CHAIRMAN (Interpretation from Arabic): We will continue our work and I will begin by giving the floor to the delegates who had requested it yesterday and who are on our list of speakers to discuss item 4 of our Agenda related to the current world food situation. I am sure you are all well aware that we must also, during this morning's session, begin our discussion of item 5 of our Agenda related to the report of the 4th Session of the Committee on World Food Security. This is why I would particularly like to ask those speakers who are on our list this morning to be as brief as possible so that we can cover our work during this morning's session.
P.A. MORALES CARBALLO (Cuba): Desde hace algún tiempo los problemas relacionados oon la alimentación y la agricultura vienen convirtiéndose en un tema permanente en los foros internacionales. Las distintas crisis alimentarias que ha vivido una gran parte de la humanidad han provocado un vasto movimiento de cooperación internacional en favor de las soluoiones de dichos problemas) no obstante, a pesar de los notables esfuerzos realizados por la FAO y otros organismos que tratan dioha problemática, la situación alimentaria mundial continúa siendo incierta y se hace evidente que no se alcanzará el objetivo del 4 por ciento previsto en la Estrategia Internacional de Desarrollo para el Segundo Decenio de las Naciones Unidas.
Un breve bosquejo de la situación alimentaria mundial y de la agricultura nos arroja los siguientes resultados:
Primero: Los precios de productos básioos y los ingresos por exportaciones agrícolas siguen siendo inestables y la participación de los países en desarrollo en los mercados mundiales ha disminuido al 30 por ciento.
Segundo: Entre 1961 y 1970 y entre 1970 y 1977 la tasa de crecimiento agropecuario en los países en desarrollo, en conjunto, ha disminuido del 2,9 por ciento al 2,5 por ciento y el creoimiento per cápita de la producción alimentaria disminuyó del 0,6 por ciento al 0,5 por ciento.
Tercero: Las negociaciones para reemplazar el acuerdo internacional del trigo se han suspendido indefinidamente.
Cuarto: Las contribuciones de 500 000 toneladas a la Reserva Alimentaria Internacional de /?/ cia no aumentaron durante 1978 ni alcanzaron la meta prevista.
Quinto: El volumen anual de ayuda alimentaria a los países en desarrollo situada en 10 000 000 de toneladas de cereales no ha alcanzado todavía ese objetivo.
Sexto: La cifra de compromisos oficiales de asistencia externa a la agricultura apenas equivale a la mitad de las necesidades estimadas por el Consejo Mundial de la Alimentación y no se ha aloansado la suma de 8 300 000 dólares a precios de 1975.
Séptimo: A pesar de las decisiones adoptadas por el CMA en sus períodos de sesiones de Manila y México, así como por la Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas, éstas no se han traduoido en mejoras en la producoión alimentaria y agropeouaria.
Octavo: Las relaciones de intercambio de las exportaciones agropecuarias de los países en desarrollo, agravadas por la persistencia y el aumento de las medidas proteccionistas por parte de los países industrializados de economía de mercado, comienzan a deolinar más aún.
Noveno: Las promesas al PMA para el período 1979 - 80 aún no se han cumplido. La soluoién de amohos de estos problemas es precisamente una de las razones fundamentales que nos convoca a esta reunión. Claro está que gran parte de los problemas mencionados son originados por el subdesarrelle /?/ las . tre de una dependencia económica a las otroras metrópolis.
Es sabido que para mi país no hay otra forma de limitar muchos de estos obstáculos si no es a trnvés de la realización de cambios profundos en la estructura económica y social. Sin embargo, no somos remisos a contribuir a todo aquello que pueda mitigar la tragedia de millones de víctimas del sub-desarrollo que, afectadas por el hambre y las enfermedades originadas por la desnutrición, padecen de avitaminosis y anemia nutricional, entre otros.
Mi país concede una gran importancia a este foro por estar empeñados en soliviantar las grandes necesidades alimentarias en que vive un alto porcentaje de la población mundial y reconocemos el magno esfuerzo que realiza la FAO.
El constante deterioro que existe en materia agropecuaria y alimentaria en las esferas de los países en desarrollo es preocupante. Reconocemos que la responsabilidad del desarrollo de la producción alimentaria y agropecuaria incumbe en buena medida a los propios países en desarrollo, pero se hace necesario eliminar muchos de los obstáculos que dificultan que los países en desarrollo creen la capacidad para valerse por sí mismos.
Como todos sabemos, recientemente hubo de celebrarse en Nueva York el segundo período de sesiones del Comité Plenario, y el mismo se caracterizó porque no se avanzara más allá de los acuerdos logrados en la tercera reunión ministerial del Consejo Mundial de la Alimentación, en Manila, y por la ouarta sesión celebrada también a nivel ministerial en la Ciudad de México.
Es evidente que sin una buena voluntad política por parte de los países desarrollados, de economía de mercado, no podemos superar ni llegar al establecimiento del nuevo orden económico internacional que permita la realización de la justicia y la equidad que nuestros pueblos reclaman.
En los foros internacionales muchos países, sobre todo en desarrollo, han aportado importantes iniciativas para que ese nuevo orden económico internacional se convierta en una realidad; sin embargo, lejos de lograrlo se ha quedado en ciertas modalidades. Recientemente el Director Ejecutivo del Programa Mundial de Alimentos, señor Vogel, en su declaración al séptimo período de sesiones celebra-do^en esta ciudad el pasado mes dé mayo en esta misma sala señalaba, y permítame citarlo, decía el señor Vogel: "Pese a todas las resoluciones y pese al consenso internacional unánime de reconstruir las existencias anualmente hasta el nivel de 500 000 toneladas, por el momento disponemos solamente de 251 000 toneladas de ocho donantes''..
Y agregaba el señor Vogel: "no se trata sólo de que los países orometan más ayuda. Se trata /?/ de que estos países esté /?/nuestos a asignar al PMA un porcentaje ligeramerte mayor de la asistencia que están proporcionando", y, continuaba diciendo, con gran profundidad para mí "es una frustración el hecho de que se acepte plenamente este concepto en todas las resoluciones de los organismos, pero cuando se trate de ponerlo en práctica, se invierta visiblemente el entusiasmo".
Si no logramos que los acuerdos tomados se cumplan con absoluta fidelidad, corremos el riesgo de que estos foros internacionales se conviertan en meros ejercicios parlamentarios, que lejos de mitigar los problemas que vive una gran parte de la humanidad sean una gran fuente más de sustracción de recursos económicos para nuestros respectivos países a través de los gastos que ocasionan nuestras estancias en estos ámbitos.
Estos compromisos a los cuales se llama ayuda, constituyen en realidad una restitución en pequeña escala y en plazo demasiado largo de lo que en grandes dosis se extrajeron de muchos de los países sub-desarrollados, hechos ya consignados por la historia.
Al examinar el documento CL 75/2 hallamos un análisis riguroso de la situación actual de la agricultura y, en términos generales, coincidimos con dicho análisis y consideramos muy justo el planteamiento que se hace acerca de que los países más gravemente afectados de Africa y el Lejano Oriente constituyen el núcleo principal del problema alimentario. Igualmente, el documento señala que en América Latina, donde el crecimiento anual dela producción había variado en 3, 4 y 6 por ciento en los anos 74 a 76, la tasa disminuyó al 12,5 por ciento en 1977 - 78. Este retroceso en el crecimiento anual dela producción nos indica que independientemente de que los recursos de las organizaciones internacionales estén orientados fundamentalmente hacíalos países más gravemente afectados, se debe dar cierta atención a aquellos que aún siguen siendo subdesarrollados y que requieren de cierta ayuda internacional para continuar elevando sus niveles de producción alimentaria y agrícola, y superar algún día la etapa del subdesarrollo, pues de lo contrario podría haber un estancamiento o un retroceso.
También nos queremos referir a otra parte del mencionado documento que analizamos en su página 15, en el penúltimo párrafo de la versión en español, respecto a los suministros alimentarios y la nutrición, donde se indica, y cito: "Los suministros de América Latina fueron un 7 por ciento superiores a las neoesidades, pero esto no fue suficiente para compensar la mala distribución de los suministros con respecto a las necesidades nutricionales".
En América Latina aún no se puede hablar plenamente de necesidades nutrioionales, ni obviar los problemas alimentarios.
Al referirse al comercio internacional, el documento señala, y cito: "que el resurgimiento del proteccionismo afecta indirectamente a los mercados de materias primas agrícolas de los países on desarrollo'' y señala: "el Convenio Internacional del Azúcar no entrará en vigor completamente hasta que se establezca el fondo para la financiación de reservas después que los Estados Unidos hayan ratificado el acuerdo".
De todos ustedes es conocida la importancia que tiene para Amérioa Latina fundamentalmente la entrada en vigor de tal convenio, pues representa o representaría una entrada mayor de divisas para los países que pudieran ser asignados en cubrir aspectos básioos de la población, y de esta forma se evitaría una disminución en los precios de 1979 que descendieron a un nivel más bajo, ya bajos a su vez en 1973.
como planteara el Sr. Director General de la FAO en su declaración en el quinto período de sesiones de la Junta que acaba de concluir en Manila recientemente, el Sr. Director General decía, y cito sus palabras: "en el caso del azúcar se han tomado medidas generalizadas para controlar las importaciones mediante gravámenes y planes de licencias de importación o para promover las exportaciones con fuertes subsidios a la exportación", y continuaba diciendo el Sr. Saouma, y cito nuevamente : "Sería el colmo del cinismo estimular a los países en desarrollo a aumentar la producción si en definitiva no pudieran encontrar mercados remunerativos para sus productos". En tal sentido, nuestra delegación propugna la conveniencia de que se supriman las restricciones impuestas sobre los mercados agrícolas, ya que tales restricciones han traído como consecuencia en reiteradas ocasiones, que se hayan reorientado hacia otros sectores de prioridad secundaria inversiones que, inicialmente, se habían consagrado al desarrollo de la agrioultura. Es menester desarrollar aquellos sectores manufactureros que a la vez que proporcionan empleo e ingresos para estimular la propia producción alimentaria, permitan la obtención de divisas para importar los alimentos que no pueden producirse in-ternacionalmente a costos razonables.
Por eso, la eliminación de las barreras arancelarias que limitan el comercio es un constante reclamo de los países en desarrrollo. Nosotros, los paìses productores de azúcar, que somos muchos aquí los países latinoamericanos que a través de los anos hemos endulzado un poco con nuestro producto la vida de muchos países, esperamos en alguna ocasión que este azúcar no se convierta para nosotros en una amargura, sino en un dulzor para todos y realmente somos optimistas en el futuro y estamos seguros de que de una manera o de otra, la humanidad y la comunidad internacional tendrá que hacerle frente a una problemática muy seria, problemática de la cual depende en gran medida el desarrollo de infinidad de países subdesarrollados.
Finalmente, nosotros queríamos felicitar a la Secretaría por este documento tan valioso, tan profundo, tan serio. Nos perdona si hemos hecho demasiadas referencias a lo que aquí se dice, pero realmente nosotros no encontramos palabras exactas y más objetivas como aquellas que se señalan aquí, en este documento. Quisiera habernos referido a otros aspeotos que apoyamos como es el Fondo de Pérdidas Posteriores a la Cosecha, el Fondo de las Semillas, pero en definitiva tendremos oportunidad de hablar también de esos aspectos, así que, le pido excusas si he sido muy largo en mi intervención y le doy las gracias.
CHAIRMAN (interpretation from Arabic): I would like to thank Cuba. Your comments have been much sweeter than sugar, Sir, even though they have been a bit longer than we might have wished. It is, as you have said, the duty of this Council to establish decisions and make recommendations to help us overcome the many problems you have touched on, and I am sure that we all intend to work towards this objective. I am sure we would all be extremely pragmatic and that we will not lose time in discussing theory.
G. H. HAQUE (Bangladesh): Coming on to the subject, permit me to congratulate Professor Islam and his colleagues for the work they have done on document CL 75/2. It is now the time of the student to appreciate the work of the professor. I must say indeed that they have done an excellent job. Concerning the observation about the Permanent Independent Chairman of the Council regarding the voci-ferousness of the delegation of Bangladesh, may I say, Mr. Chairman, people work on inspiration and for the delegation of Bangladesh the inspiration is the critical food situation in Bangladesh.
In this Council, the opening item is the assessment of the food situation. Pakistan raised a very substantive question yesterday as to why we make an assessment of the current food situation. Is it a ritual, is it for taking a mental note, is it for somebody else's consumption, or is it for actions.
On our part? To my mind, assessment of the world food situation is for actions on our part to the best of our abilities. The Seventy-Fifth Session sits with two most important agenda items to consider, namely, (a) the Director-General's proposal of food security after international negotiations on the new wheat agreement have failed, and in his words, ''a dangerous gap exists", and the Council also considers the Programme of Work and Budget for the next biennium; I believe that the Council in taking mental note of the food situation would not only sympathize with the developing countries but has an opportunity and an obligation this time to support fully and back up the Director-General's proposals on food security, which, as he says, was placed to fill in a dangerous gap that exists today in the world food security situation, and (b) to support fully the Programme of Work and Budget, which, although modest, is an attempt to alleviate the sufferings of the hungry and malnourished.
1979 so far in the international scene records failures. Professor Nour Islam yesterday gave a brief account of the work of UNCTAD 5, which, in his words has made limited progress, maybe in the assessment of others no progress at all. The food situation today is no better than it was six months before when we sat for the Seventy-Fourth Session of the Council.
The growth of production in developing countries has been only 2.9 percent, and more important is that the growth of production in the Far East, which is the concentration of malnourishment and hunger, is only 2.6 percent. The stock for consumption requirements in developing countries is only 10 percent, although the FAO estimate is that the minimum level is 17 percent consumption requirement. The stock in the world, if comfortable on a global basis, is concentrated in a few countries, and there too, in a limited area, and we find from the document that even now the transportation systems in those two countries is strained at the present level of trade, and the situation would deteriorate further if the system of transportation worsens, in spite of the stock held by these two countries.
The import requirements of the MSAs have come up from 16 to 18 million tons and of the developing countries have gone over 17 million tons. The food aid of 10 million tons has not yet been reached, which has been repeated by all members of the Council, and also that the IEFR has not yet reached even the modest target of 500 000 tons. There has been only one area of marginal improvement, which is the flow of external assistance from 3.3 billion in 1976 to 4.3 billion in 1977, an increase of 30 percent, but this 4.3 billion is just 50 percent of the assessed requirement of US $8.3 billion.
My friend and colleague from the Federal Republic of Germany, Mr. Grabisch, whose return to this arena I welcome, mentioned 8.3 billion as a Secretariat estimate. We all know 8.3 billion is the World Food Council estimate as being an essential element to ensure 4 percent growth of agriculture in developing countries, so it is not merely a Secretariat estimate, and we are 50 percent below this target of US $8.3 billion with 6.5 billion on concessional terms.
In this context, the Director-General was right to say yesterday - and I quote - "the problem we are facing is not thus the choice of priorities but adequacy of resources". But we are facing this adequacy of resources in a situation where - again I quote the Director-General from his statement yesterday - "we have it in our power and in our capacity to decide and to apply the necessary policies to improve the world food situation to rescue millions from near starvation and gross undernourishment." This is basically the concept which India quoted President Kennedy mentioning in the sixties. This is the unfortunate part of the story, that we have the capacities and capabilities but yet the resources are not forthcoming. We have not yet attained even a modest 10 million tons although the question has arisen in the minds of many whether this 10 million tons is adequate in the present situation. It is estimated that 15-16 million tons will be required by 1985. The point was debated in the last meeting of the CFA and Mr. Vogel was kind enough to agree to undertake a study to be placed in the next meeting about the adequacy or otherwise of the present level of food aid and the requirements in the 1980s.
On every occasion we recalled the World Food Conference of 1974, that is a benchmark. Perhaps from that benchmark the world community realized it has to move forward but the question is whether we have moved forward or we have moved backward. According to the FAO studies the population continues to grow from 400 to 450 to 500 million.
President Macnamara in his statement to the UNCTAD Five stated: "...even if the projected and optimistic growth rates which the report envisaged were achieved some 600 million individuals at the end of the century would still remain trapped in absolute poverty." We all know the optimism is never there, and reports are always under-achieved.
I wonder whether we will turn the century with 16 hundred million hungry and malnourished? The Director-General mentioned Macnamara yesterday, saying between the mid-1960s and mid-1970s the real growth of income of the poor in under-developed countries has been only $2. But this is only the average. If you take the poor food-deficit countries it is a negative growth. I give the example of my own country, there is a negative growth in income of the poor.
This assessment states strongly that in 25 countries unfavourable growth prospects exist in the world today, and Bangladesh is one of them.
I mention in passing that over our normal food shortage there has been a production shortfall of about one million tons, taking our total shortfall to two million tons. Our stock situation is only 3 percent as against 17 percent of the total requirement for the minimum safe level. The Director-General also drew the attention of the Council to the situation in Kampuchea, Viet Nam and Laos, and called on the donors to respond with humanitarian grants.
The FAO system has done a good job of telling the world what is coming tomorrow. The delegate of India asked the question, "Is it enough, shall we be satisfied with that?" It has done a good job in telling what is coming tomorrow but it is for the international community to think what can be done so that tomorrow is not what has been predicted.
There were emergency operations in the world about 50 percent above last year. The resources of the WFP are very meagre for this purpose, and we had to increase it by about 10 million last year. I believe there is a good case this year too to augment substantially the emergency resources of the WFP.
Taking the thread of the proposal of the delegate of India, we have to take account beyond the early warning of telling the countries "all your tomorrow is cloudy". We should try to say what can be done by us so that it is brighter. I feel that it is not enough to tell a hungry man he is hungry today, he will be hungry tomorrow and hungry the day after. It is the obligation of an international community to provide food for him, which is his inalienable right,, Poverty is not of his making and it is out of his control.
CHAIRMAN (interpretation from Arabic): I thank the honourable delegate from Bangladesh. As is customary he speaks with wisdom, and with the bitter wisdom that he has. I must say that I shook right after the meeting of the Finance Committee, and I hope that I will not have to shake my moustache off after this meeting.
S. TATARIDIS (Greece): On behalf of my delegation, I wish to congratulate the Secretariat for the preparation of the very comprehensive and informative document that we have before us today on the Current World Food Situation. Yesterday morning, we heard the opening statement which was so eloquently delivered by the Director-General, Mr. Edouard Saouma in which he raised points of the utmost importance to us all, and in particular to developing countries. He also expressed his hopes, and very clearly his fears. I would like to underline at this moment how my delegation approves this excellent statement of the Director-General and at the same time how much my Government appreciates the Director-General's efforts in restructuring this Organization and in shaping new forms of activities.
It is encouraging to note that the improvement in the world food and agriculture situation consolidated in the years 1976 and 1977 has continued in 1978. In 1978, world food production increased about 3 percent and the record of food production was well above the trend line.
Food output rose at about the same rate in both the developing and the developed countries. In 1978 the developed countries had done better than in the previous years, in fact the rise in the developed countries is the largest since 1973 with increases in all regions including Europe. We, however, agree with the estimates of the previous session of our Council that the world food situation remains fragile and there is little ground for complacency. Much of the improvement is due to the more favourable weather conditions, although the weather remains always an uncontrollable element.
Many unsatisfactory elements still exist, particularly in respect of long term problems. Despite the increase in cereal stocks since 1974, insufficient progress has been made to overcome long-standing problems of world food security which are preoccupying us all. The need for massive investment expansion in the agriculture of the underdeveloped countries remains intensive. In addition, the recent changes in production estimates and prices show that the future world food outlook may be grim.
The full picture of the world food situation is not, thus, very satisfying. Food production, particularly in the food priority countries, was much lower in the last year than in the sixties. The average annual increase was 3 percent last year. The increase in production in the developing countries in the 1970s remains far below the international developing strategy in the World Food Conference target of 4 percent. Acute food shortages continue to exist in a large number of developing countries in Africa and South Asia.
The deteriorating situation in Africa has led the African Minister of Agriculture to call for the preparation of a regional food plan by FAO in cooperation with the European Economic Commission and the member countries of OAU. The number of malnourished people increased from 400 to 450 million in the first quarter of the 1970s and this increase occurred mainly in the developing countries.
The establishment of a new international agreement for an internationally coordinated grain reserve to guarantee minimum food security was suspended last February without reaching agreement. External assistance to increase food production, particularly in the poorest countries, has remained at the same level since 1975. There is still a shortfall of about 4 billion dollars at 1975 prices or 48 percent below the 8.3 billion estimated by the World Food Council for achieving a 4 percent annual growth of food production in the developing countries.
Food aid remains insufficient for the increased needs, and there is still no agreement to ensure the minimal level of 10 million tons of grain required for food aid. World food production is seriously affected by the instability of prices. The FAO Council, and the FAO Director-General more particularly, have always followed with concern the negotiations to establish an international wheat and grains agreement, and in this respect, a new food aid convention. We feel the successful conclusion of these negotiations is an urgent priority. It is therefore necessary that the governments participating in the negotiations to replace the International Wheat Agreement of 1971 reaffirm in due time their commitment to world food security to a level of assured food aid of at least 10 million tons.
Since the negotiations for a new international grains arrangement have been adjourned indefinitely the Director-General proposes to the governments a Five-Point Action Plan to improve food security. The Five-Point Plan of Action has already been considered by the Committee on World Food Security last April and its recommendations are now submitted to us for approval.
After the adjournement in the negotiations for a new international grains arrangement for an indefinite period it is now the responsibility of all governments which have accepted the international undertaking on world food security to take steps to implement this undertaking.
We further think that the current relatively good world food supply situation provides an excellent opportunity to build up natural stocks along the lines envisaged in the Undertaking, so that the world could be adequately protected against supply shortages and price rises. Under these consi derations the proposed plan of action of the Director-General must be fully supported. It is a practical and realistic programme for strengthening world food security, helping the developing , countries with serious food shortages and implementing pledges made by governments in Under- taking. This plan of action is not a substitute for a new international grains arrangement; it is an interim but urgent measure which includes elements that could be complementary to a new international grains arrangement as envisaged in the negotiating conference.
The Greek delegation wishes to reiterate that the international emergency reserve of 500 000 tons of cereals established by the Seventh Special Session of the General Assembly as a provisional measure should continue on a permanent basis. It should constitute a continual reserve available to the World Food Programme as it was recommended during the World Food Council Ministerial Meeting in Mexico. In this respect we appreciate the relevant initiatives of the Director-General to appeal to potential donor countries for additional contributions, either bilateral or multilateral, in certain cases of emergencies such as the Sahelian drought, the difficulties in Viet Nam and the serious locust outbreak in the Horn of Africa. It is indeed a source of satisfaction to know that the appeals made by the Director-General in conjunction with the appeals of the affected countries have resulted in more than US $100 million of mobilized help from the international community.
We are all conscious that" trade in food and other agricultural products had been the subject of specific discussions in the multilateral trade negotiations and the UNCTAD negotiations within the integrated programme for commodities,despite the difficulties that have arisen in these negotiations and, more particularly, last month in Manila, greater and continous attention must be given to the food and other trade problems of the developing countries in view of the benefits that the reduction of tariff barriers would bring to these countries in their effort to resolve their food problems. On this subject we share the views of the Director-General who emphasized on several occasions the fundamental importance of concluding both the grains agreement and the new food aid convention. There is no doubt that the food problem facing the developing countries could not be solved without a major acceleration in the rate of production, mainly in the food priority countries with slow rates of growth, a high degree of malnutrition, large and growing food deficits and serious constraints on importing food.
We also recognize the responsibilities of the international community to increase its assistance for food production in developing countries. Nevertheless, two important constraints to food and agricultural development still exist; first inadequate financial resources, and second, the shortage or lack of well-prepared, viable investment projects.
We very much appreciate the efforts of the Director-General for mobilization of adequate resources for investment in agriculture, as well as his efforts to provide Member Nations and financial institutions with an expanded, flexible and independent investment service. We think that the Council must support these initiatives in order to determine how food production improvement in a certain number of countries can be accelerated by receiving adequate investment and policy support.
F. ABDELMADJID (Algérie): Monsieur le President, permettez-moi tout d'abord de vous dire tout le plaisir de vous voir à la présidence de notre Conseil et de vous renouveler mes félicitations.
C'est avec une attention soutenue que ma délégation a suivi la déclaration fort importante et très riche d'enseignements du Directeur général de notre organisation sur les principaux points à l'ordre du jour de notre Conseil.
Par ailleurs, les documents présentés par le secrétariat sur la situation alimentaire mondiale et l'introduction de M. Islam ont été d'une grande utilité pour mieux appréhender cette question et constituent une base sérieuse de réflexion donnant un aperçu général sur la conjoncture dans le domaine de l'alimentation et de l'agriculture.
L'analyse qui nous a été faite dresse un tableau sombre de la situation alimentaire mondiale, qui ne fait que confirmer les préoccupations grandissantes des pays en voie de développement quant aux incertitudes du lendemain, à la précarité de l'avenir, et à la crise qui caractérise les relations économiques internationales. Cette situation alimentaire critique, à laquelle sont confrontés les pays du tiers monde, n'est certainement pas isolée du reste. Elle est la conséquence logique de l'ordre économique établi, caractérisé par l'échange inégal dans les rapports nord-sud, l'écart croissant entre pays développés et pays en voie de développement, qui ont permis aux premiers de bâtir leur richesse sur la pauvreté des seconds.
Elle est le résultat de l'absence de la volonté politique des pays développés, détenteurs de la richesse et du pouvoir économiques, d'apporter les ajustements nécessaires dans leur économie afin de répondre aux principes d'équité et de justice que requièrent l'urgence et l'exigence de l'instauration d'un nouvel ordre économique international en vue de garantir à l'humanité la paix et la sécurité.
La sixième session extraordinaire de l'Assemblée générale a constitué un tournant décisif dans la prise de conscience, par la Communauté internationale, de l'interdépendance des intérêts dea pays pauvres et des pays riches, et de la nécessité de promouvoir à cet effet une véritable coopération.
Six ans après, force est de constater que le bilan est maigre, voire décevant. L'acceptation par les pays du tiers monde d'une certaine hiérarchisation dans l'examen des problèmes, à la septième session extraordinaire de l'Assemblée générale, leur constante disponibilité au dialogue tant au sein qu'en dehors du système des Nations Unies, et le caractère modeste et réaliste de leurs revendications n'ont, hélas, pas rencontré, chez les partenaires développés, la réponse qu'ils étaient en droit d'attendre.
En effet, aucune solution adéquate n'a été apportée à l'endettement continu des pays en voie de développement, au déficit chronique de leur balance des paiements qu'aggrave chaque jour la détérioration des termes de l'échange et à leur dépendance technologique.
Bien plus, les mesures protectionnistes prises par les pays développés ont affecté les exportations des pays en voie de développement, dont l'économie fragile continue de subir les contrecoups de l'inflation.
A l'échec de l'accord international sur les céréales, vient s'ajouter celui, plus grave et plus révélateur, de la cinquième CNUCED qui a terminé ses travaux au début de ce mois à Manille,
La crise qui caractérise les relations économiques entre pays développés et pays en voie de développement prend une acuité particulière lorsqu'on aborde les domaines de'l'alimentation de l'agricui-ture, car il s'agit de la préservation de la vie de milliers d'êtres humains, /?/ -'agit de la survie de nombreux pays, en Afrique et en Asie notamment.
Il n'est pas dans mon intention de rappeler les chiffres et de donner des statistiques; les distingués délégués qui m'ont précédé l'ont déjà fait, et la documentation qui nous a été présentée est suffisamment complète et éloquente à ce sujet.
Je voudrais toutefois insister sur la nécessité qu'il y a, pour la Communauté internationale, de déployer tous les efforts nécessaires pour atteindre l'objectif minimum de 10 millions de tonnes pour l'assistance alimentaire mondiale, et l'objectif de 500 000 tonnes comme contribution à la Réserve alimentaire d'urgence.
Je voudrais saisir cette occasion pour dire que nous appuyons les propositions du Directeur général, formulées en cinq points sur le problème de la sécurité alimentaire, et souligner notre inquiétude devant les tendances à la hausse des prix des produits alimentaires, notamment des céréales, qui ne manqueront pas d'affecter gravement la plupart de nos pays.
Le moment est venu pour la Communauté internationale de se pencher avec responsabilité et de faire preuve de courage, de clairvoyance, pour affronter les problèmes alimentaires, si elle veut éviter à l'humanité le risque de la famine et ses conséquences graves, car la pauvreté et la famine ne portent pas atteinte uniquement à la dignité des peuples qui les subissent, mais elles discréditent également ceux qui les tolèrent.
Tous les efforts devraient être déployés pour atteindre l'objectif minimum de 4 pour cent fixé par la stratégie internationale du développement. En ce qui nous concerne, en tant que pays en voie de développement, nous sommes disposés au dialogue, mais pas à l'illusion du dialogue que l'on a entretenue jusqu'ici et qui a consisté à aller de capitale en capitale, de réunion en réunion, sans aucun résultat tangible. Les maigres résultats obtenus ont été des résultats de replâtrage plutôt que des résultats visant à restructurer véritablement les relations économiques internationales.
Pour être véritable et efficace, le dialogue doit reposer sur la volonté politique d'apporter des solutions concrètes aux problèmes cruciaux et urgents que connaissent les pays en voie de développement, et se traduire par des engagements orientés vers l'action.
La politique du "compter sur soi" et de l'effort national constitue l'élément fondamental et la donnée de base de tout processus de développement. Cet effort doit se traduire par une mobilisation constante des ressources nationales, une distribution équitable des revenus, la priorité à accorder au secteur rural et agricole dans les pays, et la nécessité d'entreprendre vigoureusement des réformes économiques et sociales qui répondent au souci de justice et d'équité. Cet effort doit se traduire également par la nécessité d'éviter des dépenses de luxe ou de prestige. Cet effort doit enfin porter sur l'investissement agricole, qui demeure faible dans la plupart des pays du tiers monde.
L'Algérie, en ce qui la concerne, a entrepris depuis plusieurs années une révolution agraire dont l'objectif essentiel est d'assurer aux masses rurales des conditions de vie normales et de tendre à la satisfaction des besoins alimentaires de notre population. Notre délégation, à la Conférence mondiale sur la réforme agraire à laquelle nous attachons une importance toute particulière, donnera un aperçu détaillé sur l'expérience de mon pays.
Je voudrais toutefois, à ce stade, souligner que nous avons entrepris de vastes opérations en vue de l'intensification de la production. Ces actions portent notamment sur l'équipement mécanique, la fertilisation du sol, les problèmes de l'hydraulique, la vulgarisation, la formation des cadres, ainsi que sur la recherche scientifique. Cet effort porte également sur les actions sociales et une série de mesures visant à freiner l'exode rural, à mieux attacher le paysan à sa terre pour qu'il y vive en symbiose, telles que l'extension de la sécurité sociale, la médecine gratuite, l'implantation de villages agricoles, etc.
La coopération économique et technique entre pays en voie de développement est une donnée essentielle au nouvel ordre économique international qui est une des aspirations légitimes de nos peuples. Cette politique d'économie collective des paye en voie de développement, qui a été développée au niveau des différentes réunions qui nous sont propres, que ce soit au niveau des pays non alignés ou au niveau du Groupe des 77, devrait être renforcée et soutenue tant par la Communauté internat iona^e que par les Na- tions Unies. Les efforts déployés par la FAO dans ce sens, les propositions faites par le Directeur général, méritent notre encouragement et notre appui.
Après avoir évoqué le rôle de l'action internationale et celui de l'action nationale, je voudrais m'arrêter quelque peu sur l'apport et la contribution des institutions du système des Nations Unies à la promotion du développement de l'alimentation et de l'agriculture dans le monde. Parmi ces institutions, la FAO occupe une place de choix. Sa vocation d'organisation universelle^'occupant de l'alimentation et de l'agriculture et oeuvrant contre la faim et la malnutrition, lui confère une responsabilité primordiale et un rôle de premier plan. Notre organisation, malgré les ressources nettement insuffisantes dont elle dispose et les demandes budgétaires modestes qu'elle formule par rapport aux tâches immenses qui lui incombent, déploie tous les efforts pour essayer d'atteindre les objectifs que s'est assignée la Communauté internationale dans le domaine de l'agriculture et de l'alimentation.
Nous voulions également rendre hommage à l'action du Programme alimentaire mondial qui déploie tous les efforts en vue de mobiliser des ressources qui demeurent, hélas, insuffisantes.
La décentralisation entreprise par le Directeur général de la FAO s'est traduite par un redéploiement des activités du Siège sur le terrain et constitue le meilleur exemple de lutte contre la bureaucratie qui ronge le système des Nations Unies, système devenu lourd de par la prolifération des institutions des organes et des gaspillages qui en découlent.
Nous partageons pleinement les idées du Directeur général lorsqu'il affirme que ce qui compte ce sont les faits et non pas la théorie. Je voudrais compléter ceci en ajoutant que les faits doivent se reposer sur les principes et objectifs du Nouvel ordre économique international auquel le Directeur général a déclaré son attachement et sa détermination d'oeuvrer pour son instauration. Cette acquisition, pour la FAO, de la dimension conceptuelle qui vient s'ajouter à la dimension opérationnelle fait de notre Organisation un instrument efficace pour l'élaboration d'une idéologie efficace du développement et de la coopération internationale. La contribution de la FAO à l'élaboration de la nouvelle stratégie internationale pour le développement devra être décisive comme décisif devrait être son apport à la Conférence sur la science et la technique.
Nous nous félicitons de l'accord qui s'est institué entre les différentes institutions du système des Nations Unies qui s'occupent de l'alimentation et de l'agriculture et nous partageons les préoccupations du Directeur général sur ce qui a été évoqué hier au sujet de la coordination. Nous appuyons sa remarque qui stipule que la coordination doit revenir d'abord et avant tout aux Etats.
Devant la lourdeur du système des Nations Unies,les états n'y comprennent absolument rien. Il est nécessaire qu'au niveau de notre pays nous ayons assez souvent un interlocuteur sans pour autant que les différentes institutions représentées dans nos pays soient privées du droit et du devoir d'accéder à tous les échelons de l'administration et du gouvernement.
Je ne voudrais pas conclure sur une note pessimiste, malgré la crise qui caractérise les relations internationales économiques depuis plusieurs années, car nous voulons nous tourner vers l'avenir et ne pas perdre l'espoir. Nous ne voulons pas perdre confiance dans le génie de l'homme de pouvoir un jour surmonter les difficultés du moment et de pouvoir enfin trouver les solutions justes et équitables aux problèmes graves qui assaillent l'humanité. Il y va de la paix, de la sécurité. Il y va de notre devenir à tous.
CHAIRMAN (Interpretation form Arabic): I thank the delegate of Algeria for his comprehensive and clear statement with its clear objectives. Indeed we have always to be optimistic, enough to believe that this state of affairs will not continue for long. Yet on the other hand we should not let this optimism be our only solution. The Director-General of our Organization and his staff under Mr. Vogel have always tried to demolish the impediments to the solution of any problem, and we should all, without exception, all countries help them, support them and stand side by side with them in every step they make.
Srta. C. DOMINGUEZ (Panamá) : Permítame primeramente expresarle el más cordial saludo en nombre de nuestra delegación haciéndolo extensivo a toda la Mesa directiva. Nuestra delegación desea felicitar a la Secretaría y al Profesor Islam por la presentación del documento que nos ha sido sometido a nuestra consideración relativo a la situación actual de la alimentación en el mundo.
Los documentos nos presentan un panorama bastante claro de la situación de la agricultura y la alimentación* Las declaraciones del Director General en su discurso de apertura nos llevan a una profunda meditación sobre la situación de la agricultura y alimentación en los países en desarrollo. Vemos la necesidad de una verdadera acción para incrementar la producción y eliminar el hambre y la malnutrición en el mundo mediante el establecimiento de un verdadero y justo Nuevo Orden Económico Internacional
El documento expresa que la situación alimentaria mundial sigue siendo incierta y que el objetivo del 4% del Segundo Decenio para el Desarrollo no va a alcanzarse. La agricultura no se desarrolla al ritmo de las necesidades y vemos que en los países en desarrollo, el número de personas submit ridas pasó de 400 a 450 millones de personas.
Con relación a las plagas y enfermedades, nuestra delegación reconooe la importante función que ha desempeñado la FAO para la eliminación de la peste porcina africana, quien a través de su programa de cooperación técnica lleva a cabo proyectos para prevenir dicha peste en los países latinoamericanos*
Con relación al comercio internacional y precios, nuestra delegación condena el resurgimiento del proteccionismo en favor de los productos elaborados de los países desarrollados que afecta indirectamente a los mercados de materias primas agrícolas de los países en desarrollo, tal como lo refleja el documento que estamos estudiando. Vemos con desaliento la paralización de las negociaciones del Convenio Internacional del Trigo, del Convenio Internacional del Cacao y Convenio Internacional del Azúcar, con divergencias en los puntos fundamentales.
Con respecto al Convenio Internacional del Azúcar, nuestra delegación apoya la declaración heoha por el distinguido delegado de Cuba. No obstante toda esta situación, nos alienta la forma en que se ha desarrollado el programa de acción para la prevención de pérdidas de alimentos establecido por la Conferencia de la FAO en 1977.
Ante la situación actual de una incierta seguridad alimentaria mundial y las necesidades expresadas por los gobiernos, consideramos que se hace imperativo el incremento de la Cuenta Especial a fin de que en un corto plazo, se logre la cifra de 20 millones para la prevención de las pérdidas de alimentos*
Para finalizar, queremos exhortar a la FAO y al Fondo Internacional de Desarrollo Agrícola para que, en estrecha colaboración, sigan trabajando en la ardua tarea de aumentar la producción de alimentos en las áreas rurales de los países en desarrollo con el fin de eliminar el hambre y la malnuirición en el mundo.
I. TAKI (Japan): First of all my delegation would like to show deep respect for the Secretariat that prepared such a comprehensive analysis of the current world food situation. On this occasion I would like to add to the papers a short comment on the present agricultural situation in Japan.
Japan, suffering from the over-production of rice now, is still one of the biggest food importing countries in the world. In 1977 Japan imported 14.3 million tons of coarse grains, 5.6 million tons of wheat, 3.6 million tons of soya beans.and a substantial ratio of grains of my country always stays at the level of 40 per cent, so Japan is very much concerned about the instability of the world food situation.
It is in this view that Japan highly appreciates the Secretariat's excellent papers and the reports of the Early Warning System and it is in the same view that Japan shares a common interest with the developing countries in the improvement of production in those countries. However, Japan is not merely a food importing country. As I just mentioned, Japan is now a country in great difficulty of over production of rice - that is the major item of agricultural product in Japan. Since 1966 the national average yield of unpolished rice per hectare has never been less than 4 tonnes and in 1978 that reached about 5 tonnes. On the other hand, since the consumption of rice is decreasing government rice stock has risen about 5.7 million tonnes at the end of last October. This situation that we could hardly imagine before was brought about by various factors, the dissemination of the high-yield varieties and intensive use of fertilizers and pesticides, the development of highly sophisticated techniques and especially thorough going irrigation investment. Now Japan's agriculture is going towards the diversification of crops in order to adjust the present situation and I hope that the experience and techniques we have will lead to success in this field. However, the Japanese Government believes that those energies, experience and techniques must be fully utilized, not only for the improvement of its own agriculture but also for the consolidation of world food security,-in particular through increasing cooperation in food production in the developing countries.
Finally, we are happy to inform you, Mr. Chairman, that my Government decided recently to provide some countries in need with 350 000 tonnes of rice on the terms of soft loan and is studying to do more in the future. I hope with this we are approaching the accomplishment of the target on aid established in 1974.
CHAIRMAN (interpretation from Arabic): I believe that the only person who could solve Japan's problem, because of Japan's problem, because of Japan's difficulty with rice surplus, will be Mr. Vogel. I wonder how many countries are prepared to provide Mr. Vogel with a ticket to Japan to solve this problem.
T.J. KELLY (Australia): We too are happy to be working here again under the distinguished chairmanship of the Independent Chairman of the Council. We congratulate you, Sir, and the other two Vice-Chairmen who were elected yesterday to assist him with his responsibilities here. We also welcome with warm pleasure the observer status granted yesterday to the delegates from Western Samoa and we hope that yesterday marks the beginning for them of a long and fruitful association with the FAO family of which we are all members.
We believe, with others, that the consideration of the world food situation is not a ritualistic matter but it is crucial to a proper understanding and a proper practical approach to everything that we have done here in this organization and which we all aspire to do. We are therefore grateful for the quality of the document and for the detached and objective introduction of its substance by Dr. Islam yesterday. Like others we welcome what is good in it and we take note of what is not good.
We are certainly pleased to see the further improvement in world food supplies, but we are taken by and accept Dr. Islam's assessment that at this time the situation is, as he described it, precarious and fragile.
We see the world food situation as involving not only production but the many other things with which this Organization is involved, including the prevention of losses, and in those two areas we would like to commend and welcome two approaches by the Organization, one practical and one at this stage still conceptual. We believe that the FAO is to be commended for the way in which it acted to deal promptly with the problems of desert locust infestation and African swine fever.
In what I am calling still the conceptual area we appreciate very much the Director-Genera'l*s initiative in introducing for our consideration his Five-Point Plan. In commending his initiative we say that we also believe that true world food security ultimately will depend on an internationally coordinated system of grain reserves and we are still hopeful, despite the degree of pessimism which some other delegates have expressed, that there will be a successful conclusion to an international grains agreement. We shall certainly be working as a nation towards that end, as we will also be working to try to put flesh and blood on the common fund arrangements which have at last been agreed to in principle at UNCTAD V.
CHAIRMAN (interpretation from Arabic): It is of interest to us, as well as having the excellent documents before us, to have good recommendations and proposals which can help many of the developing countries.
M. HAMDOON (Iraq) (interpretation from Arabic): I do not intend to dwell upon this document because those who preceded me have tackled it in detail. I would like to say that the Drafting Committee would have the power to dwell on the many points included in this document in order to come out with fruitful and acceptable resolutions.
The Arab world is greatly interested in the food situation because despite its great area it still imports food at $10 million annually and the Arab world has coordinated among its countries in the field of food production and the establishment of food security not only for the Arab world but also for many developing countries. The Director-General might be supporting me in this field especially, because he attended the ministerial, meeting of Ministers of Agriculture held in Kuwait last March and got acquainted with most of the resolutions of the meeting, and a special meeting will be held before the Arab food security next November and the Director-General may also have the possibility of attending this meeting.
Up to now many giant projects among the Arab states in the field of fisheries, meat and fodders were set up and Iraq is now allocating a greater share of its national income to solving the food problems through the reclamation of lands and the innovation of irrigation systems. The year 1980 was set by Iraq as the year of self-sufficiency to be followed by exporting to the neighbouring countries and the developing countries. Iraq shares with the Third World countries their great concern over their food security and is endeavouring, side by side with these countries, to alleviate the sufferings of their peoples. Aid extended by Iraq to some Arab countries and some developing countries exceeded $4 000 million during the four years and Iraq is still continuing this policy in order to continue this friendly aid without any exception.
In conclusion I would like to put a question to Professor Islam because on page 5 of the Arab version the last paragraph says that the deteriorating situation in Africa led the Ministers of Labour to request FAO to prepare a food policy. I wish to have clarification of the conclusions resulting from this meeting because a year has already elapsed and I would like to ask if there is any follow-up and if there are any broad lines set up by this conference because this might be of interest and benefit to other groups, according to the recommendations and proposals of this ministerial meeting.
CHAIRMAN (interpretation from Arabic): I will leave Professor Islam to answer that question. I thank the delegate of Iraq for giving a true and complete picture of what is going on in Iraq.
A.K. OSUBAN (Uganda): This being my delegation's first address to this Session of the Council, I should like to add my delegation's congratulations to the Vice-Chairmen and the Drafting Committee on their election to their offices. It is our hope that with their experience, the deliberations of this meeting will be concluded successfully.
We would also like to join other delegations in thanking the Director-General for his explicit statement, which was informative and inspiring.
Mr. Chairman, before I address myself to the current World Food situation. I beg your indulgence to present to this session of the Council a short statement from my Government.
As you may be aware, Mr. Chairman, there have recently been many developments of far-reaching consequences in Uganda. It is my pleasure and privilege to inform you that Uganda has now been liberated from the clutches of the last regime which had acquired international renown for its attrocities. We would like to thank all the individuals, countries and international organizations for their material and moral support which assisted in the overthrow of the regime. We wish to thank particularly President Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, the brave soldiers of the Tanzanian People's Defence Forces for their selfless sacrifice to rescue us. Uganda can now again take her rightful place in the ranks of other countries to play her part without fear.
I am happy to inform this meeting .that the new Uganda Government is committed to a policy of respect for human rights, human freedom, human dignity and for democracy. Uganda is now seeking friendship with all countries, more especially with her neighbours in the region. The new Uganda Governmental pledges her support to the United Nations organizations and will participate actively in the FAO activities and programmes. For this reason the Government will strengthen her permanent office here at the FAO and will try to reverse the black image of the country built up in the last eight years.
The eight years of the Amin regime brought untoward damage to the country. The once healthy and developing economy had stagnated. The populace which had been hard working and lively was harrassed, tortured and demoralized. It will require a lot of hard work and patience on the part of our people to rebuild the economy again. Indeed there is already a completely new attitude and outlook towards work, but as before, we will require even more assistance and good will on the part of the international community to achieve our goals. We, therefore, appeal to all friendly peoples, governments and international organizations to come to our aid. We have all hope that this much needed help will be forthcoming .
Turning now to the subject under discussion, the Current World Food Situation, my delegation would like to thank the Secretariat for the excellent documents CL 75/2 and CL 75/2-Sup. 1. We concur fully with the concern already expressed by previous speakers on the deteriorating situation of world food, especially in the developing countries. We in Uganda have in the past few years faced difficulties in fulfilling our food production goals. The major causes of this were shortages of production inputs including tools and equipment, fertilizers, pesticides and other production equipment, etc. While we realize that the primary responsibility to increase food production rests with us, there are constraints of a financial and technical nature for which we will continue to rely on the international community for assistance. Given these, the future of food production in Uganda is bright.
Finally, I am glad to inform the meeting that Uganda's doors are now again wide open to all visitors who would like to see the natural beauty of tropical Africa on the equator. We shall be only too glad to racaiva all visitors in the country.
CHAIRMAN (interpretation from Arabic): I would like to thank the distinguished delegate of Uganda for giving this information, which we all hope will achieve welfare and prosperity for the entire Ugandan people.
J. PILANE (Botswana): Mr. Chairman, since this is the first time the delegation of Botswana intervenes, • I would lika to congratulate you and the two other Vice-Chairmen for being elected to assist the Indapendent Chairman. I would like to congratulate the three Vice-Chairmen for their election, including you.
My deep appreciation goes to the Director-General for his lucid statement. My gratitude also goes to the Secretariat for preparing the two documents before us, in particular Professor Islam for his presentation. I did not intend to intervene at this stage, but it appeared to me that intervention at a later stage might have been irrelevant.
I agree with the general mood of the analysis in the two documents that the current food situation gives cause for concern. I cannot, however, be flattered into believing that food production in 1978 increased in developing countries, especially in Africa, when I know that that was a mere recovery from the 1977 setback. We are told that per capita food production in 1978 was 10 percent less than it was in 1969/71. The so-called limited progress seems to me like taking one step forward and two backward s.
The main stable food crops in Botswana are maize, which is called corn, and sorghum. Annual consumption of these crops is estimated between 100 000 tons and 110 000. Our agricultural statistics still leave much to be desired. However, if we are to believe our estimate, Botswana has twice attained self-sufficiency in these two basic crops in the past nine years, first in 1974/75 when production of maize and sorghum reached 110 000 tons, and secondly in 1976/77 when production was 118 000 tons. However, because of erratic and unpredictable climatic conditions, output can be dismally low. In 1972/73, for instance, output for these two crops reached only 32 000 tons. This year again, that is, 1979, because of insufficient rains, we are predicting another record low production of these basic cereals. Indeed, there is an impending drought situation in Botswana today. Emergency plans are under way to mitigate its effects. Drought committees in all the districts affected have been formed to monitor the grazing situation and report to the central government through an Interministerial Drought Committee. Farmers are being advised to sell off a considerable proportion of their cattle, especially old ones, to leave enough grazing for younger stock. If need be, new grazing areas will be opened by providing water in virgin areas. Cattle may have to be moved from most seriously affected areas to less affected ones. Therefore, I can assure you, Mr. Chairman, that the Government of Botswana is following the situation closely, and an appeal will be made opportunely should the situation get out of hand.
No doubt food aid will be needed to counteract the effect of low production this year. I am not sure, but I believe an appeal has already been lodged with WFP. Cattle feeds may also be required for supplementation.
We are about to publish our Fifth Development Plan for 1979/85. The theme of this plan is rural development and creation of employment. The objective is to attain self-sufficiency in basic food crops and agricultural production by the mid-eighties. In the past, most agricultural investment has been concentrated on livestock, especially cattle. Our livestock management systems are not labour-intensive, and if employment creation is to be successful the emphasis has to be shifted away from livestock. It is our belief that arable agriculture holds the key to unemployment and under-employment problems and consequently to the solution of our food problems. It is intended to invest over $20 million directly in productive areas in arable agriculture. Most of this is expected from external sources. The beneficiaries have been earmarked as farmers ploughing under 20 hectares. I will not elaborate on this programme because my Minister will do just that in July.
Our food production has been low, not only because of climatic conditions, lack of inputs and poor husbandry techniques, but also because of pests. Our farmers have to struggle with a whole range of problems. When rain has favoured them and they have managed to plough, they have to struggle with weeds, insects, etc. When this is over and the crops are almost ready for harvest, the birds come in. The bird pest is perhaps the most serious problem facing our arable agriculture because it comes when almost all the costs have been incurred, when production plans can no longer be changed. In Arusha, at the FAO Regional Conference last year, my Minister appealed for regional cooperation to combat the bird pest. Unfortunately, there was no support for this appeal. I would be surprised to learn that other countries are not experiencing this problem.
I will have done my country a disservice if I did not refer to the situation in Southern Africa. This situation is not of our own making, but we have to suffer because we are where we are and because of our principles. We believe that all men are not only born free but are created equal. Our philosophy, of course, runs counter to that of the majority regime in that part of the world.
As long as the situation in Southern Africa is uncertain and fluid, we cannot safely invest in production activities. We have to strengthen our defences, we have to divert our scarce financial, skilled manpower resources, and lastly, precious time planning for unproductive activities. We have to divert our scarce resources to cater for the victims of minority regimes.
The heads of frontline states spend an enormous amount of time negotiating the solution to the problems of Southern Africa. In spite of all these problems, we believe that sanity will at last prevail and the people of South Africa will again be able peacefully to participate in the betterment of their lives.
CHAIRMAN (interpretation from Arabic): I thank the delegate of Botswana for this valuable information that he has submitted, for both the bad and the good information, and we wish for his country every prosperity.
It is quite clear that this document, in view of its importance, has been the topic of many important discussions and many viewpoints were submitted, and we only hope that such proposals and discussions will lead in the end to our getting over this food problem in an acceptable and satisfactory way which is more optimistic and practical.
For me personally, I am quite confident that Dr. Islam will sum up many of your viewpoints and opinions and will also give an answer to many questions which were submitted by you. Therefore, it gives me great pleasure to give the floor to Dr. Islam.
N. ISLAM (Assistant Director-General, Economic and Social Policy Department): In fact I will be very short. I do not have many points to make. We are very happy to see the distinguished delegates agree in general with the analyses and findings contained in the secretariat's document. We are grateful for the suggestions and the comments made by the delegates and will take full note of them. We have also noted the additional information provided by a few countries to supplement the analyses in the document.
We note for example that the United States and Canada, and the distinguished delegates of these two countries, have assured us that they have taken and are taking adequate steps to expand and strengthen their transportation and handling capacity for the exportation of large quantities of food grains that may be necessary to meet the requirements of world trade and shortages.
We have also taken account of the shortages in milk and meat production raised by the delegate of France. We appreciate the comments made on our figures of stocks and cereals. We have given only three categories in the figures for stocks - wheat, rice and coarse grains. We do not have details of the breakdown for coarse grains. The increase in stocks of coarse grains has been larger than in stocks of wheat and rice and of course some of these coarse grains are not consumed in large quantities in many developing countries, so from the point of view of security, especially in southern developing countries, the increase in coarse grains is not very relevant.
There has been some misunderstanding in our analysis of the African food situation. The delegate of Zaire quoted an increase in food production. In 1978, this increase related to the figures for one year, 1978, over the past year, 1977. There was in fact a decline in 1977, so the increase of about 4 percent in 1978 was a recovery from the decline which took place in 1977. This figure of the one year increase over the decline which took place in 1977 has to be read in conjunction with the other figures which deal with the long-term food prospects in Africa, which indicated that during the 1970s the rate of food production in Africa has been the slowest in all the developing regions and that in fact there has been a decline in food availability and food production in Africa. Read in conjunction with all this, the impression would be the correct one, the food situation in Africa is indeed serious and unless steps are taken it might get worse.
This takes me to the comment and the questions asked about the Food Plan by the delegate of Iraq. The original Food Plan for Africa was prepared by FAO at the request of African countries and was presented at the last Regional Conference in Arusha. The Plan gave a broad prospectus for increased food production in Africa and provided an analysis of the broad constraints and policy requirements for increased food production in Africa. The Arusha Conference urged upon the member countries the preparation and implementation of food production programmes, investment programmes in food and agriculture on a national basis, and intergovernmental organizations, financial agencies and FAO were requested to help them in the task of their investment programmes.
Each country was to examine its own constraints and possibilities, both financial and technical, and shape its own investment programmes and in this task we were ready to help. As a follow-up, the Director-General has written to the member countries of Africa requesting them to inform us what steps they had taken since the Arusha Conference with the Africa food plan, and we will analyse these replies and will take up special action in the next regional conference to decide where to go from here.
That is all I have to add.
CHAIRMAN (Interpretation from Arabic): Thank you Dr. Islam for summing up the documents and for answering the questions.
CHAIRMAN (Interpretation from Arabic): The relevant document is CL 75/10. As we know, time runs short, and so we shall try and present the document before the break, but will have the discussion after the lunch break. I have the pleasure to give the floor to Dr. Nour Islam to introduce the document.
N. ISLAM (Assistant Director-General, Economic and Social Policy Department): I would like to make a very brief introduction of the Report of the 4th Session of the Committee of the World Food Security. The meeting was held here in Rome in April and the report is circulated as document CL 75/10. The major part of this Session was spent in considering the proposal by the Director-General for a voluntary plan of action to implement the international undertaking on world food security. As the Council will recall, this plan focused on five points where immediate action is needed to strengthen world food security: (i) adoption of food grain stock policies; (ii) criteria for the management and release of additional national stocks held in pursuance of the International Undertaking on World Food Security; (iii) special measures to assist low-income food production countries to meet food requirements and emergency needs; (iv) special arrangements for increased food security assistance; and (v) collective self-reliance in developing countries for the promotion of food security.
The Five Point Plan arose out of the conviction that FAO has a constitutional duty to fill the gap in the world's food security system created by the adjournment in February of the negotiations for a new International Grains Agreement. This was also recognized by the Committee on World Food Security.
In the absence of an agreement we are back to the pre-1974 situation and a succession of bad harvests could create the same food crisis as was created in the early seventies.
The discussion on the world food situation yesterday and the fragile future prospects including warnings of impending food shortages showed the timeliness and urgency of the Director-General's initiative in proposing the Five Point Plan of Action. Basically, the Plan envisages a return to the concepts and pledges of an International Undertaking on World Food Security.
Like the Undertaking, the Plan of Action is considered as a pledge based on mutual trust. The Committee had a further discussion of all aspects of the Plan, and agreed that the Director-General's Plan of Action included a set of measures which could on their own merits reinforce world food security. It was not a substitute for a new International Grains arrangement. Adequate stocks, price and food aid provisions were indispensable for a durable and effective world food security system.
The Plan included certain elements which would be complementary to a new grains agreement, such as, for example, promotion and collective self-reliance for food security among the developing countries, measures for requests to IMF to consider the feasibility of providing additional assistance for a rise in food import bills caused by a fall in domestic production, or rise in food import prices, or for that matter, strengthening and expanding the arrangements existing for the food security scheme.
The Committee agreed that the plan of action would need to be reviewed in the event of a new international grains agreement being concluded. After a thorough debate the Committee adopted the plan of action on world food security as revised in the light of comments and suggestions made by delegates. The Committee recommended the plan before the Council for approval including a draft resolution which is included in pages 8 and 9 of the English text of this Report. In the short time which has elapsed since the meeting of the Committee on World Food Security, there have been no new developments to our knowledge which would affect the plan in any way. The Director-General highlighted the whole problem of world food security including the plan of action in his address to UNCTAD V in Manila and subsequently the UNCTAD V Conference adopted the resolutions on the need to promote an adequate supply of food and to strengthen world food security, as I mentioned yesterday in my introduction to Item 4. Also, UNCTAD V called for the earliest possible resumption of negotiations on a new international grains agreement, thus, in fact echoing the view expressed in operative paragraph 3 of the draft resolution of the Committee on World Food Security which is now placed before the FAO Council for consideration.
The Director-General hopes that the Council will approve the FAO Plan of Action on World Food Security which is proposed as one of the main agenda items of Commission I at the FAO Conference in November this year.
CHAIRMAN (Interpretation from Arabic): Thank you, Dr, Islam, for your introduction to document CL 75/10 which is just as important as the one which we have just discussed. I wish to draw the attention of the Council to the three points contained in this document; we should focus on them in our discussion.
V.S. BLANCO DELGADO (México); En primer lugar queremos agradecer a la Secretaría por la calidad y la adecuada presentación del documento del tema que ahora nos ocupe.
Habiendo participado en los trabajos del Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria Mundial celebrado el pasado mes de abril, y coincidiendo totalmente con sus conclusiones y recomendaciones, solo tendremos una breve intervención orientada principalmente hacia algunas precisiones.
Siendo que la seguridad alimentaria mundial no se reduce a un problema aritmético, sino de disponibilidades alimentarias reales y adecuadas en cantidad, calidad y precio en todo sitio y momento donde se hallen seres humanos, la afirmación que aparece en el párrafo 11 debe ser tomada con cautela. Es decir, el hecho de que existan remanentes de cereales en algunos sitios y que igualen o superen ciertos niveles no significa que existan excedentes reales y que todo el mundo esté y pueda estar satisfecho, nutrieionalmente hablando.
Las tendencias que se listan en el párrafo 12 apoyan nuestra afirmación, situación que no solo es seria, si acaso se presentan malas cosechas, sino que es una condición permanente muy grave que fácilmente puede adquirir características irresistiblemente dramáticas.
Es de todos conocido el número creciente de hambrientos y el hecho de que la tasa de crecimiento agrícola ha sido negativa en muchos lugares. Ante este panorama se justifica la aclaración y no se puede menos de subrayar la preocupación que debe externar este Consejo en su informe final. Al solicitar el Comité que la Secretaría prepare un estudio respecto a las consecuencias para la seguridad alimentaria mundial de las tendencias a largo plazo de la producción, el consumo y el comercio mundial de alimentos, debe tomarse en cuenta la responsabilidad y trascendencia de una tarea como ésta, y beneficiarse de experiencias anteriores que se realizaron bajo el amparo de marcos conceptuales, parciales y superficiales, como los que asocian linealmente el hambre con el crecimiento demográfico o su erradicación por la exclusiva vía del aumento de la producción, discriminando, no sin frecuencia deliberadamente, elementos de orden histórico, socioeconómico y estructural.
Se le presenta a la Secretaría una insustituible oportunidad para proporcionar una seria y consistente portación, de tal manera de reeonfirmar las bases sobre las que se pueda efectivamente proceder en santido correcto, y reconocer a la seguridad alimentaria mundial como uno de los pre-requisitos del nuevo orden económico internacional.
For cuanto respecta a la oportuna propuesta promovida por el Director General, es opinión de nuestra delegación que el Plan de Acción de Cinco Puntos para la seguridad alimentaria mundial y la Resolución que noe sugiere el Comité, deben ser aprobados por este Consejo sin demora alguna. No podemos olvidar que eatán en línea con el compromiso internacional que se ha suscrito por un importante número de países, y que durante ya casi media década, estamos, no siempre con éxito, empeñados en ejecutar. Si por razones políticas y técnicas se han suspendido las importantes negociaciones para concertar un nuevo acuerdo internacional sobre cereales, no existe argumento válido para no echar a andar este plan de 5 Puntos, que además de ser absolutamente voluntario, en nada lo contraviene y sustituye y por el contrario, facilitaría su instrumentación.
Hemos acordado que en caso de ameritarse este plan, tendría que reconsiderarse, situación general que explica el hecho de que el mismo Comité Plenario de las Naciones Unidas lo haya acogido favorablemente en fechas recientes, y del interés del Comité en que el Consejo Mundial de la Alimentación en su reunión ministerial del próximo septiembre lo tome en cuenta; foro particular en el que México también hará acto de presencia efectiva y con la responsabilidad del caso, sabrá desempeñar el papel que le corresponde actuando en primera línea contra el hambre, la malnutrición y la desigualdad.
Con toda sinceridad, expresamos nuestro deseo de que la aplicación de este plan no se convierta en un argumento más para posponer las negociaciones y consultas en curso. Sería lamentable que a lo constructivo se le diera otro destino.
En conjunto, los Cinco puntos son un componente y sus componentes particulares consideran elementos precisos que, integralmente, hacen frente a una buena parte de lo que conduce a mayores niveles de seguridad, en el entendido que no se escatimarían esfuerzos de la comunidad internacional para cumplir con los objetivos, y considerando globalmente los intereses de los países en desarrollo, que son los principales protagonistas y beneficiarios. Supone también el reforzamiento de la ayuda alimentaria, cooperación técnica y financiera suficiente, en condiciones de favor, de llegar al antiguo y mínimo propósito de 500 000 toneladas para la reserva Internacional de Emergencia, y la renovada participación del Programa Mundial de Alimentos, además de un serio apuntalamiento de la FAO.
Ante el horizonte reconocido, no podría imaginarse la seguridad sin la auto-suficiencia colectiva basada en la fraterna cooperación. Estamos seguros que el compromiso internacional y este plan pueden hacerlo suyo para eliminar el inaceptable contraste entre carencia absoluta generalizada y concentración excesiva; contraste que se objetiviza en la existencia de grandes masas marginadas y élites minoritarias que derrochan. En todo caso los objetivos sólo se lograrán con la cabal remoción de los elementos que impiden una mayor producción de alimentos y un justo acceso de los pueblos a los mismos.
CHAIRMAN (interpretation from Arabic): I agree with the delegate of Mexico that this plan of action which is before us is not one which would in any way replace the International Wheat Agreement, but it would be supplementary to it. I have already stated that we have three important points before us for the Council to deal with, item IV of the French, text and delegates will focus attention on these points and mainly the first point, that is, the Plan of Action we would like the delegates to express their position in regard to this plan of action so that we can adopt a common stand on it in our discussion.
D.H.J. ABEYAGOONSSEKERA (Sri Lanka): My delegation is in agreement with the analysis and recommendations contained in document CL 75/10 on World Food Security. The Five Point Plan of Action proposed by the Director-General is recommended for unanimous adoption as it provides the broad guidelines of concerted world action in the face of threatened food shortages consequent to natural hazards such as inclement weather and the lack of commitment on the part of the world community to increase the supply of food required by it.
Food security, in very broad terms, could be achieved in two ways: (1), through greater production by continued and enhanced investment in agriculture and (2), through assistance by those in a position to spare their surpluses in production to those who are in need.
In so far as the first objective is concerned we have not been able to reach the 4 percent target set for food production because of insufficient investments in agriculture, particularly in increasing the amount of land irrigable and cultivable, inadequate application of fertilizer, failure to adopt prompt and sustained programmes for the control of pests, and plant diseases and by not adopting proper post-harvest practices which could reduce grain losses.
As far as the second objective is concerned, we have been told that only 73 percent of the target of $950 million for food pledges under the International Food Emergency Reserve has been kept up to the end of last year. We have no doubt that actual physical contribution would be less than even 50 percent of the target. There is therefore a need for those in a position to augment the food reserves to do so without delay.
I find that Item V is closely connected to Item IV, so the comments I make now may be interconnected. The delegate from India referred to the uncertainties of weather, pest attacks and epidemics and the impact of changes in public policies in a very thought-provoking intervention which he made yesterday. Barring weather, the other two hazards, if I may call them so, are certainly not insurmountable. We are all aware that agriculture can be planned, programmed and monitored to a great extent. Like landing a man on the moon, the course to be followed, though pre-determined, requires mid-course corrections. More than in the man to moon exerciset the hazards if properly anticipated can be overcome. What is required is a cooperative effort for pooling all our resources, knowledge and experiences.
G. BULA HOTOS (Colombia) : De acuerdo con el párrafo 3 del documento CL 75/10, 1a delegación de Colombia piensa que en nuestro informe, el Consejo debe expresar su preocupación por que la situación global de la seguridad alimentaria sigue siendo tan precaria como antes de la crisis alimentaria mundial. A nuestro juicio, esto quiere decir que no se han valorado debidamente los riesgos que significó esa crisis, ni la amenaza constante que pesa sobre los países en desarrollo.
En efecto, en el párrafo 12 se dice claramente que la seguridad no ha mejorado e incluso ha empeorado en algunas sonas. En el párrafo 13 se afirma que la mayoría de los países en desarrollo están expuestos a graves déficits de alimentos en caso de malas cosechas. En esa forma, seguimos dependiendo de las prediociones meteorológicas.
En aoatasiento a las adecuadas instruociones de usted, vamos a referirnos a las medidas adoptadas para aplioar el compromiso internacional. En el Capítulo IV de este documento sobre el Plan de Acción apoyases el párrafo 17 y particularmente dos de los tres factores señalados como dignos de tenerse en ouenta. En primer lugar, la continua inoertidumbre que caractérisa la situación de la seguridad alimentaria fundial; y el segundo, la responsabilidad asumida por toda la comunidad internacional de establecer disposiciones conoretas para evitar la repetición de una crisis alimentaria mundial.
En el Párrafo 18 el Subdirector General de Política Económica y Social señala que el Plan de Acción propuesto, dioe textualmente, supone un retorno a los conceptos y promesas, - promesas, se dioe en el texto español y seguramente será premisas - del Compromiso Internacional para la Seguridad Alimentaria Mundial. Fsta afirmación sumada a la indispensable confiansa mutua y el necesario carácter voluntario, en opinión de la delegación de Colombia, implican que, no obstante la generosa y positiva intención quo haya inspirado el plan, aún nos encontramos en la etapa de concesiones teóricas de imaginación fértil que oondusoan a posioiones irrealistas, pero todo sumado, representa apenas un nd-oleo de buenos consejos dependientes de la voluntad política que no existen.
In el párrafo 21, se dioe, que la producción de alimentos en los países en desarrollo ofrecían un funsemento sélido para el logro de la seguridad alimentaria a largo plazo. A ese respecto la delega-oión de Colombia va mucho más allá. Nosotros consideramos que el crecimiento continuado y permanente de la producción en los países en desarrollo, no sólo es un fundamento sólido, como afirma el Comité, sino la condición única, indispensable y mínima para que se logre cierta seguridad alimentaria mundial.
Eh efeoto, la orisis de principios de los anos 70 demostró plenamente que no existiría ninguna seguridad alimentaria mundial mientras la situación esté al arbitrio de los países desarrollados que manipulan a su antojo las reservas, sus precios y escogen con predilección, en cada caso, sus clientes en el comercio internacional de acuerdo con la situación política existente en las respectivas ocasiones.
La delegación de Colombia apoya el párrafo 24, sobre la conveniencia de que se compren alimentos a los países en desarrollo exportadores de cereales.
Después de estos comentarios, apoyamos el Proyecto de Resolución que aparece en el párrafo 39.
Sobre el Plan mismo, nos llama la atención el hecho de que en la Parte Tercera, II, se pida al CPA que aumente el objetivo anual mínimo a 15 ó 16 millones de toneladas, cuando todavía no hemos alcanzado el límite de los 10 millones de toneladas.
Sinceramente no sabemos en esta forma hasta dónde vamos a seguir esta corriente desordenada de promesas crecientes y siempre incumplidas.
Volviendo al texto mismo del documento 75/10, en el párrafo 49, consideramos débil, muy débil, la actitud del Comité al limitarse a tomar nota de la conclusión a que llevó el Comité Plenario de las Naciones Unidas en el sentido de que el CPA considere la posibilidad de utilizar la ayuda alimentaria para asistir a los países en desarrollo a establecer existencias nacionales de reserva.
La delegación de Colombia espora que el Consejo no tomará nota, sino que apoyará esta conclusión proveniente do Organismo tan importante como es el Comité Plenario de las Naciones Unidas. Afortunadamente en al ágoumonto que estudiaremos mañana, hemos visto que el CPA ha decidido incluir en el progress de su 80 período de sesiones este tema, de manera que la recomendación del Consejo que propone la delegación do Colombia, orlaría de acuerdo con la decisión que ha tomado ya el CPA.
Finalmente apoyamos el párrafo 61 sobre la conveniencia de que el Plan de Acción sea somrtido a la consideración del 50 período de sesiones del Consejo Mundial de la Alimentación, que tendrá lugar el mes de septiembre entrante en Canadá.
CHAIRMAN (interpretation from Arabic): At this stage I wish to make a clear reference, for we have before us a Plan of Action and a draft resolution. The Council has to take a clear and explicit decision regarding this Plan of Action. All members of the Council should express their views very clearly by saying yes or no. I cannot clearly understand whether the delegate of Columbia agrees to the Plan of Action and the draft resolution before us, or whether he does not agree. I address myself to the delegate of Colombia: did he agree to the Plan of Action and the draft resolution before us or not? I wish to have his response, yes or not.
G. BULA HOYOS (Colombia): Tal vez usted no siguió con atención mi declaración. En un momento dije que la delegación apoya el Proyecto de Resolución que aparece a continuación del párrafo 39. ¿Es esto suficiente?
CHAIRMAN (interpretation from Arabic): We are speaking of the Plan of Action before us, we are not speaking of particular paragraphs. We cannot simply support one or two paragraphs and say that we agree with the Plan of Action. I can assure the delegate of Colombia that I was listening to him very attentively and that is why I put my question to him.
G. BULA HOYOS (Colombia). Le ruego muy cordial y respetuosamente, señor Presidente, que tome su documento. En el párrafo 39, a continuación, aparece un proyecto de Resolución que es el Plan de Acción para la Seguridad Alimentaria Mundial. A ese proyecto de Resolución es al cual la delegación de Colombia reitera su plena acuerdo.
CHAIRMAN (interpretation from Arabic). I thank you deeply for this positive and splendid response.
I. MOSKOVITS (Malta): This item on our agenda is closely linked to the item discussed just before. Therefore I apologize if I repeat what has been said by previous speakers.
This delegation was privileged to attend the extremely interesting and very constructive Fourth Session of the FAO Council's Committee on World Food Security. As a food importing country Malta was from the outset highly interested in the problem of world food security. For this reason it was one of the first members of the Committee, as well as one of the first countries to subscribe to the International Undertaking on World Food Security. We have attended so far all the meetings of the Committee and we took part in all the discussions which preceded its setting up. We share the opinion that a workable system of food security is essential for mankind and feel also that such a system presupposes efficient and increased food production in developing countries. We have to realize, however, that such an increase in production has its limits in several countries. Unfortunately Malta is among such countries. For many reasons it is not and will not be in a position to produce its whole food requirements and will always be forced to rely on imports.
Where as on a worldwide global basis the degree of food security, as estimated by FAO, looks mathematically on paper rather satisfactory, the real situation is quite different. The overwhelming part of the grain stocks on which these calculations are based are located in two regions only, in North America and Oceania. Another important factor has to be taken into account: food requirements and imports of several developing countries show an increasing trend, due to an increase of their population, and their improved higher living standards, with which the increase of their production does not keep pace. Adding to these negative factors, also the insufficient response to the International Emergency Food Reserve, and to the 10 million yearly target which was already set up by the World Food Conference in 1974 and which has not been reached so far, it is clear that an indefinite interruption of the United Nations Negotiating Conference on our International Grains Agreement, expected to include effective provision for stockholding, price stabilization, food aid and special assistance to developing countries, created a particularly difficult situation. As a consequence the state of world food security is continuing to be uncertain and the reoccurrence of a world food crisis menacing. It was a particular merit of the Director-General to present as a temporary measure the so-called Five-Point Plan to the Fourth Session of the Committee on World Food Security, which however, as was stressed, is not a substitute for the International Grains Agreement but which, together with the Plan of Action, at least permits for the time being a return to the concepts and pledges of the International Undertaking on World Food Security. Both the Plan and the Plan of Action have been unanimously adopted by the Committee on World Food Security and embodied in a draft resolution for the consideration and the adoption of the Council. This delegation fully subscribes to this draft resolution and wishes to express its sincere hope that it will be unanimously and in its entirety adopted by the Council.
May I, Mr. Chairman, draw your attention and the attention of the Council to two other issues which were discussed at the last session of the World Food Security Committeee. You will certainly remember that the concept of the implementation of world food security was mainly based on a plan of the creation of a coordinated system of national reserves. This seems to us the right solution for big developing countries. The position of small countries is however different. The setting up of national reserves is costly, the building of storage facilities, the management and the administration of the relatively small reserves absorb considerable expenses. In these circumstances the idea of the constitution of regional reserves in food deficit areas as well as in areas vulnerable to natural and man-made disasters has been developed. From the discussions of the World Food Security Committee and also from other information it is increasingly evident that this idea is gaining ground. FAO carried out a feasibility study at the request of the Ministerial Council for drought control in the Sahel and presented a paper on this matter for the Second Arab Conference on Food Science and Technology held in March 1979 in Riyadh. The Group of Asian countries decided on a draft agreement on an Asian Emergency Rice Reserve, totalling initially 50 000 tonnes.
May I in this respect mention and reiterate the offer of the Government of Malta, indicated in paragraph 35 of the Report of the Fourth Session of the Committee on World Food Security, to establish a regional food reserve for neighbouring Mediterranean and also for African countries at a strategic location of Malta, where storage and other facilities could be converted at minimum cost and where handling, transport and storage rates were competitive. As the quoted paragraph further adds: "Some other delegates suggested that this offer should receive careful examination by the countries concerned". This delegation would be grateful to the Council if it would reaffirm its interest in this matter.
Finally, let me say a few words on the Global Information and Early Warning System. We fully share the opinion that the activities of this small unit of FAO are highly valuable. It is highly regrettable that some major food producing and importing countries have not yet joined the system, as they are also absent from the International Undertaking on World Food Security. Perhaps it would be useful if the Council would invite the respective governments to join the Global Information and Early Warning System - a worldwide coverage of its work would be beneficial to all.
This delegation accepts all the other recommendations which the Committee formulated in order to increase the efficiency of the system listed in paragraph 57 of its report and took note that the Director-General, as was indicated during the meeting of the Committee, provided a very modest increase of $150 000 in its 1980/81 budget for this purpose. We are however a little doubtful whether this modest increase will be sufficient to develop further this valuable service of FAO and to extend its coverage. We reserve therefore the right to come back on this problem in the discussion on the Summary Programme of Work 1980/81 on our agenda.
CHAIRMAN (interpretation from Arabic): I assure the delegate of Malta that he will have the right to the floor at any time he likes. We thank him for supporting the Plan of Action and the draft resolution and we hope, as he hopes, that this support and approval will be unanimous at our Council. As for the other points referred to by him, particularly paragraph 35, we naturally hope that there will be effective and positive steps for the acceptance and implementation of this proposal put forward by the Government of Malta.
S.A. PERVEZ (Pakistan): We have read document CL 75/10, which is the Report of the Fourth Session of the Committee on World Food Security, with great interest.
Before we venture to make any comments on this report we would lika to say a few words on the context in which we suggest the Council should consider this document. world food security is proving to be an elusive mirage. The international community has been grappling with this problem for some time now, and the best way to describe the existing situation is to quota a line from Shakespeare's famous play Macbeth in which on being asked how the battle stood, the response was "as two spent swimmers do cling to each other and choke their art."
The United Nations Negotiating Conference on a Maw International Grains Arrangement to replace the International Wheat Agreement 1971, as extended, stands adjourned indefinitely. Ambassador Dunkel, the Chairman of the Conference, in his concluding remarks just before the Conference adjourned said that he would convene the Conference only when he felt satisfied that the developed and the developing countries had harrowed their differences to make an agreement possible. When this happy situation will arise no one knows. What do we do meanwhile? Should we, like the poet Browning, simply say "Cod is in his heaven and all is well with the world." I apologize if I sound poetic, but the subject matter of the document under consideration is close to our heart and therefore, I hope you will permit us this liberty. Very bluntly, and very briefly, there is nothing standing between the world today and the catastrophe which nearly overtook us in the early seventies. The outlook is turning bleak. World production has declined and there will not be enough to feed the world's teeming millions unless we draw upon reserves.
It is in this context that we should view the Director-General's Five Point Plan of Action. The Plan of Action commends itself on various scores. First and most important it is voluntary in nature. Those who desire are at complete liberty to opt out, although we are confident that no one will do so. Secondly, the Plan of Action is not a substitute for a New International Grains Arrangement with stock, price and food aid provisions and with special provisions for developing countries which are indispensable for a durable and effective world food security system. Thirdly, another very important point in connexion with this plan is that it is a return to the concept and pledges of the International Undertaking on World Food Security. Most of what is suggested is to make it action-oriented. Nearly all those who have gathered around this table today have adopted the International Undertaking on World Food Security, and if any government has adopted the Undertaking then it should have no difficulty in accepting the Plan of Action. Fourthly, the Committee of the Whole of the United Nations established under General Assembly Resolution 32/174 has already welcomed the initiative of the Director-General in proposing this plan and requested appropriate bodies to give it careful consideration. The Committee on World Food Security, after considering the Plan of Action, has admitted it and also recommended a draft resolution for consideration by this body. This draft resolution is contained in the body of the report and we on our part fully support it.
Another point which we would like to make is that the Executive Secretary of the International Wheat Council participated fully in the proceedings of the Committee on World Food Security where this Plan of Action was discussed. The Executive Secretary of the International Wheat Council, a gentleman of impeccable rectitude and one of the most experienced individuals in this field, would not have sat by while the Committee on World Food Security adopted a course of action detrimental to the Negotiating Conference. To the best of our recollection he did not say anything to suggest that the Director-General's Plan of Action would have harmful consequences. On the contrary, it was our impression that he saw it as a good and positive interim measure.
There was a school of thought which Was of the view that the establishment of national stock policies and quantitative stock targets should be within the ambit of a legal binding international grains arrangement with clearly defined rights and obligations, but even this school of thought felt that the basic intent of the Plan should be endorsed. In fact, there was total agreement on the Plan, the only difference being over the intensity of support for it.
This being the situation, we now address ourselves to matters requiring attention by the Council. First, we fully support the Plan of Action. Second, we support the adoption of the draft resolution proposed for the Council's consideration, and third, that the Director-General, in accordance with rules, be requested to submit the Plan of Action to the Fifth Session of the World Food Council. It would at this stage be pertinent and relevant to mention that the President of the World Food Council has already welcomed this Plan of Action.
Reference has been made to the fact that UNCTAD V called on participating countries to intensify preparations with a view to the. speedy conclusion of an international wheat arrangement, covering price and market stability, adequate site of stock, special provisions relating to developing members, and a Food Aid Convention. We, of course, heartily welcome this since it echoes what has been said in many other fora. However, we do not see this in any way diminishing the urgency for this Council to approve the Flan of Action. In fact, the Plan of Action, as fully recognised by the Committee on World Food Security - and this we have pointed out earlier also - is mot meant to be a substitute for a new International Wheat Agreement, although it has soma aspects wfcich wo*la still remain to be pursued even after the new Agreement is concluded. Since the existing International Wheat Agreement has been extended for two years, a gap is going to exist for a lengthy period, during which there will be no Wheat Agreement with reserve stock provisions. In order to fill this void, at a time when the food situation remains uncertain, and when many developing countries face a rising incidence of food insecurity, this voluntary Plan of Action needs to be approved, here and now, by this Council. The link with the new International Wheat Augreement is, in fact, well recognized in the draft resolution before us, which in the operative paragraph 3 urges an early resumption and conclusion of the wheat negotiations.
A few words about the operation of the Global Information and Early Warning System. We have found this system to be useful and would recommend that the measures proposed in paragraph 57 should be accepted.
In conclusion, as far as Pakistan is concerned, we are trying to contribute our bit for easing the world food situation. In pursuance of the World Food Council decisions, we are planning to build up a minimum stock of 0.5 million tons of wheat. It is planned to increase this limit to 1 million tons. With this end in view, efforts have been made to improve storage capacity so as to avoid unnecessary grain losses. The present storage capacity stands at 2.6 million tons, and arrangements to add another capacity of 131 000 tons are already in hand. The construction of this additional capacity is likely to be completed by the end of the current financial year.
To improve transport arrangements, a national logistics cell has been established. In order to achie. ve self-Sufficiency in wheat production, requisite steps are being taken in the form of price incanti ves, subsidised salea of seeds and fertilisers, subsidy on sinking of deep tube wells for improving irrigation water supplies, and liberal import of tractors. However, import of fertilizer and form equipment is limited to availability of domestic resources and foreign assistance.
Pakistan is also trying to improve its crop reporting system. In this respect, UN assistance has also been sought. Also, steps ara being taken to improve the local arrangements. It is hoped that these steps will improve the accuracy as well as timeliness of the crop forecast.
CHAIRMAN (interpretation from Arabic): I wish to thank Pakistan for his interesting address. As a matter of fact, the contribu tien of Pakistan at the international level is well known to all concerned. Once again, I wish to thank you for your explicit acceptance of the Plan of Action with all the amala nations you have given, and I wish to tall Pakistan that God is everywhere, but he will help us only if we help ourselves. This is a truth that appears in all the heavenly teachings, and with the per* mission of the Council, I will now give the floor to Argentina. Argentina ha6 always been a country dear to our hearts, and particularly to mine.
C.O. KELLER SARMIENTO (Argentina); Señor Presidente, yo también quiero agradecerle la amabilidad con que está conduciendo nuestros debates y el carácter personal que está imprimiendo a nuestras conversaciones, generalmente tan frias y objetivas en el Consejo. Sus comentarios son valorados por mi delegación y enriquecen el contenido de nuestro debate; le agradezco sus amables palabras.
La delegación argentina intervino activamente en la celebración del Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria Mundial celebrado en Roma en Abril ultimo. Lo hizo en su carácter de país en desarrollo productor de alimentos y con la plena conciencia de deber compatibilizar debidamente la necesidad de una mayor seguridad alimentaria mundial hasta la conclusión de un nuevo acuerdo internacional sobre cereales, cuya responsabilidad incluye la seguridad alimentaria mundial y la constitución de reservas promueva el establecimiento de un instrumento jurídicamente vinculante que garantice cláusulas válidas sobre todos los aspectos de la cuestión que involucran producción, precio, constitución de reservas, liberación y comercialización.
Como es del conocimiento de este Consejo, desde hace anos se está tratando de instituçionalizar este complejo y tan importante problema de los cereales de un modo que pueda asegurar un incremento permanente sostenido en la producción que, como han dicho muchas delegaciones que me han precedido, es el único método viable de promover seguridad alimentaria mundial y que neutralice de una manera eficaz la cada vez mayor necesidad de alimentos en el mundo, garantizando al mismo tiempo una seguridad alimentaria constante dentro de un contexto global.
En oportunidad de su intervención en el Comité, la delegación argentina sostuvo, al considerarse el plan de seguridad alimentaria,' que si bien consideraba su deber agradecer al Director General de la FAO esta valiosa iniciativa tendiente a aliviar aspectos críticos, que pueden presentarse en este tema, la República Argentina está en unas condiciones muy especiales en su carácter de ser el único país en desarrollo gran productor de alimentos y, por lo tanto, del hecho de que su economía está directamente condicionada a la producción cerealera y a la posibilidad de su comercialización.
Compartimos plenamente el espíritu que anima al Director General de la FAO en el plan de procurar la posibilidad de enfrentarse con mayores recursos en los momentos de crisis que puedan presentarse en el futuro inmediato y exhortar procedimientos que tengan en cuenta la constitución de reservas por parte de los Estados para hacer frente a este tipo de situación, pero consideramos también, tal como lo señala debidamente el informe contenito en el documento CL 75/10, que en su párrafo 23 expresa la opinion de varias delegaciones, entre ellas la nuestra que cito; ''a la vez que apoyaban el propósito básico del Plan y ponían de relieve la actitud positiva y constructiva de sus gobiernos en pro de la seguridad alimentaria mundial, indicaban que tenían alguna dificultad en aceptar determinados aspectos del Plan en su formulación presente. En particular, opinaban que las políticas nacionales y los objetivos cuantitativos de existencias debían establecerse en el contexto de un acuerdo internacional sobre cereales, jurídicamente obligatorio, con derechos y obligaciones claramente definidos y con un mecanismo convenido de precios para la acumulación y liberación de existencias. Expresaron asimismo que en este momento no existía ninguna base institucional para establecer objetivos nacionales de existencias, pero sí mecanismos para obtener este resultado".
Debemos recordar también el párrafo 24 del informe que subraya los problemas especiales de los países en desarrollo exportadores y la necesidad de orientar y participar en los programas de ayuda alimentaria comprando alimentos de esos países siempre que sea posible.
Mi delegación comparte, asimismo, el párrafo 29 del documento que destaca el marco preferencial en que debiera situarse el plan y expresa, al igual que han hecho otros delegados, que no sustituirá a un acuerdo internacional sobre cereales que contendría disposiciones adecuadas en materia de existencia, precios y ayuda alimentaria y que sería indispensable para establecer un sistema duradero y eficaz de seguridad alimentaria.
El Plan era, además, una medida provisional que contenía algunos elementos que serían complementarios al nuevo acuerdo internacional sobre los cereales previstos en la Conferencia de Negociaciones.
Por lo tanto, se trata a nuestro juicio, de un documento amplio y flexible que permite que se adopten las decisiones necesarias para implementarlo a nivel nacional y que deberá ser reconsiderado en caso de conseguirse un nuevo acuerdo de cereales tal como se expresa en el párrafo 29.
En ese espíritu, la delegación argentina no tiene por el momento más observaciones que formular al proyecto de resolución en el párrafo 39, al cual no se opone y se adherirá al consenso que el Consejo resuelva adoptar sobre el particular.
CHAIRMAN: (interpretation from Arabic): I deeply thank the distinguished delegate of Argentina, and also Argentina's considerate support to the interests of the developing countries. This is something we have always been proud of.
With this we adjourn and will resume our work at 2.30 p.m.
The meeting rose at 12.50 hours
La seance est levée à 12 h 50
Se levanta la sesión a las 12.50 horas
