CHAIRMAN: The first item on our agenda for this morning is item 8.1.
I am happy to welcome the Executive Director of the World Food Programme, Mr. Ingram, in our midst, whom I will request to introduce his item.
J. C. INGRAM (World Food Programme): It is a pleasure to present to this Council the Eighth Annual Report of the Committee on Food Aid Policies and Programmes which cover the year 1982. As you know, the Committee is required by its general regulations to report annually to this Council and to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations as well as to submit periodic and special reports to the World Food Council. This requirement is in accordance with the nature of the World Food Programme which was created by the parallel and agreed action at the United Nations General Assembly and the FAO Conference.
This year, 1983, marks the twentieth anniversary of the World Food Programme. Since it first commenced operations in 1963 the Programme has committed more than $5 billion of assistance to over 1 100 development projects in 114 developing countries. In addition WFP has provided more than $1 billion of food aid to almost 600 emergency operations in 103 countries. In total this assistance has helped 170 million people.
In addition in 1982 the World Food Programme committed $613 million to 68 development projects in 37 countries, an increase of 13 percent over the value of 1981 commitments. In addition $193 million was approved for 68 emergency operations.
The Programme is increasingly seen as a valuable multilateral development assistance organization. Indeed it is now the largest source of assistance apart from the World Bank group within the United Nations system. This situation casts a special responsibility both on the CFA as the governing body of WFP, and on the Secretariat which serves it, to make the best possible use of food aid to meet human needs and to make the maximum contribution to development.
Whatever WFP has achieved over these twenty years, and I think its achievements are substantial, must be set against the basic fact that the international assistance effort remains inadequate, that the numbers of the poor and hungry are growing, and if present adverse international economic conditions continue, will grow at an expanding rate. Measured against these grim facts the achievements of WFP are not a cause for self-satisfaction but for redoubling efforts in the light of critical examination to determine what we can do better.
This is indeed the approach being taken by the Programme itself with the endorsement of the CFA to mark its twentieth anniversary. Our efforts have been primarily directed towards making the Programme better known with a view to attracting additional resources. The modest steps being taken are described in the report before you. They include arrangements for the issuing of commemorative stamps and medals, the production of a booklet and a film, wall sheets and posters and articles in various journals. A number of governments are also giving recognition to the anniversary and information material is being distributed to assist them. Arrangements are in hand for a seminar later in the year to bring together some of the best thinking and experience on food aid issues from donor and recipient countries.
It is our hope that the conclusions of the seminar will help to devise new directions for food aid so that this form of assistance can make the maximum contribution to the solution of emergency development problems in the 1980s.
But the best contribution to this Anniversary would be to reach the target for the current biennium as well as the increased target for the 1985/86 biennium which has already been unanimously adopted by the CFA. The latter target of $1.35 billion represents an increase of 12.5 percent over the current target of $1.2 billion. I had proposed a larger figure because I am very conscious of the growing needs of developing countries in these difficult times and of the desirability of channelling more food aid multilaterally. In all the circumstances, however, I regard the unanimous endorsement of the figure of $1.35 billion as a real achievement which will enable WFP to sustain its steady expansion of activities.
Moreover, since the agreed target represents the consensus of the Committee, I am hopeful that it can be attained and even surpassed. I am confident that this Council, as well as the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, will endorse the target adopted by the CFA and so lay a firm basis for the future activities of WFP.
The year 1982 saw a significant expansion in the activities and resources of the Programme, By the end of the year pledges for the biennium 1981/82 totalled $838 million. While it is a matter of regret that the target was not fully achieved, the outlook for the current biennium 1983/84 is more encouraging. Before the beginning of this current biennium pledges totalled $993 million or 83 percent of the target of $1.2 billion. Because of the impact of currency fluctuations on pledges made in local currencies, the total value of pledges, even with five additional countries, was reduced to $951 million at 31st May 1983. But this amount is still the highest ever pledged to the Programme.
Moreover, while the current low level of food prices and freight rates continues, WFP can in fact deliver larger quantities than a simple comparison of the figure with earlier years would suggest. We are nevertheless concerned at the decline in the number of donors. Pledges for the biennium 1981/82 were made by 99 donors, but for 1983/84 pledges have so far been received from only 65 donors. An analysis of the figures shows that of the major donors only two or three have not yet pledged. In their cases we can assume that the lag is accounted for by budgetary and other processes and that pledges will eventually be made. Our concern therefore is with pledges from developing countries.
Since its inception the Programme has been supported by developed and developing countries. Most of the latter are in a position to make only small contributions but these have never been regarded as merely tokens. The resources they make available can be particularly valuable in providing suitable foodstuffs within their own regions and in minimising transport costs. Moreover, their strong support for the Programme has made it a truly international organization.
While I realize that many developing countries are going through times of great difficulties, it is of the utmost importance that they continue their support for the Programme by making contributions, no matter how small, so that the number of developing country contributors will rise from their present level of 41 in the 1983/84 biennium to reach the level of 71 attained in 1981/82.
I urge the members of this Council to do everything they can to assist in achieving this result.
In developing its Programme WFP continues to give priority to the poorest people in the most needy countries. More than 80 percent of 1982 commitments were for development projects in low-income food-deficit countries, and about half of this amount was committed in sub-Saharan African. WFP is thus doing its best to contribute to the massive international effort which is required to reverse the deteriorating food situation in the African continent.
While this focus on the needs of low-income food-deficit countries will continue, it should not divert our attention altogether from the problems of middle-income countries. Many of these countries have been badly damaged by the contraction of the international economy. The structural adjustments which they are obliged to undertake inevitably cause additional hardships to the poorest of their people. WFP assistance can help such countries to ameliorate this hardship through careful use of food aid in association with other measures undertaken by their governments.
Of course, in making such assistance available, we look to a stronger commitment on the part of the recipient government and a higher standard of administration than one can reasonably require of most low-income countries.
Food aid is sometimes conceived as a limited instrument of development. In fact, as utilized by WFP, food has shown a remarkable versatility in the types of development it can support. This versatility requires a correspondingly wide range of technical support in the preparation and appraisal of projects. Members of this Council will be well aware that WFP has always drawn its technical support from the United Nations system. The FAO is involved in one way or another in virtually all the projects which come forward for approval, but assistance is also drawn regularly from the United Nations itself; notably its Department of Technical Cooperation for Development, from ILO - particularly for labour intensive works, for training and community institutions as well as cooperatives;
from WHO for health and nutrition projects and from UNESCO for projects such as school feeding. The services of these agencies are supplemented as required by drawing on the special expertise of other agencies such as UNICEF and UNFPA. Coordination of these inputs to achieve the best possible project is the key to the effective use of WFP resources.
In recent years we have moved increasingly into multi-purpose projects designed to achieve integrated action across a very wide range in the hope that thereby there would be a greater impact on national development. Many of these projects contribute to food security in terms of the wider definition endorsed by the FAO Committee on Food Security. Activities of this nature are complex and require not only a wide ranging appraisal but also cooperation on the ground with many other agencies, multilateral and bilateral, which are involved in the same endeavour.
The more complex the project and the larger the number of agencies involved, the more difficult implementation becomes. Members of the CFA have in fact from time to time expressed reservations about the problems inherent in particular, complex projects; but nevertheless they have encouraged us to continue with this approach as one of the best ways of using food aid for development. Clearly, what we need to do is to strike a balance between the fully integrated project which can be so complex as to be unworkable, and the simple, single purpose projects in which food objectives are more limited but for that reason more easily attainable. This we are endeavouring to do guided by our tradition of being a pragmatic organization devoted to making assistance available quickly and effectively. Some of the projects approved in 1982 illustrate the foregoing observations.
In Ecuador, for example, a $15 million project was approved for the construction of rural infrastructure and support for productive activities by peasant communities, particularly in the most oppressed rural areas. The Government proposes to integrate the isolated actions carried out previously by a number of separate institutions, to promote cooperation in community development and facilites the creation of peasant associations. Appraisal of this project required the cooperation of WFP, FAO, the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements and WHO.
WFP assistance to transmigration and settlement projects in Indonesia is part of a much wider international effort to assist that country to address the problems of over-population in the inner islands and achieve more balanced regional development. UNDP, FAO, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, the European Community and a number of bilateral donors including the United States of America, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Federal Republic of Germany and France are all involved in this effort.
Evaluation of previous projects has already demonstrated that food aid, besides improving settlers' nutritional standards, encourages them to clear and cultivate larger areas of their land and so increases incomes and outputs.
Given the wide range of assistance involved in these transmigration projects, we are presently examining the desirability of a collaborative evaluation with some of the other agencies concerned.
An even larger cooperative effort is associated with the multi-purpose rural development project in Benin for which the CFA has now approved a three-year expansion of $13 million. This project brings together eight sub-projects embracing the development of human resources, economic and social infrastructure and directly productive projects. In effect, WFP food is being used as a key input in a major national effort to increase production and improve living conditions in the rural area of one of Africa's poorest countries. Assistance is also provided by FAO, UNDP, UNICEF, the World Bank, The African Development Bank, WHO, UNESCO and other United Nations agencies as well as a very large number of bilateral donors. The results of these efforts are already visible in an improvement of rural life and again demonstrate that food aid can make a powerful contribution to development when properly integrated with assistance from other sources.
There is one other project of more than usual interest approved by the CFA in 1982 which might also be mentioned. This is a $24 million project for food aid to vulnerable groups in Vietnam. This project will assist the Vietnamese government to make use of a weaning food plant to combat severe malnutrition among young children and will also provide assistance to nursing mothers. The plant has been erected with equipment supplied by UNICEF which will also provide some of the inputs for its operations. When the project came before the CFA it received support from many delegations because of its humanitarian nature, but others expressed reservations about other aspects as well as the general circumstances relevant to the project. Although these differences ran deep, it was eventually decided that the project could proceed, subject to evaluation in the second year.
Given the nature of the differences involved, I regard the approval of the project as a valuable reaffirmation of the essential multilateral nature of WFP. Respect for the philosophy on which multilateral aid has been developed is the vital foundation of the Committee's work as the governing body of WFP and I am encouraged that it will continue along this path.
In addition to its developmental work, WFP has always played a special role in the provision of food aid in emergency situations. The need for such assistance has unfortunately grown apace in recent years, mainly on account of the increase in large scale manmade disasters. In 1982, the total value of emergency food aid approved was $193 million, slightly above the previous high point reached in 1980. This sum provided more than 500,000 tons of food for distribution to more than 11 million people.
Almost 70% of this assistance was directed to refugees and displaced persons particularly for Afghan refugees in Pakistan, the victims of the Kampuchean emergency, both in that country and along the Thai border, and the refugees in Somalia. In all three of these major relief operations, WFP has assumed a co-ordinating role on behalf of the international community; in one case, we are specifically co-ordinating food aid and related activities on behalf of the Secretary General of the United Nations and working closely with his Special Representative.
In order to better equip WFP to deal with emergencies, a number of administrative measures have been taken during the year. The Emergency Unit has been strengthened and raised to the level of a Service under the direction of an experienced Field Officer. Proposals for overcoming management and logistical problems in the developing countries concerned have been endorsed by the CFA and steps have been taken to evaluate selected emergency operations to provide better guidance for the future. In order to sustain within the Secretariat the sense of urgency critical to emergency operations, weekly meetings are held by WFP senior management with relevant staff, to examine new requests and follow up implementation of requests already approved.
In much of its emergency work, WFP has to work closely with a large number of international agencies, bilateral donors and non-governmental organizations. Emergency assistance is a complex exercise and good co-operation between all those involved is essential - and, generally speaking, I am pleased to say, is very willingly given.
The General Regulations of the Programme provide that requests for emergency assistance will be made to the Director General of FAO who will then request the Executive Director of the Programme to examine the request and make a recommendation before taking a decision on it. A very close working relationship has been established between WFP and FAO in order to make these arrangements work satisfactorily; it is my intention to do everything possible to make this relationship even better.
The resources provided to meet emergencies now come primarily from the International Emergency Food Reserve with the funds allocated annually by the CFA from WFP's own resources being a small, but valuable supplement. In 1982, the IEFR provided $172 million towards total emergency assistance of $193 million.
While contributions to the IEFR have made possible the massive emergency operations already mentioned, they nevertheless in 1982 fell short of the target of 500,000 tons of grain - although more than 500,000 tons of food commodities were available. The latest figures indicate that 399,000 tons of cereals have been made available to the IEFR through WFP so far this year. In addition 65,000 tons on a bilateral basis and 24,000 tons of non-cereal products have been provided.
It has been pointed out that the IEFR is not functioning in the manner which seems to have been intended by its founders, with the result that it might be better described as a facility rather than a reserve. I share the point of view of those who want to see the magnitude of the Reserve increased and its multilateral character improved. However, if these objectives are to be shared by the international community, a much clearer articulation of the objectives and modalities of using food aid in emergencies may be required. It was with these considerations in mind that I came to the conclusion that the first step towards a larger, more effective and better structured system of international emergency food assistance was to consider more closely the various categories of emergencies and criteria for responding to them. Such an analysis should assist in establishing that climate of confidence in the international community needed to facilitate agreement on expansion of emergency resources and arrangements to guarantee that they will be available when required in a fully multilateral structure. In considering this matter further, I will of course be consulting closely with the Director General of FAO as well as with other agencies involved.
The issues about which I have spoken are only a few of the many challenges before the Programme as it seeks to make an ever more helpful contribution to meeting the needs of developing countries. These and other challenges were discussed in my recent statement to the CFA. Here I would simply like to repeat my commitment to do everything possible to raise the average standard of our operations, by project and by country, to the current best level - which, by any measure, is very good indeed. Success in this endeavour will justify even greater support by donors while maximising the developmental impact of our assistance to developing countries.
S.P. MÜKERJI (India): My delegation congratulates the United Nations/FAO World Food Programme and its Executive Director, Mr. Ingram and his staff on his completing successfully the teenage-adolescent period and entering the maturity of 20 years of life. The WFP is one of the largest resource giving organizations in the United Nations system for agricultural and rural development and for providing immediate relief to peoples in the developing countries afflicted by manmade and natural disasters. Naturally the Council is vitally interested in its activities and in the deliberations of the Committee on Food Aid which guides and monitors its activities.
My delegation notes with satisfaction the progress made by the WFP in collecting and distributing food aid multilaterally. In 1982 about $600 million worth of assistance was committed to development projects of which 80% went to the low-income food-deficit countries, 70% of the development assistance was on agriculture and rural development. 85% of the purchases made by the WFP from its own resources were from developing countries.
The IEFR target of 500,000 tons was exceeded in 1982 for the first time. The food shipment target of 10 million tons was achieved to the extent of 8.9 million tons only during 1981/82.
India has been a regular and punctual contributor to the WFP. It also gave commodity loans to Bangladesh and Nepal through the World Food Programme. This was appreciated by the CFA and quoted as an example to be followed by others. I can assure the Executive Director of WFP that India would never be found remiss or defaulting in her contributions and assistance to the World Food Programme.
My delegation notes with some worry the steep increase in emergency assistance. There was a $15 million increase in emergency assistance in 1982 over 1981 and a record number of 68 emergency operations were approved in 1982. 69% of emergency assistance went to manmade disasters.
Again my delegation would like to make some suggestions on the work and programme of the WFP as it did on an earlier date on the Work and Programme of the FAO. Firstly, the report of the WFP may bring out in sharp focus the various policy and programme issues which the CFA grappled with and those on which the collective judgement of the Council and the ECOSOC will be necessary. It would also help if a covering note giving the policy issues and problems on which some thinking would be necessary is appended. A little updating of the report since it was drafted would also be helpful.
Secondly, the report could be a little more informative. For instance the resources target of $1500 million which had been considered as reasonable and necessary by the Secretary General of the United Nations and the Director-General of the FAO for 1985/86 was scaled down to an arithmetic mean of $1350 million between the present $1200 million and the proposed $1500 million. The justification of this arithmetical mean figure and the type of the discussions which the Chairman had with the Contact Group could have found an important place in the report. It is not clear whether the Chairman had some consultations with the Secretary-General of the United Nations or the FAO or the representatives who had endorsed the target of $1500. For one thing, my delegation would suggest that apart from the target of $1350 million the Council could suggest a new line of assistance of about $150 million to be contributed in the shape of fertilizers which can be utilized by the WFP in productive programmes as part of the food security strategy. Further, the report could bring out how the WFP and FAO operations are integrated in the beneficiary countries. Both WFP and FAO are engaged in assisting the developing countries in increasing food production and to give an element of food security and to develop the infrastructure of rural development.
In an orchestrated manner these two streams of assistance can have a synergic effect - that is, the total benefit accruing to the country will be more than the sum of each one's activities. In a disintegrated manner they may be counter-productive and wasteful, if not confusing.
For instance, the construction of a road under the emergency food relief could be integrated with the agricultural development programme of the FAO by aligning the road between the growth center and the market. Likewise FAO's agricultural development programme and WFP's forestry programme can be integrated on a watershed basis. !
I think the CFA should go into these issues and give some policy suggestions in the annual report so that the Council can give a meaningful guideline for coordinating FAO and WFP programmes.
The figures of food aid distributed by the WFP are impressive. It would have been helpful if the report had given an indication how far the food aid contributed to the efficiency of food production and improving the nutritional status of the recipient countries.
In one of the meeting of the CFA a few years ago I said that food aid should be used to end food aid, meaning that the food aid should help countries to increase their food production so that the need for food assistance is reduced or removed. It is time that we should evaluate how far we have succeeded in doing so. Perhaps some sample studies could be undertaken. To what extent there has been interaction between WFP and its co-sponsors, the UN and FAO, on strengthening food security may also be mentioned. Perhaps an institutional arrangement is necessary and an organizational linking up with them.
The recommendations of the Committee on Food Security, the FAO Council or FAO Conference on matters of food assistance and food security could be considered by the CFA, and action taken thereon should be included specifically in a chapter of the CFA report. Action taken in achieving food aid targets and removing uncertainties of the IEFR replenishments could have been of special interest to the Council. An organization like WFP, according to my delegation, could possibly drow up a chapter of its objectives and mandate derived from its own deliberations, from the general deliberations and also from the FAO objectives, as also from the World Food Conference resolution on an approved policy for food aid. Having spelt out the objectives and mandate one could translate that into policy and tasks and programmes from year to year. A continuous evaluation of these programmes and policy could be made at CFA level in the context of these objectives.
Policy changes could be made or projected to the Council or ECOSOC in the annual reports or otherwise. This would assist not only the WFP, but FAO and ECOSOC in their policy, in their programmes and in achieving an integrated approach.
On the 20th anniversary of the WFP, let us initiate a new approach, a new emphasis on results, a new emphasis on objective-oriented programmes on which evaluation from within and co-ordination with other agencies.
I am sure that under the leadership of the Executive-Director these qualitative changes will be brought about without much difficulty. I again congratulate the Executive-Director, Mr. Ingram, and his staff on the 20th Anniversary of the World Food Programme and the massive assistance and relief that it has been extending to the suffering and deprived peoples of the world.
A.F.M. de FREITAS (Brazil): I would like to thank Mr. Ingram for his comprehensive and enlightening introduction to this subject. The Council has now at its disposal not only the report dealing with the World Food Programme but also the policy indications and the clear outlines of the action of the World Food Programme as described by its Executive-Director.
The 8th Annual Report of the Committee on Food Aid Policies and Programmes addressed to the FAO Council, ECOSOC and the World Food Council, as contained in document CL 83/6, indicates some of the highlights for the activities of the World Food Programme in 1982.
Among them I would like to mention the 13% increase in new commitments as compared with the level of the previous year. I also notice that 80% of all commitments for 1982 were for development projects in the low-income food-deficit countries, while 20% were assigned to projects in the other developing countries.
My delegation wholeheartedly supports this proportional distribution of the resources of the Programme and expresses the view that this percentage apportionment is fully respectful of the principle of universality which should preside over the agencies which deal with development assistance and emergency aid.
My delegation would also like to underline the special emphasis given by the World Food Programme to countries in sub-Sahara Africa which for the last few years have been suffering from a particularly distressing food situation and therefore deserve special treatment from the international community.
With respect to the pledging target for the period 1985/86, while acknowledging that both the growing needs of the developing countries for food aid and the capacity of the Programme to manage resources would fully justify the proposed target of $1500 million, my delegation had to admit the fact that this target would not be acceptable to the most important donors. Under these circumstances a more modest target of $1350 million was generally supported by the Committee on Food Aid Policies and Programmes•
My delegation associated itself with the consensus and it wishes now to express the hope that both additional and new donors may join efforts to reach this proposed target.
This year is also the 20th anniversary of the World Food Programme. My delegation wishes to convey to Mr. James Ingram and to his colleagues, who now have the responsibility to direct the activities of the Programme, the gratitude of all those who have benefited from its action throughout the world. The achievements of the Programme during this period are known to all of us and to all developing countries in particular. I do not need to dwell on them, but I would like this Council to put on record the recognition of its members for the task accomplished by the World Food Programme and its good wishes for the work to be done in the future.
TESSEMA NEGASH (Ethiopia): We have listened to the introductory statement by the Executive-Director. We have also studied with great interest the 8th Annuali Report of the Committee on Food Aid Policies and Programmes.
We fully agree that WFP is one of the success stories of the UN system. According to the report before us, document CL 83/6, and as mentioned by the Executive-Director, during its twenty years of operation the Programme has committed about $5.3 billion of assistance to over 1,100 development projects in 114 developing countries. About 170 million people are estimated to have benefited directly from the Programme's development and emergency assistance.
During this period the Programme had undergone both qualitative as well as quantitative transformation and, as indicated in the report, has now become one of the major funding programmes of the United Nations system.
In 1982 alone WFP committed $613 million, or 13% more than the preceding year, for 68 development projects. Two million tons, or 35% more, of food aid has been shipped.
On the other hand, the last CFA meeting approved the target of $1.35 billion pledged for the regular resources of the Programme for the biennium 1985/86. Considering the budgetary growth trend in other UN systems and the tight financial situation in donor countries, this is the most commendable achievement, although far short of the actual need.
We have also noted that countries rated "X" by certain donor nations have started benefiting from WFP's assistance, which is additional witness for the even-handed approach in managing the Programme.
All these clearly demonstrate the success story I have mentioned earlier, for which the CFA, the Executive Director and his able staff should be commended. Our special tribute goes particularly to the Executive Director, Mr. James Ingram, for his persuasive personality, compassionate and evenhanded leadership, which must have enabled the World Food Programme to attract unprecedented resources and confidence both from developing and developed countries. We strongly urge the Executive Director to make every effort through continuous interaction with traditional as well as new donors to ensure that previous as well as new targets are met and surpassed. We too consider the achievement of these targets the best contribution to the 20th anniversary of the Programme.
Ethiopia is one of the many countries that have benefited from WFP's food aid assistance. The famous Project Ethiopia 2488, WFP' s water and soil coi)servation project, is well known to every member of the CFA. The Project, considered the most successful and most impressive by all standards, is a living monument testifying to the viability of food aid and WFP's use of food as a development agent.
A large quantity of emergency food assistance has reached the neediest sector of our population, especially those affected by recurrent drought over the last several years. We are thankful to WFP for these assistances and to those who enable the Programme to attain to our needs through their generous contributions.
No country wishes to be on the receiving end of a food aid programme. To fall under such a category is not an honour or a privilege either. Thus, we fully endorse the present criteria for food aid biased in favour of the neediest sector or region. We welcome the share of food aid, constituting about 80 percent, directed to low-income food-deficit countries. The proportion that went to Africa, which stands at about 40 percent of WFP's total development resources, although low in relation to the need of the region, can be considered quite satisfactory, especially considering overall situations in other developing regions.
We are happy to note WFP's continuous efforts to use food aid, including a portion of emergency aid, for productive agricultural undertakings. We fully support project-oriented food aid which has shown a rapid increase during the last years. Any effort to integrate food aid with overall development programmes deserves every support.
WFP's triangular transactions have proved to be most successful both in terms of cost and speed of delivery. We therefore strongly urge WFP to continue with such transactions whenever conditions permit. We also commend the Programme's innovative approach in cutting down on transportation costs and encourage further the use as much as possible of developing country vessels.
The continuous increase in the number of emergencies due to man-made or natural disasters necessitates special attention. The resources for relief and emergency assistance need to be augmented and the effectiveness of emergency operations further improved. Any efforts by the World Food Programme towards this end should be given the fullest support of the Council.
Finally, my delegation fully supports the adoption of the draft resolution which appears as Annex II in the report before us.
H. NAKAGAWA (Japan): To begin with, my delegation would like to express its sincere appreciation for the excellent performance record which WFP has maintained throughout its twenty years of existence. In the beginning, WFP started out on an experimental basis and gradually developed into an effective international agency by implementing food aid in order to assist developing countries by promoting their economic and social development. My Government appreciates very much the recent efforts made by WFP to utilize its resources in creating agriculture and rural development projects especially in the low-income food-deficit countries. We hope that WFP will continue to carry out its duties, keeping in mind the need for effectiveness and efficiency in applying food aid.
In regard to the new target of $1.35 billion for the period 1985-86, my delegation would like to place emphasis on the fact that this new target has been approved by consensus at the Fifteenth CFA Session in a spirit of cooperation and mutual understanding despite the existence of the present serious problems facing all countries in the world today. Considering the circumstances, my delegation strongly feels that the burdens involved in making contributions should be shared not only by the traditional donors but also by all possible new donors.
R.C. SERSALE DI CERISANO (Argentina): En primer lugar, Señor Presidente, quisiera felicitar al Señor Ingram por la completa exposición de la importante labor que realiza el PMA.
Debido a que la Argentina este año ha concurrido en calidad de Observador al Comité de Políticas y Programas de Ayuda Alimentaria, es que vemos con gran placer la oportunidad que tenemos como miembros del Consejo para expresar nuestra opinión sobre la importante labor de este Organismo. En este sentido damos nuestro total apoyo al Octavo Informe Anual del Comité de Políticas y Programas de Ayuda Alimentaria y al documento que se refiere a los veinte años de actividades del PMA. Ambos son expresión, de que los veinte años de experiencia del Programa han dejado un balance muy positivo que se refleja en que el crecimiento del Programa lo fue no sólo cuantitativamente, sino también en lo cualitativo en cuanto a instrumento de desarrollo económico y social.
Sin ninguna duda nos hubiera gustado que el objetivo propuesto de 1 500 millones de dólares para el período 1985/86, fuera el que hoy aprobáramos; no obstante coincidimos en que debería lograrse un consenso sobre los objetivos, y en este contexto manifestamos nuestro acuerdo con la cifra de 1 350 millones de dólares.
Queremos también referirnos a una cuestión que nunca hemos dejado de hacerlo cada vez que analizamos la labor del Programa; esto es el criterio de universalidad que debe primar en las autoridades del Programa al estudiar las distribuciones regionales de las asignaciones para el desarrollo agrícola y rural. En este sentido hemos visto con satisfacción la declaración del Sr. Ingram durante el último período de sesiones del CPA, declaración que hoy fue reiterada en la presentación de este punto cuando se refirió al papel que le correspondería jugar dentro de las asignaciones a los países de ingresos medios.
Tener criterio de universalidad, implica compatibilizar el hecho de que siga destinándose la mayoría de las asignaciones a proyectos en países de bajos ingresos, con déficit de alimentos y a la vez atender también el desarrollo agrícola y rural del resto del mundo en desarrollo. Nosotros creemos que ello es posible y la orientación que parece empieza a prevalecer en las autoridades del Programa va encaminada hacia ese fin.
La Argentina apoya este esfuerzo y queremos asegurar nuestro compromiso para cooperar con él.
A. RODRIGUES PIRES (Cap-Vert): Comme je dois m'absenter dès cet après-midi pour me rendre dans mon pays au deuxième Congrès du Parti, je m'excuse auprès de vous M. le Président et auprès des délégués car mon intervention sera un peu longue étant donné que je dois la faire sur deux documents très importants, le document CL 83/6 et le document CL 83/19.
Tout d'abord, nous tenons à associer notre voix à celle des délégués qui nous ont précédés pour féliciter M. Ingram, Directeur exécutif du PAM, pour la remarquable présentation du Programme et du travail important du PAM.
Permettez-moi d'abord d'attaquer la question par le document CL 83/6. J'ai quelques problêmes avec ce document. J'ai d'abord remarqué que c'était un document du PAM pour la session du CPA d'avril auquel on avait mis une nouvelle couverture et je me suis posé la question: est-ce un document du Secrétariat du PAM ou le rapport du CPA lui-même? Ensuite, j'ai été quelque peu dérouté si vous me permettez cette expression, par le titre du document: il s'agit d'un rapport annuel et effectivement la première partie et l'annexe I donnent des informations sur ce qui s'est passé en 1982, mais au paragraphe 42 du même document on traite des objectifs des contributions pour 1985/86. Alors je ne comprends pas très bien le format de ce document et je me demande pourquoi on n'y parle pas aussi de ce qui se passe en 1983 et de ce qui est prévu pour 1984? Enfin, je me pose la question: qu'a dit la CPA sur les résultats obtenus en 1982 par le PAM et quel est maintenant le rôle du Conseil en examinant ce document?
Aussi j'appuie sans réserve toute proposition qui permettrait au Conseil de mieux connaître les problèmes dont le CPA a eu à débattre et les observations du Comité sur les réalisations du Programme.
Si vous le permettez, je passe maintenant au document CL 83/19. Ma délégation a lu avec grand intérêt le document en question qui nous est soumis. Elle voudrait appuyer sans réserve la proposition du Directeur général visant à associer la FAO, son Conseil et sa Conférence, à la commémoration du vingtième anniversaire du Programme alimentaire mondial ONU/FAO. Elle marque en particulier son accord sur les paragraphes 22 et 23 de notre document.
C'est avec un sentiment de fierté que j'ai pris connaissance, aux paragraphes 11 à 15,des performances remarquables du PAM au cours de ses vingt années d'existence. Engager six milliards de dollars d'assistance dans plus de 1 100 projets de développement dans 114 pays n'est assurément pas une mince entreprise. En utilisant avec efficacité l'aide alimentaire comme un investissement, comme un outil de développement sans décourager la production locale, le PAM a su habilement se conformer aux voeux et répondre aux espoirs de ses fondateurs et des Etats Membres de l'ONU et de la FAO.
Evidemment, la PAM n'a pas été créé dans un vacuum. Ce fut une entreprise conjointe de la FAO et des Nations Unies et il n'a cessé de recevoir de ces organisations, comme cela était prévu dans ses règles et procédures, tout l'appui et toutes les directives nécessaires.
Comme le document le mentionne d'ailleurs, il y a une complémentarité naturelle entre la FAO et le PAM puisque près des trois quarts des engagements du PAM sont consacrés à des projets de développement agricole et rural, priorité numéro un et responsabilité constitutionnelle de la FAO.
Nous apprécions que ces performances du PAM aient pu être réalisées avec des dépenses d'administration fort modestes, de l'ordre de six pour cent. Nous savons évidemment que ceci n'a été possible que parce que le PAM a toujours bénéficié de l'infrastructure de la FAO dans le domaine administratif et de sa capacité et de ses connaissances techniques dans la formulation des projets. Il est bon qu'il en soit ainsi.
D'ailleurs cette coopération ne peut que se renforcer encore si l'on veut mettre en pratique ce que le Comité des politiques et programmes d'aide alimentaire a souligné récemment, à savoir l'intégration toujours plus poussée de l'aide alimentaire dans les programmes et plans nationaux de développement. Pour mon pays c'est une chose très importante. Seule la FAO a la capacité technique nécessaire pour aider le PAM a réaliser un tel objectif.
En terminant, je voudrais féliciter le Directeur général de l'initiative qu'il a prise pour commémorer les vingt ans du PAM et l'assurer de toute la coopération de mon pays à cette occasion.
Nous appuyons son intention d'adresser un message, d'émettre des médailles commémoratives et d'organiser une exposition au moment de la Conférence. Nous marquons aussi notre accord pour que le Conseil et la Conférence fassent appel aux donateurs traditionnels et potentiels pour que les objectifs fixés au PAM soient atteints, tant pour les contributions ordinaires que pour la Réserve alimentaire internationale d'urgence.
CHAIRMAN: I thank you, delegate from Cape Verde, for your intervention and wish you a safe journey home.
I would request the subsequent speakers not to refer to Item 8.2 just now because Mr. West will introduce it a little later, and I ask them to confine their remarks to Item 8.1.
Sra. E. HERAZO de VITI (Panama): La delegación de Panamá desea felicitar al Sr. Ingram, Director Ejecutivo del Programa Mundial de Alimentos, tanto por la presentación del tema como por sus ejecutorias en el año y meses que lleva al frente del PMA.
Sobre la discusión del tema 8: Octavo Informe Anual del CPA al ECOSOC, al Consejo de la FAO y al Consejo Mundial de la Alimentación, la delegación de Panamá desea expresar el reconocimiento de nuestro Gobierno por la eficacia y la efectividad del Programa Mundial de Alimentos Naciones Unidas/ FAO, que naciera hace veinte años como brazo para la ayuda alimentaria del Sistema de las Naciones Unidas con objeto de proporcionar alimentos, como recursos de capital, en apoyo de proyectos de desarrollo económico y social y en tiempos de situaciones de urgencia en países en desarrollo.
Interpretamos la ayuda alimentaria como una acción que debe estar efectiva e íntimamente vinculada a los programas de desarrollo para beneficiar directamente a los grupos mal nutridos y a otros grupos económicamente vulnerables de la población e, igualmente, como bien se señala en el párrafo 10 del Documento CL 83/6, si bien su labor se viene a concentrar primordialmente en esfuerzos que tienen que ver con el desarrollo, debe destacarse en su justa medida la labor del PMA en la atención a situaciones de urgencia.
El Gobierno de Panamá lo ha comprobado en distintas oportunidades y recientemente en la respuesta que estamos recibiendo del PMA en relación a serios problemas que ha tenido mi país por causas de una prolongada sequía que afecto fuertemente a importantes zonas agrícolas. A este propósito, agradece y aprecia la prontitud con la cual el Programa Mundial de Alimentos ha atendido nuestras necesidades.
Por otra parte destacamos como muy positivas las conclusiones que se desprenden del séptimo examen anual de las políticas y los programas de ayuda alimentaria al referirse al aumento relativamente rápido de la ayuda alimentaria destinada a proyectos, lo que viene a ser interpretado como esfuerzos conjuntos realizados tanto por los países donantes como por los beneficiarios para vincular la ayuda alimentaria a los planes y políticas nacionales de desarrollo de estos últimos.
Muy especialmente, con relación a las operaciones de urgencia, y conforme expresamos en nuestra declaración inicial a este Consejo de la FAO, deploramos el hecho de que el año 1982 el 69 por ciento del valor de la ayuda de urgencia se haya tenido que destinar a refugiados y personas desplazadas a consecuencia de las calamidades de origen humano, mientras que sólo un 20 por ciento benefició a damnificados por la sequía, y un 11 por ciento a los perjudicados por calamidades naturales repentinas. Ojalá encontremos muy pronto acuerdos que pongan fin a estas situaciones.
La delegación de Panamá felicita a todos los Estados Miembros donantes que conforme a la nota informativa preparada por el Director Ejecutivo del Programa Mundial de Alimentos han anunciado promesas ordinarias para el bienio 1983/84 que alcanzan la suma total de 951 millones de dólares americanos, esperando que el número de contribuyentes aumente.
Para terminar, Señor Presidente, solicitamos a este Consejo que adopte los objetivos de promesas procedentes de aportaciones voluntarias para los recursos ordinarios del Programa para el bienio 85/86, equivalente a 1 350 millones de dólares.
M. BENNIS (Maroc): C'est avec plaisir que la délégation du Maroc présente ses félicitations au Directeur exécutif du PAM, M. Ingram, pour son exposé clair et concis sur les activités et les objectifs du Programme alimentaire mondial, et pour les résultats qu'il a pu réaliser.
Nous voudrions féliciter également le secrétariat pour la qualité et la précision du document CL 83/6 qui comporte des indications très intéressantes et dont la lecture a été rendue très agréable, malgré la quantité de chiffres qui y figurent nécessairement et qui, dans d'autres cas, pourraient paraître rébarbatifs.
Le Maroc étant membre en titre du Comité des politiques et programmes, il a fait part, au niveau des travaux de ce Comité, de ses observations sur certains aspects particuliers des activités et perspectives du Programme alimentaire mondial. Aujourd'hui ma délégation entend limiter son intervention à des considérations d'ordre général.
En effet, ma délégation estime très sincèrement qu'à travers le bilan très positif des réalisations du PAM, et à la lumière des objectifs visés par cette politique, nous devons mieux prendre conscience du rôle de cette institution dont la place sur la scène internationale ne cesse de se rehausser. Ce succès et cette réussite, le PAM ne les doit pas seulement aux aides alimentaires d'urgence distribuées en faveur des pays en développement confrontés à des catastrophes de diverses natures, aides humanitaires dont les effets sont très efficaces mais qui demeurent souvent provisoires. Le mérite du PAM réside aussi et surtout dans ses actions ayant pour objectif de soutenir les projets de développement économique et social, dont les retombées sont peut-être moins spectaculaires dans l'immédiat, mais certainement plus profondes, plus durables et plus rentables dans le sens économique du terme, en raison des effets induits et multiplicateurs qu'elles engendrent dans l'Organisation générale de la production et du développement.
Ma délégation souhaite que cette orientation soit maintenue dans la politique d'intervention du PAM, et il lui est agréable de remarquer que celui-ci est devenu désormais l'un des principaux programmes de financement du système des Nations Unies.
Mais le bilan largement positif du PAM que nous constatons aujourd'hui n'a pu être rendu possible que grâce aux contributions substantielles des pays donateurs d'une part, et grâce d'autre part au dévouement du personnel du PAM et de celui de la FAO en général qui l'assiste, car ce sont là les moyens et les instruments de travail.
S'agissant des contributions, notre satisfaction ne peut que se manifester largement devant la progression qui s'est réalisée depuis les trois premières années expérimentales 1963-1965, jusqu'à la période biennale en cours 1983-1984. En remerciant les pays donateurs pour les efforts déjà accomplis en matière de contributions, nous les exhortons à maintenir, ou plutôt à développer leur bienveillance à l'égard du PAM, afin que celui-ci puisse satisfaire les demandes de plus en plus nombreuses et pressantes des pays en développement, dont la situation risque de se détériorer davantage, notamment en cette période de crise économique mondiale.
Enfin, en ce qui concerne le personnel, et à sa tête le Directeur exécutif M. Ingram, la délégation du Maroc voudrait lui faire part de son admiration et lui rendre un hommage particulier pour sa haute compétence, ses efforts inlassables, son audace devant les risques encourus, et son dévouement total à la noble cause entreprise.
En définitive, ma délégation se réjouit des résultats auxquels le PAM est parvenu, et c'est pourquoi elle estime que le Conseil se doit d'encourager cet organisme, afin qu'il puisse atteindre les objectifs qu'il s'est assumés- Le Conseil se doit également de renouveler sa confiance à cette institution qui, vingt années durant, a fait preuve de maturité et d'efficacité incontestables.
A. H. EL-SARKI CEgypt) (Original language Arabic): The Egyptian delegation would like to congratulate Mr. Ingram, The Executive Director of the WFP, for his most interesting introduction, and we would like to give our full support to the WFP in its efforts to help low income level developing countries particularly in the African continent. We hope that this level of assistance can continue in the future.
We would also like to support the present level of commitments for the 1983/84 period as well as the commitments which have been made for emergency operations.
We would also like to support the target endorsed by the CFA of $1,350 million for the next biennium. We have studied the report of the Executive Director on the triangular operations;we endorse them and wish their recurrence in some developing countries as they constitute a facet of technical cooperation among developing countries.
The Egyptian delegation would also request that the donor countries continue to increase their pledges so that the one-third figure for cash or services can be reached which is so necessary for the effective activities of the WFP.
My country is particularly concerned with the question of training of staff so that they can better implement their activities in their assistance to programmes and projects. We also hope that food aid can be integrated in the training programmes at the national level, as is the case with the project of the rehabilitation of the Suez Canal zone.
The Egyptian delegation would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate the WFP on its twentieth anniversary, and we would like to express our sincere thanks to the WFP for the assistance it has given to our country since its creation, which was instrumental in Egypt's economic and social development.
Finally, The Egyptian delegation would like to congratulate the Executive Director for the efforts that he has been making since his appointment and since he has taken office, and we hope that he will continue to be successful in the future.
S.A. MAHMOOD (Bangladesh): May I congratulate the Executive Director of WFP for his very excellent presentation of the report.
The World Food Programme, besides its own emergency relief operations, has also proved invaluable as an instrument of agricultural and rural development with its blend of welfare for the disadvantaged in the process.
It has been proved that in this kind of development-oriented welfare operation, the fear at times expressed that food aid might discourage national food production goals in developing economies, either through its effects on the supply market or by creating a sense of dependence...(at this point the interpreters requested the speaker to speak more slowly). It has been proved that in this kind of development-oriented welfare operation the fear at times expressed that food aid might discourage national food production goals in developing economies, either through its effect on the supply market or by creating a sense of dependence, is quite unfounded. Our own experience has been that the WFP Programme is possibly the best available means at the moment of implementing at the local level many projects which can provide a quick return to investment, at the same time providing food to disadvantaged groups in the rural communities. Implementation of such mini-projects in conjunction with major projects is essential not only for a balanced overall development but also quite frequently to complement the major projects without which optiumum return to major investments cannot accrue. Our experience also has been that with resource constraints in a developing economy, undertakings of these essential mini-projects in a more conventional manner is quite difficult both resource-wise and management-wise. WFP assistance in our Food for Work Programme has thus been of utmost importance in meeting this gap area. Moreover, frequently many projects have to be conceived and implemented at short notice to meet emergencies in areas where the vagaries of nature precipitate acute distress. Such operations would have been difficult to undertake without WFP assistance: for instance, in our northern districts it was possible, during last season's drought, to have more than a hundred thousand dug-wells excavated not only saving a considerable crop acreage, but also providing food to thousands who would otherwise have starved, since the drought also stopped other avenues of employment.
Except for situations requiring emergency relief in most of the low-income food-deficit countries, the vulnerable groups are generally dispersed, except in a few pockets of concentration, The in-depth studies and evaluations under way to assess the impact of WFP supplementary feeding projects are very welcome, necessary steps. However, our experience has been that the same objectives can be met which also need to be met through an integration of the same with development project implementation. The WFP has not been working in isolation and the complementarity of FAO, WFP and other UN organizations has been most valuable in our agricultural and rural development programmes. In the context of our national development strategy, we feel it essential that the WFP continues to provide its most vital support. We also fully endorse the target of $1 350 million on which consensus was reached.
In conclusion, my delegation congratulates the WFP on its 20th Anniversary and the highly efficient manner in which it has been conducting its various programmes at the country level. May I also congratulate the Executive Director of the WFP.
LI CHENHUAN (China) (Original language Chinese): My intervention will be very brief. Please allow me, Mr. Chairman, to begin with to make a few points on the 8th Annual Report submitted by WFP. Twenty years have passed since the UN/FAO World Food Programme started its operations. According to the information provided in the report and our own observations over the past few years, WFP has adhered to the objectives set forth at its inception in carrying out its activities. We should say that WFP has achieved fruitful results in its work. The food assistance of WFP has benefited 170 million people through development projects and emergency operations. Another 100 million people have been beneficiaries of relief assistance. Furthermore, the experience of our cooperation with WFP has proved that food assistance and food for work projects have helped recipient countries increase their local food production by enhancing water conservancy works, agricultural infrastructure and soil improvement, thus strengthening their self-reliance capacity. We therefore fully appreciate the work done by WFP in twenty years and will continue to lend our support to the Programme in its future endeavours.
Though WFP's food aid commitments have increased, they still fall short of the requirements by the developing countries. On the other hand, the volume of food imports in many developing countries has been increasing in the last decade. This state of affairs cannot but cause us concern. That is why we hope that WFP will take the above mentioned situation into consideration when programming the future target for food assistance and will play an even better part in promoting the social and economic development of the developing countries, with a view to realising the goal set forth by the International Development Strategy of the Third Development Decade of the United Nations.
At the same time we hope that all countries, especially donor countries, will render active support to the operation of WFP in a common effort to fulfil or over-fulfil the pledging target of $1 350 million approved by the 15th session of the CFA for the period 1985/86. We on our part will make our best possible contribution in this regard within our financial capabilities.
Before concluding my remarks, I wish to express our pleasure in seeing Mr. Ingram with us today as well as our appreciation for his comprehensive statement made prior to our debate.
P. PONGPAET (Thailand): The Thai delegation has studied document CL 83/6 with interest. The document will be submitted as the eighth annual report of the Committee on Food Aid Policies and Programmes to the Economic and Social Council, and also the FAO Council and the World Food Council. The Thai delegation fully endorses the report and wishes to congratulate the World Food Programme on its successful operations over the past twenty years. It is an undeniable fact that the Programme now becomes one of the major funding programmes of the United Nations system.
The year 1982 has seen a significant expansion in the activities and resources of the Programme. The recorded amount of two million tons of food aid was shipped and the highest amount ever, or $993 million was pledged by the end of 1982.
Although consensus could not be reached on the proposed pledging target of $1.5 billion for the Programme's regular resources for the biennium 1985/86, the new pledging target of $1.35 billion is considered a fair compromise by all sides, and the donor countries in particular should be applauded for their efforts to help this new target to reach consensus. We hope that by pledging time the target will be fulfilled.
My delegation supports the emphasis and priority given by WFP to agriculture and development and production, particularly to low-income food-deficit countries, but at the same time the Programme should not lose sight of the importance of the Programme's emergency operations. My delegation is grateful to the WFP for its past operations and hopes that the Programme will follow in the same direction. The Thai delegation also supports the practice of triangular transactions, since this practice not only helps the developing countries themselves but also helps reduce cost of transport and speed up food delivery to the needy.
From the Executive Director's statement we learn that the WFP's total commitment over the past twenty years was $5.3 billion, to 144 countries. It would be useful if the Secretariat could prepare a fact sheet containing the level of World Food Programme assistance to each recipient country. This would not require much expense or work. The sheet could be either in the form of a table or a summary of a few lines, as seen in the project for CFA approval during the 15th session this year.
Finally, my delegation would urge that the Council adopt the draft resolution on the target for WFP pledges for the period 1985/86 as it appears in Annex II of the document.
A. NTEZILYAYO (Rwanda): Je vous remercie de m'accorder la parole à ce stade des débats. Ma délégation aimerait profiter de cette occasion que vous m'offrez pour souligner l'importance que revêtent nour nous les activités du PAM menées sur le terrain, qu'il s'agisse des projets de développement rural, de l'aide aux groupes vulnérables comme les réfugiés, les enfants en bas age, les mères allaitantes. Si chez nous certains programmes donnent satisfaction dans une certaine mesure, quelques points d'inquiétude subsistent.
En considération de cette situation que nous vivons sur le terrain, j'estime,comme d'autres délégués l'ont exprimé avant moi, que le rapport présenté aurait pu nous éclairer davantage en ce qui concerne les activités réelles du PAM sur le terrain, leur impact quant á l'amélioration des conditions alimentaires des populations, l'augmentation de la production, les problèmes connexes à l'adoption d'habitudes alimentaires souvent étrangères au milieu traditionnel, en quelque sorte un aperçu des succès et des échecs rencontrés par le PAM sur le terrain, et cela dans un contexte général de la situation alimentaire mondiale. Je pense que les problèmes que je cite et bien d'autres ont pu trouver des solutions mais je me demande si ce Conseil n'aurait pas pu être l'occasion de les évoquer.
Je voudrais donc me joindre à mes collègues qui ont demandé que ce rapport du CPA soit présenté de façon à faciliter les discussions du Conseil, en insistant sur les difficultés réelles rencontrées sur le terrain. Je pense également que cette présentation nous aurait permis de mieux appréhender la politique de l'aide alimentaire dont le débat est loin d'être terminé.
Nonobstant ces quelques considérations de forme, nous voudrions encore une fois exprimer notre soutien et notre satisfaction pour les activités menées par le PAM dans le monde, et spécialement dans les pays à déficit alimentaire.
A l'occasion du vingtième anniversaire du PAM, nous félicitons toute l'équipe de M. Ingram pour sa réelle contribution au développement.
W. HERMKES (Germany, Federal Republic of): First of all my delegation thanks and congratulates the Executive Director for his comprehensive and clear introductory statement complemented by the information note distributed in which an overview of latest developments has been given.
As far as the Eighth Annual Report of the CFA of the World Food Programme is concerned, my delegation welcomes this report. It is in our opinion an impressive document, which does not only describe the activities of the World Food Programme in 1982 and the measures taken during that year, but gives also a survey of the activities of the WFP during the 20 years of its existence. During these years the WFP has fulfilled, from our point of view, a really humanitarian task, which cannot adequately be expressed and appreciated in terms of figures alone about the extent of the measures implemented, figures, impressive figures which have already been mentioned by other delegations and which therefore I should not repeat.
In its operations WFP has not disregarded the related development aspects. In the last few years it has given increasing attention to these operations so that it has project/programme related food aid and also through large triangular transactions with non-food-aid food-deficit countries which was particularly welcomed and appreciated by many CFA members, also by our delegation.
During the discussion about the annual report of the Executive Director of the World Food Programme it was pointed out by several donors that not only the volume of the grain granted by the WFP is important but also its policy and its development policy effects. I should like to emphasize this aspect again before this audience.
From our point of view WFP has not only done useful but also good and successful work and we also wish it further success in the future in the fight against hunger and malnutrition. As regards my Government's longstanding fruitful cooperation with the WFP I can happily state that it will, as in the past, support also in the future the work of the World Food Programme to the very best of its possibilities.
C. VIDALI CARBAJAL (México): Antes que nada queremos felicitar al Programa Mundial de Alimentos ampliamente por los logros obtenidos para ayudar a la humanidad en sus 20 años de vida. También felicitamos al Sr. Ingram por su clara presentación al tema que recoge en buena medida las deliberaciones del último período de sesiones del CPA, y al equipo de colaboradores que han hecho posible que el Programa Mundial de Alimentos logre los objetivos generales que se ha propuesto. Como lo hicimos en la reunion del 15° período de sesiones del CPA, apoyamos los esfuerzos del Programa Mundial de Alimentos para alcanzar la meta que se había propuesto de 1 500 millones de dólares para el próximo bienio.
También aprobamos que, después de las largas y complejas sesiones del grupo de contacto, se hubiera negociado una cantidad menor de 1 350 millones de dólares, que representa, en nuestro concepto, un incremento modesto sobre el programa en curso que permitirá atender escasamente las necesidades más amplias del programa.
Esperamos que realmente se logre cubrir esta cantidad que consideramos solamente como indicativa. Quisiéramos apoyar por otra parte los comentarios de la delegación de la India en el sentido de actualizar el reporte que se nos presenta.
También pienso que el distinguido delegado de Rwanda habló sobre el particular. La mayor parte de la información que estamos viendo en este documento es prácticamente historia antigua, y sería conveniente una actualización, por tanto, que le permitiera al Consejo operar con datos más recientes. Como insistimos en la reunión del Comité del CPA, es fundamental que el Programa Mundial de Alimentos mantenga su trabajo en la amplia esfera del multilatéralisme, limitando las actividades que tienden a favorecer, propiciar o canalizar las donaciones bilaterales.
En la medida en que el multilatéralisme sea el rector de la política del PMA se podría evitar que los alimentos se utilicen como instrumento de presión política y aquí debemos de tomar el ejemplo del programa de Vietnam mencionado por el Sr. Ingram, experiencia que esperamos se repita sin los tropiezos y demoras que tuvo ésta.
También debemos evitar que el Programa Mundial de Alimentos se convierta en una agencia comerciali-zadora de excedentes de cereales de países desarrollados.
En relación al pragmatismo del Programa Mundial de Alimentos estamos de acuerdo, siempre y cuando éste no sea determinante en la concepción global de programa, en que éste debe ser pragmático en la acción pero debemos tener cuidado en no mezclar el pragmatismo en la planeación y en los objetivos del Programa.
El Programa Mundial de Alimentos tiene que plantearse objetivos claros y precisos, planes y programas para alcanzar lo adecuado a las necesidades que plantean las naciones, y un sistema de evaluación que permita corregir el camino cuando éste sea erróneo. Aquí, el concepto ampliado de seguridad alimentaria adoptado por el Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria, que fue ratificado por el mismo CPA, debe normar las actividades futuras del Programa Mundial de Alimentos.
En nuestro concepto, debe preservarse el sistema actual de otorgamiento de ayuda alimentaria de urgencia que consideramos un sistema ágil, flexible y expedito. Burocratizar la selección de los países al derecho de dicha ayuda podría desvirtuar el Programa en su totalidad por dejar de enfrentar a la brevedad las situaciones de emergencia que surgen en el mundo. Reiteramos que el Director General de la FAO y el Director Ejecutivo del Programa Mundial de Alimentos son instancias suficientes para decidir los casos en que la ayuda es procedente, necesaria y urgente. Por otra parte, el Programa Mundial de Alimentos debe enfatizar proyectos que favorezcan la autonomía de la ayuda alimentaria en el mediano y largo plazo, por tanto, deben priorizar proyectos que impliquen modificaciones sustanciales a la estructura productiva. En particular, nuestra delegación apoyó el sistema de alimento por trabajo que crea fuentes de trabajo duraderas y estables.
Finalmente, nos preocupa conocer los resultados de la promoción para utilizar, en mayor medida, los productos pesqueros en las actividades del Programa como se menciona en el párrafo 9 del documento CL 83/6. Asimismo queremos insistir en el apoyo que puede prestar el Programa Mundial de Alimentos a la realización de proyectos integrados de desarrollo pesquero.
Asimismo, quisiéramos conocer las razones por las que América Latina ha disminuido su participación del 17,5 por ciento en 1980 al 5 por ciento en 1982 en el volumen de la ayuda prestada. Creemos que ante los problemas de la región esta tendencia debe revertirse.
Mrs. M. RAVN (Norway): Again I have the pleasure to speak on behalf of the Nordic countries. I would first like to thank the Executive Director, Mr. Ingram, for his comprehensive introduction to our discussions.
The Nordic countries have studied the annual report of the Committee on Food Aid Policies and Programmes with great interest and we would like to compliment the World Food Programme for the excellent work it is carrying out. It is no small feat for an organization which was established on an experimental basis twenty years ago to have developed into one of the major funding programmes of the UN system and based on voluntary contributions. The Nordic countries have consistently supported the WFP since its inception and we will continue to do so in the years ahead.
From the report we learn that the year 1982 was marked by a significant expansion in the activities and resources of the Programme and that record levels of commitment were attained both for development projects and emergency operations. We have noted with satisfaction that the Programme's assistance more and more focuses on the poorest people in the most needy countries and that over 80 percent of WFP commitments in 1982 was for development projects in the low-incomé food deficit countries. The proportion of resources going to the LDCs has also increased. In order to carry out this policy the Programme's administrative resources would necessarily need to be strengthened.
Also in 1982 a considerable proportion of the Programme's own resources was utilized in emergency operations which have now reached an unprecedented number. Discussions on the Programme's emergency operations are being pursued in the CFA and the Nordic countries will continue to take an active part in these discussions.
With regard to resources for emergency operations, we would like to emphasize the importance of the joint pledging conferences giving the opportunity for pledging both to the regular resources and to the International Emergency Food Reserve. The first joint pledging conference in March 1982 was successful in our opinion. We hope that this common pledging will give even better results in the future, leading to an improvement in the level, predictability and continuity of IEFR resources. This would enable the Programme to improve its response to requests for emergency assistance.
This brings me to the question of future regular resources to the Programme. The Nordic countries are pleased to join in the consensus on the new pledging target of $1.35 billion for the biennium 1985/86 approved by the last meeting of the CFA. We would like however to underline that this target can only be reached if new donors join it. In periods of scarce resources it is important that these be utilized as effectively as possible. The Nordic countries are of the opinion that it would lead to a better utilization if food aid were channelled to a greater extent through the WFP. In our view it would also be important if increased quantities of grains under the Food Aid Convention could be placed at the disposal of the WFP. In order to assure maximum flexibility for the World Food Programme in utilizing its regular resources the Nordic countries would underline the importance that all donors comply with the Programme's general regulations, stipulating that donors should aim to contribute a cash and service component of at least one-third of the total contribution.
In conclusion I would like to congratulate the World Food Programme on its first twenty years of operation and to express our satisfaction with the work carried out by the Executive Director and his hard-working staff. They may be assured of the continued support of all the Nordic countries.
J. TCHICAYA (Congo): La délégation de la République populaire du Congo souhaite s'associer aux félicitations que nombre de délégations ont adressées au Secrétariat du PAM et à M. Ingram, son Directeur exécutif, pour l'excellent rapport soumis à notre Conseil. Nous apprécions tout particulièrement les progrès réalisés par le Programme en vingt ans d'existence. Il est encourageant de relever que le petit programme expérimental d'il y a vingt ans soit devenu l'un des principaux programmes de financement du système des Nations Unies, puisque les promesses de contributions volontaires de 84,5 millions de dollars fournies durant les trois années expérimentales 1963/65 sont passées à 993 millions de dollars engagés dès la fin de 1982 pour la période 1983/84; 5,3 milliards de dollars, plus de 1 100 projets de développement destinés à 114 pays pauvres sont des chiffres qui se passent de tout commentaire et qui illustrent à suffisance la vitalité et l'intérêt que ce Programme a suscités et doit continuer de susciter dans tous les pays. Abordant les faits saillants de 1982, ma délégation se félicite de l'expansion continue des activités et des ressources du Programme qui a pu organiser des expéditions pour près de deux millions de tonnes de produits alimentaires, soit une augmentation jamais enregistrée de près de 35 pour cent sur l'année 1981. Nous nous félicitons de ce que l'assistance du Programme ait été axée particulièrement sur les populations les plus défavorisées des pays les plus nécessiteux, puisque plus de 80 pour cent des engagements du PAM en 1982 ont été consacrés à des projets de développement agricole et rural. C'est dire que le PAM ne s'est pas écarté de sa principale orientation à laquelle ma délégation reste attachée.
Tout en étant sensibles aux efforts faits par les pays donateurs pour accroître leurs contributions au PAM, beaucoup reste à faire pour atteindre les objectifs du Programme, nous encourageons l'initiative de certains pays donateurs qui se sont efforcés d'annoncer à l'avance leurs contributions à la RAIU et invitons les autres à suivre cet exemple.
Pour ce qui concerne l'examen des politiques et programmes d'aide alimentaire, ma délégation s'inquiète de ce que l'aide alimentaire continue à demeurer en-deçà de l'objectif minimum de 10 millions de tonnes fixé par la Conférence mondiale de l'alimentation en 1974. Il est nécessaire et primordial que l'aide alimentaire multilatérale continue à croître au profit de l'aide bilatérale, ceci pour garantir l'indépendance des pays assistés, outre le fait qu'on devrait travailler à ce que l'aide alimentaire ne soit jamais utilisée comme instrument de pression politique. A cet égard, nous nous félicitons des résultats que le Directeur exécutif a obtenus en faisant approuver le dernier projet vietnamien après que le premier a connu des difficultés qui ne cadrent guère avec les principes ci-dessus énoncés. Notre Conseil devrait appuyer le CPA lorsqu'il encourage les transactions triangulaires puisque, de toute évidence, elles contribuent à soutenir la production locale et permettent au Programme de faire des économies de frais de transport.
Nous sommes d'avis que l'aide alimentaire doit avoir un caractère temporaire et viser à élever la production vivrière des pays bénéficiaires jusqu'à ce qu'ils soient parvenus à l'autosuffisance. C'est pourquoi l'aide alimentaire devra s'inscrire dans les plans ou stratégies nationaux de développement.
Ma délégation, comme il est dit au paragraphe 9, note que les produits de la pêche sont insuffisamment utilisés dans les livraisons de vivres du PAM et souhaite que cette tendance soit inversée. Elle appuie l'idée que le PAM devra promouvoir les projets pêche dans les pays à déficit alimentaire et s'efforcer d'utiliser ces produits dans les transactions triangulaires.
Les opérations d'urgence qu'entreprend le PAM à travers le monde en développement constituent une activité dont l'importance est perçue chaque jour davantage. Il importe donc que le Programme les mène avec tout le sérieux et toute la rigueur nécessaires pour qu'elles servent véritablement les populations éprouvées. Ici plus qu'ailleurs, la rapidité d'intervention doit aller de pair avec l'efficacité d'organisation. C'est pourquoi ma délégation pense que l'étoffement des effectifs de terrain du Programme doit être conjugué à des efforts de formation appropriés.
Nous sommes partisans du maintien des critères actuels en ce qui concerne les conditions à remplir par les pays pour pouvoir bénéficier d'une aide d'urgence du PAM, car ils sont souples et adaptés.
Pour ce qui concerne le vingtième anniversaire, la délégation de mon pays souscrit aux principales activités prévues pour commémorer cet important anniversaire. Nous espérons que ces activités contribueront à mobiliser les opinions publiques des pays membres et à sensibiliser sur le role du PAM à travers les pays en développement. Mais nous pensons également que cet anniversaire constitue une excellente occasion de réflexion sur les questions d'aide alimentaire, et, à cet égard, l'idée de réunir un séminaire rencontre tout notre soutien. Nous soutenons l'accent mis par le PAM sur les projets de développement, notamment ceux qui contribuent à accroître la production vivrière et, par conséquent, aident à se passer de l'aide alimentaire. Même nous marquons notre appui à la priorité accordée aux pays à faible revenu et à déficit alimentaire et singulièrement au PAM dans la répartition des ressources. La répartition régionale des engagements requiert l'assentiment de ma délégation puisque le PAM affecte une forte proportion de ses ressources au développement de l'Afrique, au sud du Sahara, rudement affectée par diverses calamités et qui constitue le principal théâtre des pénuries alimentaires. Nous espérons d'ailleurs que cette priorité se maintiendra jusqu'à ce que cette situation s'améliore irréversiblement.
Ma délégation est inquiète de l'accroissement des situations d'urgence et est consciente que certaines d'entre elles peuvent être évitées. C'est pour cette raison que nous pensons que le PAM ne doit rien négliger pour apporter de plus en plus de ressources aux projets qui continuent à atténuer les souffrances des populations en proie à la sécheresse et aux mauvaises récoltes chroniques qui affectent certaines régions. Le rôle du PAM, dans la coordination des opérations d'urgence de grande envergure, fait désormais autorité et nous ne pouvons que nous en féliciter.
Face à une situation alimentaire qui connaît une dégradation dans certaines régions, nous voudrions exprimer nos préoccupations au sujet des objectifs de contribution qui ne sont pas atteints puisque seulement 84 pour cent de l'objectif de un milliard ont été atteints pour la période 1981/82. Cette inquiétude hélas ne sera guère estompée pour la période 1983/84 malgré les espoirs qu'avait suscités la réussite de la Conférence des contributions qui s'est tenue à New York le 2 mars 1982. Au contraire, on note même une diminution des donateurs qui passent de 99 en 1980/82 à 65 en 1983/84. Cette situation sans être alarmante doit forcément susciter des réactions de notre Conseil. Il conviendrait, en effet, qu'un appel soit lancé par cette instance en direction de tous les pays donateurs actuels ou potentiels pour qu'ils accroissent et apportent respectivement les ressources dont le PAM a besoin pour remplir, correctement sa mission. Cette situation est d'autant plus préoccupante que l'objectif de un milliard et demi proposé par le PAM n'a pu être retenu en raison de l'opposition farouche de certains gouvernements qui, tout en acceptant l'analyse de la situation préoccupante de la sécurité alimentaire mondiale, rejettent les solutions proposées pour atténuer les souffrances des peuples qui ont faim.
Néanmoins, ma délégation souhaite apporter son appui à l'objectif de contributions de un milliard 350 millions, fruit d'un compromis obtenu au terme de longs et laborieux efforts déployés par le Président du CPA avec le Groupe de contact au sein duquel nous avons nous-mêmes sièges. Tout en regrettant que l'objectif de 1,5 milliard n'ait pas été reconnu, nous sommes certains que le PAM pourra aller de l'avant si tous les donateurs traditionnels et potentiels manifestent la même volonté d'atteindre ce modeste objectif. C'est pourquoi ma délégation n'a pas de peine à appuyer le projet de résolution annexé au document CL 83/6 avec l'espoir que le Directeur exécutif du PAM mettra à profit ses qualités de bon gestionnaire dont il a fait preuve jusqu'ici pour réaliser les résultats auxquels il nous a habitués.
J. BELGRAVE (New Zealand): First, could I place on record my delegation's appreciation of the comprehensive introduction to this item given by Mr. Ingram, the Executive Director. New Zealand has always been a firm supporter of the World Food Programme since its inception in 1963. The Programme has achieved a great deal over these twenty years, and New Zealand has contributed in a very modest way to this achievement. We would like to express in brief terms our sense of satisfaction with the report which is before us. The Programme has clearly operated well in 1982 and has, we feel, achieved a great deal. My delegation notes the increase in the Programme's operations to cover shipments of nearly 2 million tons of grain and it is particularly pleasing to see that record levels of commitments were achieved last year, both for development projects and also for emergency operations. In this respect, the New Zealand delegation would like to mention the appreciation of countries in the South-West Pacific region of the quick action programme mounted in 1982 by the World Food Programme in Tonga following a devastating hurricane in that country. We are nevertheless fully in accord with the World Food Programme's general thrust to assist low-income food-deficit countries, particularly in Africa.
The New Zealand delegation is appreciative of the international support the World Food Programme receives. The World Food Programme receives close to a billion dollars in voluntary pledges to its regular resources for the biennium 1983-84, and this, I think it should be noted, is at a time of general economic international restraint. At this point it is appropriate to note New Zealand's general support for the figure of $1.350 millions that has been targeted for the next biennium. This target was, we feel, a satisfactory compromise worked out at the last CFA. My delegation looks forward to receiving the review of the administration of the Programme which was promised by the Executive Director last year. We all require the Programme to be administered with an eye to efficiency and economy, but of course it should not be forgotten that as the resource base of the Programme expands, it does become important that an appropriate balance between these two factors is maintained, in other words, that efficiency does not suffer purely at the hands of economy.
Mr. Ingram also highlighted this morning in his statement the balance the World Food Programme needs to strike between what he described as fully integrated complex projects and the single purpose on the grounds of effective use of the complex and wide range of resources often involved. In this regard, we are pleased to note and commend the pragmatic approach the World Food Programme continues to adopt to the leadership, coordination and implementation of its complex activities, with the prime objective being the most effective use of resources. We note the examples quoted by Mr. Ingram of complex projects being carried out successfully under this approach.
The New Zealand delegation would also like to take this opportunity to endorse the work being carried out by the non-food unit. This unit is becoming increasingly important as an integrated part of the development impact being made by the World Food Programme. The resources contributed to non-food items in 1982 have enabled significant approaches to be made, especially bearing in mind that these funds go primarily towards small but necessary items to complement general World Food Programme-assisted projects.
Finally, my delegation would like to record New Zealand's appreciation for the excellent work the Executive Director, Mr. Ingram, and his staff continue to carry out in the administration of the very wide range of activities which make up the World Food Programme.
W.E. ADERO (Kenya): We shall begin by expressing our Government's support to the World Food Programme and express our thanks to Member Governments of the United Nations and especially donors for their efforts and determination to ensure the success of the Programme over the last twenty years. It is indeed our wish that this human spirit will continue and will increase in response to the evidently growing needs of developing countries.
We are also grateful to the Committee on Food Aid Policies and Programme for their work which is here before us for discussion. This was excellent work, which my delegation approves.
During discussion on the report of the Committee on World Food Security, and more specifically on the Director-General's paper on Concepts and Approaches to World Food Security, my delegation made some comments on food aid policies and programmes. These comments referred to among others the need for integration of food aid and nutrition aspects in national development strategies and triangular arrangements as one of the means to stimulate national and regional food production and also trade in the true spirit of economic cooperation among developing countries. We shall not elaborate on them as we already did this at that time.
Regarding the target for the biennium 1985-86, my delegation would have liked it to be at the level of US $ 1.5 billion, as originally proposed by the Executive Director. However, since CFA had reached consensus on US $ 1.35 billion, we endorse it and urge that all countries, especially the most able ones, ensure that this target is reached or even exceeded so that the World Food Programme continues to meet food aid and emergency needs of developing countries.
The World Food Programme is already twenty years old, and the report before us reviews some of its successes. My delegation, however, feels it is relevant to ask ourselves at this juncture whether there shall be no need for food aid in the next twenty years to come. Shall developing countries now receiving food aid under this Programme have eliminated the need for food aid ? Of course, there may be need for emergency assistance. The food aid must be used to eliminate the need for food aid, as was mentioned by India, and that is by increasing food production. The Programme must therefore intensify increased food production in food-deficit countries being assisted.
Sra. D. SANCHEZ (Colombia): La delegación de Colombia considera que el Programa Mundial de Alimentos es un válido instrumento para el desarrollo. Al llegar a los 20 años de existencia el PMA ha logrado notables avances que es necesario fortalecer y considerar.
Lamentamos mucho que, no obstante el PMA goce de general buena reputación y prestigio en la Comunidad Internacional, en ninguno de los períodos últimos se haya cumplido el alcance de las metas recomendadas; ese es otro caso irónico dentro de la falta de sinceridad en la cooperación internacional. Por ello la delegación de Colombia piensa que este Consejo debe hacer un llamado a todos los donantes para que ofrezcan o aumenten sus contribuciones a fin de que se obtenga el objetivo para el bienio en curso.
Asimismo, la delegación de Colombia apoya la meta de 1 350 millones de dólares que ha sido recomendada por el CPA. Lástima que la propuesta del Director Ejecutivo, apoyada por el Secretario General de Naciones Unidas y el Director General de la FAO, que era de 1 500 millones de dólares para 1985/86, no se haya adoptado, aunque en verdad dadas las experiencias negativas anteriores a que nos hemos referido, a lo mejor más bien debe interesarnos ahora que si bien a nivel inferior ese objetivo es de 1 350 millones por lo menos pueda alcanzarse.
Esa cifra, ya disminuida, es la base de un consenso logrado en el CPA, y la delegación de Colombia la apoya como un verdadero mínimo.
Las operaciones de urgencia del PMA han seguido adquiriendo importancia creciente. Todas las propuestas y medidas dirigidas a reforzar esas actividades deben adelantarse en pleno acuerdo absolutamente en cooperación con la FAO por la función esencial que el Director General de la FAO viene cumpliendo en la aprobación de las operaciones de urgencia por la experiencia que tiene nuestra Organización en ese campo y por los buenos resultados logrados hasta ahora.
Paradójicamente, en los organismos internacionales suelen cambiarse aquellas cosas que funcionan bien; ojalá que no sea así en relación con el papel de la FAO en las operaciones de urgencia; hay que preservar la permanente, seria y positiva acción de la FAO en acuerdo con el PMA.
La delegación de Colombia opina que los recursos del PMA deben seguir siendo distribuidos particularmente en favor de los países menos adelantados y con bajos ingresos y déficits de alimentos, sobre todo africanos. Después de ello, con cierta flexibilidad, los recursos restantes podrían otorgarse a aquellos países que se interesen por la elaboración de proyectos que generen empleo, agroindustrias, o toda actividad que contribuya al aumento de la producción.
La delegación de Colombia piensa que el sólido prestigio logrado por el PMA en sus 20 años de existencia ha sido fundado esencialmente en el equilibrio político con que ha sido manejado el Programa. Ojalá que en el último año no se hayan alterado la objetividad, la imparcialidad y el respeto por los representantes de nuestros gobiernos. Consideramos que la Secretaría del PMA debe respetar y seguir las orientaciones de quienes representamos a nuestros gobiernos; las actividades del PMA deben adelantarse en forma objetiva y seria con la adecuada participación de los representantes de todos los países y regiones, sin discriminación.
Finalmente, de acuerdo a la brevedad que se nos ha sugerido por el señor Presidente, la delegación de Colombia apoya las declaraciones, entre otros, de India, México, Rwanda, y el Congo, el gentil vecino de la derecha.
L. ARIZA HIDALGO (Cuba): Queremos felicitar al señor Ingram por su objetiva y clara exposición del tema en esta mañana.
La delegación Cubana siempre ha apoyado la magnífica labor que ha desplegado el PMA desde su creación. De este Programa mi país es beneficiario y también paradójicamente contribuye al mismo de manera constante, independientemente de la difícil situación de los precios de nuestro azúcar, que es el
principal rubro de exportación y con el cual contribuimos al Programa con 5 000 toneladas cada dos años. Hemos contribuido en igual medida lo mismo en época de bonanza que en época de bajos precios, como las actuales, sencillamente porque la vocación de Cuba es de que los principios de universalidad, de colaboración y de solidaridad hay que mantenerlos con hechos.
Siempre hemos elogiado el carácter universal que tiene este Programa, así como la dirección de sus proyectos hacia la acción en pro del desarrollo.
Estamos de acuerdo en felicitar, al igual que muchos de los colegas que lo han hecho hoy por la mañana en esta sala, al PMA porque creemos que ha desarrollado en sus 20 años una extraordinaria labor en apoyo de los países del Tercer Mundo; y también creemos que la clave del éxito obtenido en 20 años ha sido los mecanismos y relaciones de trabajo junto a la FAO, los que no deben alterarse, llamo la atención sobre esto, en momentos en que la situación internacional demanda que organismos de las Naciones Unidas que deben laborar en un mismo contexto puadan defenderse de los ataques al multilatéralisme, que es la esencia de la ayuda al Tercer Mundo para que puedan realmente desarrollarse sin dependencia económica.
Creo que la existencia misma de los objetivos del PMA lo ligan a la cooperación más firme y reforzada con la FAO.
En el documento que analizamos se nos han indicado algunas acciones que fueron tomadas por el Programa en 1982, donde llama nuestra atención el incremento de la ayuda al desarrollo de los países menos adelantados.
También es digno de elogio el hecho de que alrededor del 40 por ciento de esa ayuda proveniente de los recursos del PMA pase al desarrollo y se destine a los países africanos, al Sur del Sahara. Este ha sido un apoyo de nuestro país y lo mantenemos.
Señor Presidente, hay otras cuestiones que en aras del tiempo debemos de ir matizando algunas, porque de todo este Programa podríamos hablar encomiásticamente mucho, pero queremos tocar algún punto vulnerable; la operación de urgencia se nos presenta notablemente incrementada en esto últimos años; esta es una preocupación de nuestro país, porque somos muy conscientes de que en estos momentos se han conjugado fatalmente en forma negativa factores climáticos con la mano del hombre, las dos cuestiones son lamentables y con las dos tenemos que enfrentarnos en función de la solidaridad internacional; y en este sentido creemos que el trabajo realizado hasta estos momentos, en cuanto a los mecanismos de la determinación de urgencia, debe mantenerse en estas condiciones en que se ha venido ejecutando desde hace años y que han demostrado su eficiencia y rapidez, y además han sido calificadas de buen mecanismo.
Consideramos que las políticas y criterios en general al otorgamiento de la ayuda, como se desprende de los documentos que se nos presentan, son adecuados y cuentan con nuestro apoyo.
Las actividades llevadas a cabo en estos 20 años justifican más que suficientemente la existencia del Programa y justifican nuestra felicitación al señor Ingram y a su equipo para que sigan con la dedicación de hasta ahora apoyando al Tercer Mundo que necesita de este Programa.
Seguimos compartiendo el criterio de que la ayuda alimentaria debe estar íntimamente vinculada a los programas de desarrollo; así se expresó en el CPA, para beneficio directamente de los grupos económicos más vulnerables de la población y para contribuir, como han dicho distinguidos colegas en esta sala hoy, a la eliminación paulatina de la necesidad de la ayuda alimentaria.
Continuamos apoyando el hecho de que el grueso de la ayuda vaya destinado a los países gravemente afectados y que, siguiendo el criterio de universalidad, se tenga en cuenta a los países de ingresos medios que hacen esfuerzos internos para mejorar cada vez más el nivel de vida, de sus poblaciones más pobres que en estos momentos de crisis mundial ya no podemos hablar de poblaciones no pobres porque inclusive países altamente desarrollados tienen zonas, diríamos, bolsones de pobreza que hay que atender.
Continuamos apoyando también las operaciones triangulares mediante las cuales los países en desarrollo se benefician con la compra de productos por el Programa.
Finalmente, mi delegación apoya, igual que lo hizo en el CPA, con el ánimo de aceptar un consenso, el objetivo de promesas para el bienio 85/86 propuesto por el Director Ejecutivo y que no se pudo lograr en los 1 500; apoyamos los 1 350 como un, diríamos, mal menor. Consideramos que estos objetivos representan una modesta respuesta a las crecientes necesidades de ayuda alimentaria de los países en desarrollo que es totalmente insuficiente; sin embargo, fuimos testigos de excepción de la larga, tediosa y esforzada negociación que se tuvo que desarrollar en el CPA pasado para lograr esta cifra.
Nos unimos a los colegas que han planteado que hay que apoyarla y que auguramos que por lo menos se cumplan específicamente estas cifras en su totalidad.
Por ultimo, queremos expresar que, por principio, nuestra delegación no puede aceptar el condicionamiento de la ayuda en este contexto, por lo que apoyamos lo expresado por la delegación de México. Creemos que realmente el ejemplo de Viet Nam fue un ejemplo deprimente, de pequeneces, en cuanto a la altitud que debe tener la solidaridad internacional, y que no debe repetirse.
L. MOHAPELOA (Lesotho): Allow me first of all, to record our delegation's acceptance of the report as presented by the Executive Director. The report makes some pertinent observations and recommendations on the role of food aid both in the short run and the longer run. Indeed, it is gratifying to find an increasing awareness as reflected in the report of the fact that food aid should not and ought not to be seen as a permanent feature.
We note with regret the consistent failure to reach the targets set by the World Food Conference in 1974. One can only be but an optimist when reflecting on the matter, and hope that it is not an accurate reflection of the attitudes towards, and certainly not on, the commitments to the World Food Programme and its role as understood by the unprivileged millions of this world. In this regard we accept the contents of the Draft Resolution by the CFS as shown in Annex II of the report. We should not however fail to congratulate those donors that have made their contributions. In the same stroke we would like to call on all countries to make their contributions towards the achievement of the $1.35 million target for the next biennium.
We always say of experts that they should work themselves out of a job. Drawing a parallel we say the same of food aid, thus like many delegates that have spoken before us this morning, we are in full support of the Committee's view of the need to link food aid to national development plans and policies. In this regard we strongly support the idea of a seminar on food policies for the donor and recipient countries. There is an urgent need, it seems to us, for a synchronisation of the framework of priorities and for development in the best interests of progress.
Paragraph 35 of the report mentions non-food items. Our view is that these certainly have a role and that the importance of such contributions can be enhanced by directly linking them to development programmes. Further, in what might appear by now to be an obsession on our part on the need for coordination and integration, we wish to support the Committee's view on the desirability of channelling all food aid through the WFP. If for no other reason, this would contribute towards greater integration and coordination, leading to higher levels of achievement in our programmes and bringing hope to those under-privileged millions in whose interest we claim to talk, mean to talk, or indeed talk, as we sit here.
Lastly, we wish to congratulatethe Executive-Director and the WFP on the positive contributions towards lessening the extent of human suffering over the past twenty years.
ABDUL WAHID bin ABDUL JALIL (Malaysia): Malaysia was an Observer in the CFA and therefore would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the WFP, its Executive Director and its staff for the excellent contribution they have given to the development of the developing countries. My delegation has read the document with satisfaction and, after listening carefully to Mr. Ingram's very clear introduction on the activities of the Programme during 1982, we would like to give our full endorsement to the report.
The increasing role of the Programme now is indicative of the confidence the international community has in the work and management of the Programme. It also reflects the confidence we have in the excellent work of its Executive Director and his staff. We are pleased to note that there have been very many innovative efforts made in the Programme in the past which improved the performance of the Programme's activities. We hope the Executive Director and his capable and dynamic staff will continue to develop further innovations to enable it to further improve and to overcome the problems on the ground so as to enable it to play a more effective and efficient role in support of economic and social development projects in the developing countries.
We hope the Programme, based on its excellent performance in the past, will further attract the attention of both traditional and new donors who, we hope, will respond positively to the call for increasing contributions to increase the resources for it, so that the Programme could increase and raise the standard of its operation. We are appreciative of the contribution made by these Member nations.
Finally, my delegation would like to congratulate the WFP on its 20th Anniversary and hopes the Programme will continue to perform its valuable work to provide assistance to the developing countries in their efforts to improve their livelihood. We will continue to give our full support to Mr. Ingram and his staff in all their endeavours for this very noble cause.
T. AHMAD (Pakistan): We wish first of all to convey our appreciation to Mr. Ingram for his very comprehensive and articulate statement this morning in introducing the subject. As usual we found it very thought-provoking, very interesting, full of conceptual framework as well as pragmatic. We are particularly happy to see that this is the 20th year of the World Food Programme; and in these twenty years the World Food Programme, from a very modest start has achieved a status which is perhaps the highest in the UN system: and we commend the qualities of the WFP and wish it every success in the future.
However, we agree with Mr. Ingram,when he said this morning that this achievement, which is very substantial, has to be viewed in the context of the need of developing countries which is much more than can be foreseen immediately; and here we are reminded of the recent deliberations in the CFA where it was pointed out that by 1985, a twenty million cereal aid would be needed for developing countries. While reviewing the resource position of the Programme, we share the concern of the Executive Director that the number of donors has declined from 99 to 65. However, we wish to place on record here that we, in our modest way, have been contributing to the Programme and will continue to do so. We are not among those who have got out and we therefore take the liberty of urging both developed and developing countries to come forward so that the number of donors, which was a very welcome wide spectrum, can remain the same wide spectrum.
We also wish to speak about the WFP target of $1.35 billion. We were indeed very happy with the original target of $1.5 millionproposed by the Executive Director and endorsed by the Director-General of FAO and by the Secretary-General of the United Nations. During the CFA we supported that $1,500 million target but also discovered that some members of the CFA could not agree with that target; and, in an effort to achieve a consensus we also agreed to the lower target of $1,350 millions. We wish to record our appreciation to the major donors and the members of the CFA who, in a spirit of constructive consensus, agreed to a target of $1.35 billion; though we are not happy with this, we still feel it is much better than the $1.2 billion that we were struggling for earlier.
We wish to record our appreciation at this juncture to the Chairman of the CFA who, in his sagacity and wisdom, synthesised the divergent views of various members of the CFA and helped in achieving this consensus of $1.35 billion. We find this to be a modest and realistic target and hope it will be met and that it will be not only achieved but satisfactory.
We are indeed satisfied with World Food Programme priorities, particularly for low-income food-deficit countries and agree that this focus should continue to be on these countries, but we also wish to highlight that attention to the problems of middle-developing countries should not be diverted and that the WFP intervention, particularly from a developmental aspect, can be a great incentive to the efforts of these countries in achieving food and agriculture production, particularly if it is integrated within their own agricultural policies and achievements, and we feel WFP should continue to do this.
We also very strongly endorse and support triangular transactions and have been repeatedly saying that they are indeed very important for developing countries, particularly to give them an incentive for food production. We made a proposal during the CFA and we wish to repeat it: that WFP may consider the possibility of purchases within countries which they are assisting. We are aware that within those developmental projects when WFP, in order to complete food aid, does make purchases but on a smaller level. We were thinking of bigger purchases, particularly when big emergency operations are being undertaken so that purchases of commodities could be made to help the developing countries while at the same time solving logistical, transport and many other problems which large transactions can entail. We feel this is a proposal which the WFP may examine as to its feasibility.
Before concluding, we wish to record our appreciation to WFP and FAO for the substantial assistance we have been getting for the Afghan refugees in Pakistan and we also wish to convey our appreciation to a number of major donors who have come to help us in this context. We have been one of the bigger recipients of emergency aid during recent years and we wish to record our satisfaction with the procedures and decision-making process which WFP goes through to respond to the emergency needs of various developing countries. We feel it is very efficient, effective and flexible and that it responds very rapidly to the needs of developing countries; and we wish to convey our appreciation for that.
LE SECRETAIRE GENERAL: Je prends deux minutes de votre temps pour vous présenter, au nom du Directeur général, le tout dernier né de nos ouvrages, dénommé "Rapport sur l'alimentation mondiale". La première publication, naturellement, porte sur l'année 1982.
Je voudrais tout d'abord saisir cette occasion pour remercier de leur compréhension les délégations de pays de langue arabe qui ont bien voulu accepter que le rapport soit distribué dans les versions existantes, sans attendre la sortie de l'édition arabe qui, elle, sera publiée dans les tout prochains jours.
Cette brochure, qui à certains égards prend la suite de la série "La FAO en 1981 ou 1982", n'est pas conçue comme un document technique. Son but est de présenter, à l'intention notamment des non spécialistes, un compte rendu de la situation alimentaire mondiale et des activités menées en 1982 par la FAO à l'appui du développement agricole et rural. Elle sera publiée chaque année, dans le cadre des efforts que déploie l'Organisation pour faire connaître et comprendre les problèmes du développement agricole et de la lutte contre la faim et la malnutrition, dans un public beaucoup plus vaste, les media, les organisations non gouvernementales et toutes les personnes qui s'occupent de mobiliser les appuis en faveur du développement agricole et rural.
Préparé par notre Division de l'information, avec l'appui des différentes divisions techniques de l'Organisation, et en coopération avec la Division des publications, ce rapport répond au voeu émis par le Directeur général lors de la première journée mondiale de l'alimentation en 1981. Il s'agit de mettre le grand public au courant des problèmes du développement et de stimuler, dans l'opinion publique, un débat plus éclairé sur ce problème capital de notre siècle, c'est-à-dire: que faut-il faire pour garantir le droit fondamental de tous les humains à la nourriture?
Nous espérons beaucoup que cette publication plaira et sera utile à nos Etats Membres, et nous serions heureux de recueillir leur opinion à son égard.
CHAIRMAN: I think this publication contains a wealth of very valuable information presented in a very readable and appealing manner. We want to thank FAO for this document.
The meeting rose at 12.30 hours
La séance est levée à 12 h 30
Se levanta la sesión a las 12.30 horas
