considérant que la sécurité alimentaire et l'accès aux aliments sont une de ses plus grandes préoccupations, le Gouvernement du Cap-Vert mise sur la modernisation de l'agriculture. Ainsi il met à sa disposition d'importantes ressources financières et techniques, promeut la formation et l'introduction de nouvelles techniques et technologies, développe la participation populaire, valorise le rôle de la femme dans le processus économique et il a créé un service de crédit agricole et dynamisé les mécanismes du commerce.
Cet effort ne peut être possible que grâce à l'appui précieux des partenaires du développement de mon pays parmi lesquels la FAO maintient une place de premier plan dès le lendemain de l'indépendance nationale.
A ce sujet, j'aimerais vivement remercier tous ceux, en particulier la FAO, qui promptement, ont pu répondre à l'appel lancé par le Gouvernement du Cap-Vert dans le but d'aider les victimes de la récente éruption volcanique dans l'île de Fogo et la récupération agricole de la zone atteinte.
Monsieur le Président, la campagne agricole 1995/96, contrairement aux dernières années, où l'on a enregistré une pluviométrie trop déficitaire avec des répercussions assez négatives sur le volume de production agricole, a bénéficié aux mois de juillet, août, septembre et début octobre de pluies généralisées dans presque tout le pays permettant une vigueur végétative des cultures.
Si l'on considère encore que la situation phytosanitaire se présente sans grande incidence de maladies et ennemis des cultures, on peut prétendre à une année agricole meilleure que celle de l'année passée, surtout en termes de fixation d'espèces forestières et fruitières, du pâturage et de la recharge de la nappe phréatique.
On prévoit que bientôt une mission conjointe FAO/CILSS/CAP-VERT procédera à l'évaluation de l'année agricole et des disponibilités et besoins alimentaires pour 1996-97.
Monsieur le Président, nous sommes conscients de la crise financière que connaissent les organisations internationales, en particulier celles du système des Nations Unies dont la FAO fait partie. Les efforts déployés par le Directeur général pour réduire et rationaliser les dépenses sont dûment appréciés et ont d'ailleurs déjà une forte incidence sur le Programme de travail et budget pour 1996/97 soumis à cette Conférence pour approbation.
Nous félicitons le Directeur général du fait que ce Programme de travail et budget ait été établi dans une perspective globale et à long terme sans recours aux arriérés de contributions pour le financer, et des efforts dans le sens de réduire de façon significative les augmentations de coût sans affecter les programmes prioritaires, cherchant ainsi à donner satisfaction aux préoccupations manifestées par les Etats Membres.
Donc, et considérant, d'une part, les priorités établies, notamment le PSPA, l'EMPRES, le CTPD et le PCT, les programmes relatifs à l'aménagement des sols, la diversification de cultures, la participation populaire, et, par ailleurs, le contexte économique défavorable et les difficultés financières de diverse nature que connaissent les Etats Membres en général, la délégation cap-verdienne réitère son appui au principe de croissance réelle zéro défini sur la base budgétaire du programme et budget 1994/95, soit 673 millions de dollars E.-U., et donne son accord pour l'approbation du Programme de travail et budget pour 1996-97 tel que présenté.
En effet, quoique loin de couvrir les nombreux besoins des Etats Membres, cette base budgétaire a le mérite de prendre en compte le contexte économique et politique actuel.
Bien que le le Cap-Vert possède de rares ressources naturelles, étant détenteur d'une vaste zone économique exclusive, le secteur des pêches est stratégique pour son développement.
Ainsi, nous appuyons l'adoption du Projet de code de conduite pour une pêche responsable. La survie de ce secteur dépend de la rationalisation de la gestion des ressources halieutiques, ce qui présuppose l'existence de règles qui garantissent la pratique d'une pêche responsable, condition fondamentale pour le développement durable des pêches.
Malgré les réductions budgétaires qui affectent le Grand Programme Pêches, il nous est agréable de constater que l'élaboration d'un programme d'appui aux petits Etats insulaires en développement a été prévu.
Pour les pays pauvres comme le nôtre, le Programme de coopération technique (PCT) s'est révélé d'importance capitale dans la résolution de problèmes ponctuels et urgents. Pour cela, nous regrettons la situation financière de l'Organisation qui ne permet pas une plus grande augmentation des ressources, comme le recommande la Résolution 9/89 de la 25ème Conférence. Nous espérons que cette contrainte sera surmontée dans un avenir proche.
Nous sommes heureux des premières activités du PCDC et souhaitons la consolidation de ce programme.
La participation populaire revêt aussi une importance considérable dans la promotion du développement rural. Il est réservé à l'Etat le rôle dans la création de conditions pour que les populations puissent, de façon responsable, assumer consciemment leurs problèmes, les équationner et les résoudre en accord avec leurs aspirations et besoins.
Le peuple cap-verdien, malgré les multiples contraintes, participe activement au processus de développement socio-économique du Pays, en harmonie avec les mesures de politiques adoptés par le Gouvernement.
La femme joue un rôle prépondérant dans le processus de développement à travers les responsabilités et les fonctions qui lui reviennent dans la société, comme agent promoteur de biens alimentaires.
Le statut de la femme dans la société n'est pas encore à la hauteur des responsabilités sociales qu'elle assume, connaissant plusieurs fois la discrimination dans l'accès à certains droits.
N'importe quel programme de développement doit avoir pour stratégie l'intégration totale de la femme comme force vive de la société.
Nous sommes convaincus que les recommandations issues de cette Conférence mondiale seront mises en pratique, contribuant de façon significative à la reconnaissance universelle des droits de la femme et de son rôle dans l'économie et dans la société.
La réunion de Québec qui a regroupé un grand nombre de ministres constitue, sans doute, une étape supplémentaire et fondamentale dans la voie d'une FAO revitalisée et un pas important dans la préparation du Sommet mondial sur l'alimentation qui a été l'objet d'un fort soutien de la part de tous les présents.
Nous souhaitons, donc, que soit adoptée par la 28ème Conférence la Déclaration sur l'alimentation et l'agriculture issue de cette réunion.
Au moment où l'humanité continue, malheureusement, à faire face aux graves fléaux qui sont la faim et la misère, l'initiative de réaliser en 1996 ce Sommet sous le thème "Sécurité alimentaire pour tous", mérite tout notre appui.
Cet événement sera une excellente occasion de réflexion, au plus haut niveau, et permettra de renouveler l'engagement des Etats Membres et l'adoption de politiques et orientations indispensables à la réussite de la Sécurité alimentaire pour tous à l'an 2010.
Pour terminer, il m'est agréable de réaffirmer ma conviction que les travaux de cette Conférence atteindront les objectifs fixés et les succès attendus.
Peter BACO (Slovakia): I am taking the liberty to congratulate you, Mr Chairman, on your election as the Chairman of the 28th FAO General Conference.
I have the special honour to repeat my congratulations to His Excellency Jacques Diouf at the 50th Anniversary of the Food and Agriculture Organization. It is also my honour to congratulate the Heads of the delegations of the new FAO member countries: Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
I would like to address the 28th General Conference on the following issues which I consider very important for the future development of the Organization.
First of all I highly appreciate the activities and decisions of His Excellency, which became the basis for implementation of two special programmes on Food Security in Low-Income Food-Deficit Countries, and Emergency Prevention System for Transboundary Plant and Animal Diseases. Slovakia offers its experts to the FAO special programmes and projects, particularly in the areas of human nutrition, water management, veterinary and forestry science and its well equipped educational and scientific institutions.
It is my intention to ask FAO in the difficult situation to implement in our sub-region more functioning, flexible and preventional approaches. Liquidation of negative impacts is more demanding and expensive in comparison with decisive steps at the beginning when a problem has appeared. Let me remind you that at the 18th Prague European Regional Conference in 1992 I have informed that development in the sub-region is on course towards the critical decay of the agricultural production in the consequences of the radical restrictions of the state support, protectionism and managed interventions in the agrarian sector. It has also been said that formerly clear exporter countries may be found among the food-deficit countries. This warning stood without appropriate response from the Organization. Negative results are visible - 8 countries from the sub-region belong to the aforesaid group.
In accordance with the guidelines of the Conference I would like to share with the delegates our experience from the transitional period which we are achieving in Slovakia. Radical changes over the years 1991-1993 led to nearly a 30 percent decrease in the agricultural production. For this reason we have implemented a regulatory approach which has replaced ineffective and uncontrolled development. Also, the system of firm prices and quotas has been introduced in milk production. We have implemented the institution of the Fund of the Market Regulation which serves for purchase of the overproduction, and for meat and wheat, which means creation of the conditions for guaranteed prices.
The comprehensive economic policy of the Slovak Government in the agriculture and food industries is set out in "The Concept of the Agrarian Policy of the Slovak Republic" enacted by the Slovak National Council. Decline has been stopped. Positive changes can be seen from 1994. In that year an increase of about 5 percent was achieved, and the same trend is expected in 1995. Almost half of the farms made a profit and 85 percent of them improved their economic results. This process of revitalization is supported by an increasing of the investments into the technologies of more like 40 percent in this year. Slovakia is supporting the FAO proposal to decline customs and trade barriers negotiations within the CEFTA countries. It is assumed to achieve a 50 percent cut-down among these states already from January 1996.
In parallel with these measures, Slovakia adopted a whole range of measures to harmonize particular areas of legislation and technical standards with the European Union.
In relatively stabilized forestry in Slovakia, a serious problem is the disproportioned exploitation of forests and generally worsened health conditions of forests in Slovakia. On this issue we would like to have the FAO expert support.
Our intentions for further cooperation with FAO for the next biennium are to organize the sub-regional meeting on the impact of GATT Agreements on agriculture trade and to prepare other sub-regional meetings on the matters of acceding into the European Union.
Bearing in mind the crucial situation in poverty and hunger, Slovakia welcomes preparation of the World Food Summit.
I would like to express my support on the difficult issue regarding the current financial state in the Organization. We are fully aware, as the Director-General mentioned in his statement, that FAO is our Organization, and I would like to add that we feel our responsibility for it. A complicated situation is resulting from the insufficient distribution of resources. In the case that this Conference will decline the budget, first and major victims of this decision would be the poorest people. The price growth of the most bulky foodstuff - wheat and rice - does not provide alternatives. We have two possibilities. One is to support utilization of the concentrated redistribution, the increased financial requirements for the two programmes submitted by FAO, which is intended to assist deficit countries, mainly for the increase of the domestic production, or we can calmly accept the fact that the number of hungry people and those who are dying due to it will grow further. In this dilemma we should be aware that no one of us has the right to stay neutral on this matter. The above mentioned is valid for forestry as well, where a present share of 4.6 percent is indicated on the very marginal level. The important role of forestry in sustainable agriculture is evident, and a further cut-down would be inappropriate. In this precarious crossroad for FAO, Slovakia is on the side of productive dialogue in order to obtain consensus.
It has been an honour for me to present this statement on the 28th FAO Conference and I believe in a successful outcome of our Meeting and fruitful multilateral cooperation, in order to fulfil the declared targets and programmes.
Stanley WEBSTER (Namibia): Director-General, fellow Ministers, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.
On behalf of the Namibian delegation I express our deepest sympathy to the Iraqi Minister's family and the Iraqi people for the untimely loss of their beloved father and colleague.
We further join our other colleagues in welcoming the five new Members to the Organization. The expansion of the Organization is a reflection of its effectiveness and efficiency in addressing the problems of food security.
It is five years ago since Namibia joined FAO. Without any regret, we are proud to say that it was a valuable step. I therefore consider it appropriate on this occasion to narrate to you and the Conference the developments that have taken place in the areas of agriculture and food security in Namibia since we became a member. What we have achieved so far not only reflects our own dedication and efforts, but also those made by FAO in addressing our problems in Namibia.
The agricultural status and the food security situation of Namibia are not only a result of the indisputable harsh climatic condition and the poor soil fertility, but they have also been brought about by the neglect of more than 70 percent of the 1.7 million people, most of whom live in the rural areas. In addition, the country's high rate of population growth, which is estimated at approximately 3 percent per annum, has a negative implication for the food security situation, especially at household level.
The different administration before independence has resulted in the situation of underdeveloped, inappropriate farming practices and this has led to a progressive decline in farm productivity and in the creation of two distinct agricultural systems: the commercial, free-hold, well developed, capital-intensive and export-oriented farming sub-sector which occupies more than 70 percent of the productive land, has an average farm size of more than 6,500 hectares, and is owned and controlled by less than two percent of the total population and, in contrast, less than 40 percent of the total agricultural land area provides for the livelihood of now nearly one million people who depend mainly on rain-fed subsistence cropping with land and labour being the principal inputs with few, if any, external inputs being used. Extension services in many areas were non-existent prior to independence, while credit, technologies and markets were similarly very scarce. High unemployment as well as underemployment rates in the agricultural sector further inhibit any increase in farming productivity. Health, sanitation, nutrition, and education further reflect the glaring neglect of the social service sector.
As a result, many of our people lack access to productive farming, income-generating opportunities and consequently lack of purchasing power. The result is that they do not have access to good supplies of food to meet their daily basic needs for a balanced diet.
Unfortunately, this situation still prevails in spite of efforts made to secure food security at national level through domestic production and food imports. Widespread undernutrition and malnutrition still exists amongst infants and children under the age of five. This is especially so where illiteracy rates are highest. The low proportion of the population having access to sufficient and safe water is another constraining factor.
The lack of water, especially in the rural areas, has resulted in the concentration of livestock around the few available waterpoints, which further degrades the existing range land. This has further adverse implications for Namibia's livestock sub-sector which forms the backbone of our agricultural sector: from it, the majority of farmers derive their income.
Addressing the inequalities that characterise almost every sector of our economy has proved no easy task, and this will continue to be the case for some years to come. However, the Government of Namibia remains strongly committed in its endeavour to free its population from the fear of hunger and starvation, and from material insecurity - just as it is in its commitment to peace. The commitment to pay its dues is a manifestation of the pride our small nation has to empower itself. Development can only take place if there is political stability, and I am very happy to note that in the sub-African region we are at political peace.
In recognition of the important role the agricultural sector plays in the performance of our economy, and the contribution it makes to individual lives of the largest proportion of the population in Namibia, we have embarked on a number of initiatives since independence.
First and foremost, we have formulated and recently published our First National Development Plan and our National Agricultural Policy. These set out the overall goals and immediate objectives we wish to realize over the next five years - in particular, the path has been defined in the fields of production, technology development and extension as well as the training of farmers, farming communities and government personnel. In this way, we intend to reduce, if not close, the gap in income and service provision that exists between the two farming sub-sectors.
The Plan and Policy documents serve as a guide for all those involved in assisting the development of our agricultural sector, as to where resources and efforts should be focused. The bulk of the interventions which will be made over the next five years will have small holder farm families in the communal-tenure areas as their primary focus. Apart from having a great impact on poverty reduction, labour absorption and social welfare generation, such an approach will, we believe, strengthen household food security and stabilise rural-urban migration.
The fisheries sector is one of Namibia's best chances for generating broad-based economic growth necessary in addressing food and nutrition problems. It is currently the fastest growing sector in the economy despite some slowing down recently because of adverse environmental conditions. Nonetheless, the sector's contribution to GDP has doubled to 7.6 percent since 1991. Further, employment in the sector has also doubled to 12,000 persons during the same period and we project that more than 20,000 jobs will be created by the year 2000. Exports have also nearly doubled since independence, from N$640 million to N$1.4 billion in 1994. We expect the same trend in the value of output in the medium to longer term. The Ministry of Fisheries is currently working on a White Paper on Fresh water Fishing and related legislations which will address issues with regard to exploration, protection and conservation of fresh water fish and to the development of aquaculture.
Food and nutrition are fundamental factors which play a determining role in our daily lives. Without access to adequate and nutritious foods people's productivity is limited. We, in Namibia, have realised this and have therefore committed ourselves to ensuring that everyone of us, old and young, rural and urban, have reliable access to safe and nutritional food at all times. To this end, we have drawn up a multi-sectoral Food and Nutrition Policy to guide effectively and efficiently, and to coordinate all sectors of the Government, all NGO's, the private sectors and the local communities.
Two important institutional structures which have been set up to improve our food security and nutrition situation are "National Early Warning and Food Information Unit", which is progressing particularly well, and an "Emergency Management Unit". New initiatives have been linked with these existing structures through our Food Security and Nutritional Technical Committee. Both units are involved in monitoring all matters affecting food security and provide monthly reports, on the basis of which necessary remedial action can be taken - in collaboration, where required, with our S ADC partners.
Our commitment to food security and nutrition has been echoed in various ways. Firstly, by our Prime Minister in 1992 when he declared a "Food and Nutrition Decade" for the country. Secondly, by the inclusion of a chapter on "Food and Nutrition" in the First National Development Plan and, finally, by the formulation of a Food and Nutrition Action Plan. The assistance provided by FAO in the preparation of these documents is much appreciated.
Furthermore, ladies and gentlemen, we are proud to share with our President the honour he has been shown recently when he was selected as a recipient of the "African Leadership Award" which he will receive during the celebration of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the United Nations, in New York. This award is in recognition for the commitment and dedication that he has shown in fighting hunger and eliminating all forms of malnutrition by the year 2002, since his election as President of the Republic of Namibia in 1990.
We have not been alone in the past and hope that we will not be alone in the future, in our struggle for the social and economic betterment of our people. Many agencies from the international community have shown their willingness and commitment to assist us in attaining our national development goals. It would therefore be improper for me not to use this occasion to thank them for the help which they have provided and which they continue to provide to us.
We further would like to particularly thank the Food and Agriculture Organization for its unwavering support to food and agricultural development in Namibia. In addition to the support which I mentioned earlier, I have in mind the assistance that the Organization has recently provided us:
- in organizing and reviewing our agrarian and rural development policies and strategies;
- in implementing our programme of land reform;
- in guiding the development of our fisheries sector; and
- in developing our national seed industry.
Finally, on behalf of the Government of Namibia, I would like to express my thanks for the recent appointment of Mr Siry, the FAO representative in Namibia. The presence of the representative in the country is helping to maintain the efficient flow of communications between Windhoek and Rome, thus ensuring that the Organization continues to support our development efforts.
We hope that the excellent relationship and cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Namibia and the Food and Agriculture Organization that we have both nurtured, will continue to flourish for many years to come.
Mr Chairman, before I conclude, let me join my colleagues in the plea for continuous development and support to the environment; social, and in particular, human capital development in order to ensure a sustained economic development.
In conclusion, we support and endorse the Director-General's zero growth budget proposal and all his noble initiates. On behalf of the Namibian Government and the Namibian people, I wish the Director-General and all those who work alongside him, the strength to enable them to gracefully continue to carry out the difficult task they have been assigned to. Let me also assure him that Namibia will continue to be a cooperative partner.
LE PRESIDENT: Je remercie Monsieur le Chef de délégation de Namibie qui a dépassé le temps qui lui était imparti.
Je donne maintenant la parole à M. le Représentant, Chef de la délégation de l'Italie.
Walter LUCHETTl (Italie): Je suis particulièrement heureux et honoré de participer aux travaux de cette Conférence, le plus important organe de la FAO, en qualité de représentant du Gouvernement du pays qui, depuis plus de 40 ans, en accueille le siège sur son territoire.
Il y a quelques jours, nous avons célébré à Québec City, ville où la première fois la Conférence ministérielle de la FAO se réunit, le Cinquantième anniversaire de l'Organisation. Nous nous sommes solennellement engagés à continuer l'action nécessaire pour réaliser les principes fondamentaux de justice et de solidarité que nos gouvernements signèrent en 1945.
Les mérites acquis par la FAO pendant ces longues années sont très connus par tous, et nous en avons beaucoup parlé pendant les réunions au Canada.
Un long chemin a déjà été parcouru pendant les réunions au Canada.
Au cours des dernières aimées, la question de la sécurité alimentaire a pris une place de plus en plus importante dans le débat politique international. Dans les années 80, les crises alimentaires, qui ont à maintes reprises frappé des pays en voie de développement, ont rendu manifeste la faiblesse structurelle de l'économie agro-alimentaire mondiale, caractérisée par un paradoxe évident. En effet, dans l'hémisphère Nord, émergeaient avec force les problèmes des excédents structurels, agricoles et alimentaires des pays développés, et les gouvernements ont tout mis en oeuvre pour essayer de résoudre le dilemme de la nécessité de soutenir le revenu agricole sans entraîner des crises de surproduction. Bien au contraire, dans l'hémisphère Sud, les pays les plus pauvres enduraient des situations structurelles de pénurie alimentaire qui ont souvent pris l'aspect de véritables crises alimentaires.
Ce paradoxe - à savoir l'existence dans le système agro-alimentaire mondial à la fois d'excédents et de pénuries - a sans doute mis en crise l'ancien principe de la sécurité alimentaire d'après lequel la sécurité alimentaire est assurée par une disponibilité mondiale d'aliments égale aux besoins alimentaires de la terre. De surcroît, la persistante pénurie alimentaire dans certains pays plus pauvres a mis en évidence la faiblesse de quelques-unes parmi les politiques de développement agricole mises en oeuvre dans les décennies précédentes, dont les succès n'ont été que partiels et répartis, sur le plan géographique, "en tache de léopard".
Les progrès considérables enregistrés au cours des dernières décennies en termes de croissance de la production agricole et, par là, des réserves alimentaires disponibles, ne sont cependant pas parvenus à éliminer les énormes difficultés de bon nombre de pays - en particulier, mais non seulement, de l'Afrique au sud du Sahara - tant pour ce qui concerne les réserves disponibles que, et surtout, les possibilités des groupes sociaux les plus faibles d'accéder aux aliments. Trop de pays et trop de gens encore subissent de graves limitations en cette matière; la FAO continue à jouer un rôle fondamental en assistant ces pays et la communauté internationale tout entière dans leurs efforts pour résoudre ces problèmes.
La coopération avec la FAO est, pour l'Italie, une longue et constante tradition qui nous place au premier rang des pays donateurs, grâce à la réalisation conjointe, de 1979 à nos jours, de plus de 150 projets de développement, en Afrique, en Amérique du Sud et en Asie, pour un montant global d'environ 400 millions de dollars.
Parmi les secteurs de collaboration, celui de la sécurité alimentaire a toujours été présent, avec la réalisation de nombreux projets, tant de développement rural intégré que de systèmes d'alerte précoce pour la prévision des récoltes et les informations aux agriculteurs.
A ceux-ci je voudrais maintenant ajouter, en lui donnant mon soutien le plus convaincu, le Programme de développement de la sécurité pour les semences, programme qui, sans aucun doute, pourra assurer une grande aide à la sécurité alimentaire dans les pays les moins favorisés, tout en respectant une agriculture durable. En effet, le programme, non seulement garantit un accès plus rapide aux semences certifiées ou commerciales des variétés sélectionnées, mais il prévoit aussi une impulsion à la conservation et même à l'utilisation des diversités génétiques à travers les applications de biotechnologies.
A ce point, je tiens à exprimer notre appréciation particulière au Directeur général, Monsieur Diouf, pour l'engagement renouvelé de la FAO en matière de sécurité alimentaire qui est particulièrement appréciable, certes, pour la continuelle urgence des besoins, mais surtout pour la recherche de stratégies de façon à satisfaire, tout en respectant les droits des générations futures, les exigences des populations aujourd'hui les plus nécessiteuses.
Le "Programme spécial de soutien de la sécurité alimentaire" fait partie de cet engagement et propose une action qui, bien qu'elle puisse certainement être améliorée par une interaction mieux articulée entre la FAO, les pays bénéficiaires et les pays donateurs, constitue dès à présent une base robuste d'objectifs et d'outils.
En partageant ces objectifs, nous avons, dès le début, ouvert un dialogue qui a engendré une meilleure exposition de certains thèmes fondamentaux. Ce processus conjoint d'étude et de révision a fini par nous convaincre qu'il s'agit, dans l'ensemble, d'une intiative très importante. En effet, elle révèle un caractère "pilote" pour la priorité accordée à la coordination et à la mise en valeur de toutes expériences réalisées jusqu'à présent dans ce secteur, et aussi parce qu'elle prévoit l'exécution locale et l'approche participative nécessaires pour assurer un terrain de base favorable à la réalisation des différents projets.
Notre pays s'est donc engagé à soutenir le "Programme spécial" en particulier dans quelques-uns des pays les plus démunis d'Afrique, comme, par exemple, l'Ethiopie et l'Erythrée, dont les premiers résultats seront traités lors du Sommet de Rome en novembre 1996.
Je tiens à répéter que l'Italie participera, avec la plus grande détermination, à la phase préparatoire du Sommet (également en qualité de président de l'Union européenne au cours du premier semestre de l'année prochaine) et elle s'efforcera d'exercer au mieux son rôle délicat d'hôte d'un événement aussi important.
La coopération italienne étudie, en outre, sur le plan multibilatéral, en collaboration avec la FAO mais aussi avec les deux autres agences agricoles, PAM et IF AD, des initiatives ne faisant pas partie du "Programme spécial" mais qui s'en inspirent, au Mozambique, en Angola et en Somalie.
Je voudrais maintenant ajouter des éléments plus proprement techniques: il s'agit d'aspects du problème déjà connus et qu'il faut souligner ici.
Désormais, tout le monde s'est rallié à la vision "globale" du problème de la sécurité alimentaire, et son étroit lien avec celui du développement. En outre, je crois que, dans cette phase de l'histoire de l'homme, la prépondérance des aspects économiques de la question alimentaire est indéniable, aspects qui sont liés à l'efficacité des structures de développement à l'échelle planétaire par rapport à ceux plus proprement technologiques.
C'est l'effet de la phase de transition que les sociétés sont en train de traverser et qui voit tous les pays de la planète se consacrer à redessiner leur structure et leur rôle dans un monde plus grand et, en même temps, plus petit et plus égal, informé mais pas encore prêt à faire face à ses problèmes.
Il me semble évidemment nécessaire de travailler avec acharnement au sein des grandes assemblées internationales durant une phase dans laquelle nous sommes moins autonomes, mais plus responsables; même les grandes organisations internationales ont constaté la profonde différence entre leur activité actuelle et celle du passé, avec une complémentarité objective de leurs actions.
La coopération est une nécessité des Etats au niveau international; elle peut se produire soit de façon solidaire, soit de façon forcée, active ou passive, mais il s'agit d'un aspect de la scène politique qu'il faut absolument considérer; tous les gouvernements doivent s'en rendre compte.
Aujourd'hui, il est impossible de programmer une politique alimentaire sans entrer parallèlement dans le vif du sujet du problème important de l'harmonisation des politiques internationales, dans le respect et la sauvegarde des ressources, et sans réaliser une grande organisation du commerce.
Le commerce a, depuis toujours, signifié prospérité et culture pour les peuples, et cette charte offre des capacités qui, jusqu'à aujourd'hui, ont été peu valorisées.
C'est une opération complexe au chemin long et difficile, sur lequel nous sommes en train de faire nos premiers pas et qui doit nous voir prêts au dialogue et à la médiation d'une façon responsable.
Dans le domaine technique, il nous reste de grands pas à faire. Si nous jetons un regard sur le passé et si nous analysons les statistiques selon la moyenne arithmétique, chaque individu a aujourd'hui à sa disposition plus de 2.700 calories par jour, contre les 2.300 disponibles au début des années 60 et seuls, avant la génération actuelle, 80 pour cent de la population des pays en voie de développement avaient des disponibilités alimentaires tout à fait insuffisantes, alors que le quota d'indigence est maintenant réduit à 20 pour cent.
Mais pouvons-nous nous contenter de ces chiffres et dire avec satisfaction que, de nos jours, "seuls" 800 millions de personnes sont sous-alimentées dans le monde? Evidemment pas.
Je voudrais être plus optimiste que ceux qui considèrent qu'il est de plus en plus difficle que la production alimentaire puisse soutenir ce rythme de croissance des populations et besoins des sociétés; il est vrai que cette analyse tient compte du fait que les productions de base ont presque doublé pendant ces derniers trente ans, mais que cela s'est produit avec un ralentissement constant de la croissance des productions primaires des derniers quinze ans et que, parallèlement, les phénomènes de pollution et de destruction des ressources ont miné la capacité productive de bien des zones.
Privilégier des solutions qui tiennent compte du facteur humain implique la clé des changements; de ce point de vue, les questions qui concernent les productions céréalières sont exemplaires.
L'Union européenne a montré comment, en gérant la politique agricole d'une façon flexible, elle peut s'ouvrir au marché sans abandonner ses producteurs.
Mais le plus important est qu'un processus de développement durable s'engage dans tous ces pays à bas revenu, en mobilisant des investissements et des énergies dans les domaines qui peuvent donner un rôle et une identité dans le cadre du système économique mondial et qui redonnent aux populations l'envie d'être promoteur de leur développement.
Je voudrais conclure en rappelant aussi bien qu'en étant optimiste sur la possibilité de trouver des solutions applicables, que je ne m'illusionne pas sur la facilité d'y arriver, mais c'est justement dans ces occasions que l'essence profonde de chacun de nous vient à la surface avec sa capacité de croire en des idéaux et de les poursuivre.
J'espère que nous tous trouverons la force pour le faire.
LE PRESIDENT: Je remercie Monsieur le Chef de la délégation de l'Italie.
Mes chers collègues, je constate que certains chefs de délégation n'ont pas respecté le temps imparti et j'invite cordialement et instamment Messieurs les chefs des délégations à veiller au respect de ce temps imparti.
Je donne maintenant la parole à Monsieur le chef de la délégation de Maurice.
K.C. RUHEE (Mauritius): I feel singularly honoured to address this distinguished gathering today; I am particularly grateful for the opportunity for my delegation to be able to partake in the preparatory groundwork for the forthcoming World Food Summit.
Let me at the very outset reaffirm the commitment of my country to the idea of this high-level Food Summit and our continuing pledge to the noble mission and ideals of the FAO.
We have come to a crucial turning-point as we prepare to forward into the next millennium, with challenges aplenty in so many fields. But the most important one remains, as all of us agree here: the primordial function of ensuring the food security of each and every human being on earth.
I need not recall the grim situation in regard to food and nutrition that is particularly afflicting the less-developed nations. This is being more than amply depicted by so many authorities, not least by the FAO itself, while the stark reality of starvation and undernutrition is projected to us, almost as a daily ration of bread, through such heartbreaking, graphic images by the media. So our mission though not insurmountable does constitute a formidable hurdle to be crossed over.
The formulation with any consistency of agricultural and food policies and workable strategies has become a task beset with such ever-increasing number of considerations, internal and external, that it is more than timely that an international and concerted action is called for. These multiple dimensions besides internal realities such as the level of economic development, resources endowment, climatic factors, the social set up, etc. now have to cope with further pressures from the external front not solely related to the World Food Situation. In fact we have now to adjust also to a new international trade order furthering liberalization as embodied in the GATT accord; to a new environmental order for sustainable and environmental-friendly development emanating from the earth summit; and the additional considerations of the social summit towards poverty alleviation; of the agreement reached at the ICN on the improvement of quality and safety of food, and gender aspects from the recent Beijing conference.
We in Mauritius have evolved certain guiding principles which, together with our assessment of the world situation are directing the design of policies and strategies. Given the urgency of the situation we have in some way been pre-empting the outcome in terms of policy and action of the World Food Summit. In fact, I am pleased to note that most of the elements we are addressing have a very close concordance with those that the Draft Policy and Plan of Action suggest for inclusion in the final version to derive from the World Food Summit.
Mauritius at independence in 1968 inherited a colonial legacy of a mono-crop agricultural economy that just could not be socially and economically sustainable. The then alarming rate of population and unemployment increases, coupled with the saturation point reached in the labour absorptive capacity of agriculture, a high dependency on international trade, land scarcity and geographical isolation, periodic climatic upheavals, etc. led to a strategy of economic diversification as from the early 70s. This was based on export-oriented manufacturing and tourism development which were fuelled mostly by the sugar sector itself. Concurrently an aggressive population control programme was initiated. This structural adjustment programme and population policy have produced such impressive results over the past two decades, at the national economy level and in terms of fertility decline, that agriculture today is displaced by the export-processing sector to second position as net foreign exchange earner. Its socio-economic commitments (in terms of generation of employment and income opportunities and related food supply/security which remains prominent) are today fairly shared, and any required readjustment relieved, by the industrial and tourism sectors and an emerging financial sector.
I re-emphasise that our approach in regard to food security encompasses both self-reliance and self-sufficiency as defined in the FAO draft policy document. Our thrust therefore is both towards aiming at a positive trade balance through an aggressive export-oriented agriculture, while also improving supply from local production for the Mauritian and an expanding tourist population.
Thus, while still being a food-deficit country that imports the totality of its staples needs (rice and wheat), and almost 80 percent of the rest of our food consumption, we still remain a self-reliant food economy and our strategy is bent towards an improvement of this situation. We already have some dynamic sub-sectors of agriculture which have shown considerable promise in the recent past, e.g. small-scale vegetable, pig and industrial poultry production.
However, despite various studies that imply that the GATT provisions will give a boost to the world economy, the situation may not be that bright for food-deficit LDCs. I referred in Quebec to the recent study of UNCTAD that does illustrate the serious plight of poor, import-dependent nations. Mauritius is in a particularly difficult situation given its overreliance on international trade for ensuring, amongst other things, its national food security, given the likelihood of the gradual erosion of trade preferences and the expected rise in the prices of food commodities. This is already the case for cereals and livestock products, which we import heavily.
Our agricultural strategy is double pronged, directed at one level on the export-oriented sugar sector, and at the other on agricultural diversification for both local consumption and export, while trying to exploit to the maximum the interactions between the two. And all this is being attempted by first eliciting a collective move towards forging an informed, cross-sector and cross-party consensus, and by efforts focused both at the internal and external fronts to make the most of the five-year grace period afforded under the GATT regime. In the process we are paying special attention to the needs of the small-scale sector. The small producers in fact constitute the "soul" of our agricultural sector. We thus want to ensure that they are not left out to fend for themselves in the harsh, market-led reality that the prevailing ethos entails, nor that the technology gap between the small-scale enterprises and the larger-sized ones are left loose to widen further.
Because of the unfavourable climate in the international trade scene, we are increasing the momentum of the reform of our sugar policy that spans several components aiming at better efficiency and competitiveness: modernization, rehabilitation and consolidation of sugar factories, mechanization of cultural operations; upgrading of irrigation technologies, production of still higher value-added special sugars, optimization of the use of sugar byproducts particularly directed towards the use of bagasse by the setting up of power stations for electrical energy production, and small farmer efficiency schemes, a major component of which is the implementation of a Land Area Management Unit (LAMU) concept whereby small producers are being incited to group themselves into consolidated, larger-sized units not only to benefit from economies of scale, but also from better management, while still retaining all their legal ownership and other rights over their land.
The reform policy for the sugar sector does not diminish social and environmental concerns. The Mauritian sugar industry historically has always been plagued with suspicion and social conflicts which we are attempting to uproot now. We are in the process of implementing a unique Planters and Employees Participatory Scheme that enables these industry partners to acquire 20 percent of the equity capital of sugar milling companies, under very favourable conditions in terms of discounts, government grants and loans. Labour laws also give due recognition to Trade Unions while ensuring satisfactory wage and work conditions for employees, and attempts are accelerating towards also offering better housing conditions for the sugar industry workers.
Efficient pollution abatement equipment is to be installed in new boilers in sugar factories, particularly those which would form part of power plants. Pesticides and fertilizer applications are being monitored at plant, soil and groundwater levels, although we may have to step up efforts here.
The tea sector in Mauritius was expanded on state lands as from the mid-fifties, more so out of the need to relieve the unemployment problem. Despite numerous restructuring programmes it has always remained unviable because of rising costs and the ever-dwindling price of tea on the international market. The government therefore took a drastic policy decision last year, that of diversifying the public tea sector that locks up a gross land area of about 4 500 hectares towards other more remunerative agricultural activities.
The diversification programme is already started. Here as well we are incorporating social and environmental considerations, to the extent possible. The adjustment process for the 2 500 or so families involved is being eased to the maximum: in fact they are not being compelled but rather incited towards non-tea activities through a package of incentives that include land preparation by the government, financial grants, concessionary loans, and technical support. In the overall plan, some fragile sites and water catchment areas are to be retained under conservation forestry, and the private sector component of the tea industry will be maintained to cater for local consumption.
Agricultural diversification so far has remained a marginal activity within the sugar sector which has been maximizing the use of its resources, in terms of rotational and interline land cultivation under foodcrops, its labour force and its infrastructure. We want now to give non-sugar agriculture an identity of its own and no longer view it as an end in itself, rather as a means of achieving the desired structural transformation and revitalization of Mauritian agriculture.
The whole exercise of diversification thus had to be undertaken in an integrated, sophisticated and rational manner. So it was that a high-powered Committee on Agricultural Diversification was reinstated under my chairmanship last year, precisely to come up with a policy blueprint for Action. Eleven task forces grouping all the parties concerned reported on issues ranging from land use, financial incentives, technology support, to storage and marketing including export potential, and the implications of the GATT multilateral trade provisions. The consolidated technical findings were submitted for public scrutiny and debate at a national consultation meeting, and eventually synthesized into a single statement of Policy and Action for the coming five-year period, entitled "Initiatives 2000". This document has already been endorsed by government for implementation.
"Initiatives 2000" is more about restoring the economic importance of agriculture in our country by modernizing and revitalizing it through injection of new technology and fresh capital within an appropriate framework of incentives, the intention being to give agriculturists equal opportunity and treatment as their counterparts in the other sectors to modernize and grow. It is also about using technology and capital more efficiently and improving agricultural productivity, the only basis for competition and survival in the trade-driven global economy of the 21st century.
The initiatives of the government must be consistent with the aspiration of the agricultural community as a whole. "Initiatives 2000" is thus also about how government would be "reinvented" for the agricultural sector by disengaging it from certain activities which could best be left to private initiative. The document realizes that it is important to see revitalization not as a top-down government managed programme but as a multi-level process by which Mauritian agriculture revitalizes itself over the next decade and more.
Various initiatives are already being implemented. We have restructured the research and extension wings of the Ministry into one unit to give it the autonomy needed. Some of our research institutions are already linked to, and benefiting from, the global communications networks such as the INTERNET and the SYFED systems. The other agricultural services currently on offer are soon to be reorganized and streamlined following the completion of a study under way.
Regarding the consumption and nutrition aspects of food policy, let me say that the Food Policy Unit of my Ministry (FPU), following participation at the ICN Conferences, organized a National Workshop on Household Food Security, and has recently introduced National Codex Standards as per FAO/WHO guidelines for meat and fish products, their processing plants and retail shops. The standards are advisory, but are to be mandatory for export-oriented products. New standards are being prepared for other commodities.
The Ministry of Health is in the final stages of drafting a new Food Bill that will replace the rather old legislation in force, and the Veterinary Bill is also near completion to incorporate more recent considerations about health and safety.
Mauritius has already moved into a transition phase regarding food consumption. We are now as the developing world, a victim of the "diseases of affluence". The Ministry of Health has thus also embarked on several nutritional and health surveys of the Mauritian and outer islets population, and an aggressive campaign on desirable food habits has been launched.
We also believe in an integrated approach to conservation and development. Another specific goal we value therefore relates to the development of a national nature conservation plan and the maintenance of biodiversity. The mission of the National Park and Conservation Service of my Ministry is to enhance the "ecological pedigree" of our national heritage through a range of ongoing and intended projects, including a major Biodiversity Restoration Project.
Moreover, land use is now more strictly controlled according to the prescriptions of the National Physical Development Plan, and any development project should also obtain prior clearance following an Environmental Impact Assessment undertaken by the Ministry responsible for Environment.
In this overall context perhaps it would be worthwhile for me to say a few words on a new concept that is emerging, that of green accounting, more specifically environmental and natural resources accounting. It is unfortunate that natural resources worldwide, which are becoming increasingly scarce and degraded, are not being well accounted for. This poses a serious threat to future production and consumption, to world food security. This continual depreciation of the natural capital is being glaringly omitted in national accounting systems which overemphasise man-made capital only. Although this concept is new and still shrouded with some confusion, the need to make our national accounting systems environment-friendly and to develop a policy for environmental economics remains an urgent one, and should receive the priority it needs on the Research agenda.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Last Saturday, the Head of the European delegation, Dr Fischler asked the following pertinent questions:
Have some of us perhaps ignored in our GATT discussions the plight of the poor and our moral obligation of solidarity with the needy?
Do we risk losing our heart as some of us become richer?
We are meeting on this auspicious occasion of the 50th anniversary of the FAO today, when the Hindu Faith is also celebrating the Divali or the Light Festival to mark the victory of light over darkness. I want therefore to make a humble plea:
A plea in particular addressed to those who today are lucky enough to be basking in the cosy comfort of plenty.
Let us make our Organization the "Voice of the voiceless". Yes, the voiceless.
Those millions whose daily lives have been reduced to being scavengers of food left-overs.
The voiceless - those that constitute the 200 odd million children and other toddlers who roam about every day in search of a few stale crumbs.
Let us pledge on this special occasion to conjugate our energies to eliminate the pernicious scourge of poverty and hunger.
An old americani lady is reported to have said - "the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams".
We have a beautiful dream. Collectively we do have the resources, so why not make the poor man's dream of a daily, decent meal come true?
That in my humble view is the ethic of solidarity and the culture of sharing that was talked about this morning by his Holiness the Pope.
Its now up to us to ensure that this does not remain a pious hope.
Thank you.Algirdas ZEMAITIS (Lithuania): Mr Chairman, representatives of the Director-General, Ministers, Excellencies, delegates and observers, ladies and gentlemen, I am honoured to address this important meeting on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania. I am aware of the recommendation that speakers should concentrate on an overall review of the state of food and agriculture and not on country statements. However, before me there were a number of distinguished colleagues who spoke with great eloquence on this subject, whose views in most cases I fully share and therefore see no need to be repetitious. Besides, my statement, while concentrating on the situation in Lithuania, might be of some benefit to countries in similar circumstances.
Having re-established its independence in March 1990, after some 50 years of foreign occupation, Lithuania -at one time the largest state in Europe, with borders from the Baltic to the Black Sea, but now a medium size country, with a population close to 4 million and a land area of 65 200 km2 - continues to strengthen its statehood, create an internationally recognized legal system, develop democratic government institutions, and to implement free market economy, with private ownership having been fully recognized and legitimized.
The first years of our reforms led to an economic decline but in 1994 this effect began to diminish. In that year, the gross national product increased by approximately 0.6 percent. Inflation was 45.1 percent, compared to 188.7 percent in 1993. For the first time in several years individual real income increased. Declines in production and distribution slowed down, and there were increases in the manufacture of domestic appliances, textiles, minerals, and wood processing. All the basic economic indicators suggest that the economic recession in Lithuania is coming to an end.
The agricultural sector, which accounts for over 11 percent of the gross domestic product and some 22 percent of the labour force, was probably the hardest hit sector in the transition from a planned to a free market economy and will take a longer period of time to become stabilized. The transition resulted in massive increases in energy and raw material prices, and the collapse of our traditional trading links, which resulted in a drastic decline of agricultural output. Consequently, the most important task at present is to acquire and to utilize modern technology for upgrading the production of crops and livestock as well as to accelerate the introduction of other crops to meet local and foreign demand. The same applies to the restructuring of the agricultural processing industry.
In general, we feel that Lithuania has a good potential for the development of its agriculture. Since we were not wealthy enough to utilize chemicals and other artificial means to bolster our agricultural production, our soils and our products are ecologically clean. The agro-climatic conditions are favourable, our centuries-old farming tradition exists, and highly skilled and qualified personnel are available. For example, approximately one in ten persons of the country's population over 21 years of age has a university diploma, with many of them engaged in agricultural processing industries. We believe that with these advantages our farmers will be able to satisfy not only local demand but also meet the requirements of both developing and industrialized countries.
On the other hand, much remains to be done. In addition to the already mentioned adoption of modern agricultural technology, a rationalization of the whole agricultural sector is required. In particular, since the average farmer has seven hectares of land, foreign advice and assistance is required for the establishment of a viable cooperative structure. Assistance and advice are needed for internationally acceptable guidelines on how to support our farmers in their development efforts without state subsidies. These, whilst internationally not acceptable, still exist in a less-than-obvious way in a number of countries.
A problem, which is shared by many other countries, is a decline in nutritional standards. With rampant inflation over recent years and the consequent decline in purchasing power, our people can no longer afford to buy higher quality food.
Assistance given by FAO in solving many of the problems in this period of transition is highly appreciated by my government. While we have many qualified technicians, our knowledge of the standards and requirements of the outside world has been rather limited over the last 50 years. FAO was established 50 years ago as an "organization of agricultural brains". Through the assistance of the Technical Cooperation Programme and other FAO programmes, which money-wise might seem minuscule, we received sound advice on passing internationally acceptable legislation through the parliament on fisheries, forestry, food standards, etc. Projects on improvement of seed varieties, pesticide control, animal diseases and others are under way. In short, all reasonable requests by my government for FAO's "brain" assistance have been accepted and excellently executed.
Finally, I would like to express my government's appreciation to the Director-General and everybody in the Secretariat for their efforts in preparing the programme of work for the following two years. If I am not mistaken, these programmes were recommended and approved by just about all member countries either in Council meetings or in the last Conference. The Secretariat has put in concrete terms how much their implementation would cost. Thus, if the present Conference is inclined not to accept the proposed budget -which to my knowledge is not only one of zero growth but much below the increases of other specialized agencies' budgets - it is up to the Conference to advise the Secretariat which programmes should be reduced or even completely eliminated. On the other hand, I fully agree with those of my colleagues who emphasize that the approved programmes have to be kept under constant review in order to maximize any possible savings.
António DUARTE SELVA (Portugal) (Original language Portuguese): I should like at the outset to congratulate the Chairman, whose election to that distinguished post is just recognition of the outstanding abilities of dialogue and coordination which he has demonstrated widely in the past. I should also like to extend my special compliments to the Director-General of FAO whose capacity to innovate has been exemplary. Along with his staff he has produced an outstanding set of documents and we would thank the entire staff on this effort.
We welcome all new members of the FAO, whose presence will further strengthen our Organization.
Virtually from the outset Portugal has been an active participant in all the activities launched by FAO. There has been participation in the various programmes and projects which, at a national level, demonstrates the existence of our own, recently revamped, structures. Our Ministry is well represented within the Cabinet and we can therefore properly represent all the matters which are particularly relevant for FAO. We have a special interest in all FAO's activities. That is why we are standing for Council membership and we hope we shall have support for this.
At the ministerial meeting in Quebec we made a clear effort to find solutions to the problems facing the world; in particular, issues of food security at the family level. There was once again a recognition of the great difficulty which faces us in eliminating pockets of poverty, which runaway urban development tends only to exacerbate. The production of food and its availability is a guarantee of access to food resources for all levels of the population. We wish to commend FAO for its work in a climate which has not been very easy or felicitous and we are particularly pleased with the document "Agriculture Towards the Year 2010".
The Quebec Declaration takes a new approach to combatting hunger and undernutrition. We believe that this is something which will, in turn, be taken into account by heads of delegation in the coming year. We should also like to endorse the various initiatives endorsed on the occasion of the 50th anniversary celebration.
Amongst the documents circulated to us, the Medium-term Plan for the years 1996-2001 has been particularly impressive and we would commend Dr Jacques Diouf because it gives a very clear picture of the targets we wish to attain.
We support the activities which FAO intends to carry out in food and agriculture in general and in the fishery sector in particular. This document points to the critical areas such as rain-fed areas, upland agriculture and others. I would stress, in particular, the topics relating to biodiversity and genetic resources.
Turning to the Programme and Budget for 1996-97, this is a topical document which reflects genuine knowledge of the needs and difficulties which we can expect. It provides for a zero growth budget which takes into account the fact that contributions are not always forthcoming in exactly the amounts we should like.
We are particularly concerned with the issues of forestry as well as citrus fruits. As you know, my country is very much involved in work in these areas, and we should also like to take part in the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. As you know, fisheries and aquaculture make an important contribution not only to food production but also to trading activities and to welfare for today and tomorrow.
Fisheries corresponds to 70 million tonnes of fish which is consumed directly by human beings and an additional 30 million tons used for animal consumption. We are striving to ensure rational cultivation and use of marine resources. Nonetheless, there is still over-exploitation of certain fishery species, and we have to be very careful to ensure that there is not unlimited access to fisheries activities.
We must give shape to the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. We have to have an innovative attitude and a new mind-set regarding fisheries activities. This is an area which has given, in fact, rise to this whole new concept of responsible fisheries within certain marine frontiers, and I should like to draw attention to the small communities of fisherfolk and the growing importance of aquaculture - the fact that we have growing scientific bases for this kind of activity. And it is the responsibility of all of us, all states, because we are all directly or indirectly involved in fisheries activities.
This should be the background against which we launch activities for sustainable development of fisheries, be it in national or international waters. We must pay attention in particular to the strategies for fisheries policies and management of fisheries activities, and we have to bear in mind that all of this is part of a composite whole for the oceans and the seas and that this should all be taken into account in the Code of Conduct that we should like to see implemented. This, in fact, will call for policies which will be increasingly responsible in order to protect the living resources of the sea.
Mr Chairman, I should not wish to conclude my statement without making reference to two topics which are particularly dear to us in Portugal: firstly, the making available of technicians with the requisite training and experience, making them available to work in different parts of the world, in particular in Africa. They are ready and willing to provide their support in order to work towards better food security. And the second area which is very dear to our hearts is the importance we attach to the new restructuring of FAO with new sub-regional structures, decentralization, and the definition of new priorities.
NGUYEN THIEN LUAN (Viet Nam) (Langue originale vietnamienne): Monsieur le Président, Monsieur le Directeur général, Excellences, Mesdames et Messieurs les délégués, permettez-moi tout d'abord au nom de la délégation socialiste du Viet Nam de féliciter le Président et les Vice-Présidents de leur élection. Nous sommes certains que sous leur conduite nos réunions seront couronnées de succès.
Nous aimerions adresser nos félicitations les plus chaleureuses aux délégués qui viennent d'être admis au sein de la FAO et nous espérons qu'une coopération étroite s'instaurera avec ces pays.
Nous aimerions présenter nos condoléances à la délégation de l'Iraq en raison du décès de son Ministre de l'agriculture, Monsieur Rachiid.
Mesdames et Messieurs, le Viet Nam est un pays essentiellement agricole avec 80 pour cent de sa population vivant dans les zones rurales. L'agriculture demeure un des secteurs stratégiques les plus importants de notre économie. Depuis 1981 le Viet Nam poursuit son processus de rénovation dans le domaine de l'agriculture, processus qui est devenu global depuis 1988. Les éléments principaux de cette rénovation renforcent le rôle des familles d'agriculteurs qui représentent les unités de production fondamentales, l'application des mécanismes du marché et les autres efforts menés par le gouvernement. Depuis lors, l'agriculture a cru à un taux de plus de quatre pour cent par an. Cette croissance a été étendue à divers secteurs et sous-secteurs. De bonnes conditions ont ainsi été créées pour la stabilité et le développement futur de l'économie du Viet Nam.
Le résultat le plus important pour notre pays est que la production alimentaire a pu être augmentée rapidement et de façon durable. En effet, chaque année la production alimentaire augmente d'environ un million de tonnes. En 1995 nous avons eu de bonnes récoltes dans tout le pays et la production alimentaire totale a pu être estimée à 28 millions de tonnes. Grâce à cela la sécurité alimentaire du pays a pu être assurée même si la population augmente de 1,5 million d'habitants par an.
En outre, le Viet Nam exporte de 1,5 à 2 millions de tonnes de riz par an et occupe le troisième rang parmi les exportateurs de riz après la Thaïlande et les Etats-Unis.
L'agriculture du Viet Nam a été diversifiée. En dehors de la production alimentaire d'autres sous-secteurs agricoles ont été commercialisés. Ceci satisfait les besoins domestiques et fournit de relativement grandes quantités de devises. Certaines récoltes telles que le café, le caoutchouc et la noix de cajou sont devenues des éléments importants de production avec de larges zones de cultures spécialisées. En pleine croissance ces produits permettent au Viet Nam d'atteindre une position importante sur le marché international. La production de café s'est accrue rapidement et est passée de 5 000 tonnes par an durant la période 1975-1984 à plus de 16 000 tonnes en 1995. La production de caoutchouc, de coton, de soie, de fruits, de canne à sucre ainsi que la production animale se sont développées qualitativement et quantitativement. C'est ainsi que les exportations de produits agricoles ont pu être évaluées en 1994 à 1,3 million de dollars E.-U. soit 3,3 fois plus qu'en 1990. Nous avons 9,3 millions d'hectares de forêt au Viet Nam et, afin de protéger et de développer nos ressources forestières, le gouvernement a pris des mesures très fermes pour reboiser et limiter l'exploitation et l'exportation des produits forestiers, en vue du développement intégré de l'économie rurale dans les zones forestières.
Cependant certaines lacunes se font sentir dans l'agriculture vietnamienne. Les taux de production, à part le domaine du riz et du café, sont encore relativement bas. L'industrie de transformation et l'efficacité de production sont encore faibles. Dans certaines zones rurales, les infrastructures sont insuffisantes, l'industrie rurale et les services sont sous-exploités. En un mot notre agriculture est en retard par rapport à d'autres pays et nous avons beaucoup à faire pour la stimuler. En effet, les niveaux de développement de notre pays sont encore très inégaux. La sécurité alimentaire dans les zones à faible densité de population n'est pas assurée. Certaines pénuries alimentaires subsistent et actuellement parler de sécurité alimentaire dans le pays signifie simplement l'apport d'une quantité minimale de calories à l'ensemble de la population.
Afin de résoudre les problèmes auxquels je viens de faire allusion, notre agriculture, dans les prochaines années, sera développée dans le sens d'une plus grande diversification afin de mieux utiliser nos ressources et les avantages comparatifs de certaines de nos zones agro-écologiques en vue d'accroître la productivité, la qualité, l'efficacité et la durabilité, ce qui devrait permettre d'assurer la sécurité alimentaire dans le pays. Il y aura combinaison de l'agriculture, des forêts et des pêches, de la culture et du bétail et de la production agricole avec traitement. L'agriculture va se moderniser de plus en plus et nous pensons produire assez pour la consommation intérieure mais également pour l'exportation. En même temps le développement agricole devra améliorer le niveau de vie des fermiers, supprimer la pauvreté, créer des emplois, accroître le revenu des agriculteurs et jeter les bases du développement rural.
Mesdames et Messieurs, le Viet Nam s'intéresse à toute coopération avec d'autres pays et organisations internationales et souhaite notamment encourager une telle coopération avec la FAO.
Le Viet Nam a obtenu certains résultats positifs dans le domaine agricole au cours de ces dernières années ce qui a été possible non seulement en raison des efforts que nous avons déployés mais aussi en raison de l'aide apportée par la FAO dans tous les domaines: échange d'expériences, évaluation des politiques, assistance dans la préparation des projets pratiques grâce à la formation d'un certain nombre de spécialistes dans le pays.
Une fois de plus, au nom de la population vietnamienne, permettez-moi d'exprimer notre profonde reconnaissance à la FAO et au Directeur général. Nous espérons sincèrement que le Viet Nam continuera à bénéficier de la coopération de la FAO à l'avenir afin de nous permettre de poursuivre notre développement agricole et de participer à l'échange d'expériences dans le domaine agricole des pays en développement. Nous avons des sols fertiles et une main-d'oeuvre abondante.
Les conditions climatiques, les conditions de travail de la terre, chez nous, sont très variables et nous permettent de produire de nombreux produits agricoles, d'avoir toute une série de cultures différentes qui peuvent satisfaire les différents goûts qui existent au sein de notre pays mais également à l'étranger. L'emplacement du Viet Nam est d'ailleurs très favorable pour le commerce, la politique, l'environnement social; il devient de plus en plus favorable. Le système juridique, la politique macro- économique, l'agriculture sont en train de s'améliorer. En outre, la fiscalité, l'investissement pour le développement de l'industrie manufacturière et de traitement, surtout celles qui sont dans les zones rurales, sont de plus en plus attrayants. Il s'agit là, je crois, de conditions importantes pour étendre les réseaux de coopération internationale et pour attirer les investissements.
Le Viet Nam espère très sincèrement qu'une coopération efficace entre nous, c'est-à-dire entre les pays membres de la FAO, puisse se poursuivre à l'avantage de la lutte contre la pauvreté et la faim dans le monde. J'espère que cette réunion rencontrera beaucoup de succès. Je vous remercie de votre attention.
Lyle VANCLIEF (Canada): Mr Chairman, distinguished delegates, I wish to add my sympathies to those already extended to the Iraqi delegation on the sudden loss of their Minister last Friday night. I also take this opportunity, Mr Chairman, to congratulate you on your election to the chair and your colleagues, to express the confidence of my delegation in your expert handling of this important Conference.
In recent years the agricultural sector all over the world has been subject to extensive unprecedented changes: globalization, intensified competition, new alliances, and improved efficiency throughout the private sector. At the same time, new technologies that challenge conventions, increasingly aware and demanding consumers, vertical integration which even extends to the farm gate and to the consumer's plate and continuum, and the pressing need to reduce government debt have had an impact on the way governments manage their affairs.
In Canada, we have chosen to confront the forces of change. In September 1994, my colleague, the Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, proposed a vision of the agri-food sector to Canadians, reflecting our aspirations for the year 2000.
We see a sector that is prosperous, competitive and responsive to market needs; a sector that is profitable and that keeps pace with the changing needs of its clientele; a sector that is less dependent on government support and that contributes to the quality of life of rural communities; and finally, a sector that seeks to ensure the financial security of producers, environmental protection and to maintain a supply of wholesome foods of the highest quality.
To support this vision, and in some cases to meet our obligations under the Uruguay Round Agreement, our government has taken the following steps, among others:
- We have reformed our grain transportation system by eliminating all freight subsidy programmes.
- We have strengthened our trade and market development programmes.
- We have rationalized our research infrastructure and implemented a matching investment initiative with industry.
- We have established a major adjustment fund.
- We have reduced spending on safety nets and on production sectors under supply management.
- We are working on a new whole-farm income stabilization programme.
All of these changes have occurred at the same time as government has made significant moves to reduce expenditures. Overall, we have reduced agricultural spending while ensuring the sustainability of our agricultural sector.
I would like to point out that, despite this reduced spending, Canada has reiterated its commitments to the Food Aid Convention and has agreed to continue to provide food under the International Grains Agreement. Even if the quantities of grains committed are less than in the past, we still hope to exceed our minimum and help supply those who are the most in need.
Besides agriculture, Canadian fisheries are also subject to forces of dramatic change. They are now almost overwhelmed by the threat of long-standing overfishing. Canada therefore welcomes warmly the text of the Code of Conduct that the experts agreed upon at the technical meeting held here in Rome this September. We are also very pleased with the adoption by consensus of a draft Agreement at the UN Conference on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Species. When it takes effect, the Agreement should end overfishing of these stocks on the high seas. We therefore intend to ratify it as soon as possible and we hope others will do likewise.
These changes in policy are increasingly driven by external forces and are consistent with Canada's obligations under the World Trade Organization, the United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development and the International Conference on Nutrition.
Over the last ten years, an increasing number of countries have recognized that world trade is essential to economic growth. In Canada we share this view. We are convinced that international trade is a positive force for attaining food security. We also believe that it is a fallacy to think that a country's domestic food production represents the complete answer to its food security. Rather, we hold that international trade is essential to the concept of self-reliance and that imports play a legitimate role in filling food needs. While the balance between domestic production and imports will vary according to natural advantage, traditional diets, proximity to markets and other important factors, both sources of food should be considered part of the national equation.
I would like to move on to my last point by expressing my satisfaction with the decision to hold a World Food Summit in 1996. We have noted that some 20 years after the World Food Conference of 1974 the World Food Summit will present a timely opportunity for the international community to take stock of the progress accomplished in recent years and focus on the shortcomings that remain in the area of food security.
We all have a role to play in the quest for food security. The Government of Canada has just launched a series of national consultations in which the provincial governments and the Canadian non-governmental organizations will be taking part. The purpose of these consultations is to identify food security problems both within Canada and around the world, and to come up with innovative and practical solutions. We hope that FAO will take note of the results of national consultations such as these in preparing for the Summit, for it is the national government which retains ultimate responsibility for ensuring the food security of its own people.
FAO member countries must take steps, individually and jointly, to improve their food security. Although the FAO special programme for food production will go some way to help, we believe that it only partially contributes to solving the problem of world hunger. We hope that the Summit will focus on all aspects of food security, namely: production, stability, nutrition and above all access. We have heard it said often times in this building, and I heard it at Quebec earlier this week, that the root cause of food insecurity is poverty, and that access to food is the key.
While the rationale for holding the Summit at the Head of Government level is to integrate, in each national process, all the economic, financial and social decision-making that affect food security, similar integration must take place at the global level. Canada therefore urges FAO to involve all concerned partners in this process before it is too late. The full partnership of relevant multilateral organizations, development agencies and research institutes will help advance the process for the achievement of food security.
We have much to do over the course of the next 12 months, and my Government is committed to doing what it can to make the Summit successful and truly effective.
Valeriu TABARA (Roumanie): Monsieur le Président de la Conférence, Monsieur le Président du Conseil, Monsieur le Directeur général, Excellences, Messieurs les Chefs de délégations, Mesdames et Messieurs, c'est un plaisir et un honneur pour moi d'avoir l'occasion de m'adresser à vous au nom du Gouvernement roumain pour témoigner de l'intérêt que mon pays, la Roumanie, porte à la Conférence et à l'Organisation des Nations Unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture.
Qu'il me soit permis de féliciter et de remercier le Directeur général, son Excellence M. Jacques Diouf pour la qualité des documents soumis à notre Conférence.
Nous sommes aujourd'hui à un tournant dans l'histoire de notre institution. Depuis sa création, la FAO a parcouru un chemin considérable et vigoureux afin qu'elle puisse relever les grands défis de la faim et de la malnutrition dans le monde.
Dès son entrée, la Roumanie a placé beaucoup d'espoir dans le suivi des décisions de notre Organisation inspirées par les idéaux de ses fondateurs qui, au lendemain de la seconde guerre mondiale, avaient voulu réaliser ce qu'ils appelèrent "le mariage de la santé et de l'agriculture". Aujourd'hui, notre Organisation vise toujours, avec détermination, la sécurité alimentaire mondiale comme condition majeure de la stabilité mondiale.
Il nous paraît évident que les documents proposés à notre attention présentent un grand nombre de pistes de réflexion en vue d'améliorer le fonctionnement de la FAO. Plus globalement, on nous propose, à nous, Etats Membres, de veiller à l'avenir de notre Organisation en contribuant aux grands efforts pour l'amélioration de l'alimentation sur notre planète.
La Roumanie salue toute initiative qui vise à la préservation de l'avenir de notre Organisation, ayant la conviction que de nouvelles solutions seront trouvées pour dépasser les présentes difficultés. Pour l'essentiel, rappelons-nous que les fondateurs de la FAO avaient la claire intention de créer une institution en charge de faire faire et non de faire directement. J'ajoute - et je tiens à l'en féliciter - que le Directeur général et son équipe ont d'ores et déjà engagé des réformes internes courageuses à la FAO. Nous devons tous apporter notre aide pour rationaliser l'Organisation, pour mieux valoriser les ressources humaines, pour rendre plus efficace sa façon de travailler.
La Roumanie attend de la FAO une coordination à l'échelle globale et régionale de nos efforts.
Le Gouvernement roumain partage les préoccupations concernant l'effort financier que l'Organisation doit déployer pour maintenir son rôle irremplaçable dans le progrès de l'humanité en général, et de l'agriculture en particulier. Nous pensons qu'une solution pour réduire les dépenses pourrait être trouvée dans le secteur logistique, en rationalisant les coûts de personnel et ceux qui sont nécessaires pour les réunions.
Nous sommes convaincus qu'après une telle rationalisation, la FAO continuera à être ce qu'elle a été dans le passé et, en même temps, qu'elle va promouvoir son image et ses connaissances en tant que centre mondial de compétences pour les problèmes concernant l'agriculture, la production et l'utilisation rationnelle des aliments. Dans ce sens, si une réduction du budget ou bien des programmes était nécessaire, nous croyons qu'il serait utile que les Etats Membres soient consultés au préalable.
Vu le processus de transformation politique, économique et social déclanché il y a plus de cinq ans, la Roumanie a redéfini son approche de la FAO. Sur la base de son expérience agricole millénaire, et en partant de son potentiel, mon pays entend participer activement à l'activité future de notre Organisation.
Pendant la période d'après la révolution, toutes les formes sociales et politiques du pays ont été unanimes à dire que l'agriculture représente la branche de l'économie qui peut être redressée le plus rapidement et avec les coûts sociaux les plus bas.
En partant de ces considérations, le Parlement et le Gouvernement de la Roumanie ont adopté un nombre important d'actes réglementaires destinés à créer le cadre nécessaire pour la transition vers une économie de marché et, par conséquent, à accélérer le processus de réformes et de redressement de la production alimentaire.
La réforme foncière, adoptée en tant qu'acte de justice sociale, faite pour les propriétaires terriens, a conduit à l'élimination de toutes les coopératives de production et des associations économiques intercoopératives grâce à la reconstitution ou à la constitution de la propriété privée à partir du patrimoine de ces dernières.
Presque la moitié des terres est travaillée individuellement, dans des petites exploitations qui ne permettent pas l'application de systèmes modernes de production, l'autre moitié étant organisée dans des exploitations de type associatif et dans des sociétés commerciales par action avec majorité de capital d'Etat.
C'est pourquoi le gouvernement, dans la stratégie qu'il a adoptée pour la transition de l'agriculture, s'est donné comme objectif principal la sécurité alimentaire. Il s'est donné aussi comme objectifs stratégiques l'accroissement de la production et de la productivité, l'assurance de prix rémunérateurs pour les producteurs et accessibles aux consommateurs, ainsi que la promotion du commerce extérieur des produits agricoles.
Les voies considérées pour atteindre les objectifs établis visent principalement l'accélération du processus de la privatisation, le développement et la consolidation des exploitations agricoles, la modernisation des chaînes de distribution, ainsi que le développement durable des communautés rurales.
La loi pour l'accélération de la privatisation, récemment adoptée par le Parlement, vise la privatisation d'environ 4 000 sociétés commerciales, dont 1 200 sont dans les branches de l'agriculture et de l'industrie alimentaire.
Les mesures adoptées pour soutenir les producteurs agricoles, y compris la législation appropriée, ont conduit à l'arrêt du déclin de la production agro-alimentaire et même à un renforcement de celle-ci à partir de 1993.
Le redressement de la production agro-alimentaire permet d'envisager la couverture des besoins de consommation de la population et un surplus de production permettant de participer aux échanges commerciaux internationaux, dans le cadre des accords auxquels la Roumanie prend part.
1995 est la première année de la période de transition où la Roumanie revient à sa tradition d'exportateur de céréales.
Pour terminer, je voudrais dire que nous partons avec la ferme conviction que les problèmes complexes auxquels l'humanité est aujourd'hui confrontée réclament la participation de plus en plus active et directe de tous les Etats Membres. La Roumanie est décidée, avec les autres pays, à trouver des solutions fiables et durables pour l'accélération du progrès de toute l'humanité.
En même temps, nous apprécions, avec beaucoup de satisfaction, l'adhésion de nouveaux Etats en tant que pays membres et nous sommes convaincus que leur participation à l'activité de l'Organisation apportera une importante contribution à l'accomplissement des programmes de la FAO.
Permettez-moi de souhaiter beaucoup de succès aux travaux de notre Conférence.
Jean-Paul SAWADOGO (Burkina Faso): Je voudrais tout d'abord, au nom de ma délégation, présenter au gouvernement et au peuple irakien mes condoléances à la suite du décès de leur Ministre de l'agriculture.
Permettez-moi aussi, Monsieur le Président, de vous présenter toutes mes félicitations ainsi qu'à votre Bureau, pour votre brillante élection à la tête de notre Conférence. Je souhaite la bienvenue aux nouveaux membres dans cette grande famille de la FAO.
La 28ème Conférence générale de notre organisation, la FAO, est l'occasion pour les Etats Membres et les organisations internationales de faire, certes, le point sur la situation alimentaire et l'agriculture, mais aussi d'en esquisser les perspectives.
En cette importante circonstance, mon pays, le Burkina Faso, voudrait apporter sa contribution aux débats de l'ordre du jour, s'enrichir des expériences des délégations ici présentes et partager avec elles les préoccupations qu'elles ont sur l'avenir de leur économie agricole.
Monsieur le Président, notre Conférence se tient à un moment où l'ordre international laisse apparaître des signes d'instabilité et de précarité qui accentuent la marginalisation de certains Etats dans la gestion des affaires politiques et économiques du monde.
La situation des économies de l'ensemble de nos pays est difficile et caractérisée par: l'abaissement de nos ressources financières potentielles et du pouvoir d'achat de nos populations, les perturbations monétaires, et le poids excessif de la dette qui hypothèque le financement de la croissance du développement.
Face à ce constat, devons-nous subir dans l'impuissance et la résignation l'ordre économique mondial actuel?
Laisserons-nous le hasard, le désordre et les contraintes extérieures nous imposer le délabrement de notre tissu économique en nous transformant en consommateurs passifs relégués à la périphérie du monde? Nous disons non car l'humanité a les moyens de relever le défi. A ce sujet, le souhait de ma délégation est qu'un consensus puisse se dégager autour des budget et programme de la FAO à l'issue de notre Conférence car des centaines de millions de vies humaines en dépendent.
Le Burkina Faso, pour sa part, réaffirme son soutien au budget croissance zéro qui lui paraît réaliste. Il mettra tout en oeuvre pour s'acquitter de sa contribution malgré une situation difficile.
Mon pays, le Burkina Faso, avec 10 millions d'habitants et un revenu par habitant de 320 dollars E.-U., a connu, au cours de ces dernières années, une croissance relativement satisfaisante avec un PIB en augmentation de 3,5 pour cent par an. Malgré ces progrès enregistrés, l'économie reste fragile.
Le secteur agricole, qui emploie près de 75 pour cent de la population active et qui contribue pour plus de 40 pour cent au PIB, est confronté à de nombreux problèmes qui sont, entre autres, les facteurs climatiques et édaphiques défavorables, les divers fléaux et calamités qui réduisent considérablement la production et la productivité, l'insuffisance du matériel, de la maîtrise des techniques et des méthodes de production, l'exploitation souvent irrationnelle de nos ressources qui compromet le développement de notre pays.
Cette situation a pour conséquence que les disponibilités céréalières par habitant varient d'une année sur l'autre, au niveau national, de 80 à 110 pour cent et ne couvrent pas toujours de façon sécurisante les besoins.
Face à cette situation de notre agriculture et de notre économie qui nous interpelle et nous lance de grands défis, le Gouvernement du Burkina Faso a pris l'engagement de promouvoir les mesures nécessaires pour lutter contre la faim, la pauvreté et le sous-développement.
Ainsi a-t-il entrepris, depuis 1990, un vaste programme de réformes économiques dans lequel le secteur agricole occupe une place de première importance.
En effet, le programme d'ajustement du secteur agricole, que notre pays s'est engagé à réaliser avec l'appui de ses partenaires de la communauté internationale, se fixe trois objectifs majeurs: la modernisation et la diversification de la production, le renforcement de la sécurité alimentaire, l'amélioration de la gestion des ressources naturelles.
Pour atteindre ces objectifs, il a été retenu des orientations générales et des programmes d'action spécifique visant à accroître la productivité par la diffusion de technologies de production intensive, à assouplir le système de fixation des prix des produits agricoles, à promouvoir l'investissement privé et à accroître l'efficacité des dépenses publiques.
Afin de consolider cette stratégie, le Président du Burkina Faso, S.E. M. Biaise Compaore, au cours d'une importante rencontre, le 2 juin 1994, avec les différentes couches sociales du pays, a engagé des actions imminentes devant être conduites par le gouvernement. Il s'agit de la création d'une unité nationale de labour fortement décentralisée, à même d'aider les agriculteurs à accéder aux engins mécaniques de production, la création dans chacun des 300 départements du Burkina Faso, d'un centre d'encadrement de dépôts d'aliments pour bétail et de produits vétérinaires au profit des éleveurs, la mise en place d'un projet dénommé "8000 villages, 8000 forêts", pour planter, à partir de 1994 et en trois ans, 15 millions d'arbres de toutes espèces adaptées à notre environnement.
Une attention particulière est donnée à la consolidation d'une stratégie de sécurité alimentaire par des actions tendant à équilibrer l'offre et la demande par une meilleure orientation de la sécurité alimentaire et de la nutrition des populations, surtout des groupes les plus vulnérables.
En cela, la priorité accordée par la FAO à la sécurité alimentaire et à la lutte préventive contre les ravageurs est toujours d'une actualité que nous partageons entièrement.
Concernant l'environnement, la recherche d'un équilibre socio-écologique est apparue comme l'objectif ultime d'une gestion rationnelle de l'environnement.
Au Burkina Faso, les activités en matière de gestion de l'environnement s'organisent autour du thème principal de la gestion des ressources naturelles. Elles trouvent leur concrétisation dans l'approche "gestion des terroirs", laquelle approche reconnaît à la participation volontaire des populations un rôle privilégié dans la gestion de leurs ressources naturelles. Avec cette approche, notre ambition est d'assurer à chaque communauté de base une autogestion efficace de son terroir pour contribuer à l'autosuffisance alimentaire et énergétique.
Il s'agit d'accélérer l'enseignement des connaissances et des techniques en vue d'une transformation qualitative des ressources et des potentialités existant dans le milieu.
Ainsi, la consolidation des structures acquises à la base (types d'organisations librement acceptées, groupements villageois, coopératives) constitue-t-elle un atout majeur qu'il faut soutenir par des initiatives nouvelles ouvrant des perspectives à des formes plus évoluées et maîtrisées.
Comme l'a reconnu la Conférence internationale sur la nutrition, tenue à Rome en décembre 1992, la pauvreté, les inégalités sociales, la sécheresse, l'ignorance sont les causes premières de la faim et de la malnutrition.
Toutes les actions et les stratégies énoncées visent la réalisation d'un mieux-être pour l'ensemble de notre peuple par l'élimination de ces causes.
Dans un contexte de profondes transformations, nous sommes tous interpellés. De la démocratisation des institutions à la libéralisation des économies, des défis démographiques à l'émergence d'une société civile dynamique, de la dégradation des écosystèmes à l'instabilité de la production agricole, l'équilibre et l'harmonie ne sont pas toujours faciles à réaliser. Mais des opportunités existent. Et c'est pourquoi il me plaît de saluer l'initiative fort heureuse de la convocation d'un Sommet mondial de l'alimentation.
Puisse notre Conférence apporter tout son appui à la réalisation d'une telle concertation mondiale et, surtout, à la mise en oeuvre des actions qui seront retenues car la sécurité alimentaire est avant tout un problème planétaire.
Qu'il me plaise, avant de terminer, d'exprimer toute la satisfaction de mon gouvernement à la FAO pour l'assistance qu'elle lui apporte dans la réalisation de ses programmes et, particulièrement, en ce qui concerne le "programme spécial" pour la sécurité alimentaire dont le succès du démarrage est porteur de grands espoirs.
Issa Abdel Kafî SAID (Libya): Mr Chairman, Mr Director-General, Heads and Members of Delegations, Ladies and Gentlemen, on behalf of the great Socialist People's Libyan Jamahiriya I would like to express our congratulations to the Chairman of this Conference and the Vice-Chairman for their election of the head of this 28th Session of the FAO Conference, and we hope that this meeting will reach positive and applicable resolutions. We would also like to congratulate the sister nations that have joined this international family. We are confident that this will make our Organization more universal and will promote international cooperation among its members.
On this occasion I must express the deepest condolences to this international family and to the people of Iraq for the loss of our friend the Minister of Agriculture. May God bless his soul.
The great Jamahiriya is fully convinced of the importance of integrated agricultural development in order to achieve food security for Arab Libyan citizens. That food security is a human right. That is why the revolution of 1 September gave a special priority to the food sector and its development plans which included development of human resources and infrastructure as well as the promotion of positive policies aimed at raising agricultural production while conserving human resources and fighting desertification and desert locusts.
Among the pioneer projects that the Jamahiriya is implementing on the basis of its own resources I would like to mention the project of the industrial river which is the "Eighth Miracle". This project aims at transporting six million cubic metres of water every day through a network of huge pipelines from the depths of the desert in the south to the arable lands in the north, in order to add 200 000 hectares of agricultural land and settle 35 000 farmers.
According to the recommendations of FAO this year the Jamahiriya organized a number of meetings at national and Arab level in the field of food supply. The last of these meetings was a seminar on food security at the University at Tripoli. Numerous experts and specialists participated. We also celebrated World Food Day this year, which was covered fully by the media. Several lectures were given in all the schools and educational institutions in order to familiarize people with this day, and raise food awareness among the new generation.
My country also attaches great importance to the development of sea resources in order to participate in the food supply of the Arab/Libyan citizen. FAO has participated in studies to evaluate sea resources and to design programmes for the optimum use of these resources. In spite of these efforts, my country is facing a great number of impediments which undermine our optimum use of arable land. Some of these problems remain as a legacy from colonialization which lasted over 40 years. Mines are situated in highly fertile land, and as we have received no full data, information or comprehensive maps about these mines, it has been very difficult for us to solve this problem. Therefore, I appeal to you all to help us in solving this problem -which is a grave problem - for the sake of food supply and security.
We support the efforts made by this Organization to have a forum to allow Member States to deal with the issue of food security at the highest level, especially under the circumstances that we live in today, and in which we find huge challenges.
At this stage, I would like to express our deep gratitude to the Director-General, Dr Diouf, for this excellent initiative in calling for a World Food Summit. We are grateful for the efforts he is making to allow the Organization to fully play its role at this difficult stage. In spite of the economic circumstances, which have affected most developing countries, we do support the contents of the draft budget submitted to us. We had hoped it could have been much better, as this Organization is the international body in charge of agricultural development and food in the world.
While our world witnesses amazing and overwhelming technical achievements in all fields, 800 million go hungry every day. The international community must take upon itself the responsibility of making greater efforts in giving cooperation and bringing about solidarity on the basis of justice and equality by promoting technology transfer to the developing countries, and in particular poorer countries. Developing countries should help those other countries in overcoming the obstacles they face, and to help them to promote their food production so as to relieve hunger in those countries.
In order to achieve this noble goal, all actions that undermine food security should be condemned - actions such as the unjust embargo imposed on my people without any logical proof or justification. This embargo is contrary to the most basic human values and to the free will of the people. It affects the efforts aimed at promoting the full development and achievement of food security in my country and the efforts of my people to achieve self-reliance. This embargo has also affected the duty incumbent upon us to participate seriously in solving developmental problems in the international community. This embargo has been condemned in many international and regional organizations.
We are satisfied with the results of the work of this Organization, and wish to show our confidence in its administration and in the capacity of its Secretariat and its staff. We hope that it will be given the means to play the role it should play in facing the challenges of the future, and in applying the resolutions we adopt for the sake of food security and the development of agriculture in the world.
Finally I would like to say to the Heads of Delegations and all delegates participating in this Conference that our motto should be, yes to food, yes to production; no to the embargo, no to hunger. Thank you for listening to me.
Dato' Amar Dr. Sulaiman DAUD (Malaysia): Mr Chairman, fellow delegates, ladies and gentlemen, firstly I wish to join the other delegates to this Conference in congratulating you on your election as chairman of this Conference. I would also like to congratulate the three Vice-Chairmen on their election.
On behalf of the Malaysian delegation, may I extend our deepest and sincere condolences to the family of the late Mr Khalid Rasheed, Minister of Agriculture, Iraq and to the government of Iraq as well as to the Iraqi delegation, on the untimely demise of His Excellency.
Malaysia takes this opportunity to welcome the five new countries as new members of FAO.
FAO is on the threshold of the next millennium. While we take stock of FAO's achievements on many fronts as well as our shortcomings in the last 50 years, the problems of hunger, malnutrition and poverty are still with us, requiring even more concerted efforts and closer cooperation among member countries. As we cautiously move into the next century, we need to define clearly the goals to be achieved and the path to be taken. In this regard, Malaysia fully supports the convening of next year's World Food Summit. This would provide the best opportunity for us to consolidate our thoughts and resources and renew our political will and commitment towards increasing food production for our people, and especially for our rural communities.
The Malaysian delegation also wishes to congratulate the Director-General on his innovative and untiring efforts to restructure FAO with a view to improving the efficiency, effectiveness and productivity of the Organization. I am confident that through innovative mechanisms and a transparent system of management, the fruits of these efforts will duly emerge for the benefit of Member Nations. To further effect cost-cutting in field operations and programmes, the Malaysian delegation would venture to suggest the expanded utilization of indigenous expertise, and local as well as national institutions. These arrangements, in our view, will be more sensitive and relevant to the socio-cultural background of member countries as well as to their socio-economic needs and aspirations.
Malaysia is very clear as to the direction of its agricultural sector, at least for the next 15 years. This is clearly set out in our policy NAP 92/2010. The goal of this agricultural policy is to transform the agricultural sector into one that is highly modernized, commercialized and sustainable, whose development will be market driven and human-resource led. The overriding policy is the maximization of income through optimal utilization of the resources of agriculture and other sectors of the economy and the achievement of a high level in the attainment of sustainable development in agriculture.
The Malaysian economy has been experiencing an average growth rate of 8 percent for the last eight consecutive years. However, under the National Agricultural Policy (1992-2010), the agriculture sector is targeted to grow by 3.5 percent per annum. While this rate of growth is relatively low compared with other sectors of the Malaysian economy, nevertheless the development of agriculture will continue to be given emphasis. To facilitate the growth of the sector, the Government will adopt measures that will reduce resource outflow and encourage the revitalization of the sector through, among other things, fiscal incentives, productivity improvements, infrastructure building and upgrading, intensification of R&D as well as ensuring sustainable exploitation of forest and fisheries resources and the creation of an entrepreneurial group of farmers, livestock breeders and fishermen.
However, the agricultural sector itself will also require greater commercial orientation in terms of the crops and management style, while the reformation of the smallholders' operation towards a more organized plantation style will be necessary. As Malaysia progresses to a newly emerging industrial economy, agricultural production and food supply continues to be our central concern. The production of our industrial oil crops - namely, oil palm, rubber and cocoa - remains a major income earner and source of employment to our rural population. With an annual production of 7.2 million tons of palm oil and 1 million tons of rubber, we are still a key player in the global production of these commodities. With regard to food crops, the production of rice, vegetable, fruits, poultry and eggs (as well as fisheries) is encouraging, but they need to be further intensified to cope with increasing demand. Although the level of inflation is currently low at 3.4 percent, the Malaysian Government has taken many steps to curb price increases. As an incentive to increase the production of more food the government has introduced credit facilities such as the Fund for Food Scheme, in which US$240 million has been set aside. Under this Scheme, eligible food producers can attain funding of a minimum of US$4 000 at a maximum lending rate of 4 percent with other terms which are favourable to the borrower. It is hoped that this Scheme will stimulate the higher production of food in the country.
Malaysia has put into operation the concept of sustainablility in our economic planning by striking a proper balance among three interrelated systems involving money, nature and people. Environmental consciousness is now deeply entrenched in our society. For example, no major project can proceed without the preparation of an environmental impact analysis. We are doing this out of a conviction that unless development was sustainable, we would not be able to harmonize the needs of the present and future generations.
Malaysia considers itself to be an active member of FAO Council, and would like to remain so with the support of member countries. Malaysia has also extended technical assistance to developing countries under its Malaysian Technical Systems Programme. It is in this context that Malaysia is proud to host the FAO International Consultation on Tropical Fruits in Kuala Lumpur in July 1996. We would like to invite all distinguished delegates to attend the Consultation.
To strengthen further Malaysia's commitment to FAO programmes, we will conclude the signing of the agreement concerning the use of experts for technical cooperation among developing countries with FAO at this Conference this Wednesday.
Malaysia would like to request FAO to take urgent and appropriate action regarding bio-safety, especially in developing countries, and to support further the development of a global system for the conservation and utilization of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, as well as plant breeders' rights as amended in the UPOV Convention of 1991.
I would like to reiterate our concern regarding world food security and nutrition. As the issue of hunger and malnutrition cannot be fully resolved, there is urgent need for renewed political will, innovative policies and plans of action to address critical problems.
In this connection Malaysia continues to urge the international community, especially the big donors, to fulfil their moral and humanitarian commitments to assist the food-shortage countries in Africa and other regions which have been adversely affected by natural calamities, social and political upheavals.
In conclusion, my delegation would like to join all member countries in urging for a repositioning of the world's food and agriculture priorities, initiatives and programmes to their rightful place. They should remain at the top of the global agenda and should not be sidelined. It is imperative that FAO remains relevant, innovative and creative in bringing about a more equitable world food order in the next millennium.
Juan NUIRY SANCHEZ (Cuba): Ante todo, quiero expresar mi más sentida condolencia a la Delegación de la República de Iraq, haciéndola extensiva a su Gobierno y familiares, por la sensible pérdida ocurrida.
En primer lugar, permítanme hacer llegar al Sr. Ministro, Costas Petrides, la felicitación de nuestra Delegación por su elección para la conducción de este 28° período de sesiones, que a nadie escapa su importancia, pues se produce en el mismo año del 50 aniversario de la FAO, como preámbulo a la Cumbre Mundial de 1996, sin olvidar que acontece a las puertas de un nuevo siglo. Todo un número de símbolos que agrupan enormes desafíos.
Al mismo tiempo deseamos extender nuestra felicitación por su elección a los Vicepresidentes, los colegas de Túnez -que observamos, con satisfacción, preside esta sesión- y Eslovaquia, y agradecer la nuestra, así como los mensajes de felicitación recibidos.
Ello nos obliga a un redoblado esfuerzo para situarnos a la altura de la confianza depositada, y augurarnos un trabajo de equipo que actuará, Sr. Presidente, bajo su correcta dirección.
Permítanme una breve reflexión personal: viajar a Quebec nos proporcionó la imagen de haber dado un salto en la historia, encontrarnos en los mismos lugares y locales donde hace 50 años se fundó la FAO, y, aún resonando en nuestros oídos los vibrantes discursos, llegamos a la conclusión de que el verdadero hilo conductor que hizo posible su fundación lo constituyó, sin lugar a dudas, la voluntad política de sus precursores.
Tal vez al explicarlo con rapidez seamos esquemáticos, pero creo difícil encontrar otra mejor definición, la cual nos lleva de la mano a estas dos ideas:
Primero, si no existiera la FAO, habría que crearla.
Segundo, no contribuir a su fortalecimiento y desarrollo es un crimen de "lesa humanidad".
De Quebec nos queda también una frase pronunciada por el propio Director General, Dr. Jacques Diouf, en su declaración inicial, que cito textualmente: "El final de la guerra fría hizo nacer grandes esperanzas: el haber perdido todo sentido la carrera de armamentos, las enormes sumas de dinero y de recursos humanos que se consumían sin beneficio alguno se podrían dedicar y canalizar hacia empresas pacíficas de desarrollo, generadoras de prosperidad y de bienestar para toda la humanidad. Estas grandes esperanzas se han visto cruelmente frustadas."
En el transcurso de los últimos años, la comunidad internacional ha expresado en numerosas ocasiones una profunda preocupación ante la difícil situación alimentaria mundial, mientras que se están reduciendo los compromisos de asistencia externa, tanto bilateral como multilateral, para la agricultura de los países en desarrollo.
Son alarmantes las cifras de las personas que sufren el hambre y la malnutrición. Sin embargo, lo es más aún saber que estas cifras continuarán multiplicándose si no se adoptan medidas urgentes para invertir las tendencias actuales.
Los problemas de alimentación y nutrición exigen una acción inmediata de la comunidad internacional, a fin de atacar las actuales causas de la persistente inseguridad alimentaria que afrontan nuestros países.
Estamos convencidos de que necesitamos urgentemente de la cooperación internacional para atenuar nuestra principal preocupación, pero sabemos también que su solución está en la voluntad política de la comunidad internacional, como fue señalado en la Declaración de Quebec.
Cuba, desde el principio, ha tenido una política bien definida de apoyo al Dr. Diouf y a sus iniciativas de reformas, y así se le reiteró, en su reciente visita a nuestro país, por la alta dirección del Gobierno.
La terrible situación de nuestros pueblos resulta bien añeja y, sobre todo, conocida. La influencia del pasado colonial, creador de las desproporciones de hoy, pero especialmente el actual escenario internacional, que no ha logrado reducir la brecha que separa el norte del sur, limitan las pretenciones de los pueblos en desarrollo de potenciar sus economías, alejar la pobreza, acceder a las nuevas tecnologías e incrementar su producción y productividad.
Desde su primer documento, en 1945, hasta el más reciente, "Agricultura hacia el año 2010", la FAO plantea que la pobreza engendra hambre. De esta afirmación se desprende que no se podrán enfrentar el hambre y la pobreza sin combatir sus causas más generales, como son la deuda, el proteccionismo y el intercambio desigual, entre otras muchas, y, dentro de las políticas nacionales, sin elevar el nivel científico técnico, el acceso a los adelantos e investigaciones universales, potenciar el factor humano y adelantar el desarrollo sostenible, teniendo presente el factor ecológico y el valor del agua como fuente de vida, visto en el sentido más amplio de la cooperación internacional.
El tema de la seguridad alimentaria, por ejemplo, ha pasado de la periferia al centro mismo del debate, debiendo enfrentar con urgencia la toma de decisiones.
Es hora de abordar los problemas de la mujer en su completa dimensión económica y social, en plena igualdad y oportunidad, sin retóricas, como se ha tratado en la Conferencia de Pekín.
Cuba, por su condición e identidad, es producto de un mundo en desarrollo , latinoamericano y caribeño, razón por la cual el estado actual de las desigualdades que engendra pobreza y desnutrición, tanto en nuestra región como en la de Africa-Asia, está en el centro de nuestras preocupaciones, y la defensa de estas urgentes aspiraciones ocupa un lugar cimero en la batalla por un orden económico internacional justo y equitativo.
Por más de tres décadas nuestro país sufre los embates de un bloqueo económico, comercial y financiero, violador de la carta de las Naciones Unidas y de los principios más elementales del derecho internacional.
El recrudecimiento de este bloqueo, tras la pérdida abrupta de los principales mercados vinculados a la economía cubana, ha provocado una afectación substancial en la cantidad y calidad de la alimentación del pueblo cubano. Reiteramos nuestra condena al bloqueo que sufre nuestro pueblo y al uso de los alimentos como arma política.
A pesar de ello, el Gobierno cubano ha hecho ingentes esfuerzos por atenuar los efectos de esta medida. Hemos iniciado un proceso de reestructuración de la economía donde se inscribe la diversificación de los vínculos económicos y comerciales y la inserción de la economía mundial.
No vamos de nuevo a insistir sobre la reiterada votación en la Asamblea General de la ONU condenando el bloqueo a Cuba, sino referirnos a dos momentos muy recientes.
Iberoamérica, Latinoamérica, se dio cita en Bariloche, Argentina, a nivel de jefes de estados, sin tutelaje, enarbolando el estandarte de la integración bolivariana y con el pensamiento de Juaréz, San Martín, O'Higgins y Martí, y se solidarizó con la crítica situación cubana condenando el bloqueo.
La XI Cumbre de países no alineados efectuada en Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, luego de sentar las bases en su lucha contra la pobreza, el desarrollo sostenible y el intercambio tecnológico, fijó su condena al bloqueo a Cuba. Con el significado moral expresado por la solidaridad de todos los pueblos del mundo, de nuestros pueblos, Cuba resistirá, pues el clamor emana de nuestras propias raíces.
Dentro de esta valoración serena, firme, sin temor, sólo con los matices de la realidad, nos proponemos que se conozca el proceso de un pueblo que sufre y padece y, aunque reafirma su inquebrantable firmeza, está abierto al diálogo, siempre que se respete el sagrado derecho que emana de su autodeterminación y de la dignidad plena de la soberanía.
Por todos es conocido el principal problema que aqueja a nuestros pueblos, pero ¿cómo pudiera solucionarse si a nuestra Organización se le avecinan momentos difíciles bajo una situación financiera precaria? ¿Qué podemos esperar ante el recorte del presupuesto y la disminución del Programa de Cooperación Técnica de la FAO, que ha limitado a nuestros países de recibir tan importante ayuda?
Si la respuesta a estas interrogantes por parte del principal responsable de la aguda crisis financiera de la Organización es negativa, sería la prueba más fehaciente de que se están violando flagrantemente los compromisos internacionales contraídos.
La Cumbre Mundial sobre la Alimentación es un foro de esperanza para nuestros pueblos, y será en ella donde la comunidad internacional adquirirá un compromiso y aprobará el Plan de Acción para afrontar el mayor problema que aflige a la humanidad: la inseguridad alimentaria. En esta iniciativa, siempre podrán contar con el pleno respaldo de nuestro gobierno y de nuestro pueblo.
Sabemos que el futuro es aún incierto, pero la FAO debe continuar cumpliendo con los objetivos que adoptamos hace medio siglo y persistir en su lucha contra la pobreza y el hambre en el mundo.
La solución está en la respuesta positiva que brinde a esta conferencia y en su empeño por resolver este problema.
No es momento de paliativos, es momento de acción y pedimos que se le otorgue a esta prestigiosa Organización el mayor apoyo para que continúe, cada vez con más eficacia y vitalidad, conduciendo el rumbo del desarrollo de la agricultura y la alimentación, y siga siendo líder en la noble tarea de erradicar el hambre y la pobreza, en cualquier lugar, para que todos podamos vivir en un mundo más justo y mejor.
Perdóneme Sr. Presidente, pero es que hay cosas que tenía que decir, muchas gracias.
Ishkhan MARDIROSSIAN (Armenia): Honourable Chairman, Honourable Ministers, Ladies and Gentlemen. On behalf of the Government of Armenia and the Armenian Food and Agriculture Ministry, I would like once again to congratulate you on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. I would like to express my sincere condolences to the Iraqi Delegation for the tragic death of His Excellency, the Minister of Agriculture. Also I would like to congratulate you for your nomination as Chairman of this Conference. Finally, I would like to congratulate the five new members of former CIS countries for their admission to FAO. I am sure that their admission will contribute to bringing peace in the region as well as a new era of peaceful economic collaboration, especially that two new members are Armenia's direct neighbours.
As a young member of this Organization, Armenia was truly honoured for taking part in the momentous celebration held in FAO's birthplace, Quebec. No doubt, through its sound policies and remarkable adaptation instinct, this Organization has made a real difference by synchronizing the efforts against hunger and the development of agriculture internationally. The Quebec Declaration now brings a new drive toward achieving our common humanitarian goals for the sake of new generations.
Our newly independent Republic, you may know, has benefited greatly from FAO. This example of international cooperation has triggered a radical reform and privatization programme. The following projects were activated jointly by FAO: Irrigation Rehabilitation, co-financed by IF AD, Agricultural Reform Support, Food and Nutrition Security, Rehabilitation and Development of Armenian Forests, Elimination of Animal Diseases, and Amelioration of Animal Health. Recently, FAO experts have also assisted Armenia to create a much-needed wholesale market for fresh agricultural products which were financed by IFAD. To date, we collaborate with FAO, targeting new areas in Armenian agriculture.
The Government of Armenia has undertaken serious measures to enhance a peaceful cooperation with its neighbours. We assure you that we aim at securing sustainable agricultural development, not only for Armenia but for all the countries in the region. To this end, we will continue to work towards eliminating all remaining obstacles leading to full cooperation.
Within the agrarian policy, one of the priorities is considered to be the creation of favourable conditions for setting up highly efficient commodity farms, the important prerequisites of which are the formation of the land market and its operation.
Another urgency consists of developing a market system capable of performing private land transactions and expanding land ownership rights, together with providing an effective system of land titles, ensuring the right to sell and purchase land.
In the agrarian policy of Armenia, water supply is considered to be one of the most significant aspects. It is, therefore, envisaged to rehabilitate the irrigation systems through a World Bank loan, improve the system of water charge collection mechanisms, and to evaluate and distribute the water resources.
Presently in the veterinary field, it is foreseen to promote the development of the private sector in order to enlarge the coverage of veterinary arrangements and provide effective medical interventions.
Agricultural activities, as you well know, affect the environment directly, which in turn is correlated positively with the state of forestry. Thus problems in this area should be given particular attention to avoid aggravation. It is therefore required in Armenia to develop and submit for approval a comprehensive project on forestry, privatize industrial enterprises in the field of forestry, develop special projects to struggle against spontaneous deforestation and use of pastures and grasslands, and then submit them to international financial institutions for long-term financing.
Armenia's well-researched agricultural reform was born in a period of urgency. During the first year of independence, decision and immediate reorganization of this sector ensured food supplies locally, thus avoiding the drastic effects of the failing centralized network developed in Soviet times. Coupled with the interruption of the trade routes resulting from the blockade, the food safety issue entailed an increase in self-provision as a short-term policy. Long-term objectives, instead, deal with the establishment of effective commodity-trading entities that would translate into an increase in agricultural production levels and efficiency, thus further integration into the division of labour in the Republic and hence introduction into the International Food Market.
In our newly developing market system, the State will assume a new role, mainly consisting of promoting self-reliance for producers, ensuring to motivate growth and sophistication. It is also envisaged to trigger the process through a macro-economic stabilization, the realization of large-scale reform in the agro-food complex, the procurement of production means, and provision of marketing and supply services. The setting of an agrarian market with its corresponding elements is projected as well.
Presently the Republic of Armenia is passing through a transitional period of free-market relations that immediately requires efficient networks of market structures. Although the formation of middle- and large-scale agricultural enterprises as well as farmers' associations is not excluded in the near future, it seems that the current small-scale farmer, relying on primitive manual work, will still persist for a long while. Mainly, such integration ought to be promoted, eventually bringing the integration of plots, growth in size, and, finally, creation of Commodity Farms. Therefore, it is necessary to focus on the creation of land renting and leasing mechanisms with their appropriate legal framework. In the future under the conditions of rehabilitation and development of the branches of the economy, it will be possible to intensively change the ownership rights and integrate lands on the basis of land transactions.
It is worth mentioning here that the agricultural education system is also undergoing reforms. Agrarian scientists have made efforts towards developing of such systems that will operate in new socio-economic conditions, creating new methods of selection, genetics, and biotechnology, and introducing new cost-effective technologies in crop production and animal breeding. A three-pillar system of staff training is being introduced in the educational system. Moreover, to provide direct assistance to the peasant farms theoretically and practically, an "Extension" service has been established whereby regional agents consult peasants on running their enterprises.
To this end Armenia intends to participate fully in FAO and is committed to developing friendly and cooperative ties with other nations. This, we recognize, is necessary to overcome difficulties and initiate long-term mutual support. We strongly believe that through FAO mediation, regional planning could become one of the most significant factors for resolving our common problems.
In conclusion, I would like to thank again the Director-General, Mr Jacques Diouf, for his kind invitation to Armenia to attend the World Food Summit next year in Rome.
Thank you for your attention.
Ougoure Kilfe AHMED (Djibouti): Pour commencer, Monsieur le Président, au nom de ma délégation, je présente mes sincères condoléances à la délégation irakienne endeuillée par la disparition de son Ministre de l'agriculture. Mes condoléances vont également au pays ainsi qu'à la famille du défunt. Que Dieu prenne soin de son âme.
Ensuite, je félicite les nouveaux membres de leur adhésion à cette grande famille qu'est la FAO. Je félicite aussi le Président de la Conférence pour son élection à la tête de la Conférence. Je félicite également le Directeur général de la FAO pour la bonne organisation des travaux de la Conférence, ainsi que pour la qualité des documents de travail qui nous ont été présentés.
J'éprouve à mon tour l'honneur qui m'est fait et qui est également fait à mon pays de m'adresser à vous, du haut de cette tribune, à l'occasion de la 28ème session de la Conférence de la FAO.
La célébration de la Journée mondiale de l'alimentation et du 50ème anniversaire de la FAO s'achève à peine, et voici déjà que notre traditionnelle rencontre biennale, qui se tient en prélude au Sommet mondial de l'alimentation, nous offre une occasion supplémentaire pour débattre de la question de l'alimentation.
Ainsi que de nombreux orateurs qui m'ont succédé l'ont rappelé, près de 800 millions de personnes, soit 15 pour cent environ de la population de la planète, souffrent de la faim ou vivent dans des conditions de grave malnutrition.
Et pourtant l'alimentation constitue un droit inaliénable. Sans nourriture, en effet, l'homme ne peut plus agir et, à la longue, il ne peut plus penser: il devient incapable de satisfaire le moindre de ses besoins.
La communauté internationale a pourtant pris conscience du défi alimentaire depuis fort longtemps puisque, bien avant la Conférence alimentaire mondiale de 1974, le manifeste de Rome de 1963 affirmait déjà - je cite: " Assurer à chaque homme l'exercice du premier des droits de l'homme, celui d'être affranchi de la faim".
Force est de constater aujourd'hui qu'en dépit des prouesses technologiques effectuées, on est encore très loin de la réalisation des voeux de nos parents.
La fin de la guerre froide a mis un terme à une ère au cours de laquelle la confrontation entre l'Est et l'Ouest commandait la marche des affaires du monde.
C'est ainsi que des forces diverses sur des intérêts partisans empêchaient les nations d'examiner ensemble, et en toute confiance, les problèmes dans le sens de la volonté des peuples de coordonner leurs efforts vers des objectifs communs.
Bien qu'encore, au nom de la diversité et de l'intolérance, les hommes se déchirent dans certaines contrées de la planète, l'on peut cependant affirmer aujourd'hui que la guerre verte est en train de se substituer à la guerre froide presque partout sur la Terre.
La floraison des conventions internationales, gage de développement durable (Droit de la mer, changements climatiques, biodiversité et, récemment, lutte contre la désertification) corrobore cette affirmation.
La FAO s'est mise également à l'air du temps puisque, Monsieur le Directeur général, sous votre conduite dynamique et éclairée, vous avez pris l'initiative de convoquer dès 1996, à Rome, un Sommet mondial de l'alimentation.
Et pour traduire en action cet objectif mobilisateur, vous venez de mettre en oeuvre votre méthode: un mécanisme participatif et un calendrier avec obligation de résultat.
A l'aube du XXIème siècle, la communauté mondiale vit des changements spectaculaires qui donnent lieu à des graves inquiétudes.
Comme chacun le sait, la crise économique persiste; elle n'épargne pas nombre des pays développés qui connaissent des problèmes d'inflation, de chômage, de déficits budgétaires; mais, sans minimiser leurs difficultés, c'est leur niveau de bien-être et non pas leur survie qui se trouve menacé, contrairement à ce qui se passe dans les pays en développement.
Dans les pays du tiers monde, et plus particulièrement en Afrique, la nécessité de nourrir des populations toujours plus nombreuses provoque une surexploitation des terres, un empiétement des cultures sur des sols de plus en plus restreints, à une cadence uniformément accélérée. De telles pratiques mènent à l'érosion, à la dégradation irréversible des terres et, enfin, à la désertification.
Mais s'il est une région du monde où sont rassemblées toutes les faillites écologiques du moment, c'est bien la partie orientale de l'Afrique. On y trouve à la fois les désastres entraînés par l'exploitation "minière" des ressources naturelles, mais également ceux provoqués par les conflits civils larvés qui ont atteint leur paroxysme avec le drame somalien.
Aujourd'hui, l'Afrique orientale renferme plus de 25 pour cent des populations déplacées et des réfugiés écologiques de l'Afrique.
Ces faits tragiques que je viens d'évoquer démontrent suffisamment que l'homme est le principal ennemi de l'homme.
Pour relever ce défi, et réaliser nos espérances et nos aspirations à une vie meilleure, nous avons décidé ensemble de se doter d'un instrument approprié pour traduire nos objectifs en actions.
Ainsi, le projet IGADD est né en 1986 à Djibouti, pour porter témoignage de notre refus d'accepter une prétendue fatalité dans un domaine qui est avant tout affaire de volonté, volonté d'affranchir chaque citoyen de la faim et de la malnutrition, mais volonté également de transmettre le capital naturel aux générations futures peut-être mieux que nous ne l'avons reçu.
Après la mise sur la rampe de lancement par nos pères fondateurs, l'IGADD a perdu, au cours des temps, sa vitalité et une relance de la mécanique s'imposait pour que l'autorité soit de nouveau en phase avec les changements intervenus au cours de ces dernières années.
Nous avons ainsi décidé de la restructuration avec, pour objectifs, une meilleure définition de son mandat, une plus grande efficacité, un redimensionnement financier et en personnel plus adéquat.
Il nous appartient maintenant de réussir le compte à rebours et de permettre à l'Autorité d'atteindre rapidement sa vitesse de croisière.
Mon pays, la République de Djibouti, caractérisé par un profil écologique sahélo-saharien spécialisé en pastorat nomade, connaît une crise sans précédent de son pastoralisme. Ce système de production fonctionnel est maintenant aux "abois", le berger ne pouvant trouver de l'eau et de l'herbe à des endroits rapprochés.
Avec le rétrécissement des espaces pastoraux, la grande transhumance est en train de céder la place à un nouveau mode d'occupation d'espace caractérisé par un habitat fixe et un faible rayon de déplacement des troupeaux. Le paysage est en train de se "miter" et cette nouvelle situation ne fera qu'accélérer l'exode rural si des mesures radicales ne sont pas prises en temps opportun pour juguler ce fléau. La situation s'est encore exacerbée avec les séquelles laissées par trois années de conflits internes.
Avec le retour de la paix, mon pays s'emploie avec abnégation, et de concert avec les institutions de Bretton Woods, à repanser ses plaies et à se remettre debout au plus vite pour retrouver de nouveau le chemin de la croissance économique.
Je sais, il est facile de formuler, du haut d'une tribune, des souhaits ou des esquisses de solutions contre la pauvreté et la malnutrition qui gagnent chaque jour en importance.
Mais, quelles que soient les qualités de la stratégie de développement conçue, nous sommes convaincus que nos programmes et nos projets n'ont de chances de réussite que s'ils emportent l'adhésion du peuple entier.
Au moment où des décisions cruciales doivent être prises pour la survie de l'humanité et de la planète, souvenons-nous de deux adages que nous dicte la sagesse populaire: "Aux grands maux, les grands remèdes" et "Qui veut la fin, veut les moyens".
Au moment où la guerre alimentaire remplace la guerre froide, j'exhorte du haut de cette tribune, pour que des ressources additionnelles soient dégagées pour lutter contre la faim et la malnutrition.
Je souhaite que les travaux de cette présente Conférence aboutissent au succès que nous en attendons et constituent un jalon de taille dans la préparation du Sommet mondial de l'alimentation.
LE PRESIDENT: Mesdames et Messieurs, nous sommes à la fin des travaux de cette sixième séance piénière. Je voudrais vous remercier de votre contribution. Je remercie le Secrétariat pour son soutien et je remercie les interprètes pour leur patience. Nous reprenons nos travaux demain matin à 9 h 30.
The meeting rose at 18.45 hours.
La séance est levée à 18 h 45.
Se levanta la sesión a las 18.45 horas.
