C.P. ARIAS MARFIL (Cuba): En la mañana de hoy hemos escuchado las intervenciones de una veintena de delegaciones, razón que nos permite ser breves en el uso de la palabra y no repetir argumentaciones que de una manera destacada se han hecho sentir aquí. Las diferencias de criterio expresadas hacen evidente en lo que respecta a la conversión en Comité Permanente del Consejo del Comité Especial de Política Alimentaria y Nutrición, que se deba posponer la decisión. Se ha puesto de manifiesto que esta cuestión debe ser sometida a un análisis más pormenorizado que permita contar con la información necesaria para sopesar los pros y los contras de tal decisión. En tal sentido nuestra delegación se une a la proposición hecha por el Comité del Programa y reiterada por algunas delegaciones aquí, de que la cuestión sea analizada por la reunión del C0AC de la primavera próxima. Ahora bien, sí queremos llamar la atención sobre la necesidad de que en nuevos y más detenidos análisis del problema se preste especial cuidado en evitar que se cree dualidad en las actividades que realicen los organismos o instituciones especializados en el problema de la nutrición a nivel mundial, lo cual redundaría en la multiplicación de esfuerzos para la obtención de un mismo fin.
Queremos, igualmente, aprovechar el que se nos haya concedido el uso de la palabra para destacar que nuestro país se siente satisfecho con la forma en que se ha instrumentalizado la Resolución 8/77 de la pasada Conferencia. Creemos, en función, como decíamos al comienzo, de la manera en que se han venido debatiendo estas cuestiones, que no debemos hacer ningún tipo de ampliación al respecto, a fin de lograr llegar a un acuerdo sobre los temas debatidos.
I. M0SK0VITS (Malta): Mr. Shefrin, as an old colleague of mine, I am sure you will understand better when I speak about the history of FA0 and even about the time before you joined this organization. The problem we are dealing with is indeed not a new one, it is a very old one, because the League of Nations already dealt with these problems, and the gentlemen here in the pictures, Lord Bruce and Lord Boyd Orr, the first Director-General of FA0, and Professor André Meyer, they were all members of the famous Committee on Hygiene and Nutrition of the League of Nations. And it was just for the reason that agriculture policies and production policies and nutrition policies were not integrated that FA0 was set up, and it was greeted as a great achievement to bring together these two disciplines in spite of the fact that as the United Kingdonm delegate very rightly said, Nutrition is a developing science. It is to some extent new, and it is still developing.
That the problems are not solved was shown by the Philippines, who was kind enough to read a paper prepared by the Group of 77, which unfortunately was taken to New York but not read in Commission II of the United Nations General Assembly simply because the Commission did not meet, but I think it would be very good if some allusion to this paper and on the content of the points which the Group of 77 made could be inserted in our report. Resolution 8/77 of our last Conference might become really a milestone in the life of the Organization and also in integrating agriculture policies and agriculture production policies with nutrition policies, and here I would like to point out one thing which is not included in this report, that what we really need also is a kind of importation policy, because countries like Malta which have to import a very great amount of their food requirements need a policy, and for this reason a nutrition survey would solve a very important problem and would very much help the Government in defining its importation policies. This is perhaps a founding and basic cornerstone also for a social policiy, because it was not mentioned perhaps in the following discussion, that the social policy has to include nutrition policies.
The Second Session of the Ad Hoc Committee on Food Nutrition Policies enlarged and interpreted the Resolution VIII/77 on which FAO has to be complimented, and in particular on its present Nutrition Division, because perhaps for the first time it made a very good and efficient effort to bring into the foreground the ideas for which FAO was created. In order to increase the level of nutrition it is obvious that FAO will need higher resources. We would like to see most of these resources coming from the Regular Budget. Of course extra-budgetary funds are also needed but these abould be complementary to the Regular Budget of FAO.
Perhaps we need more field work than desk work. We need field work in order to train local people to make surveys, and also to make better understood the close relations between agricultural production policies and nutrition policies. We need assistance and help for laboratories, which are not sufficient, in most developing countries.
Last but not least, a nutrition survey if it was carried out would make a good contribution to consumer education, because it is not only the farmer who has to be educated on how to produce but also the consumer - how he can best allocate his expenditures on food.
I am coming to the last point which is on the papers before us, on the future of nutrition work in FAO. The advice of the Programme Committee not to rush a decision at this time is very wise. I know that the Council, and also the Director-General, very rightly are reluctant to increase the number of standing committees, but on the other hand, to include nutrition in COAG, as our colleague rightly pointed out, is not an ideal solution. COAG already has a large volume of work compared with other Council Committees. Its field of work is certainly divergent. To include nutrition among the fields of activities could make the work of COAG very burdensome.
What the Council should not forget is that for many of the smaller countries to appoint their delegations,which should include a nutritionist, scientists, etc., for the same meeting, is costly and very difficult. For all these reasons we should not rush with any decisions. Let us wait for the next meeting of COAG in the spring, and a decision could be taken at the next session.
CHAIRMAN: Your reminiscing about the days of the League of Nations - I am a little younger, Ithink, than you are, and I did not have the opportunity of attending, but I read some of the reports. Our Council has a perfect blend of young and middle aged delegates and I think you will agree some of us are mature delegates.
Sra. G. RIVERA MARIN DE ITURBE (Mexico): Sr. Presidente, por ser ésta la primera ocasión en que hago uso de la palabra durante los trabajos del Consejo, deseo pedirle que por su amable conducto felicite al Director General por el discurso en el que presento un resumen de las labores realizadas durante el tiempo de su actividad. En México recibimos copia de este discurso y lo analizamos en la Cancillería y mi Gobierno está muy satisfecho con el resultado de este trabajo.
A continuación me voy a ocupar del tema de la nutrición y la alimentación.
El documento presentado por el Comité Especial de Política Alimentaria y Nutrición también tuvimos oportunidad de analizarlo y consideramos que tanto el CL 74/18 como el CL 74/29 nos plantean objetivamente los problemas que representan para la FAO la aplicación de las medidas globales tendientes a mejorar la situación mundial en este aspecto.
En criterio de la delegación de México, el representante de Francia en su exposición de esta mañana hizo un resumen en el cual precisó las medidas que podían adoptarse por la Organización para realizar los fines de mejoramiento en el mundo entero sobre la nutrición y la alimentación. El planteamiento presentado por el delegado de Francia nos pareció sumamente objetivo y de una metodología que debe ser apoyada y aceptada y nosotros estamos de acuerdo en la forma en que lo hizo.
Deseo sólo mencionar que mi país se encuentra luchando activamente contra la malnutrición y la carencia de producción alimentaria. Para ello se están realizando varios programas que van desde el Plan Quinquenal de la Producción Agropecuaria, que es un plan general, hasta un proyecto de ley de la producción agrícola que el Presidente de la República está actualmente estudiando y está vigilando y apoyando su elaboración.
También existen varios programas específicos aplicables en las regiones de menor desarrollo económico del país, regiones que son auténticamente marginales, como es el caso de las zonas de la montaña de Guerrero, donde se está realizando un programa de desarrollo rural con énfasis especialmente en la nutrición infantil y de las madres gestantes y lactantes y que se encuentra en vías de ser firmado un apoyo con FAO. FAO prestará en este programa apoyo material y capacitación de promotores de desarrollo rural.
El trabajo realizado en estas áreas marginadas y también en otras áreas que se encuentran en proceso de desarrollo agropecuario integral, como es el proyecto del tropico húmedo, que comprende los 5 Estados que integran el litoral de la costa del Golfo de México y que también es un programa que FAO apoya y está contribuyendo activamente con mi país.
Hemos llegado a la conclusión de que el problema nutricional se agrava día a día en lugar de solucionarse y ello es debido a tres factores primordiales: el primer factor que determina esta situación bastante seria es el aumento de población, mucho mayor que el aumento de la producción alimentaria. El segundo factor es que se está presentando un deterioro en la dieta alimenticia motivado por el abandono de la dieta tradicional y por la sustitución que esta dieta está teniendo por fórmulas de consumo auspiciadas por los productores de artículos prefabricados y de distribución nacida en los mercados nacionales.
El tercer factor que tenemos en contra son los cuellos de botella que impiden una distribución conveniente de la producción agropecuaria, agravada esta situación por la fuerza económica de los intermediarios que logran grandes beneficios en dinero como consecuencia de la desmedida elevación de los precios de los productos en los cuales surgen como distribuidores.
Estas experiencias nos han llevado en México a la consideración de que el problema nutricional y alimenticio debe contemplarse dentro del marco global del desarrollo rural integrado, pues implica la aplicación de medidas que rebasan las soluciones parciales o que dan proyectos específicos y limitados.
Por lo anterior, necesariamente estamos de acuerdo en que FAO debe aumentar sus esfuerzos para hacer más efectiva su lucha contra la malnutrición en el mundo entero. De la misma manera, estamos de acuerdo con las diversas delegaciones que han solicitado se adopten en la próxima reunión del Consejo los mecanismos administrativos más adecuados para lograr el objetivo común de la lucha contra el hambre en el mundo.
CHAIRMAN: I quite appreciate the problem of Mexico. I saw a forecast the other day that said the City of Mexico, by the year 2000, would be the largest city in the world, and if that is true one realizes the immensity of the problem of feeding the population.
G. VASTA (Observateur pour l'Organisation de coopération et de développement économique): Monsieur le Président, je voudrais d'abord vous dire combien je suis heureux de vous voir présider cette séance. Cela me reporte en arrière dans le temps, précisément en 1961, à l'OCDE à Paris où j'ai eu le plaisir et la chance de vous connaître.
Je profite de cette occasion pour vous dire encore une fois merci pour la façon agréable que vous avez de diriger les travaux, pour la façon également très agréable que vous avez de vous entretenir avec vos collègues et vos amis, et pour le bien que vous avez toujours fait au sein des organismes internationaux.
Monsieur le Président, je voudrais féliciter la FAO pour les initiatives prises dans le secteur de la nutrition.
Depuis quelque temps, nous assistons à un certain réveil, et cela, je pense, est dû au fait que dans plusieurs organismes internationaux on s'occupe de ce problème sans doute vaste et qui mérite d'être encadré dans un contexte le plus large possible.
Quand on parle de faim, de détresse, de bas revenus, de chômage, d'inflation, de pauvreté ou de désastres et calamités, il y a toujours une préoccupation constante: le niveau de la nutrition et la peur de ne pouvoir donner de quoi manger à des populations entières.
Il faut aussi considérer que,même sans parler de famine ou d'hyponutrition accentuée les carences alimentaires représentent quelque chose qui souvent reste caché jusqu'au moment où des troubles plus ou moins graves se manifestent et sans avoir toujours la possibilité d'y remédier.
Au sein de l'OCDE on a eu l'occasion de mettre l'accent sur ce problème si important et même, lors de la reunion des ministres de l'agriculture de l'OCDE que vous connaissez bien puisque vous y étiez en février- on a parlé de la nécessité de prendre des initiatives concrètes à ce sujet.
Outre ce qui a été fait au centre de développement de l'OCDE, même à l'égard des pays de la zone du Sahel, je me permets d'attirer l'attention du Conseil sur les études faites su sein de notre Comité de l'agriculture. Parmi ces études, réalisées ou en cours de réalisation, je me permettrai de citer celles des politiques de consommation alimentaires. A ce sujet, des exemples par pays ont été publiés et en particulier sur le Royaume-Uni, la Suède, les Etats-Unis et la Norvège. Ces études vont continuer.
Certes, il n'est pas toujours possible de transférer des expériences d'un pays à l'autre parce que le problème n'est pas si simple et il faut tenir compte de beaucoup d'autres éléments soit techniques, soit d'ordre socio-économique et commercial comme le disait ce matin le représentant de la Chine.
D'autres études sonten cours de réalisation sur les filières agro-alimentaires, sur les marges de distribution et sur la formation des prix de produits alimentaires, etc. Toutes ces études je les vois converger dans un effort de coopération entre les différents pays et avec le souci constant et commun du respect de l'individu et de ses droits et de ses exigences les plus élémentaires.
C'est là un secteur dans lequel il faut opérer avec un esprit de vocation en s'efforçant de donner le plus possible et avec amour -permettez-moi ce mot- mais cela ne suffit pas, car je pense qu'il faut aussi savoir recevoir avec amour sans oublier à chaque instant que nous sommes tous des frères. Je pense que pour cette dernière phrase Mgr. Ferrari-Toniolo voudra bien me donner sa bénédiction.
Souvent, on se préoccupe du danger des doubles emplois. Modestement, je pense que dans ce secteur rien n'est perdu de ce qui est fait car il sert à réveiller les gouvernements et les organismes compétents et à les pousser à faire toujours plus dans un secteur aussi vital. Il faut tenir compte également de l'importance de l'éducation du consommateur qui est souvent ignorant, insensible et paresseux. Notre collègue de Malte vient de nous en parler.
Naturellement, la coordination est nécessaire pour éviter des efforts inutiles et du gaspillage et pour tenir compte des expériences soit positives soit négatives des autres.
En vous remerciant encore, Monsieur le Président, je me permets de vous dire que l'OCDE, comme par le passé, est toujours prêt à collaborer et donner son appui et son expérience dans tous les secteurs où elle peut être utile.
CHAIRMAN: Thank you. I hope that both the FAO and the OECD practise what both parties said, that they cooperate and share jointly in this nutrition programme.
F. d' ALMEIDA (Observateur pour le Bénin): Comme c'est la première fois que j'ai l'occasion d'intervenir, vous me permettrez, à l'instar des délégations qui m'ont précédé, d'adresser mes compliments au Directeur général et aux différents Vice-Présidents qui ont été élus, avec une mention particulière à vous, M. Shefrin, puisque c'est votre dernière session au milieu de nous. Nous pensons cependant que ce n'est qu'un au revoir et que nous aurons l'occasion de vous voir de temps en temps dans la délégation canadienne avec votre bonhomie et votre sourire.
Qu'il me soit permis également d'adresser mes compliments à notre ami Sylla qui vient d'être porté à la charge de Secrétaire général de la Conférence et du Conseil. C'est un poste très délicat et il a fallu beaucoup de courage au Directeur général pour avoir osé nommer un africain d'un pays en voie de développement à cette fonction. Nous pensons qu'il aura toute la collaboration qui pourra lui servir.
En ce qui concerne la matière qui nous intéresse, c'est-à-dire la nutrition, j'avoue que je suis un peu étonné que l'on puisse débattre cette question de façon si particulière parce que je me souviens que,dans les années soixante, il s'agissait là d'une question normale puisqu'il rentre dans la fonction normale de la FAO de parler d'alimentation et de nutrition. Cela me paraît donc faire un pas en arrière si l'on veut mettre l'accent particulier sur cette question, puisqu'il est tout à fait normal qu'à la FAO on puisse parler d'alimentation et de malnutrition.
En ma qualité d'observateur je pense qu'avant moi tout a été dit et bien dit parfois par d'autres délégations, mais il nous est agréable de savoir qu'à partir de maintenant la FAO considérera l'alimentation comme partie intégrante du développement. Nous savons également gré aux organisations financières qui prennent la tâche de financer les projets.
En ma qualité d'Africain de langue française je voudrais insister sur la formation de cadres dans les pays de langue française en matière d'alimentation et de nutrition. C'est un problème qui a souvent été dábattu ici, au sein de l'organisation, et c'est certainement l'un des domaines où les pays africains de langue française sont les moins informés et où ils ont le moins de cadres.
Il existait par le passé un système de formation agréé par la FAO qui permettait de former annuellement des cadres supérieurs et des cadres moyens dans les pays africains de langue française. Il faudrait que la FAO reprenne cela en charge, car si nous devons considérer l'alimentation et la nutrition dans le cadre du développement, il faudrait, lorsque les experts arrivent, que l'on puisse discuter effectivement de nutrition avec des cadres du pays.
J'insiste donc sur le fait que cette formation devrait être reprise et l'on pourrait peut-être deman-der à la FAO de bien vouloir prendre en charge la formation en alimentation dans les institutions agronomiques des pays africains de langue française. Dans nos pays, lorsqu'on parle de nutrition, nous sommes perdus parce que cela ne fait pas partie de la formation normale en France. En France, il faut se spécialiser pour faire de la nutrition, alors que dans les pays anglo-saxons cela fait partie de la formation normale de plusieurs domaines.
Il ne faut pas oublier non plus que la nutrition est pluridisciplinaire et qu'aussi bien les agronomes que les biologistes et les économistes peuvent avoir une formation de nutrition. Dans la mesure où l'on peut inclure la nutrition dans les plans de développement, il faut que les agronomes, les économistes, les biologistes, les techniciens puissent parler le même langage et puissent arriver à se comprendre.
S'agissant de l'institutionalisation des comités de nutrition, il faut que nous soyons prudents. On ne peut pas parler d'alimentation seulement dans le COAC. Il faut en parler dans les différents secteurs, aussi bien au niveau de la pêche, de l'élevage, de l'horticulture, etc. L'important est qu'il puisse y avoir un lieu où l'on puisse vraiment parler d'alimentation et de la nutrition au sein de la FAO.
CHAIRMAN: Thank you very much for your excellent comments. I also want to express my personal thanks to the Observer from Benin who so wisely advised the Canadian delegation that they should keep me on the delegation for years to come. I appreciate that advice and I hope that my colleagues appreciate it also.
T. GLASER (Observateur pour la Suisse): Ma délégation a participé activement aux travaux de la dernière sepsion duComité des politiques alimentaires et de nutrition. Je n'ai donc pas besoin d'entrer de nouveau en la matière puisque les grands mérites de ces travaux sont incontestés. Je voudrais seulement faire une observation sur le futur institutionnel de la question de nutrition. Je suis pour le principe de ne pas créer trop de comités à l'intérieur de la FAO et de proposer le procédé opposé parce que le Comité du programme me paraît une bonne voie à suivre.
J'aimerais seulement suggérer que dans les considérations futures on ne se limite pas à l'examen de la possibilité d'incorporer les questions de nutrition au cahier des charges du COAC, car cela ne me semble pas une solution heureuse. Plusieurs orateurs ont déjà été de cet avis.
On a proposé également 1er,Comité de la pêche. Il me semble à mon tour que le Comité de la sécurité alimentaire serait le comité existant le plus indiqué pour voir élargir ses compétences dans les questions nutritionnelles. Je n'ai pas l'intention d'approfondir, je voulais simplement soumettre cela à votre avis en vue de délibérations de la prochaine séance duCOAG.
Cela dit, je m'aligne également sur la proposition faite par le délégué de la Finlande.
CHAIRMAN: We have had a very good discussion both with delegates and observers. We will now turn back to the table. I do not think that there are any points which require the intervention again by the Chairman of the Programme Committee. Perhaps Mr. Islam would like to say a few words now. A lot of questions were raised and some suggestions have been made.
N. ISLAM (Assistant Director-General, Economic and Social Policy Department): I would like to make only a few remarks. We would like to thank the delegates of the United Kingdom and the United States of America for their offer of assistance for the FAO activities in the field of nutrition. We would be very happy to explore with them specific areas of assistance. We are happy to know that the United Kingdom delegate has indicated a willingness to support activities which have already been indicated in the document submitted to the Council. We hope to enter into further discussion with the United Kingdom on the specifics. He has also expressed interest in research projects, in the applied nutrition field, and we will also indicate our proposed programme in the area. Similarly, we hope that we will have discussions with the delegate from the United States. Clarification was sought as to the way in which the subject of nutrition would be handled in the course of the deliberations of the Committee on Agriculture. As the Council has probably noted, we propose to submit a paper to the COAG on nutrition in agriculture and rural development. We hope that enough time will be provided for a discussion on the subject. We also have indicated in our letter of invitation to the member countries that in view of this new subject in the Committee'experts relevant to the field may be included in the delegation.
Mention has also been made of the need for collaboration with other agencies in the United Nations system. As delegates are no doubt aware, there is an ACC sub-committee on nutrition and its Advisory Group on nutrition consisting of experts in the field. This sub-committee secretariat is located in FAO. We are closely working with other agencies. In fact, our paper on methodology, the guidelines for nutritional considerations and their incorporation in development projects was discussed in the last meeting of the ACC sub-committee and we were also able to get the opinions and the judgment of the experts from the Advisory Group.
In respect of the choices for the nutritional activities of FAO we have already made some reallocation in our budget within the existing biennium. As for the next biennium,as the Director-General has already informed the Council, the work on the formulation of the next biennium's budget and work programme is under way and the Director-General has not completed his examination of the proposals as yet.
CHAIRMAN: You have now had comments from the head table and perhaps at this point I shall summarize what I think are the highlights without going into details but touching on the highlights that came out of the discussion. But first of all I would like to express the appreciation of the Council for the fine work the Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee, Mr. Prasad, of India has done in steering that Committee and proposing a number of very important items. It has led to a very good discussion and I think the time spent was well worth it. These are very key items in the activity of FAO. What came out of the dicussion was some very strong support of the nutritional activities within FAO, bearing in mind - as the delegate of the Philippines stressed - that there has been slow progress made to date, especially since the World Food Conference many resolutions were passed calling for more intensive activity in nutrition.
On the whole, satisfaction has been expressed with the Director-General's action in respect of requests made in resolution 8/77 on nutrition, and also it was emphasized taht nutrition must not be considered in isolation; and it is clear that the Director-General is aware of the need to avoid isolation. At the same time the consensus is that there should be higher priority given to nutrition in the Organization.
A large number of very specific proposals for implementation by the Secretariat have been made by a very large number of delegates. I am sure they have been noticed by the Secretariat and will be taken into consideration.
In respect to extra-budgetary resources, on the whole this proposal has been supported by all the delegates. They hope to find additional resources outside the Regular Budget. At the same time one or two cautionary comments have been made, that there should be an assurance given that any extra budgetary resources raised to cover nutritional activities should be used for nutritional activities. Several delegates said that. Secondly, there was some concern that if you allow too much extra-budgetary resources, there might be a tendency to reduce the actual budgetary allocation, so really the delegates were saying to the Secretariat: do not in any way supplement or exchange extra-budgetary resources for Headquarters budgetary resources.
The other major question was: what kind of institutional structure shall we have to enable the Council to enable delegations to deal with this subject? In many ways we got no further than the Programme Committee got and many delegates said they would like to have a separate committee, bearing in mind they were trying to hold down the number of committees, yet the feeling was that a special committee on nutrition would give some momentum to the drive to expand the work of the Organization. Others felt that perhaps it would be useful, bearing in mind the correct views about avoiding too many committees,to maintain the existence of the ad hoc committee, but everybody agreed that in order to arrive at a consensus, it would be desirable to follow the advice of the Programme Committee and put the item of nutrition on the agenda of the Committee on Agriculture, and then, on the basis of the discussions held by the Committee, to determine whether at this point the Committee could deal with it in terms of the time involved, the fact that it would mean a larger delegation for countries attending COAG and whether COAG could give the kind of momentum that is being demanded by the Council and the Conference.
One or two delegates did pick up the Chairman's own suggestion not to forget that we might ask the Committee on Fisheries, which deals with a very important food item, also to take a look in terms of their own commodity how they fit into an overall integrated food and nutrition policy.
I think these are the items which highlight the present discussion. It will be up to the Drafting Group to put the flesh and the fat on the skeleton that I have presented to the Group.
With this we complete our discussion on item 10.1 dealing with nutrition.
CHAIRMAN: You may remember that this morning Mr. Islam introduced this item in combination with nutrition. Mr. Trkulja also touched on this in his report. I believe the first speaker this morning was the delegate of India whom I cut off just as he was about to read his instruction on paragraph 15, dealing with food standards. Perhaps I can call on him to open up the discussion this afternoon on food standards.
D.R. BHUMBLA (India): We have read with interest document 74/28 on the work on food standards. We find the information in it very useful and valuable. In furnishing the information, the Secretariat has responded to the anxieties expressed by the developing countries both at the Seventy-first Session of the Council in June 1977 and in the Nineteenth Session of the FAO Conference in November 1977, that more was expected of the Codex Commission to be done for the developing countries and that their needs and concerns should be taken into great account. We note that this matter has been considered by the Twelfth Session of the Commission in April 1978 and subsequently by the Programme Committee at its last Session in October 1978.
My delegation notes with satisfaction the good progress made by the Commission in this direction. The Commission has amended its procedures for the liberation of the worldwide Codex standards so that governments could henceforth be requested to furnish their comments not only on the technical aspects of the draft standards but on all aspects, including possible implications of the draft standards for economic interest. We feel, however, that the effectiveness of new procedures would depend to a large extent on the mechanism evolved within the Commission and in the Secretariat for dealing with trade impact statements from governments. We would like this matter to be kept under constant review by the Programme Committee and the Council.
A couple of new activities which are of interest to developing countries have been initiated by the Commission. These include the establishment of a Codex Committee on cereals and cereal products and a Codex Committee on vegetable proteins. We have great interest in these committees and hope that the orientation of the Commission's work in the Committee on vegetable proteins would be towards considering vegetable proteins in their vital context for the benefit of the member countries. The standards and guidelines to be evolved should be intended to provide sound and safe guidelines to develop fully the available vegetable resources, whether derived fro soya bean groundnuts, cereals, cottonseed or other sources available in the developing countries. While these new developments give some satisfaction to us, our efforts have to be continued and intensified on the lines of the conference resolution. We will watch with keen interest the further manifestations to this new orientation in the functioning of the Codex Alimentarius Commission and its various committees.
M. R. LEAR (New Zealand): My delegation welcomes-and supports the decisions taken at the Twelfth Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission to make Codex work more responsive to the needs of the developing countries, although we would note that it remains our conviction that the Codex's work has always been of great value to all countries, both developing and developed. This is certainly New Zealand's experience. There can, in our view, be no doubt that the main aim of Codex's work is to elaborate and encourage the adoption of uniform food standards. This assists food traders since it is much easier to conform to uniform standards than to a multiplicity of differing standards adopted by individual countries.
We welcome in particular the decision of the Commission to modify its procedures to ensure that the economic impact of standards is taken into account during the course of elaboration and development of those standards. We also welcome the decision to establish two new committees on vegetable proteins, and cereals and cereal products, and to adjourn indefinitely other committees whose current work programmes were completed.
Of particular interest to us was the decision taken with the keen support of many developing countries, to reconvene the Committee on Meat Hygiene to develop a code of practice on post mortem judgments on meat, and a code of hygiene practice for animals. This decision is of interest to us both because New Zealand is one of the largest exporters of meat and because we have the honour to host this Committee. It is New Zealand's practice to convene meetings of this Committee in London rather than in New Zealand to facilitate the widest possible attendance; and indeed, attendance and participation by countries interested in the meat trade - both developing and developed - has been very good in the past.
This delegation believes that with the reorientation of Codex work, the suggestion that the Council or the Committee on Commodity Problems should monitor the work of the Commission, has become redundant because the Commission has shown itself capable of adaptation and flexible response to the express needs of developing countries.
In conclusion, we would also endorse the comments of the Programme Committee that caution needs to be exercised by the regional Codex coordinating committees when they are considering the desirability of elaborating regional food standards. As the Committee noted, regional food standards, if not confined to products solely of intra-regional trade, could possibly become barriers to worldwide trade.
N. HINTIKKA (Finland): Let me briefly, on behalf of the Nordic countries, say that we welcome the work of the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission and the document before us. I think that the new orientation by the Commission is a promising step towards better recognition of developing countries' needs in regard to food standards. At the same time, as the Programme Committee has quite rightly pointed out in this report, CL 74/5 the new procedures adopted by the Commission will benefit all countries so that the recommendation would be acceptable globally. We feel that the exercise in connexion with the Food Standards Programme has been useful and fully concur with the conclusions that are provided in document CL 74/28 and by the Programme Committee in its report.
D. ECKERT (Germany, Federal Republic of) : The Federal Republic of Germany also attaches great importance to the work of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. It is convinced that the development of international food standards and other activities of the commission have decisive advantages for all concerned, including developing countries. There is no doubt that the Codex standards have made an important contribution to promoting international food trade. The tendency towards an increased acceptance of the standards promoted by the activities of the Secretariat of the Commission will still strengthen these favourable effects. Moreover the Codex standards have proved to be a useful basis for the creation of national regulations, in particular in the developing countries.
On the other hand, it cannot be ignored that the implementation of the objectives as laid down in the statutes of the Codex Alimentarius Commission for the elaboration of Codex standards, may raise problems in individual cases. They result from the need to bring consumer protection in line with the economic conditions. The Federal Republic of Germany is fully aware of the economic difficulties which may arise in particular for the developing countries.
In the discussions at the twelfth session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission my delegation has, therefore, suggested to supplement the procedure for the elaboration of International Codex Standards to the effect that in future account should also be taken of the economic implications of these standards. We can note with satisfaction that this proposal, in a still extended form has met with the approval of the majority of the Commission. On the other hand, however, we are convinced that the more extensive proposals originally submitted by the developing countries would rather prove a disadvantage for the further successful activities of the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
The Federal Republic of Germany shares the view of the Programme Committee which has drawn attention to the importance of the mechanisms to review the impact statements of Member States. This point has been stressed also by the delegate of Brazil. My Government would highly welcome, therefore, the fact if as many developing countries as possible attended the next session of the Committee on General Principles to be held in Paris next spring where these questions, as well as the question relating to the Codex of Ethics for International Trade in Food will be discussed.
The discussions by the Codex Alimentarius Commission with regard to the reorientation of its activities, taking into account especially the interests and needs of the developing countries, are also welcomed by my Government» By postponing sine die, a considerable number of Codex committees the Commission have opened the way for the elaboration of standards which are of special interest to the developing countries.
The extension of the functions of the Regional Committees for Africa, Asia and Latin America is likewise of decisive importance. Through this measure the participation of the countries of these regions in the work of the Codex Alimentarius Commission can become much more effective. Thus another request of thedeveloping countries would be met within the framework of the financial possibility.
My Government does not share the doubts of the Programme Committee and some preceding speakers with regard to the elaboration of regional standards within the framework of these committees. In view of the present circumstances it is highly improbable that new trade barriers will arise. In any case, possible disadvantages would more than be offset by the advantages resulting from an urgently needed strengthening of regional cooperation between the developing countries in this particular field.
Summing up, it can be stated with satisfaction that the measures taken and still envisaged by the Codex Alimentarius Commission have met the interests of the developing countries to the greatest possible extent at the moment. The Codex Alimentarius Commission has thus proved that it possesses sufficient flexibility, allowing it to tackle difficult problems on its own without questioning its activities in their overall orientation. In this sense we understand the recommendation of the Programme Committee that the Council should follow the general policy trends within the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
P. HALIMI (France) : La reorientation de la politique de la Commission du Codex demandée par les pays en développement retient toute l'attention de mon gouvernement. Le Comité des principes généraux devra se pencher, à sa prochaine session au printemps 79, sur les moyems à mettre en oeuvre pour permettre à la Commission de procéder à l'étude des répercussions économiques des normes, en vue essentiellement de prendre en considération les intérêts des pays en voie de développement. La Commission a d'ores et déjà adopté une modification de la procédure d'élaboration des normes aux étapes 3, 5 et 6; aussi, selon la nouvelle modification,les gouvernements devront-ils fournir aux étapes 3 et 6 "Bases de consultation par correspondance des gouvernements", les observations sur les effets que les textes à l'étude pourraient avoir sur leur économie. A l'étape 5 "Examen par la Commission", la Commission devra tenir compte de ces effets dans sa décision d'adopter l'avant-projet de normes.
Par ailleurs, le Comité des principes généraux a été également chargé de mettre au point une procédure de vote par correspondance, pour permettre aux pays en développement qui ne peuvent, pour des raisons matérielles, participer aux réunions de différents comités, de prendre officiellement position sur les projets de normes.
Des changements importants ont également été apportés à l'orientation des travaux de la Commission. Il faut remarquer que cette dernière s'oriente vers l'élaboration de normes pour des produits agricoles de base: maïs, farine, blé, etc., ou encore pour les protéines végétales qu'elle avait jusqu'ici exclus de ses travaux.
Nous avons noté au sujet de ces travaux les observations, je dirai même les réserves du délégué du Brésil.
En ce qui concerne 1'ajournement de certains Comités Codex, on ne peut que partager le point de vue de la Commission. En effet, les travaux entrepris par les divers Comités depuis 1958 se sont concrétisés par plus de 130 normes ou codes d,usages. Inactivité normative du Codex peut donc se ralentir au profit d'activités présentant un intérêt pour les pays en développement, assistance pour la mise en place de services de contrôle, de laboratoire.
Enfin, une place plus importante devrait, à l'avenir, être accordée aux Comités régionaux. Nous partageons sur ce point l'appréciation du Comité du programme portée sur les normes régionales. Il faut faciliter le commerce international, et seules des normes universelles permettront pleinement d'atteindre cet objectif. J'approuve sur ce point ce qui a été dit par le délégué du Brésil et le délégué de la Nouvelle-Zélande. La Commission a d'ailleurs souligné l'intérêt des Comités de coordination pour l'Asie, l'Afrique et l'Amérique latine, pour la recherche de solutions communes aux problèmes causés par les normes alimentaires et surtout la mise en place d'infrastructures de controle des aliments. Quant au Comité de coordination pour l'Europe, il devrait selon nous permettre d'appréhender les problèmes de normalisation en matière alimentaire de manière plus efficace.
M. KRIESBERG (United States of America): In relationship to the report at hand we should say that, the United States strongly supports the work of the Codex Alimentarius Commission and the proposals, actions and conclusions outlined in the report. We see these as being an appropriate response to the very real problem of maximizing the benefits of the international standardization work of .the Commission and making that work useful to both developed and developing countries.
Our delegation would like to indicate, that it agrees with the Commission that it was necessary to take into greater account the needs of the developing countries and to make Codex more responsive to those needs. We support the amendment of the procedures for the elaboration of worldwide Codex standards in order to allow government comments on the possible economic implications of draft standards on their particular interests.
We support the proposal that the Codex Committee on General Principles examine the adopted amendments and make a recommendation to the Commission as to the most appropriate mechanisms for examining economic impact statements submitted by the governments under the new procedures suggested above.
We support the Commission's position of giving particular consideration, within the framework of its statute,to the requests of developing countries regarding the future working activities of the Commission. We support reactivation of the Codex Committee on Meat Hygiene to elaborate codes of practice for the post-mortem judgement for meat and game animals.
We support also the new functions given to the Codex Coordinating Committees for Asia, Africa and Latin America as being appropriate and potentially useful new directions.
Finally, we also support the idea of elaborating international food standards for products having an international market potential, in addition to those with an established international trade and I should call attention to the fact that the United States has agreed to host the newly formed Committee on Cereals and Cereals Products as further evidence of our support for the Commission in this new activity.
The United States has been a strong and continuing supporter of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. We believe that the Commission's work increases trade opportunities for all countries and particularly would be helpful for developing countries seeking to develop larger markets for their processed foodstuffs.
C.P. ARIAS MARFIL (Cuba): Queremos señalar que hemos estudiado con detenimiento los elementos expuestos en los documentos CL 74/5 y CL 74/28, relativos a la labor del Comité de la FAO del Codex Alimentarius, pudiendo expresar nuestra sastifacción por lo allí expuesto. No obstante nuestro apoyo en modo general a lo planteado en ambos documentos, deseamos subrayar nuestro interés en que se continúe reforzando la función y actividad de los Comités regionales y especialmente aquellos que se refieren a continuar el establecimiento de normas regionales para aquellos productos alimenticios que, teniendo la circulación exclusivamente al interno de la región, lo apruebe la norma, como se ha propuesto en los documentos que hemos señalado y en las intervenciones de algunos delegados.
Creemos que se debe estimular el fortalecimiento de la infraestructura de la inspección de los alimentos de manera que se puedan determinar las calidades y elaboración de los mismos.
Deben'dirigirse a la atención de la Comisión del Codex de una manera creciente aquellos aspectos de trabajo de la Comisión que tengan una importancia particular para cada una de las regiones.
Como se verá, nuestra delegación propugna una interrelación dialéctica entre el organismo central y el regional, de forma tal de que sin que se debilite al organismo central, como es el Comité, se refuercen las actividades de los Comités regionales que en muchas ocasiones tienen una relación más directa con los asuntos prácticos.
CHAIRMAN: I now have to summarize. I want to say that the Codex Alimentarius Commission is unique because many of the Codex committees are hosted by governments and when a government is willing to put in additional funds to host committees in their own country, it is an indication of strong interest and this is one of the unique programmes. The FAO itself hosts a number of committees, but it depends very much on the various countries acting as host and that is an indication of their interest.
Certainly in listening to the speakers today, and I am bearing in mind the comments made by Brazil this morning, there is strong support by the whole Council in respect of the work of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. There has been support expressed for the changes in procedures for the worldwide standards. There has been general approval that the Codex Alimentarius Commission has become much more conscious of the needs of developing countries. There was great satisfaction that the Codex Alimentarius Commission and its rules as they have been modified will be taking into consideration in a much greater degree than in the past an evaluation of the economic impact of any food standards that are established. There was general support of the new Committee on Cereal and Cereal Products and the Vegetable Protein and Vegetable Products Committee, and considerable satisfaction by certain countries who have strong interest in the revival of the Meat Hygiene Codex Group. There was support for the Regional approach to the Codex work, but at the same time some cautions were expressed in the sense of the establishment of regional standards, and a strong plea was made that the Council show a greater interest in the work of the Codex Alimentarius Commission and its various Codex Committees. This is a summary which I am submitting to the Council in turn to guide the Drafting Committee..
The Secretariat has taken careful note of the very specific suggestions. With this, I believe we conclude the discussion of this item.
G.N. VOGEL (Executive Director, World Food Programme): I present to you the Third Annual Report of the Committee on Food Aid Policies and Programmes, which is document CL 74/24. The Committee on Food Aid Policies and Programmes met twice this year in its Fifth and Sixth Sessions under the very capable chairmanship of Mr. Gamo-Kuba of The Congo, who added a great deal indeed to the work, and if I may say so, the success of the Committee.
The Report is, I think, self-explanatory. You will note that by the close of the Fifth Session of the Committee, the World Food Programme had 271 active operational projects. It now has 294 operational development projects, plus 136 emergency projects in 84 countries. It is only a few weeks since the end of the Sixth Session of the CFA, which a number of members of this Council attended. Certain things I have to say here today, will not, therefore, be new to some of you, but as the risk of repeating myself, I have a duty to bring to the attention of the Council the most important issues to be highlighted from the Report.
Of these the most important is the resources position. The World Food Programme can effectively help social and economic development and provide emergency aid only if it has adequate resources. This in turn can be obtained only if the Member Nations, which you represent, give it their full support, and in order to win this I must seize every opportunity to inform you as fully as possible so that you may understand the Programme's constantly changing difficulties, priorities and achievements.
In the one month since I reported to the CFA, the pledges for the 1977-78 biennium have not changed and still stand at $717 million or 96 percent of the target of $750 million. However, if pledges remain static, the $717 million will be reduced, as it included the full amount of the United States pledge which in this biennium was made on a matching basis. Unless the remaining gap is closed, about $12 million of the United States pledge will be unavailable so that the net availability to the Programme for 1977-78 would be $705 million. I, therefore, again appeal to all countries to examine their possibilities in making new or additional pledges for this pledging period at the earliest possible time. Apart from the Programme's needs, fulfilment of this target would give a psychological boost to the attainment of the $950 million target for 1979-80.
The news concerning that latter figure is even less encouraging. Since the generous announcement eight months ago by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia of a $55 million cash contribution, the flow of pledges had been reduced a trickle. An additional $4 million had been received so that we have received a figure of $693 million, or 73 percent of the target figure of $950.
Many donors may feel justified in believing that, with slightly more than two years to go until the end of the next pledging period, there is still plenty of time. But as you know, WFP's resources cannot be efficiently utilized unless we are given time to plan our projects properly. Our assistance is based on the project approach which has proved over the years to be the most effective way of disbursing food aid. But this approach requires the examination of every aspect of a project to ensure its success.
Certainly we cannot wait until the end of the period, in December 1980, to know how much we can provide in 1979-80.
The paper before you, the Third Annual Report of the CFA, also gives total contributions under the Food Aid Convention up to April 27 this year, when they stood at 1.3 million tonnes of resources with a total value of $165.9 million. A further 105 000 tonnes and accompanying cash for a total of more than $15 million has since raised FAO contributions to 1.4 million tonnes and $182 million respectively.
Since FAO contributions form additional resources to the World Food Programme, I am anxiously awaiting news of the completion of a new International Wheat Agreement. I am concerned that negotiations which took place in Geneva have been further adjourned.
Coming as I do from what I suppose could be described as a "wheat background", I am keenly aware how important such a new agreement is to the world, both for exporters and importers. I am hopeful that a new agreement will be for 10 million tonnes of wheat to be distributed annually under the Food Aid Convention instead of the present 4.3 million tonnes, and I am optimistic that the World Food Programme will receive a larger and better balanced share than in the past.
I cannot conclude my report on resources without touching on the International Emergency Food Reserve. Although a figure of 500 000 tonnes of grains was approved by the General Assembly .three years ago, the Reserve has never reached that level in any given year. The IEFR was fully reviewed at the Fourth Session of the World Food Council in Mexico in June, which urged that at a 500 000 tonne emergency reserve of cereal should be established as a continuing reserve with yearly replenishments determined by the Programme's governing body, the CFA, and placed at the World Food Programme's disposal. At the. same time governments were urged to indicate the amounts of cereals and cash they are prepared to place at the Programme's disposal up to a level of 500 000 tonnes. I can only hope that the spirit and the fact of the Mexico Declaration may be honoured by all concerned.
Including the additional $10 million authorized by the Sixth Session of the CFA, a total of $55 million from World Food Programme, normal resources has been placed at the disposal of the Director-General for emergency assistance in 1978, and a further $32 million has been committed from the IEFR. The year 1978 has been a bleak one for many nations which have suffered serious disasters, both natural and man-made. The Programme will continue to do all it can to assist but, as Council will appreciate, whatever our humanitarian desires may be, we are limited by our means.
It is now more vital than ever to have closer cooperation among donors, both bilateral and multilateral, if such mistakes as duplication or unsuitable commodities are to be avoided. The World Food Programme has always expressed its willingness to play a coordinating role in the field of food aid, as it did recently in the Sahelian countries during the drought emergency. It was able to reduce costs by avoiding congestion, expediting deliveries, improving the bagging of bulk food at wharfsides and through many other measures.
The Programme's efficiency and ability to produce results out of all proportion to its investment has been voiced many times from this and many other United Nations platforms. I believe it could respond even more efficiently if bilateral and multilateral donors were to cooperate fully with us in implementing our new coordinating role not only in emergency relief, but in development assistance as well. The economic and social development of the developing world is, surely, the end-result at which we all aim.
I close my report to this FAO Council by expressing, as I did to the CFA, my appreciation to the Director-General for his close support and understanding, and for the excellent working relationship which we have established together.
CHAIRMAN: I would say this is one of the success stories of the United Nations. Canada had the privilege of being able to take part in it from Day 1, and I have seen it grow and expand, and it is one of the most successful programmes. I hope the Council would evince an interest in the World Food Programme, not only as a food aid programme, not only as assisting with malnourishment, but also being involved in economic development. At the same time, whether projects fail or succeed, people are being fed all the time.
D.R. BHUMBLA (India): Thank you for giving me this opportunity for the second time this afternoon. Let me first congratulate the Secretariat for having summarized the main activities of the World Food Programme from May 1977 to April 1978 in an excellent manner in the document we have before us, CL 74/24. We have noted with satisfaction that the resources of the Programme during the period under review have been directed along the right lines, particularly to the neediest countries to promote rural development and improve arrangements for emergency means.
There are, however, two points which I would like to mention specifically as they are vital to the functioning of the World Food Programme and for its operation. The first relates to the guidelines and criteria for food aid for FAO. This was a task assigned to the Committee by the World Food Council Ft its Third Session. My delegation would like to express its satisfaction at the manner in which the draft guidelines have been prepared by the Committee, but I would like to report the Government of India is of the opinion that food aid should be assured for longer periods so that the infrastructure created for executing these programmes is utilized for benefiting the needy people until such time as the recipient country is in a position to carry on the activities from its own resources. As these draft guidelines would be considered in detail at the Sixth Session of the CFA, I would not like to go into further details.
The other notable activity of the CFA during the period under review was the assessment of the food aid requirement considered by the Committee at its Third Session. The World Food Conference had recommended a target of 10 million tonnes of cereals in 1974. Even this target has not been achieved. Problems have since multiplied, and it is but appropriate that a realistic estimate of the future aid requirements should be made in view of the increasing number of hungry and malnourished in the developing countries.
We share the concern of the Committee that requirements of food aid would increase in future, and based on projections of available data the indications are that requirements of cereals, vegetable oilo and dairy products are likely to be 15 to 16 millions, 300 000 tonnes of vegetable oil, and 250 000 tonnes of dairy products. My delegation and the Government of India fully recognizes the need that periodic reviews of these estimated food aid requirements in the light of actual development are necessary and the Government of India will provide any data required by the World Food Programme Secretariat.
CHAIRMAN: Thank you, there are indications of direct cooperation to ensure the success of the programme.
E. LIPPONEN (Finland): I should like to thank Mr. Vogel for his excellent report. We all know that under his most able leadership and guidance the World Food Programme is doing very well in completing its most urgent tasks and obligations.
The document before us, which covers the period from May 1977 to April 1978, has also been sent to ECOSOC and the World Food Council. In this way the activities of the Programme have already reached a wider audience and I feel they have also completed a proper linkage between the Programme and the United Nations family.
I will limit myself to commenting on two questions, namely, the pledges to the Programme and the suggested guidelines and criteria for Food Aid which the CFA discussed at its Spring Session in April this year.
During the period covered by the Report, the number of projects as well as pledges has increased considerably. This not only notes the growing demand of food aid projects but shows the World Food Programme has been successfully able to cope with this demand. When we remember that the target for 1975/76 was $400 million and that the target for 1977/78 is $750 million, and that this target has now almost been reached (96 percent), we must give credit to the way in which the World Food Programme has handled its task. We know that the Executive Director is worried about reaching the next target of $950 million set for 1979/80.
Although pledges up to now amount to about $689 million, we very much trust that more pledges will be forthcoming so as to secure the continuity of the Programme's development project and its capacity for emergency aid. The recent session of the CFA in October shows how important this latter aspect is, especially in years like this when unforeseen catastrophies empty the resources set out for emergencies. Happily, the Committee was able to agree on the solution of this difficult situation for the Programme this fall.
Coming to the question of the guidelines and criteria for food aid, the Executive Director has proposed that the CFA Committee at its Seventh Session next May resume consideration of the draft recommendations which were presented as an Interim Report to the World Food Council at its Fourth Session in Mexico. We believe that, with the suggestions received from the World Food Council, it should not be very difficult to agree on a common language which would unite divergent views which now are represented by the square brackets in our text.
Consensus on these two major unresolved issues, namely, forward planning of food aid on a multi-annual basis and the relative priority to be assigned to food assistance in support of food reserves and related infrastructural works, is indeed most vital to the future work of the Programme.
The Executive Director has asked for the views of Member Governments of the Committee by mid-December, so that the Secretariat can take them into account when preparing the report to the Committee for its next meeting, when the Committee should try to complete its work on this matter.
J.B. NEZEHOSE (Rwanda): Monsieur le President, la delegation du Rwanda voudrait profiter de ce moment qui lui est accordé pour présenter sa gratitude au Directeur général de la FAO pour le discours qu'il a prononcé au moment de l'ouverture des présentes assises au cours duquel il a présenté le programme qui a été réalisé et les perspectives d'avenir. Ces deux points ont beaucoup plu à la délégation rwandaise.
La délégation voudrait également féliciter le bureau qui a été constitué pour diriger la présente session.
Relativement au point en cours de discussion, la délégation rwandaise exprime sa grande satisfaction. Nous apprécions beaucoup la briévite du rapport et sa consistance. Mais ce qui nous réjouit le plus c'est de constater que les appréhensions que nous craignons devoir exprimer au cours de cette assemblée ont été apaisées en lisant les directives consignées en page A du document en question.
Ainsi, nous consacrons notre entier soutien au paragraphe 8 a) où il est stipulé: 'L'aide alimentaire doit être fournie sous une forme compatible avec les objectifs de développement des pays bénéficiaires dans le but de favoriser leur action de développement à long terme et d'assurer qu'elle ne décourage pas la production alimentaire locale et ne perturbe pas le marché intérieur et les échanges internationaux. ..'' . Ici, M. le Président, nous voudrions souhaiter que la philosophie traditionnelle du PAM, basée sur la notion de "vivres contre travail'' ou "food for work'\ devrait être repensée. Nous acceptons de tout coeur les secours d'urgence, mais nous supportons mal les salaires exprimés en vivres. N'y a-t-il pas moyen, en cas d'intervention du PAM au projet de développement, de réserver une partie du salaire distribué en argent et une autre partie en vivres?
Dans ce même ordre d'idée, je voudrais mentionner que pour le Rwanda, la manutention des vivres PAM coûte énormément cher, tant en moyens humains que matériels et financiers. C'est pour cette raison que nous nous accordons avec la recommandation du CPA exprimée au point e) du paragraphe 8 concernant la prise en charge des pays donateurs dans le transport et la distribution des vivres PAM.
Pour le reste, nous réitérons notre satisfaction quant à la perfection du document qui nous a été présenté.
A. ZALAMEA (Colombia): Creo que mi primer deber es agradecer al Sr. Vogel su importante informe, y el segundo decirle que no nos preocupa lo más mínimo que haya dos canadienses en la Mesa directiva. En el caso de America Latina son nuestros asociados en la Organización regional americana, y en el caso de todos los demás presentes, todos conocen el benéfico papel que han jugado ustedes en la solución de muchos problemas importantes de la agricultura mundial.
He oído expresar en pasillos, y también a usted, Sr. Presidente, cierta Dreocupación por la longitud y repetición de algunas intervenciones: vox populi vox dei, seguían y siguen diciendo nues-tos anfitriones romanos. Sin embargo, la voz de los pasillos no es siempre la correcta, aunque siempre es útil la vieja y legítima amenaza del poeta que le decía al otro poeta inoportuno: "si me lees, te leo, si me recitas te recito''. Lo cierto es que aquí estamos para decir ciertas cosas, sean ellas largas, cortas o repetidas. Es fácil observar, Sr. Presidente, y lo sabe usted por su larga experiencia, cómo en las conferencias internacionales el orador de turno de los países menos desarrollados es generalmente el más largo y, en cambio, el orador de turno de las grandes potencias es el más corto. Treinta minutos emplea el pobre y le bastan pocos segundos al rico para decir no o sí. Tal vez en esta longitud y en esta parquedad resida una de las diferencias entre el orador desarrollado y el orador en vías de desarrollo. Pero esto obedece, como todo, a una causa; el más pobre tiene una larga lista de quejas, de reivindicaciones y de informaciones para dar, mientras al rico le basta con actuar. El uno tiene palabras y el otro blande los actos. No debemos, pues, recriminar a nadie por su longitud. Esta no es, desde luego, Sr. Presidente, una justificación ni una amenaza inmediata de que yo vaya a ser demasiado largo. Procuraré ser breve al menos en desarrollar demasiado.
Los países en desarrollo estamos aprendiendo también a ser breves. Breves, concisos y concretos. Por eso nos gusta, y nos sentimos muy representados en él, el lenguaje preciso y franco que están utilizando el Director General de la FAO, el Director del Programa Mundial de Alimentos, los voceros del Grupo de los 77 aquí, en Ginebra y en Nueva York y, naturalmente, el Informe del Comité de Políticas y Programas de Ayuda Alimentaria del Programa Mundial de Alimentos, cuyo tercer Informe anual estamos analizando.
Este Informe nos indica, como ya lo dijo el Director General en su discurso inaugural y en su Informe sobre el estado Mundial de la Agricultura y la Alimentación que: "la solución a largo plazo del problema de la escasez de alimentos en los países en desarrollo estriba en aumentar la producción en esos países" y que entretanto, dice el Informe, seguirá haciendo falta la ayuda alimentaria para proporcionar socorros de urgencia, luchar contra el hambre y la malnutrición y fomentar el desarrollo económico y social.
Evidentemente, estas pocas palabras lo dicen todo. Podríamos pasarnos toda la vida aquí propinándonos discursos los unos a los otros y no lograríamos nada, si no avanzamos en el camino que señala el Informe, de aumentar la producción en los países en desarrollo. Para ello, es cierto, contamos con la colaboración, con el impulso, con la guía de organizaciones tan importantes como la FAO y el Programa Mundial de Alimentos; pero será imposible, a juicio nuestro, elevar los niveles de nutrición y de vida de los 144 pueblos que aquí representamos, mejorar la producción y la distribución de todos los alimentos y productos agrícolas y fortalecer la condición de las poblaciones rurales, que son la base de una economía mundial en expansión capaz de liberar a la humanidad de la amenaza del hambre, todo este ideario será imposible consolidarlo sólo con los tres mil especialistas de la FAO, su escaso presupuesto - hay que decirlo-, escaso presupuesto de 211 millones y los 705 millones de dólares prometidos al PMA para 1979/80.
No sólo necesitamos reforzar estos instrumentos y darles a sus Directores el respaldo necesario para que lleven adelante una política dinámica, original o inventiva, como la planteada por el Director General de la FAO. Lo básico es que los países desarrollados consigan consolidar una voluntad política que los convenza, por fuera de inútiles, estériles, costosas y, muchas veces, tardías confrontaciones, de la necesidad de liberalizar el comercio internacional.
Hace algunos años un eminente Ministro de Agricultura francés, Edgar Pisani, decía que "en el mercado mundial no compiten ya las capacidades económicas o tecnológicas, sino casi exclusivamente las capacidades políticas", y agregaba que "sólo los sistemas agrícolas de los países en grado de subvencionar sus propias exportaciones pueden penetrar en el mercado mundial, caracterizado ya por la intervención sistemática de las tesorerías de los Estados nacionales". Los síntomas que produjeron aquel diagnóstico se han agudizado, y hoy, Sr. Presidente, los países en desarrollo emergentes están convencidos de que es necesario encontrar un nuevo camino que lleve a la organización de los mercados agrícolas a nivel mundial. Ño será posible, en efecto, volviendo a la frase sintética del Informe, a "aumentar la producción" si no disciplinamos primero la política agrícola mundial y dejamos de lado no sólo el proteccionismo más ortodoxo, sino también toda la serie de obstáculos que han venido presentándose a la exportación de nuestros productos agrícolas. Las restricciones, plafonds, impuestos, las dificultades para conceder licencias, complejos procedimientos aduaneros, tratamiento fiscal discriminatorio, y demás. De otra manera, terminaremos por convertirnos de socios y colegas parlanchines en socios silenciosos.
Y yo creo, Sr. Presidente, que los socios silenciosos no les convienen a nadie. Para que ello no ocurra, para que podamos enfrentar todos juntos la presión inflacionaria mundial causada en buena parte por la escasez y los precios elevados de los alimentos, hay soluciones. Quiero enumerarlas para que queden en nuestras actas. Son las mismas que siempre preocupan al Grupo de los 77: se requiere una mayor corriente de capital externo para inversiones, un aumento de los suministros de insumos materiales, mayor transmisión de tecnología y una infraestructura institucional adecuada, incluida la propiedad y la gestión de las tierras, la educación, la capacitación y la movilización de las masas.
A pesar de sus escasos recursos, la FAO y el PMA realizan una labor de extraordinaria magnitud. No es la solución, pero sí el camino. Como decía recientemente un delegado en la Comisión del Codex Alimentarius: no temamos que la FAO se desborde un poco. Al contrario, un organismo como éste es el más adecuado para seguir adelante, concretamente, la larga marcha del progreso. Y podrá hacerlo repensando ciertos esquemas, buscando nuevas soluciones, estableciendo nuevas formas de cooperación que conjuguen todos los esfuerzos, bilaterales y multilaterales, como lo señalaba ayer con tanta eficacia nuestro colega de la delegación de Venezuela.
Nos recordaba usted, Sr. Presidente, que un burócrata internacional es el que tiene un problema para cada solución. La FAO y el PMA, por su parte, tienen soluciones. Necesitarían más recursos, estamos completamente de acuerdo en eso con el Director General de la FAO y con el PMA.
Mi país, por ejemplo, se ha beneficiado altamente de varios proyectos adelantados por la FAO y de la cooperación estrecha del PMA. Por su parte, nuestro Gobierno ha prometido una contribución de 455 000 dólares én productos y 10 000 dólares en efectivo para el bienio 1979-80. El PMA, como lo ha reiterado varias veces el Grupo de los 77, sigue siendo la fuente más eficaz de ayuda alimentaria en forma de asistencia a proyectos, con grandes posibilidades de fomento del desarrollo socioeconómico y de mejora de la situación nutricional de los países pobres. Por ello resulta tan importante que se alcance el nivel requerido para el bienio 1979-80. En esta labor debemos trabajar sin prisa, pero también sin pausas. 0 como dijo algún directivo de la OCDE con: "un optimismo cauteloso y una enorme impaciencia".
La delegación de Colombia, para terminar, aprovecha esta oportunidad para reiterar, muy cordialmente, sus agradecimientos al PMA por la aprobación reciente de un importante proyecto que beneficiará a buena parte de la población colombiana vinculada al intenso proceso de desarrollo rural integrado que se está llevando a cabo en nuestro país.
Estoy llegando al final y tengo más de la mitad en el tintero; pero creo que lo dejaremos ahí. Si ya fuera el nuestro un país totalmente desarrollado me habrían bastado sin duda pocas palabras.
CHAIRMAN: I thank the delegate of Colombia and assure him that his message came through very clearly, I understood very clearly what he said. I am sure much of what he said is of interest to Mr. Vogel in the World Food Programme. I trust that our colleague in the FAO, especially Mr. Islam's department, paid particular attention to the many points mentioned.
J. ABEYAGOONASEKERA (Sri Lanka): We are happy to note that the World Food Programme target for the 1977-8 biennium has almost been met and we appeal with other countries that donors may contribute more generously to meet the 1979-80 target of US $950 000. It may be noted that the World Food Programme has estimated that if it had sufficient resources it could meet $870 million worth of requests that are already in the pipeline. Insufficient resources for the World Food Programme including the shortage of dairy products in its food basket are in striking contrast to the mounting surpluses of livestock products in Europe and ample cereal stocks in North America. We are also concerned that the balance available with the International Emergency Food Reserve is only 35 000 tons. Therefore, the recommendation made by the World Food Council in Mexico this year that the International Emergency Food Reserve should be a revolving reserve of 500 000 tons of grain to be replenished annually, is very far from realization. Tied to this question is the matter taken up at the Sixth Session of the Committee on Food Aid Policies and Programmes this year to increase emergency food aid under the World Food Programme. We are in complete sympathy with the developing country point of view that mitigating hunger should have priority over development projects. We consider the present allocation of $45 million under the World Food Programme for emergencies as inadequate, especially as the replenishment of the International Emergency Food Reserve on a yearly basis is not certain and all the food that is available from that source is not channelled through the World Food Programme. Even as we sit here discussing this question, Sri Lanka is reeling under the effects of a cyclone that has left many dead and many more homeless. We are grateful to the Director General who has promtly responded to give us $200 000 worth of aid to purchase urgently needed seed paddy under the Technical Cooperation Programme and thus ensure that our crop prospects for 1979 are not completely bleak. We also expect the World Food Programme to respond with quick food aid. We support the request that contributions to the International Emergency Food Reserve should be completely at the disposal of the World Food Conference resolution that a more significant proportion of food aid be channelled through the World Food Programme.
We are also in agreement in general with the draft guidelines and criteria already drawn up for food aid by the CFA. These guidelines should be further refined, mainly in accordance with the wishes of developing countries. We believe that food aid should also be provided, among other reasons, to ease balance of payments problems of developing countries.
Finally, another matter which interests us is that the World Food Programme cargoes should as far as possible be carried in ships belonging to recipient countries. This will be in keeping with the objects of the new international economic order.
S.A. PERVEZ (Pakistan): We have read with interest document CL 74/24. Pakistan is a regular donor country and has pledged to the World Food Programme 2 000 metric tons of rice for the 1979/80 biennium. In the 1977/78 biennium we had also pledged 2 000 metric tons of rice. In the bienium prior to that, that is 1975/76, we had pledged 1 500 metric tons of rice. All we would like to add at this juncture is, that being members of the CFA, the annual report reflects and incorporates our views as well. At this late hour and stage of the Council's deliberations, when we are way behind schedule, brevity should be the soul of wit and discretion the better part of valour.
I would only like to add that we would like to compliment the WFP for doing a very good job. They deserve to be complimented for the useful work they are doing in a devoted manner. We would like to urge donor countries to meet the pledging target of $950 million. This is vital for the continued success of the Programme. It is our view that the guidelines on food aid should be agreed upon at an early date. In fact, we would like to sound a note of urgency in this regard.
We also feel that an increasing amount of food aid should be channelled multilaterally. We lay stress upon promotion of food security through food aid and also on forward planning on a multi-annual basis.
I also take this opportunity of thanking Mr. Vogel and his Organization for the appreciable manner in which WFP is functioning in Pakistan.
M. R. LEAR (New-Zealand): New Zealand continues to lend its full support to the aims and objectives of the World Food Programme. We consider that- it is a well run and useful organization which performs its role as United Nations food aid arm with distinction and to the credit of the United Nations system. The guidance provided to the Programme by the CFA and the dedication and efforts of its staff, from the Executive Director to the desk officers and the field workers are reflected in its sound achievements. We have listened to the Executive Director's appeal this afternoon for increased pledges to the World Food Programme. We have sympathy with this appeal, although our capacity to respond, regrettably, is limited. Ideally, the targets of this and the next biennium should be met by additional allocations from donors of food aid. However, if some find it difficult to increase total food aid for whatever reason, we would urge that they give serious consideration to distributing a higher proportion of their food aid through multilateral channels, especially the World Food Programme. Such a course would not ony give the WFP the necessary resources to do its job properly; it is also important in our view because the Programme has a better record than many bilateral donors in minimizing disruptions to local production and markets and to international trade.
The aim of channelling a greater proportion to food aid through multilateral institutions is recorded also in the guidelines and criteria for food aid on pages 4 and 5 of the report before us.
New Zealand also welcomes the attention paid elsewhere in the guidelines to the priority needs of low income food deficit countries.
Finally, I would add that New Zealand has followed with interest the deliberations of the CFA in the period under review. We shall ourselves be taking a seat on the Committee as from the beginning of next year and look forward to the closer involvement in the Committee's work and that of the Programme.
H. NAKAGAWA (Japan): I should like to make a brief comment on the third annual report of the Committee on Food Aid Policies and Programmes. The first point is the recent status of pledges to the Programme. According to the report the total pledges for the biennium 1977/78 were $670.5 milliom as of 31 March of this year. That was 89 percent of the target. However, by the end of April it was $716.1 million, representing about 96 percent of the target. My delegation is very pleased to seee this improvment and further expects that targets not only for 1977/78 but also for 1979/80 will be attained at an early stage through the cooperation of all donor countries, in particular possible new donors.
My Government increased the pledge for 1979/80 by 33 percent.
Secondly, my delegation has some disagreement to the proposed guidelines and criteria for food aid. We have some technical difficulties and problems of principle. However, this matter will be discussed again at the next session of the Committee and I hope we will come to a compromise at that time. Finally, I should like to mention the problem of food aid requirements. The Committee reached a general consensus on some figures which could provide useful indicators of likely requirements for food aid. However, my delegation thinks that these figures are not perfect or final and would like FAO to make efforts to obtain more precise ones.
D. RICHTER (Germany, Federal Republic of): The third annual report of the Committee on Food Aid Policies and Programmes gives us a clear and concentrated survey of the activités of the World Food Programme in the period under review. My Government has always rated very highly the activities of the World Food Programme and the CFA. Since the establishment of the World Food Programme we have taken an active part in the work of the Intergovernmental Committee which has in the meantime been reconstituted into the Committee on Food Aid Policies and Programmes. Also, in the period under review my Government has taken an active part in the decision-making process of the CFA on international food aid policy and the method of work of the World Food Programme.
In order to strengthen the activities of that Programme further, my Government has increased its pledge of DM 63 million in the current biennium by about 20 percent to DM 75 million in the biennium 1979/80. Quite rightly the need for higher pledges has been pointed out again and again the achieve the goals that have been set. On this occasion I should also like to express my Government's view that the World Food Programme cannot fulfil its mandate of contributing towards diminishing and eradicating hunger and malnutrition merely trough higher pledges of its traditional donors. The request for pledges has rather also to be addressed to all potential donors who have so far not yet supported the World Food Programme.
We welcome the fact that with the adoption of paragraph 14 of the General Regulations governing the eligibility to submit requests, all the General Regulations have now been adopted. Thus, the World Food Programme has been put on a procedural basis which is well coordinated with the current need of aid and the Programme of Work. This basis will contribute towards making the World Food Programme a still more efficient implementing Organization of multilateral food aid.
The CFA has worked intensively on the elaboration of guidelines and criteria for food aid, a task assigned to the Committee by the World Food Council. This task could not yet be completed because some decisions of other United Nations bodies are still pending and existing differences of opinion could not yet be fully settled. The parts of these guidelines and criteria which have already been adopted are in our view an important and good result of the joint efforts of all member states of the CFA. My Government hopes that the CFA will finish this work with success at its next session in spring 1979.
Ms. L. NAVANI (Thailand): Let me first compliment the Secretariat for the concise and comprehensive document and Mr. Vogel, the Executive Director of the World Food Council, for his excellent introduction. The Thai delegation would like to assure them both, the Director-General of the World Food Council and the Director-General of the FAO, of the full support of my Government for the programmes undertaken under their dynamic leadership.
My delegation noted vith satisfaction the target for 1977/78 has nearly been achieved. However, my delegation would like to appeal to both traditional and new potential donors to increase their contribution in order to have it meet the target set immediately with a view to assisting the Programme to be able to continue its valuable work which has been of benefit to many developing countries, particularly to the neediest countries and for emergency needs.
Despite our full endorsement of the ten-point guidelines and criteria of the food aid set out in the document under review, my delegation is of the opinion that the resources allocated for this purpose should be reviewed periodically with an increase.
My delegation would like to take this opportunity to express my Government's appreciation and gratitude to the World Food Programme and particularly to the Director-General of the FAO in their approval and assistance granted to Thailand. Their assistance has proved to be very effective in terms of helping alleviate the degree of burden Thailand has to bear, especially on the problem of the growing inflow of refugees.
CHAIRMAN: That is a very interesting point you have raised which has not been touched on before, of the flow of refugees into your country.
M. PANJSHERI (Afghanistan) : Not being a member of the Committee on Food Aid Policies Programme we have not been fully aware of what is going on there. The annual report presented is all too brief. It fails to do justice to the stupendous efforts made by the World Food Programme itself.
We would like to express our appreciation of the Programme in taking up several useful projects in our own country. We commend its readiness to participate, with food assistance, in our developmental activities. We admire the promptness of the Director-General in approving emergency assistance when our country was visited by floods twice over in the earlier part of 1978. The assistance provided was not adequate but it supplemented to a considerable extent our own heroic efforts. Our Government, for the first time in decades, responsible to our toiling masses and responsive to their aspirations and needs, did everything possible to mitigate the sufferings of the affected people. The Director-General's emergency assistance came in as a very useful and welcome gesture.
We share the concern of several of our colleagues that the world community, especially the affluent few, have not yet risen to satisfy the target laid down for 1977/78 and 1979/80. Considering the fact that the world has witnessed more than once, and almost on a continuing basis, stark hunger and malnutrition, failure of development efforts and all kinds of emergencies, this recurrent shortfall in target and achievement, and more so in promise and fulfillment, cannot but cause us anxiety. Similarly we consider that the Food Aid Convention countries have been somewhat luke-warm in extending food aid. Paragraph 14 of document CL 74/24 seems to hide this inadequacy in the global total figures mentioned. My delegation would like to reiterate that it wishes the Wheat Agreement to be finalized early, with food aid as an integral part and that this would facilitate not only the fulfillment of the target of food aid mentioned in paragraph 16 but also provide for a specific emergency reserve target of 500 thousand metric tons of food.
The adoption of guidelines and criteria has been held over now for more than two years. That the few brackets continue to obstruct its implementation does not speak well of the roused conscience of the international community and still less of the expressed desire of the World Food Conference, to which all of us are a party, that ''no child would go hungry in a decade'', or that food security would be provided on a minimal satisfactory basis.
Nga Ma MAPELA (Zaïre): Ma delegation voudrait d'abord vous féliciter, M. le Président, pour votre élection. Nous voulons aussi saisir cette occasion pour féliciter le Secrétariat pour le document que nous examinons, et M. Vogel pour la présentation de ce dernier.
En ce qui concerne le document que nous examinons, mon premier commentaire porte sur le paragraphe 6 au sujet de la révision des Règles générales du PAM.
Il est vrai qu'à sa quatrième session le CPA a recommandé que l'ECOSOC et le Conseil de la FAO approuvent le libellé suivant en ce qui concerne les conditions à remplir pour bénéficier de l'aide du PAM. Il est dit: ''Le Programme peut aussi examiner d'autres demandes et notamment celles que lui adresseraient les mouvements de libération reconnus par l'ONU et par l'OUA''. M. le Président, si ma délégation évoque cette question, ce n'est nullement pour ouvrir à nouveau le débat à ce sujet mais plutôt pour rappeler aux membres du Conseil que, lorsaue cette question avait été discutée au CPA, ma délégation était parmi celles qui avaient formulé des réserves au sujet de l'équivoque à laquelle prête le début de ce libellé; lorsqu'on dit: "Le Programme peut examiner d'autres demandes", ceci sous-entend que les demandes émanant de mouvements de libération reconnus ne sont qu'un exemple de ces autres demandes. Donc, ce qui prête à équivoque, selon ma délégation, c'est le mot "d'autres demandes''. Je le répète, Monsieur le Président, il s'agit là d'une réserve qu'avait formulée ma délégation quand on avait examiné cette question.
Cela dit, ma délégation estime que les directives et critères suggérés en matière d'aide alimentaire devraient être adoptés aussitôt que possible afin de permettre aux pays de s'en servir à l'avenir.
Je voudrais aussi faire allusion aux projets qui demeurent encore dans les textes, projets qui seront supprimés lorsque le texte sera examiné de nouveau prochainement.
Pour terminer, ma délégation appuie l'idée qui tend à ce que les enquêtes en vue d'évaluer les besoins d'aide alimentaire dans les pays en voie de développement s'étendent à un plus grand nombre de pays.
I. OZORAI (Hungary): I am at a loss, really. I wanted to do an extremely short statement but I simply do not dare to do so, otherwise the delegate of Columbia, maybe some other delegates, might be tempted to think of Hungary as a rich country, which it is not!
The Hungarian Government has expressed many times and at many fora its preference for technical assistance projects assisting developing countries in promoting the utilization of their domestic resources. At the same time,however, we do our very best to contribute to the emergency needs of the countries concerned, not only through bilateral donors but through the World Food Programme as well.
My delegation feels the 5th and 6th sessions of the Committee on Food Aid Policies and Programmes did a thorough job. Therefore we agree with the conclusions of the report of the 5th Session as included in document CL 74/24 before us.
My delegation included the 6th session of the CFA and it is our opinion that this session too has made great progress in directing food aid to the neediest countries, in promoting rural development and improving arrangements for emergency needs.
Specifically we must point out our appreciation to the CFA in handling efficiently and with no delay the request from the countries which had recently suffered flood, droughts or other calamities.
HSIUNG JUNG-CHEN (China) (Interpretation from Chinese): The Third Annual Report of the CFA covers the activities of the World Food Programme from May 1977 to April 1978.
As food production is still insufficient in some developing countries, food aid without any strings attached, when properly used, can serve as an effective supplement to the solution of the food problem and the improvement of the people's livelihood in the developing countries. In this connexion much useful work has been done by the WFP.
A set of guidelines and criteria concerning food aid are submitted in the Committee's report. Quite a few of them are positive as they reflect experiences and lessons drawn from past food aid operations.
We attach an importance, inter alia, to the stipulation that food aid should be provided in forms consistent with the development objectives of the recipient countries. In providing food aid, not only must the sovereignty of the recipient countries be respected, their requirements fully taken into consideration and aid be provided in forms consistent with their development objectives. Except for emergency relief operations, the food aid itself should be so designed as to ensure the promotion of the recipient country's food and agriculture production and the increase of her capability for self-reliance in this respect. If such guidelines are to be followed for food aid operations, food aid can certainly play a positive role for the developing countries.
M. KRIESBERG- (United States of America): The United States notes that at this date some 75 percent of the total amount of the contribution targeted for the next period has been pledged, and we, as others who have spoken on the subject this afternoon, are hopeful that the balance will be pledged. We urge that donors, new as well as old, who have not yet done so will make their commitments soon so that the target may be attained.
We are pleased with the continued vital work of the World Food Programme and commend the Executive Director for his able management of it.
We welcome indications that the World Food Programme is increasingly directing food aid to the neediest countries and, as always, among those needy in the developing countries, and that it is increasingly also directed to promoting rural development and improving the arrangements whereby emergency needs are met. In this connexion we want simply to indicate that the close cooperation of our Government with the World Food Programme in emergency programmes will of course be continued.
Just a word on guidelines which have been noted and which are appended to the Report. Our Government believes that the formulation of a statement of guidelines and criteria for food aid can be helpful, especially as they reflect the consensus of both donor and recipient nations. We are of course in substantial accord with those which have been indicated in the appendixes to this Report, and we trust that the remaining differences which are evidenced in a few bracketed words will be resolved at the next CFA Spring Session.
S. TATARITIS (Greece): In examining the Third Annual Report of the CFA to ECOSOC, the FAO Council an and the WFC, we note that while the number of projects and assistance which-WFP grants to developing countries and particularly to meet emergency situations is continuously increasing, the availability of reserves does not show any improvement. Neither the target of 10 million tons of cereals a year set by the World Food Conference has so far been attained nor the annual target of 500 thousand tons of food grain of the International Emergency Food Reserve has been reached,.
We therefore support CFS's recommendation that more intensive efforts should be made by all countries so that the above targets are attained.
We all know the solution to the food problem lies in increased production in developing countries and development of policies for achieving self-reliance, reducing poverty, and improving the nutritional status in the rural areas. Efforts should therefore be made towards this end.
We also submit that assistance should be directed mainly towards the least developed and poorest countries. Careful planning and programming is of primary importance for the- execution of projects, and special consideration should be given to matters such as food-for-work schemes and the creation and maintenance of food reserves.
In concluding, my delegation is in agreement with the guidelines and criteria for bilateral and multilateral food aid programmes, as referred to in paragraph 18 of the Report, so that food aid may effectively contribute to the solution of the food problems of the developing countries.
C. O. KELLER SARMIENTO (Argentina): Mi particular felicitación al señor Vogel y a su Secretaría por el excelente documento que nos ha presentado. Hemos participado en las reuniones del Comité de Políticas y Programas de Ayuda Alimentaria y en oportunidad de discutir las directrices y criterios para la ayuda alimentaria, hemos tenido oportunidad ya de expresar cuáles eran nuestras opiniones. Me limitare a una sola observación en torno a este documento, y será bien precisa. Esto no implica seguir estrictamente el acertado criterio expuesto en forma brillante por mi colega y amigo, el representante de Colombia, Don Alberto Zalamea, en el sentido de que el que habla poco deber ser necesariamente rico. Es la excepción que confirma la regla; yo soy rico, pero soy rico en ilusiones y por eso me permito reiterar algunas observaciones formuladas ya como dije anteriormente.
En la página 4 del texto español, al principio del párrafo 18, se dice en la segunda frase: "Conforme a lo acordado por la Conferencia Mundial de la Alimentación y ratificado luego por la Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas, la solución a largo plazo del problema de la escasez de alimentos en los países en desarrollo estriba en aumentar la producción en esos países'*. Esto fue expuesto brillantemente, anteriormente, por otros oradores, pero quiero señalarle la aparente incongruencia que tiene ese párrafo con lo que después se dice en el pie de imprenta, como lo conjugamos con el concepto discriminatorio que parece reflejarlo ese pie de imprenta. Consideramos que el inciso (d) cuando dice: "A la hora de asignar recursos de ayuda alimentaria, los países donantes deben dar prioridad a países de ingresos bajos y deficitarios de alimentos''. Eso es claro, y el Director Ejecutivo del Programa Mundial de Alimentos tiene perfecta capacidad para decidir quiénes son quienes deban tener prioridad.
Por lo tanto, a nuestro juicio, el pie de imprenta que figura al pie de la página 4 es redundante, innecesario, conflictivo y discriminatorio, y a nuestro juicio debería ser suprimido.
K. R. HIGHAM (Canada): Canadian faith in the efficiency and the relevance of the World Food Programme to the development assistance effort of the United Nations is already very well-known and is reflected in the size of our annual commitment to the Programme. We are truly pleased to note the increasing number of donors and the expansion of the importance of donations from some countries. We like to think that this increased contribution is a reflection and is indeed an endorsement of the management of the current Executive Director of the Programme. We can only encourage this trend and hope that even more countries find the resources to support this excellent pragmatic and effective United Nations programme.
In concluding, we would like to say how pleased we are to note the progress which has been made in responding to the requirements of the neediest countries in promoting rural development and the improved arrangements to meet emergency needs.
K. V. ARROWSMITH (Observer for the European Economic Community): I wish to make the following comments on the Third Annual Report of the Committee on Food Aid and Policies and Programmes. Because of budgeting constraints, the European Economic Committee as such does not participate in World Food Programme Pledging Conferences. However, the allocations made to the WFP in the Community's annual Food Aid Programmes can be considered as its pledges. In its 1978 Programme, the Community allocated to the WFP a total of 55 000 tons of cereals, 20 000 tons of skim milk powder, and 5 thousand tons of butter oil. The overall value of this food aid including à cash contribution towards the transport cost amounted to some $30 million.
Like the World Food Programme, the Community attaches great importance to the need to make a prompt response to emergency situations resulting from natural or man-made disasters, and to this end it includes a significant reserve element in its own annual food aid programmes. It has also been a contributor to the International Emergency Food Reserve since its inception. Under the 1971 Food Aid Convention and its extension to the 30th of June 1979,the Community will have channelled in all some 260 000 tons of cereals aid through the World Food Programme.
The progress so far made by the CFA to establish guidelines and criteria in respect of bilateral and multilateral food aid are welcomed by the Community. With regard to the CFA's assessment of the future global food aid requirements inter alia in the form of 250 000 tons of dairy products, I should like to mention that the Community already goes a long way in meeting this need, 150 000 tons of skim milk powder and 45 000 tons of butter oil being provided for in its current year's programme.
In conclusion, I would say that the Community derives much satisfaction from the good working relationship in matters of food aid which exist between it and the World Food Programme.
Sra. G. RIVERA MARIN DE ITURBE (Mexico): Mi delegación desea felicitar sinceramente al señor Vogel por el excelente informe que nos ha presentado, y por este conducto agradecer al Programa Mundial de Alimentos la cooperación que ha tenido con México desde hace varios años que nos ha permitido mejorar sensiblemente la alimentación sobre todo en materia infantil en algunas regiones desprotegidas del país.
Por ese mismo motivo, me permití pedir la palabra, porque estoy de acuerdo con la presentación que hizo el distinguido delegado de Argentina en el sentido de clasificar a los países como: más pobres, menos pobres, medianamente pobres, etc., pues es una clasificación un tanto discriminatoria. En algunos otros foros internacionales hemos ya insistido en que el desequilibrio economico afecta a regiones dentro de un país en una forma alarmante y puede otra region del mismo país no tener estos síntomas de depresión economica, por lo que es una clasificación global. Presentada como se presenta en la Nota de pie de página, de la página 4, creeemos que sí es un poco excesiva y sale un poco de tono lesionando los intereses de países como el nuestro que es un país en vías de desarrollo.
CHAIRMAN: I must say I am very sympathetic with the delegates of Mexico and Argentina. There are the poor, poorer, and poorest - or shall we say the less rich, rich and richest. I think it is one problem Mr. Vogel himself should answer, but first here is the delegate of France.
P. ELMANOVSKY (France); Je ne sais qui m'a fait inscrire tout à l'heure sur la liste des orateurs, ce n'est en tout cas pas moi. D'autre part, je ne peux pas dire que j'ai préparé une intervention, j'ai pris des notes et si je prends la parole maintenant c'est en espérant ne pas être trop long, étant donné que je dois me rendre incessamment au Comité de rédaction.
Ayant noté simplement les remarques qui viennent d'être faites sur les pays à faible revenu, je crois que ceci n'est pas nouveau dans les directives et critères. Je crois même me souvenir qu'aux temps anciens, non plus du Comité des politiques et programme alimentaire, mais au Comité intergouvernemental du PAM, ces règles existaient déjà, donnant un traitement privilégié aux pays qui souffrent le plus compte tenu du faible revenu par tête d'habitant. Je crois que c'est une règle dont il convient de tenir compte, d'autant plus que dans d'autres enceintes, telles que les Nations Unies ou la CNUCED, on parle toujours de prendre des mesures en faveur des pays les moins favorisés.
Je crois donc que là aussi, il est nécessaire, dans le cadre du PAM, de tenir compte des situations particulières. Je dirai également que celle-ci fait partie de 1'ensemble des directives et critères de l'aide alimentaire qui seront examinés lors de la prochaine session de CPA et qu'il n'y a pas lieu d'en discuter plus longuement ce soir.
J. B. NEZEHOSE (Rwanda).: C'est un petit élément que je voudrais simplement communiquer. Je désire m'excuser car tout à l'heure j'ai cité le paragraphe 8 à la place du paragraphe 18 et je vous prie de prendre note de cette rectification.
CHAIRMAN: We have now gone through our whole list of speakers and at this point I will ask Mr. Vogel if he wants to make some comments.
G.N. VOGEL (World Food Programme): At this late hour and stage I will try to be very brief, but there are some comments which I feel I should make.
I would like to thank all dele-gates for their comments, for their kind words, and in some cases for their criticisms, which were all constructive and which will all help not only the Secretariat of the Would Food Programme» myself particularly, but I think will also help the CFA in its future deliberations.
A number of delegates stressed the 1979/80 target and treated the 1977/78 one as being virtually fulfilled. Naturally I do want to stress the 1979/80 target, but I must again draw to your attention to what I did say in my opening remarks with respect to the 1977/78 target. It is very easy to say that a target has almost been reached, but when the word "almost" can mean something like $40-$43 million it is still a great deal of money and is not to be taken lightly, so I urge all of you not only to fix your attention on the 1979/80 target but we must all do everything we can still at this late date to try to stretch to the limit what we can do in respect of the 1977/78 target.
It should also be mentioned - because a number of delegates did refer to the question of new donors and increasing contributions from the present donors. I must remind the Council that when the World Food Programme was asking for more resources it really was not a question necessarily of more total aid. It is a question of that portion of the aid which will be directed to the World Food Programme. At very many international conferences one after the other resolutions are passed - more should be done multilaterally and more should be done through the Programme; but the World Food Programme is handling only 15 percent of the aid, which is hardly multilateral. Everyone understands the request for bilateral aid; everyone understands the bilateral aid will always be the major component, but really 15 percent is a very small percentage considering the constant repetition of resolutions to the contrary effect. It is not only a question of new donors, it is not only a question of present donors, it is a question of that portion of the aid which is going to be directed through the World Food Programme,
The third category might in due course, perhaps, be the most important.
A number of delegates - almost all I think - refer to the guidelines. They are extremely important guidelines. They are intended to be guidelines not only for the World Food Programme and multilateral disasters but also for bilateral aid, and therefore they are all extremely significant.
Some of the points which you have brought out will undoubtedly form the basis for many future debates in the CFA because many of the points you have brought out are in fact the basic questions of philosophy in food aid both bilateral and multilateral.
The delegate of Rwanda raised the concept of food for work, and then there is the question of sales policy. This is a basic food problem which the CFA has dealt with from time to time and will no doubt have to do again.
Other delegates raised the question of the priorities that were given to LDC countries as constrasted with the poverty concept. This, too, is a basic type of debate which I am quite sure will be pursued in depth by the Committee on Food Aid Programme in the future because these are all extremely important conceptual tasks. I do remind you, however, that what we are talking about is guidelines. We are not talking about hard rules, and within the guidelines as Executive Director I still do have flexibility to examine good worthwhile projects whatever they may be while still observing a sense of priority for the least developed countries, and I do not think that is unfair.
Perhaps I might close by welcoming New Zealand and other new members of the Committee on Food Aid Policy also. Some have already been elected by the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, and others are to be elected by this Council next week. The reason I close on that note is because that very concept of the dual allocations points to the unique nature of the World Food Programme - its dual parentage, the involvement of the United Nations on one side and the World Food Programme on the other. It is a unique concept and a unique programme, and I trust it may continue to have your wholehearted support.
CHAIRMAN: Thank you very much, Mr. Vogel, for your short and concise comments. If I may briefly sum up the nature of the discussions we have had this afternoon - and again I am not going to try to give the details - we have had a good discussion which shows a very strong awareness of the methods by the Council as to the nature of the Programme,
There was a concern expressed by many delegates about the fact that We did not reach the 1977/78 target, and as the Executive Director rightly said, there are still some $40 million still to come and that is not a small sum.
There was also concern about the target for 1979/80. What the Executive Director did not mention was that next week he probably will have to start working on the target for 1981/82 which the Council will have to consider next year. You never stop looking at targets - but then our problems never cease.
A number of specific comments were made by several delegates on items which could be discussed at the next Session of the CFA. These comments will be sent to members of the CFA in relation to the guidelines and the "poor, poorer, and poorest."
Also, there were one or two questions on paragraph 18 which Rwanda raised and these will have to be discussed. This report goes to ECOSOC and the World Food Council, and in these three bodies, I have often been tempted to see whether the same person says the same thing at each meeting!
There was also a strong hope expressed that agreement can be reached on the guidelines and criteria for food aid. The Executive Director rightly clarified the definitions of rules, regulations and guidelines, but there are still too many square brackets. Since we are not making a report on square brackets, the hope is that when the CFA meets in the spring it will be able to remove the square brackets and complete this exercise. This completes our discussion today.
LE SECRETAIRE GENERAL: Nous aurons probablement à l'ordre du jour de demain les questions suivantes:
Le point 16 en supposant que le Comité informel de consultations ait terminé son travail. Nous commencerons donc par ce point qui demandera probablement très peu de temps.
Nous continuerons avec le point 17 et le Président m'a demandé de vous informer qu'il a l'intention, avec votre coopération, d'en terminer avec le point 21 demain dans la journée. Ce point 21, comme je vous l'ai dit le jour de l'ouverture du Conseil, est un amalgame de plusieurs points mentionnés dans l'ordre du jour annoté. Il s'agit des points 12, 14 et 15 et enfin du point 21. Tous ces points ont été examinés par les deux Comités du Programme et financier; cependant les membres du Secrétariat vont probablement se joindre aux deux présidents de ces Comités pour introduire un certain nombre de sous-points prévus au point 21. Il est probable que ces introductions nous aideront à mieux saisir les problèmes.
Le Président m'a demandé enfin de vous informer qu'il souhaiterait que les débats sur ce point ne prennent pas trop de temps de façon à rattraper un peu le retard que nous enregistrons déjà sur le calendrier que vous avez accepté.
Pour en terminer, me référant à la dernière intervention de M. Vogel sur les nouveaux membres du Comité d'aide alimentaire, je vous rappelle que le délai avait été prolongé jusqu'à vendredi. Je souhaiterais que ceux des membres du Conseil qui sont désireux de présenter leur candidature remplissent les formulaires qui ont été distribués afin que l'élection puisse se dérouler dans la journée de lundi comme prévu par le Président.
M. KRIESBERG (United States of America): I just want to raise a question on the statement made by our Secretary-General on the way in which we might proceed on item 21. It is at this stage a multi-splendoured item containing many items which admittedly the Programme and Finance Committees have reviewed but which have not of course been reviewed by this Council. On the Agenda it seems to me that considerable time was allocated for this item by virtue of the fact that it included a number of different items in the original agenda. I raise the question simply to ask that perhaps we might have more .clarification at the time we take up that item as to ways in which it might be broken down for clarity of handling and clarity of discussion.
P. ELMANOVSKY (France): Ma question était presque la même que celle de M. le représentant des Etats-Unis et,en même temps, je voulais faire une suggestion au Secrétariat qui permettrait peut-être de voir plus clair sur ce débat sur le point 21. Il nous a dit tout à l'heure que ce point serait subdivisé en sous-points et peut-être en sous-sous-points, puisqu'il a parlé du 12, du 14, du 15, je crois, et également de différents rapports.
Je crois que pour la clarté des débats il vaudrait mieux que demain matin, par exemple, on nous remette en même temps que l'ordre du jour de la journée une liste de ces points et sous-points qui seraient repris dans l'ensemble du 21, de manière à ce que nous puissions les aborder successivement de façon très claire; le débat y gagnerait en clarté et en rapidité.
LE SECRETAIRE GENERAL: Je répondrai à cette dernière intervention en rappelant que les détails sur chacun des documents de ces sous-points sont contenus dans l'ordre du jour provisoire annoté qui a été distribué sous la cote CL 74/1(a). Dans ce document, vous verrez que le 12 comprend quatre sous-points essentiels et six sous-sous-points si je puis m'exprimer ainsi. Tous les détails sont contenus dans ce document; je crois qu'on n'aura peut-être pas besoin, si vous en êtes d'accord, de publier une autre liste.
CHAIRMAN: I think it would be very helpful for delegates to have the information listed in the way requested.
P. ELMANOVSKY (France): Oui, M. le Président, vous avez résumé exactement, parce que cet après-midi j'ai essayé de reprendre ce document de base indiqué par le Secrétariat, et en me reportant à tous les documents, je vous avoue que c'est un travail qui n'est pas très simple, et si l'on doit avoir l'ensemble sur son bureau au moment des interventions, eh bien on se perdra complètement. Alors simplement, c'est une liste d'une page environ correspondant à cinq points ou sous-points de l'ordre du jour, le document en face, et généralement il faudra indiquer dans le document le passage auquel cela correspond, parce qu'il y a je ne sais combien de points.
CHAIRMAN: The Secretary-General assures us that he will take care of all this, that he will simplify the procedure.
M. KRIESBERG (United States of America): Briefly, it is not just the listing of the items that will come up, but the order in which they will come up, so that we are not dealing with them in the same hour, even though the hour may be extended by five.
LE SECRETAIRE GENERAL: Je répéterai simplement que nous allons faire comme le délégué de la France l'a dit. Je voudrais aussi préciser que le Président du Conseil se propose demain, d'ailleurs, de donner davantage de précisions sur les questions qui seront abordées ou ensemble ou séparément. C'est une proposition qu'il pense vous faire.
CHAIRMAN: I think all the delegates have faith in you, Mr. Secretary-General, that you understand their problem. Are there any other comments? Then I would like to take this occasion to thank all my colleagues - delegates, observers and the Secretary-General - for their patience.
The meeting rose at 17.55 hours
La séance est levée à 17 h 55
Se levanta la sesión a las 17.55 horas
