7. Conclusions of the Review of Certain Aspects of FAO's Goals and Operations (continued)
7. Conclusions de l'examen de certains aspects des buts et opérations (suite)
7. Conclusiones del examen de algunos aspectos de las metas y operaciones de la FAO (continuación)
LE PRESIDENT: Nous allons reprendre le cours de nos travaux interrompus ce matin. Il y a eu cette intervention de l'observateur des Pays-Bas qui a donné lieu à des réactions et certaines délégations ont demandé à prendre la parole au début de cet après-midi. J'espère que nous pourrons passer ensuite à la réponse du Directeur général et de ses collaborateurs sur l'ensemble de la question de l'Examen. Puis nous passerons aux autres questions de l'ordre du jour, qui sont nombreuses.
D'un autre côté, le Comité de rédaction doit se réunir afin de préparer le travail pour demain, Je suggère donc que l'on passe assez rapidement à l'analyse des autres questions et je demande à Messieurs les délégués de tenir compte de cette obligation. J'espère que mon appel sera entendu.
Amin ABDEL MALEK (Liban)(langue originale arabe): Je ne voudrais pas parler longuement en réponse à ce qu'a dit le délégué des Pays-Bas ce matin. J'espère qu'il se trouve parmi nous pour m'entendre. Mais je ne veux pas m'abaisser à son niveau car je pense qu'il ne mérite pas qu'on lui réponde. Ce qu'il a dit ce matin concerne l'Organisation et ses responsables ainsi que les pays membres. Les relations entre les organisations et les pays membres ne sont pas détériorées. Les relations entre pays peuvent subir des divergences à cause de la multiplicité des sujets discutés mais nous ne sommes pas parvenus à la tension mentionnée par le délégué des Pays-Bas ce matin.
Javier TANTALEAN (Perú): Para no dejar lugar a dudas, ya que Perú es un país que le debe dinero a la FAO, quisiera aclarar al delegado de Holanda que esto no se debe en absoluto a la falta de confianza en la Organización sino a problemas derivados por la crisis de la deuda externa. Y por el contrario, mi Gobierno y mi país tienen plena confianza en la FAO y en su Director General.
Sra. Margarita Lizarraga SAUCEDO (México): México ha apoyado y sigue apoyando a la Organización porque ve en ella una fuente irremplazable de asistencia para los países en desarrollo. No tenemos duda sobre la competencia y capacidad de la Organización y de su Director General que, aunque ha sido puesto a prueba por difíciles situaciones financieras en su mayor parte impuestas, ha sabido salir adelante. Estamos en momentos en que la Organización, que no debemos olvidar que somos todos, Estados y Secretaría, requiere de apoyo. Sr. Presidente: en nombre de México, y creo interpretar el sentimiento de la mayoría, le expreso públicamente a la Organización y a su Director General nuestra confianza y nuestro apoyo.
Atif Y. BUKHARI (Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of) (original language Arabic): The representative of the Netherlands took not only the Organization and its administration to task but also members of the Council. This did violence to the spirit of cooperation which has been present during our discussions this week. We should like to protest most vigorously about what was said. We would ask that direct contact be made with the Government of the Netherlands to inform that Government about what has happened so that we may learn whether this is indeed the position of the Dutch Government. If that is not the case, we cannot allow this person to remain at Council Sessions.
Bashir El Mabrouk SAID (Libya) (original language Arabic): My delegation very much regrets what has happened. We hope that everyone here will agree that any speech which is not within the spirit of constructive dialogue and which lacks respect for member countries and for the Organization not only damages the Organization but also damages the member countries - and we are the member countries.
I think everyone will agree with me when I say that. Rather than becoming involved in a discussion which is futile and irresponsible and not within the normal context of responsibility in which we discuss matters, we should place on record in the report of this session the trust which has been expressed by member countries and the mutual trust which exists between individual members, as well as the trust which has been mentioned by the members of FAO. This is a trust which has been referred to by many and which has shown great homage to this Organization and the Director-General.It has also very much shown the positive spirit which has governed our discussions, which have also been carried out in a spirit of openness and respect.
I would not want to repeat the words uttered by Venezuela, but I hope this will not happen again because it could create serious tensions within our discussions.
E.P. ALLEYNE (Trinidad and Tobago): Under normal circumstances, my delegation would apologize most sincerely for requesting the floor at this time, given that we have so much to do, but these are not normal circumstances. I wish to add the voice of a small but very proud country to the intervention preceding mine in abhorrent reaction to the comments made by the representative of Holland this morning. That representative is not empowered to speak, has no authority even to attempt to indicate the feelings of Member Governments en masse, and very definitely not of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, with regard to our status, our relationship, our perceptions regarding the Food and Agriculture Organization.
For the record, any delays in payment on the part of my country have nothing to do with a lack of confidence or a lack of faith in this Organization or the quality of its administration. It is incorrect, unfair, alarming and indeed insulting that the representative of the Netherlands should speak of failing trust at a time when delegations in this Council are meeting in an earnest attempt to move this Organization forward into the future.
It was also most unfortunate that those uncalled for and unjustified remarks were made just before we took time off for a most impressive ceremony in your honour. You received a standing ovation from this gathering, Mr Chairman. Surely your success must have reflected a period of guidance in the spirit of faith and trust among Member Nations.
I honestly believe that this Council and the Governments here represented deserve an apology.
Shahid NAJAM (Pakistan): My delegation is immensely distressed about the unfortunate remarks made by the Observer from the Netherlands. Pakistan is also a relatively minor defaulter, but this in no way implies that we lack trust and confidence in FAO. We should like to, categorically and emphatically, reaffirm and reiterate our full and unflinching confidence and trust in FAO, its highly competent management and its unstinting, excellent functioning for the extermination of hunger, poverty and malnutrition from the world.
My delegation fully supports the proposals of the distinguised delegates from the Lebanon and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Mauricio CUADRA (Nicaragua): Ml Delegación se suma al clamor de la mayoría de las Delegaciones aquí presentes, que manifiestan su rechazo firme a las expresiones que se han vertido en contra de la Organización, del funcionamiento de la misma y del Director General. A nosotros nos sorprende, porque conocemos perfectamente la política del Gobierno de Países Bajos. Somos beneficiarios incluso de proyectos que se financian con fondos fiduciarios de este país y que ejecuta la FAO, y nunca hemos tenido ni sentido de gobierno de las autoridadas oficiales de Países Bajos, ni el más mínimo condicionamiento ni la más mínima duda hacia la efectividad de estos programas y, mucho menos, la más mínima duda hacia la honorabilidad, hacia la efectividad y hacia el funcionamiento de la Organización y de su Dirección.
Hemos escuchado a un distinguido Delegado pedir aquí que no se considere como oficial esta declaración, o bien que se pida una aclaración al Gobierno de los Países Bajos, si esta declaración que aquí se ha hecho es oficial. Nosotros nos sumaríamos a esta petición, puesto que, insisto, tenemos excelentes relaciones con el Gobierno de los Países Bajos, somos beneficiarios de fondos de ese país, y nunca hemos tenido ni presiones ni condicionamientos para su uso ni dudas hacia nosotros ni, mucho menos, hacia la Organización.
Nos sumamos a ese clamor, y obviamente, sobra decirlo, reiteramos nuestro apoyo, nuestra confianza y nuestro aprecio por la FAO y en particular por la persona del Director General.
Víctor MACHINEA (Argentina): Creo que está todo dicho. Parece que extendernos en este tema no vale la pena.Primero tenemos que interpretar el nivel del Delegado en cuanto a representatividad se refiere -estamos hablando de un observador-, y no debemos dar más valor que eso.La República Argentina es deudor, es cierto, pero está muy lejos de pensar como lo trató de interpretar el distinguido Delegado de los Países Bajos. Así que, desde ya está nuestro pleno apoyo a la Organización y al Director General.
R.G. PETTITT (United Kingdom): I think that our experience today would rather suggest that it is not helpful or leading to clarification, or conducive to efficient business, for the Director-General or the Secretariat to make interpretive statements following interventions by member countries, rather than stick in mid-debate to answering questions or intervening, at request, to correct errors and misunderstandings.
I would also have thought that perhaps we members ought to exercise some degree of restraint before intervening in situations where it would appear from the heat generated that there is some element of misunderstanding.
LE PRESIDENT: L'Observateur des Pays-Bas m'a demandé, à l'issue de ces interventions et avec votre permission, de prendre la parole. Nous sommes tous unanimes pour dire qu'il y a eu des paroles malencontreuses; nous allons écouter le représentant de l'Inde et ensuite l'Observateur des Pays-Bas pourra peut-être rattraper cette affaire.
C.Srinivasa SASTRT (India): We share the feeling that the delegate from the Netherlands, utilizing his status as an observer has made a statement which is not in keeping with the tone and tenor of interventions by Member Nations in the fora of an international organization like FAO.
While the representative of the Netherlands has a right to his views and opinions, and also the right to express them in an appropriate manner, what he said is not on any specific subject on the agenda but constitutes a sweeping observation of a general nature on the members and also about the attitude of the Member Nations towards the FAO.
Under your leadership, Mr Chairman, particularly in the Council, the FAO has been functioning in a democratic manner and all members have exercised the right of freely expressing their views and opinions. The long and frank discussions in the Council on the Programme of Work and Budget and the FAO review have clearly brought out the faith of Member Nations in FAO and their willingness to strengthen the Organization.
Although India is not a defaulter in terms of assessed contributions, we would place on record our faith and belief in the FAO as in an international organization which has been doing outstanding service for the development of, and in the cause of, food and agriculture, rural development and related areas in the globe.
Now that you, Mr Chairman, have mentioned that the representative of the Netherlands wishes to make another intervention, assuming that you are going to give him an opportunity, we hope in deference to the statements made by the Member Nations in such a large majority the representative of the Netherlands will make adequate amends in a manner that is appropriate.
F.C. PRILLEVITZ (Observer for the Netherlands): I was shocked especially by the reactions of several colleagues of countries who have just spoken and also by the reaction of the Director-General, so I think if we were misunterstood, we have to clarify our statement which was read out by my colleague, and is now made available to all the members of the Council. Listening to those Representatives that have spoken about the paragraph in our speech that was devoted to the payment of contribution, I do have to apologize for the wording of this part of our statement because I have understood that it has done harm to these countries.
It could be that we were too naïve, but our contribution to this debate was meant to be constructive. When I came to Rome almost two years days ago, my first experience with FAO was a financial crisis. And two days ago I heard that the situation is even worse than two years ago. Everybody may interpret this situation in his or her own way.
Review of FAO meant for us a possibility to overcome the difficulties we are facing now. Listening to the debate as an observer we have got the impression that there is a possibility that the results will not be in such a way that a renewed FAO will take up its tasks in a new spirit. With this in mind we have spoken about a lack of trust, of confidence. We never wanted to insult or offend any delegation or the Director-General and his Secretariat. If anybody in this room has got that impression we regret that very much. For us, as I said before, Review of FAO must lead to a restrengthening of FAO. If the reaction on our statement is representative for the hope in this room that we can reach such a result then I am very happy with this.
Finally, Mr Chairman, my Government wishes to be considered as one of the most constructive and supportive members of FAO.
DIRECTOR-GENERAL: I should like to answer the delegate of the United Kingdom who seemed offended by my reaction. I have the right, Sir, to participate in the debate. One must read the Constitution. I do not take the floor, I am given the floor, and whenever the dignity of the Organization or the management is being harmed I have to defend it. We have dignity. We live with our dignity, and if there are accusations I have to answer the accusations. I also was defending the honour of this Council.
Gonzalo BULA HOTOS (Colombia): Los representantes de Colombia deseamos declarar que hemos oído con respeto y atención las palabras del colega y amigo señor Prillevitz, de los Países Bajos, cuyo contenido esperamos que contribuirá a tranquilizar los ánimos justamente exacerbados de los miembros del Consejo. En nombre del Gobierno colombiano, deseamos reiterar nuestra admiración y simpatía al Gobierno y al pueblo de los Países Bajos.
LE PRESIDENT: Est-ce que nous pouvons adopter la proposition de la Libye, en ce sens que dans le rapport nous pourrions faire clairement état de l'esprit de concorde et de confiance qui a régné dans le Conseil au moment de l'étude de toutes les questions fondamentales inscrites à l'ordre du jour, qui traduisent la confiance totale des délégués les uns dans les autres et dans le management de l'Organisation, que nous considérons que ce capital de confiance est un gage de succès pour l'Organisation et ses organes directeurs. Si vous acceptiez cela, nous pourrions le mettre dans le rapport.
Est-ce que l'on peut avancer dans cette direction?
Ms Joan DUDIK-GAYOSO (United States of America): As I understand it, what you are asking now, Mr Chairman, is that the members of the Drafting Group commit themselves in advance to what would be in the text of the report of this Council. That is not a way in which my delegation wishes to proceed. We understand what has happened here. We do not wish to create problems for the Organization but at this moment we are not prepared to accept the idea that the words that were read out just now by you should be the words that appear in the report. I think what needs to come in the report will require some reflection by all delegations.
Gonzalo BULA HOYOS (Colombia): Señor Presidente, usted ha hecho un gran esfuerzo por tratar de presentar un texto que pudiera ser satisfactorio para todos los miembros del Consejo. La experiencia y la tradición indican que las palabras del Presidente de Consejo al final de un debate, no son letra escrita, no son textos definitivos para la decisión del Comité de Redacción. Yo creo que el Consejo toma nota de lo que usted ha dicho y los miembros del Comité de Redacción procederán según sus criterios y así podremos concluir este asunto.
LE PRESIDENT: Je crois que nous pouvons aller de l'avant et revenir à l'ordre du jour. Je vais donner la parole au Président du Comité du programme qui va répondre aux diverses appréciations apportées par les honorables délégués.
M. MAZOYER (Président du Comité du Programme): Monsieur le Président, Messieurs les Représentants des Etats Membres, Mesdames et Messieurs, permettez-moi de remercier les membres du Conseil qui ont bien voulu porter une appréciation positive sur le rapport conjoint du Comité financier et du Comité du Programme relatif aux objectifs, rôle, stratégies et priorités, et les opérations de terrain de la FAO, et considérer que ce rapport constitue une bonne base pour les débats de la Conférence. C'est un motif de satisfaction pour mes collègues du Comité financier et du Comité du programme, pour l'Ambassadeur Bukhari, Président du Comité financier, et pour moi-même.
Certes, ce rapport n'est pas parfait. Il peut être complété. Le Directeur général a déjà fait des propositions utiles à ce sujet. Vos débats quant au fond et à la forme du rapport montrent à mon avis que l'Examen prescrit par la Conférence a été productif à plus d'un titre.
Faisant suite à une période où des doutes et des propositions diverses relatives à la situation et à l'avenir de l'Organisation se faisaient jour, on peut considérer que le fait que les experts, les Comités, le Directeur général et finalement vous-mêmes soyez d'accord avec les conclusions et les recommendations qui vous sont soumises, est un résultat positif en soi, et tout à fait remarquable, un pas en avant vers davantage de confiance et de consensus.
D'autre part, comme l'ont rappelé plusieurs de nos collègues des deux Comités, l'étendue, la qualité, le niveau de l'information sur l'état de l'Organisation et sur ses activités se sont améliorés grâce aux enquêtes des experts, grâce aux contributions des Etats Membres, grâce à la documentation fournie par le Secrétariat, grâce au temps passé par les uns et les autres à s'informer, grâce aux débats entre les membres des Comités, avec les experts et avec le Secrétariat. Ainsi les activités de l'Organisation sont sans doute mieux connues par beaucoup d'entre nous et beaucoup plus justement appréciées. Des zones d'ombre ont été éclairées. De nombreux malentendus ont été écartés. Certains procès d'intention injustifiés également. On peut dire que le niveau d'écoute, de compréhension et la qualité de relation entre les uns et les autres se sont considérablement améliorés. M. Coutts a souligné lui-même que le travail des Comités s'était déroulé dans des conditions exemplaires. Tout cela constitue un pas en avant considérable vers un consensus renouvelé.
Mais il est clair que ces progrès, qui sont particulièrement nets au sein des Comités, ne sont peut-être pas aussi bien perçus par les représentants qui ont moins directement participé au travail d'élaboration des conclusions et recommandations qui vous sont soumises. Le résultat de l'Examen reste en partie fragile. Il faut en consolider les acquis techniques, politiques et moraux au Conseil et à la Conférence. Il faut étudier ses conclusions et recommandations, proposer des amendements constructifs comme l'a déjà fait le Directeur général, se mettre d'accord sur ces améliorations et sur les modalités de mise en oeuvre des recommandations.
Je vous en prie, faites-le dans le même esprit d'écoute, de respect mutuel, de compréhension que vos élus des deux Comités ont si bien respecté, ce dont je ne saurais personnellement trop les féliciter et les remercier. Mettez l'accent sur ce qui vous rapproche plus que sur ce qui vous divise peut-être encore. Si ces conditions sont réunies, je pense que l'Examen n'aura pas été vain, qu'il n'aura pas coûté trop cher.
Enfin je voudrais souligner que la moisson de conclusions et de recommandations, même si elle reprend beaucoup d'idées qui étalent dans l'air, même si elle prolonge ou renforce ce que faisait déjà l'Organisation, comme cela a été souligné, cette moisson est peut-être plus importante qu'il n'y paraît aux yeux de certains, et que sa portée est sans doute beaucoup plus grande que ce que les restrictions budgétaires, qui n'ont cessé de planer au-dessus de nos têtes pendant tous nos travaux, nous autorisaient en fait. Sans vouloir être exhaustif, il me paraît important qu'un accord de principe sur l’imprescriptibilité et l’Inter-relation, la complémentarité des trois fonctions essentielles de l'Organisation soit acquis; que le rôle significatif de l'Organisation en matière de politiques soit reconnu; que le rôle de l'Organisation et les nouvelles orientations en matière de recherche et de technologie, en collaboration avec d'autres organismes le soient également; que le rôle de l'Organisation dans le développement durable, la prise en compte des problèmes écologiques de notre époque dans son domaine de compétence le soient aussi, et j'en passe: Conférence de la réforme agraire et du développement rural, commerce International.
Les propositions pour l'amélioration de la procédure de planification, de budgétisation de l'Organisation ne sont pas négligeables. Bien appliquées, elles peuvent porter des fruits très utiles. Enfin, je ne parle pas du service d'identification et de formulation des projets financés pour les fonds fiduciaires, de l'examen approfondi des programmes de terrain etc., et de l'amélioration de la coopération, de la coordination avec les autres organisations et agences des Nations Unies. Je ne veux pas être trop long.
La portée de l'Examen n'est pas limitée à mon avis. Elle l'est peut-être à cause des moyens dont dispose l'Organisation. Elle ne l'est pas dans sa portée à venir. Les propositions sont améliorables mais elles ne sont pas nulles et non avenues, comme j'ai cru comprendre qu'on pouvait aussi le penser. Il est pourtant un point sur lequel je regrette que nous n'ayons pu avancer davantage. Comme je l'ai dit dans ma présentation hier, il s'agit de la prescription du paragraphe 2 a) de la Résolution 6/87, qui demandait d'examiner la façon dont la FAO pourrait apporter sa contribution la plus efficace aux efforts des Etats Membres et des populations en vue d'éliminer la faim, la malnutrition et la pauvreté, compte tenu, ai-je dit, et c'est écrit dans la Résolution, des ressources dont dispose l'Organisation. J'ai regretté que ces ressources envisageables dans les prochaines années ne permettent pas malheureusement de régler ce problème, pas plus qu'elles ne l'ont permis dans les années antérieures.
Je voudrais préciser ma pensée. Il y a dans les pays en développement plus d'un milliard de personnes, soit environ 250 millions de familles - je parle des campagnes - qui restent année sprès année directement victimes de la faim, candidates aux camps de réfugiés du Haut Commissariat, condamnées à l'exode proche ou lointain. Pour venir à bout d'un fléau de ce genre et de ses conséquences néfastes, il faudrait au bas mot 50 milliards de dollars durant une dizaine d'années, renouvelables sans doute, pour équiper ces 250 millions d'exploitations paysannes en outils, en intrants, en bétail, en plantations, en moyens d'arrosage au minimum. Le coût d'exécution d'un tel plan, si l'on considère qu'il représente 20% du coût des équipements en question, serait donc de l'ordre de 10 milliards par an.
Un jour, les Nations Unies auront besoin d'une organisation puissante, plus puissante que ne l'est aujourd'hui la FAO, qui soit capable de formuler, de coordonner un tel plan. Personnellement je regrette que ce moment ne soit pas encore venu. J'espère que les résultats de l'Examen analysés à la lumière de ce problème constituent tout de même une possiblité de consolidation et un jalon encore modeste, mais un jalon tout de même, sur le chemin qui permettra un jour à la FAO de remplir ce rôle, car le jour viendra où on lui demandera de le remplir.
LE PRESIDENT: Je remercie le Président du Comité du Programme pour son intervention et je donne la parole au Directeur général.
LE DIRECTEUR GENERAL: Je voudrais me permettre tout d'abord de remercier et de rendre hommage à M.Valenza, Ambassadeur d'Italie, pour la contribution importante qu'il a eue dans la décision prise par le Gouvernement italien de transférer 15 autres millions de dollars à la FAO pour permettre à la FAO de faire face à la crise financière dans laquelle elle se trouve depuis quelques années. Je sais que ce n'était pas facile. Il y a en ce moment quelques problèmes en ce qui concerne l'aide publique au développement et les Italiens ont été très généreux. Ceci va permettre de payer les salaires de la fin de l'année parce que nous attendions d'autres contributions qui ne sont pas arrivées. Je dois donc rendre hommage à Monsieur l'ambassadeur Valenza et au Gouvernement italien.
(continues in English) You will recall Resolution 6/87 made the Secretariat an integral participant in the Review process, and requested me to make my own conclusions known directly to the Conference and Council.
The process of Review was intellectually and managerially challenging. It was also time-consuming and costly. I am, therefore, glad that on the whole the reactions of the Council have not threatened to reopen past wounds - - I wrote this, of course, before this morning's intervention - - and to create new painful controversies, but have generally been positive and constructive. It is now for the Conference to reach conclusions. It was the Conference which started the process. It is the Conference which must finish it. Frankly, I hope that it will be finished, since the Organization's resources, as affected by the critical situation regarding contributions, cannot support further exercises of this kind, while trying to meet even the minimum of services which Member Governments have a right to expect.
One could hardly expect the Council to go further than it has on the subject, given the short time available and the rights of non-members of the Council to be heard in Conference before conclusions are reached.
However, I had good hopes and, despite one or two interventions which seemed to me to risk provoking unnecessary counter-reactions of an extreme kind, I still have good hopes that the Conference will reach a consensus without too many difficulties and pain on this matter, and give me the managerial go-ahead and the necessary resources to implement these conclusions into the next or future biennium.
On the question of resources, I do not want to get too deeply involved at this stage in the problem of how realistic it is for Member Governments to decide to engage in what are, in fact, major initiatives without assuring that the resources will be there to sustain the minimum base, let alone the capacity to respond in a reasonable way to their new requirements. What are at stake here are not minor programmes which could be accommodated in the past by the normal process of programme and budgetary adjustment, or from the Working Capital Fund, or the special Reserve Account·
Mr Chairman, these are major changes which, if seriously implemented, would involve more than 60 new posts, many requiring expertise not at present available, as well as serious amounts of money, possibly not all at once, but still necessary eventually. Moreover, we in FAO are not living in normal times. It is surely rather pointless to talk about adjustments, savings or even recourse to the Working Capital Fund of the Special Reserve Account, when neither I, nor apparently anyone else, knows if and when the next dollar of arrears or currently due contributions is going to arrive, especially from the main contributor which owes FAO US$ 142 million, and if we consider the family of the United Nations, a total of US$ 893 million to the whole United Nations system.
Nevertheless, I have tried all along to promote a consensus in a spirit of realism. Despite a range of opinions, the Council has in fact shown the same spirit. I hope that this spirit of conciliation, rather than of challenge or threat, and of political and financial realism will prevail. I will certainly lend my efforts to this end during the Conference.
In this connection, perhaps Member Governments will find it useful at some point in the proceedings of Commission II, or before, to participate in some sort of Group to work out a consensus solution. It is for Member Governments to decide, but I would make the point that, under Resolution 6/87, directly and through my representatives, the Director-General remains an integral participant.
Moreover, since we will be at the point of concrete decisions involving questions of programme and budgetary implementation, any such Group must be kept continuously informed of the Director-General's views on substance, feasibility, financial and administrative implications. Therefore, if any such Group were to be set up, I would be ready to nominate a senior person to represent me in it, as was the case for the previous Contact Group.
Finally, Mr Chairman, my main concern is that we should now begin to extract the practical benefits of this exercise and get on with our important substantive tasks. There seems to be general agreement on what these are. Let us, therefore, try to conclude this exercise, as our Host would say, "in bellezza"·
LE PRESIDENT:Nous arrivons à la fin d'un débat extrêmement important sur l'un des points les plus importants de notre ordre du jour: l'Examen des buts et opérations de la FAO auquel ont participé la plupart des membres du Conseil, puisque 44 représentants et un observateur ont pris la parole. Je crois que, comme l'a dit le délégué de la Colombie - et ce que je dis est simplement indicatif, ce n'est pas impératif pour la rédaction du rapport - le Conseil s'est accordé à reconnaître la qualité et la valeur des documents qui lui ont été soumis pour examen. Les experts puis, par la suite, le Comité du programme et le Comité financier se sont livrés à une étude approfondie de l'Organisation et ont bénéficié des commentaires substantiels du Directeur général. Leurs vues ont été présentées d'une manière que l'on peut considérer claire, précise et susceptible d'offrir une base adéquate aux discussions et aux conclusions futures de la Conférence.
D'une manière générale, le Conseil est d'avis qu'il n'y a pas lieu d'introduire de nouveaux points pour discussion. Il a noté que le Directeur général a marqué son accord avec les recommandations faites par le Comité et qu'il en a proposé, en outre, quatre additionnelles. Le Conseil s'est accordé à reconnaître que les comités ont bien accompli la tâche que la Résolution 6/87 leur avait confiée et qu'après deux ans, il convenait de conclure cet exercice et
de permettre à l'Organisation de reprendre le cours normal de ses activités. Le Conseil exprime de manière unanime le souhait et la volonté d'aboutir, comme vient de le rappeler le Directeur général, à des conclusions par consensus sur une question aussi importante car c'est seulement en cas de consensus que l'on peut espérer que les recommandations adoptées pourront progressivement être mises en oeuvre dans l'harmonie entre les Etats Membres - harmonie dont l'Organisation a tellement besoin.
D'une manière générale, le Conseil et les membres du Comité du programme et du Comité financier ont exprime leur accord sur les recommandations des deux comités. On a reconnu en particulier, comme l'ont souligné les deux comités dans la conclusion de leur rapport, que la FAO est une Organisation saine et en bonne santé, qui doit pouvoir bénéficier de la confiance des Etats Membres. Le Conseil a souligné que l'objectif de l'Examen est de renforcer l'Organisation tout en lui apportant les améliorations nécessaires. Il a tout particulièrement marqué son accord sur les trois roles principaux de la FAO - information, tribune internationale, assistance technique - en soulignant qu'ils sont complémentaires et indissociables.
Certaines délégations ont exprimé le souhait qu'un mécanisme informel de consultation soit mis en place pour lancer la discussion sur ce sujet et préparer un projet de résolution pour la Conférence. Comme nous l'avons noté, à cet égard, la grande majorité des Etats Membres a estimé que cela paraissait prématuré car il fallait d'abord bénéficier des vues des ministres et de tous les membres de la FAO à la Commission II de la Conférence sur cette question vitale qui intéresse tous le Etats Membres, commission qui doit se réunir la semaine prochaine.
Il est à noter que la question du choix des priorités dans les recommandations qui a été suggéré par le Directeur général dans son intervention n'a pas pu donner lieu à une discussion générale approfondie. Je pense que la Conférence voudra bien se pencher sur le choix de cette priorité dans les recommandations. La question des ressources a été abordée par de normbreux Etats Membres mais force est de constater qu'il n'y a pas eu accord sur les méthodes de financement des recommandations proposées. De nombreuses propositions ont été faites, depuis la réallocation interne des ressources et la suppression d'activités de moindre priorité jusqu'à l'adoption de crédits supplémentaires ou l'appel de ressources extrabudgétaires. En tout état de cause, cette question est importante, elle reste ouverte, et je formule le voeu que l'Assemblée générale puisse y trouver une solution. Bien sûr, il ne faut pas perdre de vue, comme vient de le déclarer le Directeur général, que la crise financière que subit l'Organisation ne lui permet pas d'avoir la souplesse que l'on est en droit d'attendre d'une Organisation telle que la FAO. Cela est évidemment dû au montant très important des contributions en retard qui s'élève à 175 millions de dollars, et également au fait qu'il y a 100 millions de dollars impayés ou de créances susceptibles de ne pas être payées.
De mon point de vue, le débat a été extrêmement riche et il serait certainement difficile au Comité de rédaction, étant donné le peu de temps qui lui reste, d'en faire un résumé détaillé. La Conférence reprendra tout cela la semaine prochaine. Il y a des divergences et elles devront être surmontées par la Conférence. Maintenant c'est au Conseil et au Comité de rédaction d'en décider mais peut-être pourrait-on se limiter dans le rapport aux intentions générales et aux points principaux, c'est-à-dire faire un rapport un peu plus sommaire. Encore une fois, il s'agit là d'une simple proposition de ma part.
Ce que je veux dire, c'est que le débat d'hier et d'aujourd'hui a été très fructueux. Je crois qu'il aura permis à chacun des délégués ici présents de connaître la position des autres. Malheureusement, le temps a été effectivement trop court pour que nous puissions aboutir à des choses précises et concrètes. Mais encore une fois, je pense que le document élaboré par le Comité conjoint est une bonne base de travail et de réflexion pour le Conseil. Voilà mon appréciation, mais nous laissons le soin au Comité de rédaction, puis au Conseil en dernier ressort, de décider du contenu définitif du rapport.
Ms Joan DUDIK-GAYOSO (United States of America):We appreciate the summary and actually also the responses that we have just heard from the Chairman of the Programme Committee and from the Director-General. We think that this debate is ending too early. We agree with you that it has been a healthy debate. But it is not over yet. As we indicated yesterday, we would like a chance for much further dialogue. What we see thus far is a first round, and for my delegation it has been a very interesting first round. It is clear to us that there are differences in this room, and with 48 members on the Council of the FAO, we are surprised that the Council may be unable to advance the work of the Review beyond that of the work done by the more limited number of members on the SJS. Many delegations have indicated that they agree with the SJS report, but the SJS report, as we pointed out yesterday, does not agree with itself. There are, in the SJS, a number
of issues which remain to be resolved. One of the themes of the Review of FAO, in the view of my Government, is that we are running out of time. It seems to us that we are always running out of time. We ran out of time in 1987. We are running out of time in this Council. We are told we may be running out of time in the drafting group. We may run out of time in the Conference, that certainly is a concern of my delegation.
We would appeal to you that you find a way to bring together the different views that you have heard in this room to facilitate further dialogue over the next couple of days. Some members have said, and I believe you yourself just said that, or proposed, that we should not consider new ideas. The Director-General has said he does not want old wounds re-opened. My delegation agrees that we would not like to see old wounds re-opened. However, we do not agree that we do not want to hear new ideas. The Director-General himself put on the table a number of new ideas, and as we indicated in our statement yesterday, we have ideas about his new ideas. There are quite a number of people in the room who have ideas. I don't think we should be afraid to continue this discussion. I think we would be failing in our responsibility if we did not do so. We do not think that the Drafting Committee should be limited in its work, but as we said yesterday, we think it would be perhaps a wiser course if it were a different body in recognizing the sensitivity of many delegations. As a contact group, we really will not insist on that per se, but some means should be found to facilitate a dialogue. If that is not possible, the record will show that this Council has not really been able to make the most of its time. That we passed onto our Ministers and to a much larger body something that we could not do ourselves and we think that would be indeed unfortunate and would risk wasting or failing to get the most out of the opportunities that the Review has provided.
R.G. PETTITT (united Kingdom):I simply intervene to try to identify just three points in your summary with which I do not think the British, UK delegation, could subscribe to, though they are matters of degree, I think, rather than in absolute terms. The first, in fact has been covered by my colleague on my right. We were not happy with your summary to the effect that extra subjects should not be covered. It depends what one means by "extra", but good ideas which emerge in this review process, in our opinion, should still be considered in the current chapter of our discussions, and this should include ideas which were not substantively considered by the experts or by the Committees or indeed by any further suggestions by the Director-General for whatever reason.
Secondly, we do not, I think, totally agree with you on looking upon this as the completion or near completion of a chapter. It is a matter for the Conference to decide where we go from here.
Thirdly, I may not, totally as it were, understood well your reference to priority setting. But in our view, priority setting and deficiencies or possible deficiencies in our priority setting should be discussed by the Conference.
João Augusto DE MEDICIS (Brazil): I am speaking out of frustration, out of frustration to realize that all the time reviewed by the Programme and Finance Committees was useless, at least in the thought of some delegations here. I realize all the effort we devoted to prepare a report that could be accepted by consensus was lost, and I really am surprised to see that some delegations that participated in this consensus do not agree any longer with this consensus.
I realize there are some points in our report that do not reach consensus, but most of our report does reach consensus. Yesterday we heard the delegate from USA, the distinguished delegate from US at length referred to the review process and ignored completely, I mean it, ignored completely the report of the SJS. She made a few very kind and very polite remarks to our efforts, and I thank her very much for that. But as regards the substantive work of this report, nothing was mentioned. I recall when I was a young boy, people used to say that seIf-compliment was as bad as a lie. Anyway, I don't want to self-compliment. We try to work very hard. We have the Chairman of the Programme Committee who devoted all his summer to this report. We met here in the last week of August to support the drafting committee with the participation of those delegations who now deny the value of this report. We had participation of all Member Countries coming from all regional groups, from all economic - let's say, from all sides of economies. We had people from the Group of 77; people from the OECD; people from the so-called Camberley Group, participating in this exercise. To realize, Mr Chairman, that the effort that we had devoted to this is not recognized. My delegation would be the last to oppose any move that could go forward in this process. We would be the last to be against any proposal that would make it more difficult for us
to reach a consensus and reach an agreement and to compromise. Really, I am really frustrated to see that the work to which not only my delegation or the Canadian delegation, the US delegation, the Austrian delegation, the delegation of Argentina, and of Australia, and of China, and of India - and excuse me, those countries I forget - really they devote so much time that is really ignored by some delegations.
We heard that before. As far as my delegation is concerned, my case rests. I will not say any more on that because I believe we are not being respected by a few delegations here.
Gonzalo BULA HOTOS (Colombia): Cuando el Consejo establece un Comité de Redacción lo hace esencialmente para evitar lo que ahora están protagonizando aquí dos distinguidas delegaciones. 0 sea, señor Presidente, que el resumen suyo que no es, como ya lo dijimos, una camisa de fuerza sino una orientación general, no puede ser discutido en este Consejo palabra por palabra porque para eso hemos elegido un Comité de Redacción.
Admiramos muchísimo que en ese Comité de Redacción haya miembros muy activos, dinámicos e insistentes, lo cual nos tranquiliza mucho para la discusión mañana del Proyecto de Informe. Nosotros pensamos, y éste es un mensaje que transmitimos a la distinguida Relatora y a los Miembros del Comité de Redacción, que el informe sobre este tema, si en realidad deseamos contribuir a que el debate en la Conferencia se facilite, debe ser breve, concreto y específico, sin que ninguno de los 49 miembros del Consejo, por importante que sea o se considere, pretenda que se impongan unilateralmente sus puntos de vista.
Nosotros apoyamos plenamente lo que ha dicho el colega de Brasil, y usted también, señor Presidente, cuenta con nuestro pleno respaldo. Hemos concluido hoy el debate preliminar sobre este tema, hemos llegado.a la fase final en el Consejo sobre este tema.Aconsejaríamos a las distinguidas delegaciones que han promovido esta controversia que tengan un poquito de paciencia, poco más de una semana, el lunes 20 en esta misma sala, en la Conferencia estará prevista la discusión del tema 15, pero será ya Ib Comisión II de la Conferencia. Usted desafortunadamente sólo nos acompañará desde su retrato sorre la pared, y su puesto será ocupado por mi vecino de la derecha.
Nor tros proponemos firmemente que se concluya este tema con las declaraciones que ahora estamos haciendo. Mañana discutirevos el Proyecto de Informe y luego durante el fin de semana estamos completamente disponibles, sobre todo si somos invitados o acompañados por damas, porque somos, los latinoamericanos, galantes y estamos totalmente disponibles para desayunar, almorzar, comer y hasta bailar un poco. Pero no para hacer parte de ningún grupo de contacto de trabajo de ninguna asociación oficial.
LE PRESIDENT: Je remercie le delegué de la Colombie de son intervention et de ses efforts pour détendre l'atmosphère.
Sra. Margarita Lizarraga SAUCEDO (México): Mi país fue de los que, con la gran mayoría, sostuvo como innecesario el proceso de revisión, pero siempre estuvo abierto al diálogo, y justamente por tratar de contribuir a la distensión de las presiones que se le estaban aplicando a la Organización nos sentamos a la mesa de discusiones en el primer grupo de contacto, para definir los términos en que se iba a realizar tal revisión. La resolución 6/87 aprobada por la Conferencia marcó el ámbito y el plazo de la realización de los estudios, así como el mecanismo. Todos hemos sido, de una u otra forma, actores de este proceso, porque a todos nos interesa, todos somos la Organización. Cuando nosotros hemos iniciado en el Consejo este debate, hemos dicho que deseamos contribuir a la fase final de este proceso, y no queremos tener la sensación de una frustración.
Aquí se ha discutido del examen de la revisión de acuerdo con el mecanismo que planteamos. En su mayoría, los países lo hemos endosado. Hemos tenido dudas, como usted ha dicho, respecto al mecanismo de financiación, porque los países que no podemos aportar mayores cantidades de recursos consideramos que debe encontrarse una fórmula de quiénes pidieron el ejercicio de cómo llegar a instrumentar estos resultados.
De todas maneras, como yo soy parte del Comité de Redacción, quiero llevar una directriz clara, porque este Consejo deberá entregar a la Conferencia un reparto serlo del trabajo que le toco cumplir, y no puede ser un reporte en donde no se transfiera lo que aquí ha ocurrido, porque el Consejo creo que somos la mayoría, y la mayoría nos hemos pronunciado por la aceptación, el agradecimiento a la manera en que se llevó el trabajo y que tiene un gran consenso sobre toda la serie de medidas que allí se piden.
Creo que esto puede quedar, aunque sea en un reporte corto, pero claro y bien transmitido, diciendo cuáles son los detalles que quedaron pendientes; pero que no se diga que nuestros Ministros no van a recibir un informe de la parte correspondiente. Estoy muy orgullosa de ser parte de este Consejo y tomo mi responsabilidad como tal.
LE PRESIDENT: Effectivement nous n'allons pas ouvrir un débat car il y a eu majorité pour approuver les recommandations du Comité, c'est ce que j'ai essayé de mettre dans ma synthèse; mais il faut tenir compte du fait que d'autres délégations ont présenté quelques suggestions qu'il est de mon devoir de faire figurer dans cette synthèse.
Je vous fais la suggestion suivante: puisque le Comité de rédaction va se réunir pour soumettre demain un rapport au Conseil, puisque son travail est de réfléchir à ce qui a été dit au Conseil, peut-être pourrait-il nous faire demain une proposition aussi complète qu'il le souhaite, et ensuite nous nous prononcerons dessus. Mais il me semble irréaliste de croire qu'en vingt-quatre heures nous pourrons vider une question aussi importante.
C'est un début de processus; n'oublions pas que le Comité de programme et le Comité financier ont travaillé pendant 2 ans sur cette question, qu'ils vont faire un rapport directement à la Conférence, que M. Mazoyer sera présent à la Commission II pour exposer le problème et répondre aux questions, donc le processus continue; nous sommes une chaîne dans ce processus et le dernier mot appartiendra à la Conférence.
Je demande que du rapport du Comité de rédaction puisse sortir quelque chose de clair, agréé par le Conseil; 11 ne s'agit en aucun cas de fuir nos responsabilités; le Conseil a bien discuté de cette question mais ne peut pas avoir la prétention de résoudre des questions alors que la Conférence va commencer dans quelques jours.
Je voudrais dire au délégué du Brésil qu'effectivement les rapports du Comité financier et du Comité du programme ont été analysés; j'ai insisté particulièrement pour que l'on prenne position sur chacune des propositions; le délégué du Royaume-Uni n'a pas manqué de faire état de ses observations; le document de travail des deux Comités a été la base des discussions et a servi.
Je vous lance un appel pour que nous n'ouvrions pas le débat; laissons travailler le Comité de rédaction; peut-être que sur la base de ses réflexions, en comité plus restreint on pourra aboutir à une rédaction qui, comme le dit le délégué de la Colombie pourra servir de base aux réflexions de la Conférence.
Six délégués ont demandé de prendre la parole: Congo, Etats-Unis d'Amérique, Lybie, Cuba, Philippines, Inde. Avec votre autorisation pouvons-nous arrêter le débat pour laisser la discussion se faire au Comité de rédaction, et passer aux autres questions de l'ordre du jour?
Nous avons demain du travail et nous voulons terminer à midi; la question dont nous débattons est complexe; il faut tenir compte de toutes les sensibilités et être très fidèle.
Je récapitule les demandes d'interventions: Congo, Etats-Unis, Lybie, Cuba, Philippines, Inde, Finlande.
Joseph TCHICAYA (Congo): Je m'excuse de prendre la parole sur cette question et en effet nous nous sommes déjà suffisamment exprimés sur ce point. Mais, puisque l'atmosphère l'exige nous allons essayer de donner notre point de vue.
Tout d'abord je tiens à dire que ma délégation est d'accord avec le résumé que vous avez fait de nos débats. Il s'agit là d'un résumé équilibré et qui donne des orientations permettant au Comité de rédaction de rédiger un texte acceptable et, s'il n'y avait pas eu d'autres interventions après votre résumé, ce point aurait trouvé toute sa solution.
Je voudrais dire d'autre part que j'ai participé pleinement au groupe decontact mis en place lors de la 24ème Session de la Conférence de notre Organisation, et nouspensons avoir travaillé longuement. Comme l'a rappelé le Mexique, nous n'étions pas demandeur decette réforme mais, dans un esprit de conciliation, nous avons accepté la mise en chantier de cetexamen.
Vous vous souviendrez certainement - et nombreux ici le savent - que dès l'adoption de cette Résolution 6/87 nous avons assisté à une certaine agitation entre nous; parce qu'il fallait d'abord commencer par envoyer des propositions complémentaires et, avant même que cet examen ne soit connu, que des discussions s'engagent pour que nous puissions travailler, alors que le Comité financier et le Comité de programme avaient été chargés de mener l'étude.
En tant que groupe des 77 nous avions refusé ce débat parce qu'il nous mettait en dehors de la résolution adoptée par la Conférence, et nous pensions qu'il fallait attendre le rapport des deux Comités pour nous prononcer.
Il y a déjà eu des réunions ici et là dans cette ville, et les discussions ont commencé avant même que le Conseil ne puisse délibérer. Je pense qu'il convient de laisser les choses en l'état; au cours de ce Conseil un certain nombre d'idées ont été avancées; c'est au Comité de rédaction à”mâcher" tout cela et à nous présenter un rapport acceptable. Comme vous l'avez fait remarquer, M. le Président, nous n'en sommes qu'au début de ce processus même si d'autres l'ont commencé depuis longtemps. De toute façon, la Commission II examinera cette question à la lumière de nos débats et proposera ce qui lui semblera acceptable par tous. Je pense que plus tot nous engagerons ces discussions en réunion formelle plus les discussions vont se raidir et l'atmosphère se polluer. Telle est la raison pour laquelle je pense qu'il faut nous en tenir à vos propositions; je les appuie fermement et je pense que tous les pays ici présents au Conseil devraient pouvoir en faire autant, afin que nous puissions arriver à la Conférence et poursuivre ce débat.
Gerald J.MONROE (United States of America I apologize for taking the floor again. I shall be very brief, I promise you.
I did, of course, participate in the Special Joint Session, and perhaps, when I hear certain of my friends and associates make an intervention, there is a conditioned response, my flag goes up, my light goes on. We spent after all, close on nine weeks together, working band, and I should like to take this opportunity to pay tribute, through you, Sir, to all of the cicipants and also to commend to the Director-General the work of the support staff, which was really superb, during the summer.
I wanted to point out to the Council my perception that the Special Joint Session indeed advanced the work of the review to a very great extent. It was not the intention of the American delegation to denigrate that work, and I want to make that perfectly clear.
The SJS, in ray view, accomplished two things. It demonstrated we could reach a consensus on a number of important issues across geographic lines, group lines, however you want to define them, and that it was possible for a very disparate group of delegations to sit together and work out agreement. We also identified very clearly for the Council and the Conference those key areas of disagreement or those areas where perspectives varied which would require the careful attention of the Council and ultimately of the Conference. This was something which had been in my mind as one of our major objectives.
I share my colleagues' concern that we may well run out of time. Those areas where we did not agree, as hard as we tried - and I cannot stress enough the effort we put into trying to agree -are seminal areas. They are very important areas. If I may say so, I think we did very good work in identifying them very clearly and in putting them into very sharp focus. Frankly, it was done at the time with the intent of enabling the Council to focus on those areas. It was for that reason that we were very anxious for the Council to identify some means of focusing itself on what I will call these three clusters of issues. I am afraid I am not optimistic that the Drafting Group will be able to accomplish that, together with all its other functions. Be that as it may, we have done our best.
I should like to end by again paying tribute to the staff who assisted us in the Special Joint Session, the membership and the Chairmen.
Bashir El Mabrouk SAID (Libya) (original language Arabic): Ambassador Tchicaya has very much taken the words out of my mouth, and I would reiterate what he said.
Juan NUIRY SANCHEZ (Cuba): Trataremos de ser breves, en aras del tiempo. En primer lugar señor Presidente, le pedimos disculpas, pues nuestra Delegación trató de escuchar pacientemente todo este desagradable incidente y aguardó con la esperanza de que esto se lograra y llegar a una aparente solución. Y cuando creíamos que todo había sido aceptado, con los arreglos de los ilustres colegas y de su sabia conducción, saltó otra vez la manzana de la discordia.
Realmente, no puede nuestra Delegación dejar de participar, no en repetición de lo expresado, sino a la luz de estos nuevos acontecimientos. Siempre hemos hablado muy claro en nuestras posiciones, siempre; y así nos hemos expresado sobre el criterio de un diálogo abierto y sincero, dentro de una política multilateral de comprensión entre los problemas acuciantes de un mundo en que existen, quién lo duda, enormes y grandes desigualdades. Y, dentro de esas desigualdades existe, en el sistema de las Naciones Unidas, la FAO, como foro de esperanza y foro de análisis. El mismo análisis que acabamos de concluir es su mejor prueba. Pero tal vez no sea ésta. Esta intervención se puede ocultar en una voz aislada de un observador leída entre comillas.
De otro aspecto, el esconder bajo presiones económicas, intenciones políticas. Todo está dicho ¿qué se quiere decir?. Será hablar de lo que se esconde en las intenciones y ¿qué no está dicho?. Esto, Señor Presidente, es la preocupación de nuestra Delegación. ¿Dónde está la intención?, si está escondida es porque se teme a la dignidad, al respeto y al prestigio de la FAO, y esto molesta. La FAO no se controla, está en función de los pueblos representados aquí por la mayoría.
Cuando el fantasma del colonialismo desaparece físicamente, puede perdurar mucho tiempo el pensamiento colonialista; y esto preocupa. Es necesario respetar la expresión de la mayoría. Respetémosla. El que el resultado del examen haya molestado tanto, es parte del respeto expresado.
Señor Presidente, ese gran mexicano y figura latinoamericana, Don Benito Juárez, planteó una incuestionable frase:”el respeto al derecho ajeno es la paz". Creo que esta frase hoy es un postulado de extraordinaria actualidad.
Horacio M. CARANDANG (Philippines): The new round of debate seems to have arisen because some delegations do not appear to be in complete agreement with your summing up, Mr Chairman. Indeed, these delegations have the right to agree or disagree with your summing up and they have the right to express what they feel, but as has been pointed out by some delegations before me, the summing up of the Chairman is only a guide for the Drafting Committee. The Drafting Committee can take into account the summing up but is not obliged to follow the summing up of the Chairman word for word.
I believe that the debate on the substance of this item has been concluded. There may be loose ends, but nevertheless, as has been decided by you, Mr Chairman, the debate on the substance of the matter is concluded. It is now left for the Drafting Committee to put into words what happened during the debate. I hope that you can now close the debate and leave the Drafting Committee to show whether they are in agreement or disagreement with the substance.
LE PRESIDENT: Nous avons encore deux orateurs inscrits. La Résolution 6/87 a confié aux deux Comités la responsabilité première de préparer ce travail. Nous devons travailler dans le cadre de cette résolution. On nous demande de donner des commentaires sur le rapport. J'ai essayé d'insister pour qu'on serre de près le rapport des deux Comités. Il appartient à la Conférence de voir si elle considère que de nouvelles options sont à envisager.
Après ces deux intervention, nous devrons écourter le débat, laisser le Comité de rédaction préparer le travail, et demain nous aurons certainement l'occasion de nous pencher sur la question à la lumière du rapport de rédaction. Je demanderai aux délégués de l'Inde et de la Finlande d'être concis car nous avons un programme de travail chargé.
C.Srinivasa SASTRY (India): Having been on the Programme Committee and having been associated with the SJS, we share in full the frustration and the disappointments which the delegate from Brazil has so ably articulated. We completely support what he has said, although to some extent these feelings have been assuaged by the latest intervention which Mr Monroe has made on behalf of the United States, in which he paid some handsome compliments to the work done in the SJS.
The second point I wanted to make is that the review process we are engaged in is not a stop-go process to be entered into in fits and starts, but it is a process for which the Conference in its wisdom has prescribed a series of steps in a particular order. Having gone through certain steps and having an adequate second stage, what is left for us is to say that the joint report of the SJS, with whatever comments the Council makes, with the comments and views of the Director-General, shall be forwarded to the Conference, though ultimately the Conference is the arbiter which is supposed to make the decisions on this particular matter.
Therefore, my submission would be that, keeping in view the point that the delegate of the United States made, as a participant to the consultation process in the SJS, saying that he stands by the consensus reached, and keeping in view the reservations that were specifically expressed by the delegate of the United Kingdom, item-wise it should not be difficult for the Drafting Committee to say what are the points on which there is unanimity and what are the points on which here is some divergency.
Thirdly, the delegate of the United States, Mr Monroe, has indicated the three key areas of disagreement. A reading of the report of the SJS makes this clear. These could be itemized and highlighted in the report of the Drafting Committee.
My last point is that I am very happy to hear from the delegate of the United States who made the earlier intervention, and also from the delegate of the United Kingdom, that they have in their view certain new ideas, certain good ideas, which must be incorporated in the FAO. We are happy that those two delegations have these new and good ideas to contribute, though I must confess to a sense of disappointment that if only these ideas were voiced at the table before the SJS possibly some of the credit for incorporating these new and good ideas would have gone to the SJS itself.
Leaving that apart, I would submit at the review is not the end of all changes and the option of good things and new ideas in the FAO. Even after the review exercise is completed I presume that we as members and the Director-General and his management will always be on the look out for new and good ideas which will enhance the efficiency and improve the effectiveness and working of the FAO. therefore, we need not be in a hurry see that all the good and new ideas go only into this lew. We could possibly leave some good and new ideas to be taken up even after the review process is completed, so that if anything comes up all the suggestions could be examined on merit, not on the basis of an elaborate review as we have done now, but individually and on merit, and it could always be incorporated. I am sure that the type of live responsive management system which has been testified to by the groups of experts and the SJS would ensure new ideas would be looked at objectively and would be incorporated and adopted.
Hannu HALINEN (Finland): Mr Chairman, being the last speaker this afternoon on this item, 1 will be very brief. My delegation finds the interventions by Council Members on this point very useful. Finland, not being a member of either Committee, puts special stress on the comment by Prof. Mazoyer this afternoon when he was touching on the question of new approaches. In our intervention we tried to elaborate on the new approach, which we do not see in any way being contradictory to the SJS Report as such.
The other reference I should like to make is on the comment of Mexico, calling for an open dialogue. We find this very important.
Generally we would have hoped to get further at this Council Session on this issue, but we have to be realistic. First of all, we have to preserve a good and businesslike atmosphere, so important for our work. Therefore, let us intensify our dialogue now on an informal level in order to be able to clarify further our substantive views, and clearly indicate at the beginning of next week, if not before, how we should conduct our work in the coming weeks.
LE PRESIDENT: Nous allons donc laisser le Comité de rédaction travailler sur ce point et passer à la suite de l'ordre du jour.
Avant de passer au point 4, il y a une question de détail. J'avais proposé hier que pour faciliter le travail de la Conférence nous puissions avoir l'autorisation du Conseil d'envoyer directement à la Conférence les sections du rapport du Comité du Programme et du Comité financier relatives à l'examen du programme de terrain et du programme ordinaire de la FAO. Il s'agit donc de donner les sections complètes des rapports sur les points 8 et 9 de l'Examen du travail de la FAO à la Conférence, pour permettre aux délégués d'avoir en main des documents qui facilitent la discussion. Si tout le monde en est d'accord, le Secrétariat pourrait préparer ces documents pour la Conférence.
Nous passons au point 4 de l'ordre du jour: rapport de la 50ème session du Comité des produits (CL 96/6).
Nous allons demander au Président du Comité des produits de bien vouloir nous faire une communication introductive au document CL 96/4.
Horcio M. CARANDANG (Chairman, Committee on Commodity Problems): Mr Chairman, I have the honour to present to the Council the Report of the Fifty-seventh Session of the Committee on Commodity Problems which met from 12 to 16 June this year under my Chairmanship. As required by its Terms of Reference, the Committee undertook a review of the commodity situation and outlook. It expressed concern that the agricultural commodity trade situation had remained extremely difficult, particularly for developing countries. The value of world agricultural exports in real terms fell by 7 percent in 1989 for the developing countries, whereas for the developed countries the real value of agricultural exports rose by 5 percent.
The Committee also expressed concern that recent years have been particularly discouraging for exporters of beverage crops. Prices of these crops remain depressed, and significant increases were not expected over the short term. It noted that the sectors held large stocks and tended to maintain output above levels of consumption. As perennial crops, the supply adjustment process involved long lags. The Committee regretted the difficulties confronting the International Agreements on Coffee and Cocoa. In fact, since June when the CCP met, the world coffee prices have slumped further by another 40 percent. The Committee noted, however, that for several commodities a better balance had been achieved between export availabilities and imports, resulting in at least a partial recovery in prices. For some commodities, these developments primarily reflected weather conditions. For some others, production policy changes were important causes. The Committee felt that, while policy changes had begun to be introduced in a number of countries covering several commodities, it was essential to continue to intensify the reform process in the interests of improving conditions of world agricultural trade.
In this connection the Committee stressed that the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations continue to be of critical importance to achieving this objective.
The Committee also reviewed the activities of seven of its subsidiary bodies, to wit: Jute and Kenaf and Allied Fibres; Oilseeds, Oils and Fats; Hard Fibres; Bananas; Grains; Meat; and Tea. The review of these commodities is set out in paragraphs 22 to 43 of the Report.
In its review of the activities of the Intergovernmental Commodity Groups, the Committee noted the unanimous decisions taken by a number of groups to encourage the Director-General to approach the Common Fund for Commodities when it became operational, and to request the Common Fund to designate the Intergovernmental Groups as international commodity bodies for sponsoring and following up projects which might be financed under the Second Account.
The Committee's endorsement of these decisions was brought to the attention of the Council at the Ninety-fifth Session which immediately followed the CCP Session. I will simply restate the support expressed by the Council on that occasion. I will not go into the details of the various reports, beyond noting that the CCP endorsed all of the reports of its subsidiary bodies.
One special topic before the CCP concerned trends in, and prospects of, trade in tropical horticultural products. The Committee welcomed the initiatives taken by FAO in these non-traditional products, and strongly endorsed continued FAO activity in the tropical horticultural sector and expressed the desirability of extending the coverage to other non-traditional items.
In particular, I wish to draw the attention of the Council to paragraph 52 of the Report concerning the Committee's suggestion regarding future areas of work on these products.
Another special topic concerned the economic significance of tobacco. The Committee agreed that, notwithstanding the health concerns of smoking, the cultivation and manufacture of tobacco was likely to continue to be of considerable economic importance in the longer term for several countries in developed and developing regions.
Among its conclusions, the Committee considered that there was an urgent need to strengthen the collection of relevant information, with a view to carrying out a comprehensive and objective cost-benefit analysis of the tobacco industry.
The CCP also undertook a review of protectionism in agriculture. The assessment of delegates differed as to the progress made in lowering the levels of agricultural protection, in expanding market access, in reducing or eliminating trade distorting policies. However, the Committee agreed that the efforts to achieve a fair and market-oriented agricultural trading system should be intensified.
In this connection, there was the Twelve Country Agreement reached by the Trade Negotiations Committee in April 1989, which enabled the Uruguay Round Negotiations to be resumed. It noted with satisfaction that the approach agreed upon agriculture included both long-term and short-term elements for the reform of agricultural policies, as well as arrangements on sanitary and phyto-sanitary regulations. The Committee stressed the need for early progress on the agreed agenda for the remaining period of the Uruguay Round in the key area of agriculture in order to provide for substantial and progressive reductions in support and protection to correct and prevent restrictions and distortions in world agricultural markets. In welcoming the agreements reached in the Mid-term Review of the guay Round of multilateral negotiations, particularly on the future directions for the negotiationson agricultural and tropical products, the Committee noted the technical support of FAO to the GATT Secretariat in relation to the Uruguay Round and the assistance provided to interested developing countries, to facilitate their participation in the Round. It also considered that FAO's work concerning sanitary and phyto-sanitary regulations, particularly in relation to the Codex Alimentarius Commission and the International Plant Protection Convention was of paramount importance.
The Committee furthermore considered that FAO support to the GATT Negotiation Groups on Agriculture, Tropical Products and Natural Resources-Based Products should continue and, where necessary, be intensified. In order to enhance the understanding of the issues related to agricultural protection, the Committee considered that further analysis and research were needed in a number of areas that are referred to in paragraphs 82 to 86 of the CCP report. The Council will recall that at its 94th Session it unanimously approved and requested its main Committee to examine and make recommendations on the issues relating to women in development within their areas of competence. In response, the Committee on Commodity Problems considered these issues in relation to commodity and trade developments. The Committee stressed the importance of FAO continuing to concentrate on their enhancement of women's marketing skills and particularly on the facilitation of appropriate credit schemes for women and information for women's groups on appropriate extension and training systems in the area of commodities. The Committee noted that FAO's activities in the area of policy advice at the country level also took into account issues concerning women in commodity development and recommended that such coverage should continue in the future and should be intensified where necessary. It also stressed the need to continue to cooperate with other concerned international organizations in relation to gender issues in the field of commodities and trade development.
In conclusion, I wish to commend the report for the Council's consideration and endorsement.
LE PRESIDENT. Je remercie Le Président du Comité des produits de son introduction.
Gonzalo BULA HOTOS (Colombia): Este período de sesiones del Comité de Problemas de Productos Básicos fue presidido, con la inteligencia y los conocimientos que le distinguen por el colega y amigo Horacio Carandang, de Filipinas, quien al haber sido trasladado a otro país ha dejado muy gratos recuerdos entre nosotros. Hoy nos complace volverle a ver y haber oído su excelente presentación.
Gracias también a los Sres. Baron de la República Federal de Alemania y Bisika de Malawi, que actuaron como Vicepresidentes.
Los representantes de Colombia opinamos que este Consejo debe refrendar la preocupación expresada por el Comité en el párrafo 14 sobre el considerable descenso de la participación de los países en desarrollo en las exportaciones agrícolas. Esas exportaciones aumentaron en un 5 por ciento para los países desarrollados y disminuyeron en un 7 por ciento para el Tercer Mundo, Tercer Mundo que siempre es la víctima de la estructura injusta de un comercio internacional que sigue sometido a trabas y limitaciones que impiden el libre acceso de los productos de exportación de los países en desarrollo a los importantes mercados de los Estados industrializados.
A pesar de las promesas y declaraciones de buena voluntad, esa situación en vez de mejorar empeora, como lo dice el párrafo 21 desde la última reunión del Comité. Los mercados para productos agrícolas importantes de países en desarrollo siguen gravemente deprimidos. Eso será necesario que conste en el Informe. Queremos destacar la valiosa labor de la FAO en cuanto a la promoción y diversificación de la producción del comercio de productos hortícolas tropicales. En el párrafo 44 se hace referencia a un Seminario que tuvo lugar en Bogotá, Colombia, al igual que otro en Nairobi, Kenya. Pensamos que el Consejo debe apoyar esta acción positiva de la FAO en favor de los países en desarrollo en el campo de los productos hortícolas tropicales.
Vamos a limitar nuestras observaciones finales al caso del café, que es uno de los productos básicos en mayores dificultades actuales. Somos conscientes de que el café se trata esencialmente en la Organización Internacional del Café con sede en Londres. Pero al hablar de productos básicos, la dramática crisis cafetera actual no puede pasar en silencio. Este documento tiene fecha de julio de 1989. En el párrafo 133 se habla de alza repentina de los precios del café. Sin embargo, en el párrafo 19 ya el Comité lamentó las dificultades con que empezaban a tropezarse en relación con los Acuerdos Internacionales para el Café y el Cacao.
Esas dificultades culminaron, por razones que preferimos omitir, con la terminación del pacto cafetero y el inicio de un verdadero caos en el mercado internacional. Los precios han bajado en un 50 por ciento. Cincuenta países, todos de Asia, Africa y América Latina y el Caribe asisten impotentes al derrumbarse de sus economías después de que el Acuerdo del Café los había preservado durante 27 anos. Y este Consejo debe lamentar en su Informe que uno de los pocos acuerdos internacionales sobre precios que funcionaba bien, el del café, haya tenido ese entierro deplorable. En doce meses, los países productores de café deberán más de 5 000 millones de dólares.
En Colombia, el café sigue siendo la base de nuestra economía. Por cada centavo de dólar que baja la libra del café en el mercado internacional, los colombianos perdemos 15 millones de dólares. A fines de 1990, Colombia habrá perdido más de 500 millones de dólares por la baja del café. Cordialmente les invitamos a comparar esa cifra con el monto de la asistencia que se ofrece a esos mismos países. Nosotros hablamos sólo a nombre de Colombia, pero nos sentimos orgullosos de hacer parte del Grupo de CAIRNS, en el cual nos hemos asociado 14 países desarrollados y en desarrollo en pro de la liberalización del comercio internacional. Pensamos que para todos los países en desarrollo y esto lo ha sostenido usted mismo, Sr Presidente, más que la asistencia paternalista es importante un comercio internacional libre y justo en el cual nuestros principales productos de exportación puedan entrar a los mercados de los países desarrollados y obtener así divisas indispensables para nuestro desarrollo.
Finalmente, el párrafo 33 habla del Grupo Intergubernamental sobre el Banano. Se refiere a un delicado equilibrio en el mercado mundial del banano, al equilibrio frágil, y eso nos preocupa. Hace apenas un mes, en octubre pasado, estuvo en varios países europeos, entre ellos Italia, una misión multinacional coordinada por el Ministro de Agricultura de Colombia, misión que entró en contacto con los más importantes países de la Comunidad Económica Europea con el propósito de hacerles presente la preocupación de los países de América Latina y el Caribe productores de
bananos en relación con el mercado unificado de 1992. Pedimos que en nuestro Informe se haga constar a nombre de los países de America Latina y el Caribe esa preocupación y nuestra esperanza de que en el año 1992 se mantengan, por lo menos al nivel actual, las exportaciones de nuestros bananos a los mercados de la Comunidad Económica Europea.
David COUTTS (Australia): I appreciate being given the floor early so that I can make a statement on what my country feels is a very important set of topics covered in this document before I have to go to the Drafting Committee of the Council. What I would like to do is, I hope fairly briefly, just go through a number of points that we wish to underline in relation to the issues raised in this document, and I will go through that in connecting them with the particular paragraphs of the document that they relate to.
In relation to paragraph 9, we support the statement in that paragraph that fluctuations in currency exchange rates should be given more importance in commodity trade analysis.
Paragraph 18. Australia believes that a balanced cereal market will only arise when countries return to unassisted production policies. We are concerned, to some extent, that the general tone of this paragraph does not adequately recognize the role of prices in balancing supply and demand·
Paragraph 20. We agree that the growth of developing countries is being restrained by the agricultural assistance policies of developed countries.
We believe that low commodity prices, have rather than decreased import costs, had a much greater impact on export earnings, significantly impacting on the levels of debt of developing countries.
Paragraph 21. We strongly support the last two sentences indicating the importance of continuing and intensifying the reform process and the critical importance in this regard of the Uruguay Round.
Paragraph 27. It is noted that the Intergovernmental Group on Rice, although expressing general support for the set of guidelines (international and international action, is reviewing these guidelines to determine if a revision is needed. The group has received proposals for revision from Australia and, I gather, Argentina. As noted in the Australian proposal it is clear that significant changes to international production and trade in rice are now evident and consequently we believe the guidelines need to be refined to reflect c rent international attitudes towards commodity trade issues.
We welcome the moves to review the guidelines and hope the process will continue. We would underline that we feel that the present international climate is conducive to reform of agricultural arrangements.
Paragraph 34. Changes in grain production should be in response to world price changes. When assisted grains are allocated as food aid, we consider it involves the donor country in a double cost. The budgetary cost of assistance plus the export income. We believe this doubling costs lessens, rather than adds to, the amount of available food aid. Continued assistance will not encourage the development of agricultural sector in developing countries, because developing countries may then not be able to increase production fast enough to take advantage of rising prices.
Paragraph 37. Tea. The Australian Tea Council is very satisfied with the quality of tea available in the market, and are strongly of the view that the maintenance of tea quality is the responsibility of producers. There is very little generic promotion of tea done in Australia by the Council. That which is done is low key. It produces in India and Sri Lanka, but not China or Papua New Guinea, and packers have funded this generic production. The last IGG on tea, a proposal providing for national implementation of quality control, supplemented by sample spot checks by international agents was considered. We saw this exercise as the responsibility of exporting countries. It is in the interest of exporters to ensure that a quality product enters the market. As such, we indicate we were not prepared to contribute to funding for any such scheme.
Paragraph 68. We make the point that the reduced levels of protection reflected in the OECD's recent producer subsidy equivalent estimates may well reflect rising prices and not significant reductions in assistance. This is of particular concern because if this is the case, then protection levels will again rise when world commodity prices fall, and we feel there is a very
great danger that the important messages on reform may be disguised by the present world situation. Not that we want prices to fall, but I think we would be fooling ourselves, Australia feels anyway, if we consider that the problems have gone away merely because prices are higher at the moment.
Paragraph 70: Although there are hopeful signs, we do not believe significant action has been taken by major producers or importing countries to reduce protection. We feel that, far from aiding the balance of payments of developing countries, agricultural assistance has lowered export income and therefore increased the indebtedness of a number of developing countries. We also feel that, while an increase an International prices could adversely affect food deficit countries in the short term, in the longer term higher prices should stimulate agricultural production and investment, thereby reducing dependence on food imports. If necessary, food aid could be used to ameliorate the short-term problems.
Paragraph 71: We are also concerned that protection may increase overall as well as for certain sectors following the introduction by the EC of rebalanced protection.
Paragraph 72: We also welcome the GATT agreement in April and the more recent developments in the Uruguay Round to roll back protection over the longer term.
Paragraph 77 and 78: Although we recognize the volatility of commodity prices, we believe that prices masked by government intervention are much more misleading than short-run market prices.
Paragraph 79: It should be noted that in some countries assistance policies have encouraged land management practices which have exacerbated environmental problems. For example, high support prices for crops have encouraged high input farming practices.
Paragraph 84: We feel that objectives such as protection of farm income and equalization of farm income with that of other sectors is not efficiently achieved through output price support. If income support is the objective, it is best achieved directly through welfare payments rather than indrectly through raising operation profits. Price and supply stability may best be achieved through allowing market signals to work in all sectors of agriculture. Farmers will adapt their mananagement practices to reflect the environment in which they operate. For instance in Australia changes in relative prices between commodities bring about significant substitutions of the more profitable for the less profitable crop or grazing activity from season to season. Farmers also hedge against price volatility by growing a number of different crops in each season. Australia would argue that food supplies need not be secured through domestic production at high cost. Food supplies can be made more secure if agricultural industries are allowed to develop in the country of least cost. Importing countries can further secure food supplies by negotiating long-term contracts or developing strong processing linkages with food producers. Regional development may not necessarily depend on maintaining farming as the primary activity, especially in developed countries such as the EC. Regional development may be better supported by decentralized industry. We reiterate our contention that agricultural assistance policies have generally exacerbated environmental problems, especially in developed countries.
Victor MACHINEA (Argentina): El documento CL 96/6 es fruto de una ardua negociación y, como tal no es perfecto. Con relación a la situación mundial y perspectivas de los productos básicos, cabe mencionar que, dada la característica dinámica de la agricultura, deberíamos realizar correciones en estimaciones que hoy ya son realidades y en perspectivas que varían por cuestiones climáticas y políticas. Después de haber participado en la negociación de este documento, el nuevo Gobierno de mi país, en el marco del plan económico, ha expresado su apoyo al sector agropecuario, forestal y pesquero, que están relegados a través de nuestra historia. Este apoyo explícito produjo una inyección de optimismo en el sector, que ha hecho variar todas las estimaciones de cosechas, incrementándolas en forma global en un 40 por ciento.
Dentro de esta política económica de apoyo al sector, surge claramente la voluntad de impulsar la diversificación, basada en el mejoramiento de la calidad y en el desarrollo de la agroindustria frutihortícola y de los productos y sus productos forestales y pesqueros.
Asimismo, el documento CL 96/6, dados los importantes cambios producidos en las negociaciones del GATT, aparece como información que pierde vigencia, por las importantes propuestas presentadas el mes pasado en Ginebra.
Un observador imparcial frente a estos documentos criticarla la falta de consenso en su item principal, cual es la evolución de las negociaciones multilaterales de agricultura en la Ronda Uruguay del GATT. En los subtítulos”El proteccionismo en la agricultura" y”Algunas cuestiones relativas a la reforma de la política agrícola", se observa la diferencia conceptual entre las voluntades políticas puestas de manifiesto por algunos países industrializados y las de la mayoría del mundo, que pretende un comercio libre de influencias económicas y políticas. Estos condicionan a nuestros países a un permanente incremento de la población. Surge muy a las claras que algunos países industrializados responden a las necesidades de la reforma en la medida en que se sienten perjudicados económicamente, mientras tanto, son testigos que la evolución del mundo, sin preocuparles en demasía el destino de los pueblos en desarrollo.
No quisiera mi Delegación extenderse mas de lo debido en esta temática, ya que estamos ansiosos de participar en la Conferencia y allí ampliaremos nuestra participación. Mi Delegación hubiese preferido suscribir un documento que sobre esta temática fuera más coherente desde el punto de vista político. Pero, evidentemente, esto no es responsabilidad de la Secretaría, sino de aquellos que aun no se deciden a asumir sus propias responsabilidades.
Sin embargo, con referencia al resto de los capítulos, y especialmente en lo que se refiere al comercio de productos hortícolas y a la importancia económica del tabaco, quisiéramos destacar nuestro total y absoluto apoyo.
En definitiva, y con el objetivo de no abrir un debate en el marco del Consejo, apoyamos el documento CL 96/6.
Sang-Kil LEE (Korea, Republic of): It is our pleasure to express our thanks to the Secretariat for the high quality of the document before us. It is also our privilege to pay tribute to Mr Carandang, Chairman of the Committee on Commodity Problems, for his comprehensive and lucid introduction. The Koreen delegation will touch briefly upon several issues in the report.
First with regard to the common Fund for commodities, we would like to give our full support to the reccommendations that FAO's Intergovernental Commeitity Groups should be designated by the Common for as eligible international commonbodies format funds from the second account can he projects by theGroups.
to agricularadjustment issues, we acknowledge he long-term necessity and agriculural adjustment policy. However, we are opinion that more given to minimizing and overcoming the short effects arising in the process adjustment policy implementation, such as the incress of external debt and the aggravation of food-security of the poor in developing countries.
Thirdly, as regards commodity trade matters, the Korean delegation welcomes and supports the significant progress which has been made in the multilateral negotiation of GATT in the past months. However, the agricultural conditions such as the availability of arable land, relative importance of agriculture in terms of employment and foreign exchange earning, social and other non-economic background, etc., differ from region to region and nation to nation as well.
In this context, the specific conditions of each developing country should be carefully taken into account in the process of negotiation. In particular, for food-deficit countries, where the major policy goal is to enhance self-sufficiency of staple food, it is of the utmost importance for them to maintain optimum levels of domestic food production to meet the domestic demand and to safeguard incomes of small farmers in their countries.
Lastly, we should like to express our concern that, in terms of tonnages, food aid has declined in 1988 and is expected to decrease in the coming year. We therefore wish to urge the international community, including donor countries, to maintain their food aid deliveries at the same level as before.
With these comments, we fully endorse the recommendations and conclusions presented in the report.
Armando DE LILLE (Mexico): Mi Delegación se une a las felicitaciones al señor Carandang, que ha hecho una brillante presentación del tema, así como al esfuerzo realizado en el Comité y el excelente trabajo de los grupos intergubernamentales que aquí participaron.
Resulta de relevante importancia para los países cuyas economías descansan en el comercio de sus productos agrícolas contar con aliados como la FAO para obtener, en foros de comercio multilateral, como es la Ronda de Uruguay, al amparo del GATT, condiciones más equitativas de intercambio y eliminación de barreras proteccionistas. Mi Delegación, después de haber leído con interés el documento CL 96/6, hace suyas las recomendaciones de los grupos intergubernamentales, por lo que lo apoya con agrado.
Sra. Mercedes FERMIN GOMEZ (Venezuela): En general, nosotros vamos a apoyar el documento, porque consideramos que es un trabajo serio, bien documentado, y agradecemos al delegado Carandang la tarea que en él ha desarrollado. Pero queremos precisar nuestro apoyo al Capítulo V, que se refiere a los artículos de productos básicos, concretamente a los productos hortícolas tropicales. Y queremos hacer énfasis en este capítulo, porque es uno de los aspectos de la agricultura que inciden en el interés de los países en vías de desarrollo y en los países del Tercer Mundo, cuya agricultura está todavía en manos de pequeños agricultores.
Hace dos años, la FAO determinó que se le prestara atención especial a la actividad de los pequeños agricultores, para ser ayudados desde el punto de vista de la asistencia técnica y desde el punto de vista del estímulo que debería darse para desarrollar estas actividades en sus propios países. Pero lo cierto es que, a pesar de que la FAO hace muchos esfuerzos en este sentido, con cursos de asistencia técnica y con apoyo, desde este punto de vista, del trabajo de la Comisión Técnica, la verdadera ayuda a estos países, que no han logrado todavía enrumbar su agricultura por caminos de técnicas mejoradas, sigue sin prestar el beneficio que debería prestar; especialmente, porque la producción de esos productos, de estos rubros hortícolas, debería ser complementada con la posibilidad de asegurar la exportación de los productos a los centros de consumo que están fuera de las áreas intertropicales. En estas áreas existe, por un lado, la protección agrícola y, por otro lado, verdaderas barreras comerciales que no permiten que los países sean los que coloquen sus productos en los mercados, sino que esta transportación, esta colocación, se hace a través de las corporaciones transnacionales, están utilizando la biotecnología para trasladar los cultivos de estas frutas -especialmente de las frutas- a las áreas de las zonas templadas.
De manera que, si bien los mercados europeos, los mercados de las zonas templadas, se ven frecuentados por estos productos tropicales -como podemos presenciarlo aquí, en Roma-, no significa esto que tales importaciones de parte de estos centros sean beneficiosas para los verdaderos productos agrícolas, porque son los intermediarios, las corporaciones transnacionales los que hacen realmente este beneficio. Indudablemente que la FAO, procediendo con las características que le corresponden, ha desarrollado innumerables cursillos, seminarios, simposios, para la preparación y la asistencia técnica de estas comunidades campesinas; pero no basta que estas comunidades reciban la técnica como enseñanza, porque es precisamente la base económica lo que a ellas les mantiene fuera de la posibilidad de participar en el mercado internacional. De esta manera, se hacen realmente ineficientes los esfuerzos de FAO.
Sería de desear, entonces, que de alguna manera pudiera buscarse la forma de superar las barreras que algunas veces son ciertas pero otras veces son torcidamente desviadas, como el control de calidad, como la infestación por algunos ácaros o por algunos otros animales, como es el caso de la mosca mediterránea o de la mosca de Suriname, que infesta las frutas y no pueden llegar a los centros de consumo en el mercado europeo, del cual es muy celosa la Comunidad Económica Europea.
Por eso creo que nosotros podemos darle nuestro apoyo a este capítulo V, pero debemos insistir en que la vigilancia, el seguimiento de estos mercados de productos hortícolas tropicales, que son objeto de atención por la FAO, pudiera ser complementado con la posibilidad de una asistencia financiera que a estas determinadas comunidades que se están dedicando a ello y adquiriendo cierta experiencia técnica, les posibilitaría elevar el nivel de su producción, y con eso la posibilidad también de acceder a un mercado que hoy está interesado en estos frutos.
Con esto quiero decir que el reforzamiento de la acción de la FAO en estas comunidades sería muy deseable, porque de esa manera la FAO contribuiría, como ha contribuido hasta ahora en otros aspectos -como es la producción de cereales o la producción de maíz o la producción de oleaginosos-, con la producción de productos hortícolas tropicales y de productos frutícolas.
Hasta aquí quiero concentrar mi intervención, dándole, de todas maneras, nuestro apoyo al documento en general, porque los otros delegados se han referido con detalle a los otros capítulos.
Hoboru SAITO (Japan): Although my country has no difficulty in endorsing the report, I should like to make some comments on this agenda item.
Regarding protectionism in agriculture my country is of the opinion that the formation of the new agriculture trade order is a most important issue through the establishment of the new GATT rules and disciplines, and would like to contribute to the GATT Uruguay Round negotiation to facilitate world agricultural trade and harmonize the development of world agriculture.
With this in mind, my country has recently taken a big step forward along the line of liberalizing our agricultural market. It can also be called agriculture reform, including a considerable cut of subsidies for the agriculture sector and lowering of support prices for agricultural products. Behind these radical measures there are some basic policy directions which are, in the first place to promote structural policies in order to establish our agriculture which is characterized by its small farming system as a self-reliant sector in the whole Japanese economy; secondly to ensure a stable supply of food with reasonable prices acceptable to our consumers; thirdly, to contribute positively to the Uruguay Round negotiations and to improve market access for food imports.
Those measures which my Government has taken and is now taking are not without pain for our farmers and are necessarily accompanied by a lot of impact on rural society. Moreover, as I have mentioned, our agriculture is characterized by small farmers whose average holding is just over one hectare which is, however, the result of a long history. Under these circumstances my Government is making the best possible effort to rationalize its agriculture.
My country would also like to express its concern over the introduction of the immature concept of recoupling. We consider that it is more fruitful and realistic to discuss how we can improve the existing policies rather than simply classify each policy under new categories such as recoupling and decoupling.
E. Wayne DENNEY (United States of America): Like others, we are most pleased to see Mr. Carandang back with us.
The United States supports the report of the CCP and compliments delegations for focusing discussions on technical issues. We associate ourselves with the Australian statement, particularly the last portion of it relating to the importance of using market signals. However, we regret that this session was sparsely attended and that only about a fourth to a fifth of the delegates came from capitals.
The United States strongly supports the long-term objectives for agriculture outlined in the April Framework Agreement, namely the call for substantial progressive reductions in agricultural support and protection sustained over an agreed period of time. Our goal is to integrate agriculture more effectively into GATT by increasing import access, phasing out export subsidies and scaling back internal support which distorts international trade.
We commend the session for its endorsement of the objectives in the GATT mid-term agreement of the Uruguay Round. It is important that national agricultural policies allow market signals to reach farmers and cease distorting trade flows. The Uruguay Round offers our best hope to achieve these goals and put world agriculture on a firmer economic footing. My Secretary will address this in considerable detail during the Conference.
We noted the high degree of interest among developing countries on the economic significance of tobacco. The United States believes there is still need for more extensive and unbiased analysis of the cost and benefits of tobacco. We suggest that FAO may want to look at this issue of what crops can substitute for tobacco, especially in the light of a likely decline in tobacco consumption in the future.
Sra. Grafila SOTO CARRERO (Cuba): Seremos breves, Señor Presidente, La Delegación de Cuba apoya el Informe del 57a período de sesiones del Comité de Problemas de Productos Básicos y agradece los esfuerzos realizados en ese sentido por el Señor Carandang y sus colaboradores.
Desde su anterior período de sesiones el Comité de Problemas de Productos Básicos se pronunció positivamente a través de una Resolución acerca de la necesidad del avance de las negociaciones en la Ronda de Uruguay, dándole todo su apoyo.
La FAO, Señor Presidente, es la unica Organización que se ocupa de la problemática agrícola en su conjunto. Por ello en el marco de las negociaciones ha prestado un apoyo técnico tanto a la Secretaría de GATT como a algunos países en lo concerniente a la agricultura y productos tropicales.
El trabajo desarrollado por la FAO en materia de reglamentaciones sanitarias y fitosanitarias, vinculados al Codex Alimentarius y a la Comisión Internacional de Protección Fitosanitaria ha sido en extremo útil.
Evidentemente todo ese trabajo que ha realizado la FAO en relación con las negociaciones reorientarán su trabajo, al menos en lo relacionado con el Comité de Productos Básicos, hacia los problemas concretos del comercio de productos agropecuarios y las formas y reformas de política agrícola necesarias para poder implementar los resultados que emanen de las negociaciones del GATT. Siendo ésta la principal repercusión posible que tenga esta negociación en el ámbito de la FAO.
La Delegación cubana se pronuncia porque la FAO mantenga su posición de asistencia técnica a las negociaciones en la Ronda de Uruguay, sí como que se utilicen las reglamentaciones sanitarias y fitosanitarias existentes como base para las discusiones que tienen lugar sobre este aspecto en el GATT.
Asimismo abogamos porque el papel de la FAO no se limite a lo que ya ha hecho, sino que éste se refuerce y se reoriente en los trabajos del Comité de Problemas de Productos Básicos hacia mayores logros en nuestros países.
Shahid NAJAM (Pakistan): We would like to thank Mr Carandang for his most lucid presentation of the report of the CCP. It is indeed heartening to note that CCP in its 57th Session has exhaustively and meaningfully reviewed the world commodity situation, activities of the various intergovernmental groups and some selected commodity and trade issues, besides dwelling upon the vitally significant problems of protectionism in agriculture, agricultural adjustment and agricultural policy reforms. In the process, the Committee has highlighted some very pertinent issues and revealed imbalances which warrant paramount attention not only to evolve strategies and measures for providing impetus and boost to the economies of the developing countries enabling them to realize self-reliance in food but also to minimize the paradox of chronic shortages and chronic super-abundance.
The Committee has pointed out that during 1986 to 1988, the economies of developing countries expanded more rapidly than those of the developed countries, although some regions of Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean lagged behind. Nevertheless, this trend is a palpable manifestation of the persistent efforts of the developing countries to attain the objectives of food security and agricultural development. We are sure that given a more favourable and balanced international economic environment, these economies could gain even more stimulus for establishing the desired level of viability.
The Pakistan delegation would, in particular, like to draw the attention of this august body to the following findings of the Committee pertaining to the years 1987 and 1988: (I) strong recovery occurred in the volume of trade in agriculture, food and forestry which is primarily attributable to the developed countries. Their exports grew by 11 percent whereas those of developing countries fell by 4 percent; (ii) export prices for agricultural products exported mainly by the developed countries had risen by 12 percent and those of developing countries declined by 3 percent; (iii) the rise in value of world trade for developed countries was 5 percent whereas it had fallen 7 percent for the developing countries.
The Committee also observed that the major share of increased earnings was expected to be realized by developed countries. It is thus abundantly axiomatic that whether it is strong recovery in the volume of trade or enhanced export earnings, the benefits are accruing to those who already have opulence, and those who have been, for decades, striving hard to eradicate hunger, poverty and misery from their societies continue to be plagued by the maladies of shortages, deficits and deprivations.
Agriculture constitutes the backbone of the economies of the developing countries and is the major source of employment to the ever increasing population and for generating resources, though meagre and inadequate, and for funding other social sectors.
It hardly needs emphasis that the requirements which the food and agriculture sector has to meet with are inevitably the foremost essential requirements. International community has to ensure availability of basic food supplies as a major moral and social obligation.
Mr Chairman, the international environment is overwhelmingly tilted towards the developed countries, throwing the producers and farmers of developing countries at the mercy of market risk, limited market accessibility, prices and income fluctuations, reduction of investment margins and concomitant consistent retardation of development.
We would therefore strongly support the Committee's proposals and urge that all-out and concerted efforts be made by FAO for ensuring a fair and equitable agricultural trading system and elimination of support and protectionist measures so that imperfections and distortions in the world agricultural markets hamper no more the much needed economic growth of the developing countries.
It is encouraging to read in the report that OECD Ministers have reaffirmed the necessity to pursue vigorously a process of reform for a market-oriented trading system through progressive and substantial reduction in support and protection and strengthened GATT rules and disciplines. Let us hope that this reaffirmation of aspiration is translated into action-oriented measures facilitating favourable agricultural trade environment for the developing countries.
The Committee has expressed concern over the serious market depression for many commodities of importance to developing countries. The Committee also highlighted the essentiality of intensification of the reform process in order to improve world agriculture trade. The Committee has made reference to the critical importance of the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations under GATT. This is certainly an important forum for making an effort to rationalize the international trade structure. However, as against the magnitude of the problem and urgency and immediacy of concrete actions for salvaging the situation, the process seems to be painfully slow. We are sure FAO can play an effective role in this regard.
We note the Committee, in the context of global consumption of cereals, underlines the need for a sufficient increase in the production of cereals so as to evolve acceptable demand-supply equation and combined that expansion should be finely balanced to obviate both the risk of shortages and glut of surpluses. We fully agree with this.
We also acknowledge and support the observation of the Committee that currency fluctuations posed a continuing difficulty in trade analysis. There is a real need to undertake a study to be able to facilitate better trade analysis. We hope that study on tea will come up with viable proposals.
The importance of quality control, improvement of marketing technology, product presentation and packaging does call for assistance to developing countries and we go along with the suggestion of the Committee that FAO, in conjunction with ITC, UNCTAD/GATT should extend support for this purpose.
The concern expressed to the Committee regarding decline in food aid deliveries in 1988 and 1989 from the donor countries also deserves special mention. Food assistance and aid will continue to be necessary for achieving a better nutritional balance for the poorest and undernourished groups. Modes of assistance can perhaps be linked to food-for-work programmes.
We also appreciate the immense contribution being made by the Intergovernmental Groups, and we lend our wholehearted support to the analytical work and recommendations for improving the state of affairs. We also endorse the recommendations of the Committee to orientate agricultural policies to the market signals and for integration and enhancement of the role of women in commodity and trade development.
The importance of expanding economic cooperation amongst the developing countries in the area of trade, as advocated by the Committee, could perhaps be more vigorously pursued on bilateral, regional and even global bases. The comparative advantages in the field of agriculture could be suitably harnessed by the developing countries for complementing and consolidating the economic effort and maximizing the benefit from the meagre resources. The potential is enormous.
K. WEYBRECHT (Canada): Mr Chairman, Canada participated in the deliberations of the Committee on Commodity Problems which was held in June. Therefore, we had an opportunity at that time to make a range of specific comments. Accordingly, I will be very brief.
We are pleased that the Committee delivers a clear message on the need to intensify efforts to achieve a fair and market-oriented agricultural trading system, and stresses the importance of achieving progress in the Uruguay Round of Trade Negotiations. Canada attaches high importance to achieving improvements in the international trading environment in agricultural products through the current MTN Round. We see a need to achieve early reform through a substantial progressive reduction in support and protectionism and the establishment of stronger and more effective GATT rules.
Mauricio CUADRA (Nicaragua): Vamos a ser, señor Presidente, sumamente breves.
Deseamos agradecer y felicitar al Señor Carandang por el excelente trabajo realizado y a hacer algunos señalamientos sobre el documento que en general aprobamos y apoyamos. Nos sumamos a la preocupación señalada por el Embajador de Colombia, Señor Bula Hoyos, en cuanto al grave impacto que tiene en la economía de los países productores de café la ruptura del Convenio cafetero. Es necesario que se sepa que es un impacto no sólo económico, sino político. Los países productores de café, en su mayoría países en desarrollo, van a sufrir, y estamos sufriendo ya, una reducción tan tremenda en nuestras economías, que no puede dejar de tener un choque de tipo político en la estabilidad de estos países.
Hago un llamado a los países que han contribuido a la ruptura de este acuerdo a que reflexionen, y ojalá se pueda lograr en próximas reuniones restablecer un acuerdo que componga esta situación a los precios.
El proteccionismo, por otra parte, y otras prácticas discriminatorias es una práctica nefasta de todos conocida con un impacto enorme en las economías de los países en desarrollo. Por tanto, estamos de acuerdo en el párrafo 21 sobre la importancia de la Ronda Uruguay, y creemos que la FAO debe seguir jugando ese importante papel que hasta ahora ha jugado en apoyo a los países en desarrollo en esta Ronda.
Suscribimos nuevamente la posición planteada por nuestro colega de Colombia, el Embajador Bula Hoyos, sobre la problemática del banano en el mercado de la Comunidad Económica Europea.
En los párrafos 44 al 50 encontramos, señor Presidente, una problemática que refleja claramente la dureza del subdesarrollo y los problemas que sufren nuestras economías. Esto es típico, encontramos aquí las barreras que sufren nuestros productos tradicionales para poder acceder a los mercados de los países grandes. Aquí no hablamos ya de barreras arancelarias, sino que estamos hablando de barreras de control de calidad. Podemos ver esto desde dos puntos de vista: uno por causa de atraso en los empaques en este tipo de cosas, pero también hay un factor adicional que queremos señalar, y es que en muchos países se continúan introduciendo productos tóxicos que envenenan los productos de estos países y luego se les impide el acceso a los mercados por no tener la suficiente asistencia técnica para poder desintoxicarlos y hacerlos accesibles a esos mercados.
Señalamos que aquí la FAO debe jugar un papel importante dotando de asistencia técnica clave a nuestros países para subsanar este tipo de deficiencias y permitir el acceso a los mercados de nuestros productos tradicionales.
Apoyamos, pues, señor Presidente, el Informe del 57 a período de sesiones del Comité de Problemas de Productos Básicos.
Raymond ALLEN (united Kingdom): Mr Chairman I can be very brief. The delegation of the United Kingdom welcomes the Report. We note the extensive work that has gone into its preparation. We endorse the recognition of the Report of the potential benefits of policy reform. A number of significant steps have already been taken in the global process of agricultural reform and some modest gains are already apparent. The reform process should therefore continue so that clear signals are given to producers and more stable market conditions are ensured for the future.
Moreover, we must ensure that the momentum of reform is maintained in order to realize the full potential benefits.
One area recognized by the Report in which future progress can be achieved is that of international trade. We hope to see a successful conclusion of the GATT-Uruguay Round and look forward to the further stimulus to the reform process which such an outcome will bring. Past experience shows that the benefits will be both substantial and widespread. The IGG's have demonstrated their usefulness as a forum for discussion on individual commodities. We agree with the view expressed in paragraph 25, especially regarding the avoidance of duplication of initiatives.
More generally, the United Kingdom recognizes, and notes with satisfaction, the activities of IGGs in working to greater market transparency.
Assefa YILALA (Ethiopia): Mr Chairman, we would also like to thank Mr Carandang for this outstanding work, and the Secretariat of FAO for the excellent document before us. Like some of the people who spoke before me, we have participated in the various Intergovernmental Groups and also the Fifty-seventh Session of the Committee on Commodity Problems, as the contents of the documents were as per the discussions raised in this Session.
We had no plan to intervene because we fully support the contents of the document. But then after the discussions started, we were able to hear some area of concern from the distinguished delegate of Nicaragua in relation to the International Coffee Agreement. Now, this being a topic which is not covered in this report, but a very important area that has affected most of the developing countries, I would like to express that I fully share the concern that was expressed by the distinguished delegate of Nicaragua.
István DOBOCZKY (Hungary): Thanks for the presentation. We fully endorse the report of the Committee on commodity problems. The Committee reviewed the commodity situation and outlook. It is interesting that world merchandise trade in 1988 was about eight percent increased in volume. My country, as a net exporter of food, is interested in fair trade when its competitive advantages can give an opportunity for the country. That is the reason why we support the Uruguay Round and are taking part in the work of the Cairns Group to have the liberalization of agricultural trade. We do our best in the field and in our agricultural policy. Step by step we eliminated the subsidies in our country. As a result, today our agriculture is among the very few in Europe that are a net contributor to the state budget. It is not easy, but we do that because it is a part of fair trade in our opinion.
B.P. DUTIA (Assistant Director-General, Economic and Social Policy Department): No specific question has been asked to the Secretariat, therefore I do not have to respond to any questions, as such. However, on behalf of the Secretariat, I would like to express our appreciation for the praise that has been extended to the work of the Committee as well as that of the intergovernmental groups which work under the Committee of Commodity Problems.
A number of citations have been made regarding certain areas which need to be given more attention in the future work of the Secretariat. We have taken careful note of all those citations and we will do our best to respond to them within the available resources. Mr Carandang, I understand, regrets that he had to leave to catch a plane and therefore he is not here at the time of the conclusion of the discussions on this report. I am told that he will be back on Monday.
LE PRESIDENT: Nous pouvons considérer que, moyennant les observations formulées par les délégués, le Conseil adopte le rapport présenté par la Commission des produits.
V.J. SHAH (Assistant Director-General, Office of Programme, Budget and Evaluation): This document is on the lines of the ones submitted to the Council at its autumn session each year. It is an information document which lists, firstly, the unscheduled sessions which have been approved during the year between October 1988 and 1 October 1989, and the sessions, approved sessions, which formed part of the Programme of Work and Budget which has to be cancelled. For each of the categories, the reasons are given, either for the scheduling of the session or for its cancellation.
It might interest the Council, Mr Chairman, to know where we stand. In 1988 there were 12 unscheduled sessions approved and 45 sessions cancelled. In 1989 there were 20 unscheduled sessions approved and 51 cancelled, which brings a total for the biennium of 32 unscheduled sessions approved and 96 cancelled. Since the document was finalized, there have been five other sessions cancelled.
If it would be agreeable to you and the Council, may I suggest that these sessions be listed in the document which will be appended to your is report, because the document which Is before you, CL 96/3, is attached to the appendix of your report. If you so agree, these additional five sessions will also be mentioned in that list. But I may mention them, if you wish, the five additional sessions cancelled: a committee on the inland fisheries for Africa, a sub-committee for the protection of fisheries in the Sahelian zone. This had to be postponed to 1990 because of circumstances in the host country. Secondly, a COPESCAL working party on fishery resources again for organization reasons within the host country; thirdly, the COPESCAL working party on fishery technology the same reason; fourthly, the working group of agricultural statistics in Latin America again postponed to 1990, owing to presidential elections in the host country which led the host country to request that the session be postponed. Finally, an Expert Consultation on agroforestry in the Asia and the Pacific region which had been postponed to 1990 since the dates for the session in question would have followed too clearly on the 14th Session of the Asia and the Pacific Forestry Commission.
I am, as always, available if there are any questions.
Gonzalo BULA HOYOS (Colombia): El dato que aparece en el párrafo 3 sobre 96 reuniones canceladas, ahora asciende a 101 con las otras cinco a que ha hecho referencia el Sr. Shah. En el Anexo 2, podrá observarse que los motivos por los cuales se han suprimido muchas de esas reuniones son por reajuste del programa. Como esta cifra de 101 reuniones es realmente excepcional, no la recordamos nunca antes en ningún bienio de la historia de la Organización, proponemos que el Consejo lamente la cancelación de tan alto numero de reuniones debido a la crisis financiera que ha impuesto el reajuste en los programas.
LE PRESIDENT: Moyennant cette remarque, je crois que nous pouvons libérer M. Shah et passer au point 17 de l'ordre du jour, à savoir la Conférence internationale sur la nutrition (CL 89/27). Ce point sera présenté par M. Lunven.
- International Conference on Nutrition
- Conference internationale sur la nutrition
- Conferencia Internacional sobre Nutrición
P. LUNVEN (Directeur, Division des politiques nutritionnelles et de la nutrition alimentaire): Au cours de sa quatre-vingt-quinzième session, le Conseil a été informé que l'initiative avait été prise par le Sous-Comité de nutrition du CAC à sa quinzième session, en février 1989, à New York pour suggérer le principe d'une conférence internationale sur la nutrition destinée à mobiliser énergies et ressources pour livrer un combat décisif à la malnutrition avant la fin du siècle. Le Conseil a noté cette suggestion et, conscient que la malnutrition est encore très répandue dans le monde et s'est même aggravée dans certaines régions pendant la dernière décennie, il a de façon générale accueilli favorablement la proposition de convoquer une conférence internationale sur la nutrition.
En outre, le Conseil a considéré que la FAO, compte tenu de son mandat et de ses compétences spécialisées dans ce domaine, se devait de jouer un rôle prépondérant en collaboration avec l'OMS dans son organisation au cours de l'exercice 1992-93.
Le Conseil a noté avec satisfaction qu'un document détaillé exposant tous les aspects de la proposition serait présenté à la vingt-cinquième session de la Conférence afin de permettre à celle-ci de prendre une décision en la matière. Peu après la quatre-vingt-quinzième session du Conseil.
Le Directeur général de la FAO a rencontré M. Hiroshi Nakajima, Directeur général de l'OMS, pour discuter des dispositions nécessaires à la tenue de la Conférence internationale sur la nutrition. A la suite de cet entretien, les deux organisations se sont mises d'accord pour coparrainer la Conférence et sur plusieurs autres questions relatives à son organisation. Ces dispositions sont incorporées dans le document C 89/27, qui a été préparé en étroite collaboration avec l'OMS et qui est soumis à la considération du Conseil. En octobre dernier, les directeurs généraux de la FAO et de l'OMS ont présenté au Comité administratif de coordination, réuni à New York, un document conjoint décrivant les objectifs généraux et les démarches nécessaires à la convocation de la Conférence internationale de la nutrition tels qu'ils sont décrits dans le document C 89/27. Le CAC a exprimé sa satisfaction devant l'initiative conjointe des deux organisations et devant leur volonté exprimée d'y associer étroitement les organisations concernées à travers le mécanisme du Sous-comité de nutrition du CAC. Il a adopté la déclaration suivante que je vais vous lire en anglais, car la version française n'en est pas encore disponible.
(continues in English): International Conference on Nutrition. The Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC) welcomes the joint initiative of FAO and WHO, following a proposal of the ACC Sub-committee on Nutrition at its Fifteenth Session, to convene an International Conference on Nutrition in late 1992 or early 1993 to focus worldwide attention on this important aspect of development. ACC believes that malnutrition and undernutrition, which affect millions of women, men and children, are major impediments to social and economic progress and that the Conference would be an important step towards increasing public awareness and obtaining national and international commitments to strategies and actions to ensure approved nutrition worldwide.
ACC appreciates that FAO and WHO as the joint initiators, intend to fully involve members of the ACC Sub-Committee on Nutrition and other agencies and organizations of the United Nations system in the preparation, proceedings, support and follow-up of the Conference on a continuing basis. ACC therefore invites these members and other concerned organizations, as well as non-governmental organizations, to work in close co-operation with FAO and WHO in this important endeavour, using the mechanism of the Sub-Committee on Nutrition whenever appropriate."
Le document C 89/27 qui sera soumis à l'examen de la Conférence décrit en détail les préparatifs envisagés pour l'organisation et la tenue d'une Conférence internationale sur la nutrition parrainée conjointement par la FAO et l'OMS, et en collaboration avec l'ensemble des organisations intéressées au cours de l'exercice 1992-93. En particulier, le document, dans son paragraphe 10, présente les objectifs proposés de la Conférence internationale sur la nutrition.
D'autre part, au paragraphe 11 le document propose que la Conférence Internationale sur la nutrition se tienne sous forme de réunion intergouvernementale pendant une durée de 7 jours ouvrables. Le site de la Conférence devra être déterminé en tenant compte de la déclaration du Gouvernement italien indiquant qu'il était prêt à accueillir la Conférence, ainsi que des multiples avantages que Rome offre pour sa tenue dans cette ville.
Concernant la date, comme le document 87 le mentionne au paragraphe 12, 1993 paraît mieux convenir, car cela permettrait de préparer la Conférence de façon adéquate, et d'éviter la concurrence qui ne manquerait pas de s'exercer en 1992 avec la tenue de la Conférence des Nations Unies sur l'environnement prévue la même année.
Aux paragraphes 13 et 14, sont décrites les modalités de participation des gouvernements, et les procédures de travail de la Conférence.
Les paragraphes 16 à 18 décrivent en détail les propositions de mise en place d'un Comité consultatif d'experts qui aurait pour rôle de donner des avis sur les orientations générales de la Conférence, et sur les principaux problèmes techniques à discuter. Si, comme nous l'espérons, la décision de la tenue de la Conférence est positive, il faudra alors prendre des dispositions financières appropriées pour la tenue de la Conférence internationale sur la nutrition. Comme le document C 89/27 le mentionne au paragraphe 20, la FAO et l'OMS en supporteront la charge équitablement. On espère que les autres Organisations participant à la Conférence pourront apporter leur contribution financière et que des ressources extrabudgétaires seront fournies par les gouvernements donateurs et les Organisations coopérantes pour assurer le plein succès de la Conférence.
Toutefois, comme l'indique le document C 89/27 les ressources nécessaires devront être inscrites au projet de budget pour l'exercice 1992-93, afin de couvrir les frais de fonctionnement de Secrétariat de la Conférence, des services contractuels, des missions d'experts, etc.
Les membres du Conseil auront sans doute à coeur de faire connaître leurs vues sur la proposition décrite dans ce document et que la Conférence de la FAO examinera de façon approfondie la semaine prochaine.
Je me tiens à la disposition du Conseil pour fournir toutes informations supplémentaires et donner des éclaircissements sur les dispositions contenues dans le document.
LE PRESIDENT: Je remercie le Docteur Lunven de sa communication introductive et demande aux Honorables délégués de bien vouloir nous faire part de leurs observations.
David DRAKE (Canada): Le Canada reconnaît pleinement l'importance du secteur de la nutrition en matière de développement; nos propres politiques en ce domaine soulignent l'importance de la nutrition, puisqu'elle touche à la participation des femmes dans le développement. D'une manière générale, le Canada est favorable à des consultations internationales et multilatérales portant sur ce sujet. Cependant, ma délégation pense que tenir une Conférence internationale sur la nutrition en 1993, un an seulement après la Conférence sur l'environnement et le développement à laquelle mon gouvernement attache une grande importance, nécessitera, en parallèle, quelques années de préparation intensive de la part des Etats Membres.
Certes il y aura nécessité d'une préparation considérable, mais nous sommes aussi inquiets quant aux effets de cette préparation sur les ressources de la FAO.
Pour ces raisons le Canada n'est pas en mesure en ce moment d'appuyer une Conférence d'une envergure telle que ce qui est proposé dans le document soumis au Conseil.
MA GENG-OU (China)(original language Chinese): Mr Chairman, document C 89/27 describes the current world malnutrition and how it affects human health. It then elaborates the need for holding an international conference on nutrition, and explains the necessary arrangements to be made by FAO for the conference to be jointly sponsored by FAO and WHO. We welcome the convening of such an international conference and commend the efforts made by the Secretariat to this end.
Now there are serious nutrition problems in the world and that of developing countries is a source of concern. Due to the inadequate economic development and backward agricultural production in developing countries, the number of malnourished and hungry people continues to increase and tens of millions of people are constantly threatened by diseases and death, while in developed countries overnutrition and irrational diet has led to many diseases directly affecting the people's health there. However, at the present, people, even government officials and decision makers have not realized the seriousness of this problem, and therefore do not consider it a matter of urgency.
We believe that the solution to malnutrition is related to general social and economic development, and it calls for the political will of the government of various countries, and it should be incorporated into the national development strategy as an integral part. In view of the situation, we think that it is necessary to hold an intergovernmental international conference on nutrition so as to arouse the general awareness of the international community to this issue. We hope that this international conference will put its emphasis on practical results and will be action-oriented. We hope that on the basis of an in-depth study and discussion at that other conference, some practical cogent indicators will be established and the necessary resources will be arranged and effective measures taken, and that the evaluation of monetary magnetism will be discovered so as to ensure that the conference will conclude with concrete results and play a positive role in the direction we desire.
Armando DE LILLE (Mexico): Mi Delegación considera que la celebración de esta Conferencia resulta una forma valiosa de crear conciencia a nivel mundial sobre la gravedad del problema y, más aún, la tendencia que tiene a emperrar la situación de carencias de muchos grupos humanos. Por la importancia que reviste, se podría titular como una conferencia mundial de nutrición. Mi Delegación desea señalar el carácter intergubernamental, a fin de obtener de los delegados participantes una orientación de política que lleve a posiciones y decisiones concretas. Por otra parte, esperar hasta 1993 es ya adentrarse mucho en el decenio, y pensando que la Conferencia del Medio Ambiente no es un obstáculo, ésta podría celebrarse en 1992.
David McGAFFET (United States of America): The United States attaches great importance to the subject of nutrition and malnutrition, and ways to bring about lasting improvements in the world nutrition situation. We have demonstrated this concern in a variety of ways both bilaterally and multilaterally in words and deeds. Thus it is not with the subject but with the proposed conference that we have difficulties.
The convening of an international conference on nutrition appears to us to come on the heels of other international meetings which address many of the same issues, such as the International Conference on Nutrition organized by the International Union of Nutritional Sciences held in August 1989 in Seoul, Korea. There have also been conferences in Africa, in Latin America, and there are other conferences planned. Indeed the Asian Nutrition Society will hold its regional conference in August 1991. This proposed international conference would likely revisit matters already addressed elsewhere or in only a marginally different fashion.
In terras of actions which address the underlying problem, we believe the types of interventions which could improve the world nutrition situation are broadly known. As the document notes;”The ingredients for bringing about a major lasting improvement in the world nutrition situation are at hand: adequate scientific knowledge, inexpensive and effective technology, and accumulated practical experience." As it states in paragraph 8 of the document, what is most needed is”a nutrition focus to the development strategy", which is multisectoral but well targeted to the households at risk.
In our view, given this background, there should be more effective ways to use limited resources other than devoting the staff time, energy and resources required in organizing another international conference. In other words our preference is for an efficient approach that gets to the households characterized as at risk to malnutrition, targeting them for well-focused interventions, and linking them to a country-specific development strategy.
Jean-Pierre POLY (France): Ma délégation se félicite du choix opéré au sein de l'ordre du jour très chargé de notre Conseil en faveur de ce très important sujet; elle a particulièrement apprécié la présentation claire, circonstanciée et convaincante que vient de nous faire le professeur Lunven.
Compte tenu du mandat et des competences techniques de la FAO. la nutrition constitue pour cette Organisation un domaine essentiel dans lequel elle joue, en parfaite collaboration avec l'OMS, un rôle de premier plan au sein du système des Nations Unies.
Dans d'autres domaines, forêts tropicales, pêches, ressources génétiques, la FAO a pris des initiatives importantes qui ont conduit à renforcer ses activités et à mobiliser d'avantage la Communauté internationale·
La persistance de la malnutrition dans les 15 prochaines années, en dépit des progrès considérables de la production agricole mondiale au cours des années 80, est un élément constant des perspectives dégagées par les experts et les organisations compétentes. Le nombre des personnes mal nourries a continué à croître au même rythme que la population mondiale, en raison surtout d'une répartition inéquitable des revenus et des mauvais résultats du secteur agricole et vivrier qui ont eu des effets néfastes sur la sécurité alimentaire dans de nombreux pays, notamment en Afrique.
S'il est vrai que ces considérations lors des derniers exercices ont orienté les programmes d'activités de la FAO vers des priorités progressivement mieux cernées, notre Organisation n'a pris, jusqu'à présent, aucune initiative du type de celle de l'organisation d'une Conférence internationale sur la nutrition.
Face à une situation aussi critique, le stade des consultations techniques et scientifiques doit être désormais dépassé à l'occasion de cette Conférence. La délégation française qui a déjà appuyé ce projet au Conseil de juin dernier ne peut qu'encourager vivement la FAO à poursuivre dans cette voie. Mon pays relève comme autant d'indices favorables à la future réussite de cette importante manifestation, la pertinence des objectifs fixés pour la Conférence: identification des problèmes de malnutrition, définition d'une stratégie de développement intégrant l'aspect nutritionnel, élaboration de programmes nutritionnels, la bonne coordination avec l'organisation de la santé pour une meilleure complémentarité de chacune des agences, enfin, l'état d'avancement du dossier qui prévoit la création d'un Comité consultatif d'experts et la tenue de cette Conférence à Rome en 1993.
Ma délégation saisit cette occasion pour exprimer le souhait des autorités françaises d'être étroitement associées à la préparation de cette importante Conférence.
E.P. ALLEYNE (Trinidad and Tobago): The delegation of Trinidad and Tobago wishes to indicate its full endorsement of the proposal for an International Conference on Nutrition. Our only reservation is, perhaps, that 1993 may be somewhat late. The document, brief as it is, provides a clear justification for the Conference.
We all recognize that food is the core concern of FAO. Surely nutrition is the ultimate, concern, the real test of the success of FAO's activity in this regard? It is to be noted that the problem is common to both developed and developing countries. It is evident that the activities of FAO in this regard, the guidelines, etc., which will emerge, will also be relevant to the poor, peripheral or marginalized groups in the developed countries.
We are all aware that structural adjustment is the endorsed and enforced functional development path for many developing countries today. We know that in many instances declining living and health conditions have been the result of such adjustments, thus leading to an even higher level of urgency for intervention with respect to a worsening of nutritional standards. In this regard, we ask FAO and WHO to ensure that the deliberations during this Conference provide opportunity for a multipurpose examination of ways and means of integrating nutritional elements into structural strategies.
Our delegation anticipates that one result of intervention by FAO, together with WHO, on this matter will be the education of the large community of people of all classes in the developing countries as to how to feed the young, babies and infants in particular, from widely available indigenous food.
Mlle Faouzia BOUMAIZA (Algérie): Nous tenons à remercier le Professeur Lunven pour sa présentation du document C 89/27, qui sera examiné plus en détail par la Conférence.
La Délégation algérienne se félicite encore une fois de l’initiative prise par le Directeur général, en accord avec le Directeur général de l'OMS, pour l'organisation d'une conférence internationale pour la nutrition. Elle nous a été présentée lors de la réunion du Conseil précédent. Nous avons en général accepté cette initiative et nous savons que le projet de conférence a fait l'objet d'une présentation conjointe de la FAO et de l'OMS lors de la deuxième session du Comité administratif de coordination en octobre 1989 à New York. Nous avons pu lire le document en question. Il me semble qu'une telle conférence se justifie parfaitement. Elle ne doit pas être interprétée, comme certains le disent ici, comme une nouvelle réunion d'experts, une de plus, mais bien comme une occasion offerte aux gouvernements de manifester d'une part leur volonté politique de lutter contre la malnutrition, permettant à ces deux secteurs essentiels, la santé et l'alimentation, de s'associer, mais en corollaire de mobiliser les ressources financières et humaines nécessaires.
Il faudra certes mobiliser des ressources supplémentaires, mais nous pensons que les conditions sont réunies pour améliorer de manière durable la situation mondiale de la nutrition. Grâce aux différents groupes d'experts, nous disposons maintenant de connaissances suffisantes. Cela est inscrit notamment dans le document C 89/27, où l'on nous dit que des technologies peu coûteuses et efficaces ont été mises au point à partir de l'expérience pratique accumulée. Il s'agit donc essentiellement de mobiliser la volonté politique des gouvernements.
Notre délégation ne comprend pas en particulier pourquoi deux délégations qui se sont exprimées avant nous se sont opposées à la réunion de cette conférence. Nous pensons qu'au moment où la situation de la nutrition dans le monde s'est grandement détériorée, il est temps justement de convoquer une conférence, après celles qui se sont tenues concernant la femme, concernant les forêts, concernant les pêches où l'on a abordé de manière partielle le sujet de la nutrition. Il s'agit maintenant de se réunir à un niveau politique et de donner les moyens à la FAO et à l'OMS de conduire une politique, certes en association avec toutes les agences des Nations Unies concernées, pour mener à bien leur action dans ce domaine.
N'oublions pas qu'au moment où il y a des potentialités énormes de produits, où il y a des excédents de matières alimentaires dans certaines parties du monde en ce moment même et dans ces pays et dans d'autres pays, la malnutrition avance et la sous-nutrition s'aggrave. Nous pensons donc qu'est venu le moment de se réunir.
Quant au choix de l'année, nous n'avons pas de problèmes. Quelle que soit l'année qui sera proposée, nous pouvons déjà l'accepter.
Raymond ALLEN (United Kingdom): Since I am the last to speak on this item, I can be extremely brief. The United Kingdom does not support the proposal for an International Conference. We fully concur with what has already been said by the delegate of the United States, and I will not repeat what he said. We need action, not words.
Mauricio CUADRA (Nicaragua): Ml delegación concedió el apoyo a la idea de realizar esta Conferencia desde que la misma surgió. Así lo expresamos en el 95 Consejo y lo reiteramos hoy, no voy a repetir - ya se han mencionado - las enormes necesidades y los graves problemas que van aumentando en el mundo a causa de la malnutrición. Se ha mencionado también que existe este problema de la malnutrición en países desarrollados, no solamente existen en los países pobres y en desarrollo. Hay también grandes masas en los países desarrollados mal atendidas y desnutridas sobre las cuales también tendrá que hablarse en esta Conferencia y que se van a ver también beneficiadas por las deliberaciones de este foro mundial que habrá de realizarse.
Se ha mencionado también el problema de los recursos. Nosotros queremos, señor Presidente, que después de esta Conferencia y con el clima que ya hemos alcanzado sobre este tema y el gran consenso, el problema de los recursos ya no va a existir para entonces, puesto que vamos haber logrado subsanar toda esta problemática con nuestras deliberaciones. Es más, estamos de acuerdo con las Delegaciones de México y Trinidad y Tabago en que el ano 1993 nos suena muy largo para lo apremiante de la problemática nutricional en el mundo.
Nuestra Delegación, señor Presidente, quiere enfatizar su apoyo a la realización de esta Reunión mundial sobre nutrición.
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Β.P. DUTIA (Assistant Director-General, Economic and Social Policy Department): We have listened with great attention to the discussion on this important item and have taken note of the different views that have been expressed. These will be reflected in the report on the subject.
However, I need to make one or two points of clarification. The delegate of the United States of America, who was later supported by the delegate of the United Kingdom, made the point that a number of conferences and meetings have been held on this subject. Yes, that is true, but all these meetings have been at the expert level. Despite the importance of the subject of nutrition, and despite the fact that a large number of people in the world are malnourished and that in fact in certain parts of the world the situation has been worsening, there has not yet been a single intergovernmental meeting held on this subject. This will be the first such intergovernmental meeting, and the objective here is not just to discuss the problem or to measure the incidence of malnutrition but to consider the ways in which this problem could be tackled.
As has been pointed out in the document, the emphasis is on action at the intergovernmental level. The emphasis is on increasing awareness at the intergovernmental level, the policy level, on attacking this problem, on agreeing on the strategy for such an attack, and on mobilizing the necessary political will and the resources to tackle this issue. This is the main objective.
This subject will come before the Conference for its consideration, and we hope that it will be possible to reach a consensus on this issue.
LE PRESIDENT: Nous devons maintenant souhaiter que La Conference de la FAO puisse également apporter son appui à cette Conférence qui, comme l'a dit M.Dutia, sera tournée vers l'action plus que vers les études.
Ceci étant, nous passons au point suivant de l'ordre du jour: Rapport de la 53ème session du Comité des questions constitutionnelles et juridiques (CL 96/5).
Je donne la parole au Président du Comité des questions constitutionnelles et juridiques, qui va nous parler du point 14.1: Immunité de juridiction de l'Organisation en Italie.
F. POULIDES (Chairman, Committee on Constitutional and Legal Matters): I have the honour to present to the Council, the Report of the 53rd Session of the Committee on Constitutional and Legal Matters. The first item is item 14.1, Immunity of the Organization from Legal Process in Italy.
The CCLM was informed of events which had taken place in regard to two legal actions against FAO which were pending in the Italian Courts. One case involved a former Italian General Service staff member whose appointment had not been renewed and who was arguing that the Italian Courts had jurisdiction over her employment relationship with the Organization and that Italian labour law was applicable. The second case was one involving a firm that previously provided official removal services for FAO. The matter had been discussed by the CCLM at its 52nd Session in May 1989, at which time it had expressed deep concern over the possibility that the Italian courts might not fully recognize the immunity of the Organization.
Since that time, the matter had been discussed in the joint meeting of the Programme Committee and the Finance Committee in May 1989 and subsequently at the 95th Session of the Council in June 1989. At that Session, the Council had underlined the necessity that the immunity of the Organization from every form of legal process in Italy be fully respected and expressed support for the steps being taken by the Director-General.
The Director-General had written to the Italian Government in June 1989, in accordance with mandate given to him by the Conference in 1987, to request the services of the Avvocatura Generale dello Stato to defend the Organization's immunity in court. A presidential decree, promulgated in June 1989, authorized the Avvocatura Generale dello Stato to do so. Moreover, the Director-General had met the Secretary-General of the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs in June 1989 to discuss the question of the Organization's immunity; subsequently, a first informal meeting had been held with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in September 1989 to discuss the conclusion of an agreement on the interpretation of the Headquarters Agreement. The CCLM welcomed the actions being taken by the Director-General and hoped that these would lead to full recognition of the immunity of the Organization by the Italian courts. This item is submitted to the Council for information and, of course, for whatever comments the Council might wish to make.
LE PRESIDENT: Je remercie l'Ambassadeur Poulides et je lui donne maintenant la parole pour exposer le point 14.2: Adhésion de la FAO à la Convention sur la notification rapide d'un accident nucléaire et à la Convention sur l'assistance en cas d'accident nucléaire ou situation d'urgence radiologique.
F. POULIDES (Chairman, Committee on Constitutional and Legal Matters): The two Conventions submitted to the CCLM had both been adopted by the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency in September 1986 in the wake of the Chernobyl nuclear accident which had dramatically underlined the global significance of the release of radioactive contaminants into the environment and the importance of international cooperation at the level of the United Nations. The Conventions entered into force respectively in 1986 and 1987. Both Conventions are open for accession by international organizations and, in fact, the World Health Organization acceded to these Conventions in August 1988. A brief description of the Conventions is contained in the Report of the CCLM.
The CCLM first considered FAO's constitutional mandate in matters covered by the Conventions and concluded that the subject matter of the Conventions would fall within the competence and constitutional mandate of FAO. The Committee also considered the legal implications of accession by FAO to the Conventions and concluded that FAO's accession to the Conventions would, above all, be a symbolic act, confirming its readiness to cooperate actively with States and other organizations in taking measures within its field of competence in the case of nuclear accidents.
It should be noted that one member of the Committee expressed reservations concerning the accession of international organizations to the two Conventions. These reservations were not shared by the other members of the Committee.
The CCLM was of the opinion that it would be proper from a legal point of view for the Council to approve FAO's accession to the two Conventions and for the Conference to authorize FAO's becoming a party thereto. Thus, the Council is being asked to grant its approval for FAO to accede to these Conventions.
LE PRESIDENT: Nous demandons donc l'accord du Conseil pour que la FAO puisse adhérer à ces deux conventions.
Jean-Luc GRAEVE (France): La question de l'adhésion de l'OAA aux deux conventions de Vienne sur la notification rapide et l'assistance en cas d'accident nucléaire a été examinée en octobre dernier par le Comité des questions constitutionnelles et juridiques (CQCJ).
Mon pays, représenté au CQCJ, ne s'est pas opposé à la conclusion faite par les autres membres qu'il n'existait pas d'obstacle juridique à l'adhésion de l'OAA aux deux conventions. Je ne souhaiterais pas revenir à ce stade sur les aspects juridiques du débat.
Ma délégation voudrait, en revanche, mentionner dans l'enceinte du Conseil les inconvénients d'ordre pratique d'une telle adhésion. Ces inconvénients, je le précise, visent l'ensemble du système des Nations Unies et pas seulement l'OAA. Mon pays estime certes souhaitable la participation de tous les organes des Nations Unies, chacun dans son domaine de compétence, à la réalisation des objectifs de ces deux conventions. Elle est d'ailleurs prévue aux Article 4(B) de la Convention sur la notification 2.1 et 5 (E) de la Convention sur l'assistance. Cette participation s'effectue, comme l'ont voulu les rédacteurs de ces deux conventions, sous l'égide de l'AIEA, afin d'en assurer la cohésion et l'efficacité.
L'adhésion des organisations internationales, et donc de l'OAA, aux deux conventions elles-mêmes ne nous apparaît ni nécessaire ni utile. L'AIEA n'est du reste pas partie à ces deux conventions. De simples arrangements entre l'AIEA et l'OAA pourraient être envisagés pour l'application des deux conventions de septembre 1986, comme cela a été le cas pour deux autres institutions, l'Organisation météorologique mondiale (OMM) et l'UNDRO. C'est le rôle de coordination de l'agence, essentiel pour la réalisation des objectifs des deux conventions, que nous entendons préserver.
Il existe en effet un risque que l'adhésion de nombreuses organisations internationales aux deux conventions puisse avoir des effets contraires à leurs objectifs, dans la mesure où elle entraînerait leurs secrétariats à créer des réseaux et des mécanismes d'information et d'assistance parallèles à ceux dont la coordination est assurée par l'AIEA.
En conclusion, la délégation française, si elle est seule à maintenir ses réserves, ne s'opposera pas à un consensus sur la question de l'adhésion. Je souhaite toutefois que mon intervention soit prise en compte dans le rapport final du Conseil. Notre seul objectif doit être, dans les conséquences de cette adhésion sur le programme de travail de l'Organisation, de veiller à ce qu'elle n'interfère pas avec les principes de répartition des compétences au sein du système des Nations Unies et ne compromette pas les objectifs de cohérence des conventions.
Steven HILL (United States of America): The United States delegation supports FAO's accession to these Conventions. We participated in CCLM's discussions on this issue, and I would only like to add here that we expect that any costs involved will be absorbed into the regular budget.
C. Srinivasa SASTRY (India): May I enquire what the costs involved will be?
LEGAL COUNSEL: I understand that the costs would be minimal, and I presume that the costs would be merely the costs of attending meetings, etc. I do not think any new posts are envisaged with respect to this particular function of FAO.
Might I at this point also respond to the related question from the delegate of France. On the point raised by France, I should like to point out that the purpose of the Organization becoming a party to the two Conventions was to signify the willingness of the Organization to become part of the system of information exchange and assistance, in the case of a nuclear emergency, set up by the Conventions. There is no need or intention on the part of FAO to set up a separate system that would duplicate the IAEA system. Arrangements are already in place that would allow the Organization to become an effective part of that system through, for example, discussions on the kind of action that can be taken in nuclear emergencies, designation of contact points and the establishment of appropriate procedures.
I hope that that will satisfy the queries raised by the delegate of France and also by the delegate of India.
LE PRESIDENT: S'il n'y a pas d'autres questions, nous pouvons retenir le principe de cette adhésion avec la réserve de la délégation française, pour qu'elle figure dans le rapport du Conseil.
F. POULIDES (Chairman, Committee on Constitutional and Legal Matters): In its Twenty-eighth Session in April 1989, the European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease adopted an amendment to paragraph 1 of Article I of its Constitution. The purpose of the amendment is to enlarge the criteria for membership in the Commission. In addition to States situated geographically in Europe which are already eligible for membership, the amendment would also grant eligibility for membership to States participating as members in the FAO European Regional Conference and serviced by the FAO European Regional Office. The Committee noted that in accordance with Article XIV of the Constitution of the Commission, amendments thereto shall become effective only with the concurrence of the Council. Accordingly, the Director-General has submitted the amendment to the CCLM review. The CCLM reviewed the amendment in order to verify that it was consistent with the Basic Texts of the Organization, and in particular with Section R thereof, which contains principles and procedures which should govern Conventions and Agreements concluded under Article XIV of the Constitution. Thè CCLM concluded that the proposed amendment was consistent with the Basic Texts and recommended to the Council that it adopt the Resolution which is to be found in paragraph 39 of the Report of the CCLM. Therefore, this matter is being submitted to the Council for decission.
LE PRESIDENT: Je remercie Monsieur l'ambassadeur Poulides de sa communication. Le Secrétaire général adjoint a une communication à faire au Conseil.
LE SECRETAIRE GENERAL ADJOINT: La délégation de l'Argentine nous prie d'insérer son intervention qu'elle n'a pas pu faire parce que retenue au Comité de rédaction. Si le conseil est d'accord, nous allons l'insérer au procès-verbal de cet après-midi.
Victor MACHINEA (Argentina): La fiebre aftosa diferencia muy netamente el mercado mundial de carnes rojas, por lo tanto sugerimos se difundan con la máxima celeridad las conclusiones y recomendaciones de cada organismo regional, entre sí, y a los Estados Miembros, a efectos de que corrijan o intensifiquen sus planes y políticas en consecuencia.
La FAO debería ser el órgano encargado de dicha difusión con la máxima urgencia posible, especialmente en aquellos casos que, previsiblemente las conclusiones técnicas puedan incidir en la comercialización de carnes o subproductos de origen ganadero, como por ejemplo Recomendaciones sobre vacunas, o sobre métodos de detección y control diagnóstico en aduanas, etc.
LE PRESIDENT: Y a-t-il d'autres interventions sur ce point? Nous pouvons considérer que le Conseil est d'accord et approuve la résolution proposée dans le rapport du CCLM.
1 Texto incluido en las actas a petición expresa.
Eberhard E. LÜHE (Director, Office for Inter-Agency Affairs): Mr Chairman, I think I can be very brief. The document in front of you is CL 96/INF/5. As you know, in accordance with the rules of the Basic Texts, it is normal practice for the Director-General to invite Intergovernmental and International Non-Governmental Organizations which have official status with FAO to send observers to FAO Technical Meetings on subjects within their specific fields of competence. However, as indicated in the document in front of you, FAO consults and invites from time to time International Non-Governmental Organizations which do not have official status with FAO. This is done in order to obtain expert advice and information on specific questions, especially in technical fields. The document in front of you contains information on technical meetings which were held during the 1988-89 biennium, to which FAO has invited International Non-Governmental Organizations which have active working relationships, as we call it, with FAO.
This Report is submitted to the Council in accordance with the request which was made to the Director-General at the Forty-ninth Session of the Council which was in the Fall of 1967.
I think I should re-emphasize that this is an information document, and therefore it does not require any specific action by the Council. However, are there any questions?
LE PRESIDENT: Je remercie M. Lühe de sa communication. Y a-t-il des demandes d'éclaircissement ou des observations?
LE SECRETAIRE GENERAL ADJOINT: Il y a un changement dans la représentation des Etats Membres au Comité du Programme, en l'occurrence, la représentation de l'Argentine à partir du 11 septembre. Le Directeur général a reçu une lettre de son Excellence Roberto Dalton, Ministre plénipotentiaire et Représentant permanent de la République d'Argentine auprès de la FAO, qui l'informait qu'il remplaçait son Excellence Keller Sarmiento en qualité de Représentant à la cinquante-huitième session du Comité du programme. Le document contient aussi le curriculum vitae de M. Dalton et est transmis au Conseil pour information.
LE PRESIDENT: Je remercie M. Tedesco de cette information. Nous connaissons tous M. Dalton et sa compétence.
LE SECRETARIE GENERAL ADJOINT: C'est là aussi une question assez simple. Il est propose de tenir la prochaine session du Conseil, la quatre-vingt-dix-septième, au Siège de la FAO, le ler décembre 1989, ou plus tôt si la vingt-cinquième session de la Conférence s'achève avant la date prévue.
LE PRESIDENT: Je crois que nous pouvons être d'accord avec cette proposition. Avant de lever la séance, je voudrais remercier tous les délégués présents et tous ceux qui sont au Comité de rédaction pour leur patience et leur sens des responsabilités car la journée a été rude. J'espère que nous aurons demain une journée constructive nous permettant de conclure efficacement les travaux du Conseil,
The meeting rose at 19.00 hours.
La sance est levée a 19 heures.
Se levanta la sesión a las 19 horas.
