TRIBUTE TO THE MEMORY OF Dr B.R. SEN (INDIA). FORMER DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF FAO
HOMMAGE A LA MEMOIRE DE M.B.R.SEN (INDE). ANCIEN DIRECTEUR GENERAL DE LA FAO
HOMENAJE EN MEMORIA DEL Dr.SEN (INDIA). ANTIGUO DIRECTOR GENERAL DE LA FAO

II. WORLD FOOD AND AGRICULTURE SITUATION (continued)
II. SITUATION MONDIALE DE L'ALIMENTATION ET DE L'AGRICULTURE (suite)
II. SITUACION MUNDIAL DE LA AGRICULTURA Y LA ALIMENTACION (continuación)

5. Report of the 18th Session of the Committee on World Food Security (Rome, 29 March-1 April 1993)
5. Rapport de la dix-huitième session du Comité de la sécurité alimentaire mondiale (Rome, 29 mars-ler avril 1993)
5. Informe del 18° período de sesiones del Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria Mundial (Roma, 29 de marzo-I° de abril de 1993)

LE PRESIDENT: Nous reprenons maintenant notre troisième séance plénière en abordant le point 5 de notre ordre du jour. Le sujet a été examiné quelque peu lors de la discussion d'hier sur le document relatif à l'alimentation dans le monde. Le point 5 concerne le "Rapport de la dix-huitième session du Comité de la sécurité alimentaire mondiale".

Je rappelle que conformément à la déclaration de compétences de la Communauté économique européenne, il s'agit d'un domaine de compétences mixtes entre la Communauté et ses Etats Membres, le vote étant réservé aux Etats Membres.

Avant de passer la parole à M. Hjort, Directeur général adjoint, je voudrais attirer votre attention sur deux documents importants. Tout d'abord le document CL 103/INF/4 concernant les méthodes de travail du Conseil. J'ai revu ce document qui est régulièrement distribué aux membres du Conseil et qui concerne les méthodes de travail du Conseil. Je me permets respectueusement de vous conseiller sa lecture, de façon à faciliter nos travaux durant les jours qui viennent. Ce document explicite de manière très claire comment procéder pour faire en sorte que les travaux du Conseil soient efficaces et opérationnels.

Je voudrais attirer votre attention sur un second document, qui porte la cote CL 103/INF.7 et qui concerne l'application de décisions qui ont été prises par le Conseil lors de la cent deuxième Session. C'est un document particulièrement intéressant et à l'heure où parfois certains critiquent les méthodes de travail de la FAO, je crois que la lecture et l'étude de ce document vous permettront de vous rendre compte du caractère très opérationnel

de nos sessions et du suivi assuré aux travaux du Conseil. La lecture de ce document m'a particulièrement impressionné et j'ai réalisé que les résultats de nos travaux au Conseil recevaient une application opérationnelle rapide et efficace.

Nous abordons maintenant le document CL 103/10, le Rapport de la dix-huitième session du Comité de la Sécurité alimentaire mondiale. Je demanderai à tous les membres du Conseil qui ont déjà évoqué ce problème lors de la discussion d'hier de ne plus intervenir à nouveau ou de le faire de manière brève, de façon à ce que nous puissions tirer des conclusions pratiques de la réunion du Comité de la Sécurité alimentaire qui s'est tenue au début du mois d'avril de cette année.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR-GENERAL: It now gives me pleasure to present to you the Report of the Eighteenth Session of the Committee on World Food Security. As the Chairman has already indicated, the reference document is CL 103/10.

The Session, held in Rome between 29 March and 1 April 1993, considered a number of important food security policy issues. First, the Committee reviewed the current world food security situation and outlook. Second, it examined the linkages between sustainable agricultural development and food security. Third, the Committee reviewed the activities of the Food Security Assistance Scheme, and finally the Committee considered the frequency of its sessions.

Mr Chairman, as you have noted, the Council has already discussed the current world food situation, so with respect to the first topic I shall only highlight that the Committee noted the fundamental role of FAO in crop and food supply needs assessment, in the assessment of agricultural rehabilitation needs, and in the implementation of such rehabilitation projects.

The Committee also noted with appreciation the increased involvement of FAO in these areas in relation to the activities of the UN Department of Humanitarian Affairs and expressed its appreciation to donors for supporting FAO's activities, particularly as regards agricultural rehabilitation.

As on many occasions in the past, the Committee was concerned at the unfavourable economic prospects which many developing countries faced, including the declining prices of several of their major agricultural exports, high prices of their agricultural inputs, the large debt servicing payments and the sluggish economic growth of the world economy. The Committee stressed the necessity for an early and successful outcome to the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations, with the objective of achieving a more just and equitable system of international trade.

The Committee's consideration of the linkages between sustainable agricultural developments and food security focused on fragile areas of developing countries, which were both food insecure and environmentally at risk. However, the Committee noted also the other dimension of the relationship between sustainability and food security, namely that pertaining to the production of surpluses, at times in an unsustainable way, resulting in pollution, resource degradation, and trade distortions. The Committee noted the Secretariat's intention to prepare another study on the potential for increasing production

of marketable surpluses to feed growing urban populations without damaging the resource base.

The Committee considered that the Secretariat document made an important contribution to improving the understanding of the links between food security and sustainable agricultural development and that it presented a strategic approach which would serve as a useful point of reference for future action. The Committee emphasized the importance of operationalizing the recommendations contained in the document, and stressed that, since the food security and sustainability issue was multidisciplinary in nature., a cross-sectoral approach would be required. It considered that FAO was well-placed, as a follow-up to UNCED, to help ensure that future agricultural and rural development projects incorporate sustainability concerns, and that proposed interventions are technically sound, practical and profitable for the farmers. The Committee made some specific suggestions on the priorities to be given by FAO in developing its work programme on food security and sustainable agricultural development. These are listed in paragraph 28 of the document before you.

In the Committee's regular review of the activities of the Food Security Assistance Scheme, many delegates felt that the experience to date with the comprehensive food security programming approach had been a positive one, and that the work should move from the pilot stage to become an established programme activity. The Committee considered that the food security programme approach needed to be integrated into an overall agricultural policy framework and supported by a multidisciplinary in-country mechanism. It was recalled that certain modifications in FAO's approach to food security policy and programming assistance were likely to be introduced as part of the ongoing process of streamlining the Special Action Programmes of the Organization.

The Committee noted that development of early warning and food information systems has been an important feature of the traditional field programme of the FSAS. It expressed its satisfaction with the donor support to the FSAS and urged these donors to continue to support the Scheme in the future, as well as other donors who have not recently participated in the work of FSAS.

The Committee continued its debate on the frequency of CFS sessions, which it had already started during its Seventeenth Session.

In this case, the Committee noted that certain key developments, which had prevented it from reaching a decision during its 17th session, had not been resolved. These related in particular to the ongoing deliberations in the General Assembly on restructuring and revitalizing the United Nations system in the economic and social sphere. However, a large majority of delegates felt that, irrespective of the outcome of these developments, as Rome is the base for UN agencies dealing with food issues, it should remain the centre of international discussion in the field of food security. The Committee reiterated that FAO must continue to play a central role on food security issues which were so essential to the overall mandate of the Organization and the interests of its Member Nations. It considered that follow-up to the UNCED and especially the implementation of the Plan of Action of the ICN, as reflected in the Programme of Work and Budget of the Organization for the next biennium, wereimportant new factorsin the work of the Committee in the

future. It considered that follow-up in these areas would necessitate the consideration by the Committee of critical issues relating to household food security and the link between sustainable agricultural development and food security, in addition to its review of the traditional items in its agenda.

In view of these factors, the Committee considered that the time was not opportune to effect any change in the frequency of CFS sessions. It decided to keep the matter under review and to postpone the decision until the next CFS session.

LE PRESIDENT: Je souhaite, avant de prendre note de la liste des participants, rendre hommage, ainsi que M. Hjort l'avait fait lors de la session du Comité de la Sécurité alimentaire, à un grand fonctionnaire de la FAO, M. Peter Newhouse qui était l'âme et l'homme-clé du Système mondial d'informations dont on a souvent parlé. M. Newhouse était un grand fonctionnaire qui a travaillé avec enthousiasme et qui a donné le meilleur de lui-même à notre Organisation. Je tiens, au nom de tout le Conseil, à lui rendre un vibrant hommage. Sur ma liste figurent deux orateurs qui se sont inscrits hier et qui sont le Ministre de l'agriculture et du développement rural de l'Angola, et le Ministre du Zaire. L'Ambassadeur et Représentant de la République de Colombie, le Congo, la République islamique d'Iran, l'Indonésie, la Thaïlande, la Corée, le Canada, le Japon, l'Australie, les Etats-Unis d'Amérique, le Kenya, le Bangladesh, les Philippines, le Nigeria et Cuba demandent à intervenir. Y-a-t-il des observateurs qui souhaiteraient intervenir sur ce point de l'ordre du jour? Si d'autres membres du Conseil qui ne sont pas inscrits désirent le faire je leur demanderai de nous en informer rapidement.

I.F. Maria DOS ANJOS (Angola) (Langue originale portugais): Nous tenons, en premier lieu à nous féliciter de la tenue de cette cent troisième session du Conseil de la FAO, et, exprimer nos sincères remerciements pour l'invitation qui nous a été adressée de participer à cet événement, durant lequel seront discutées et analysées des questions importantes de la vie de notre Organisation.

La cent troisième session du Conseil de la FAO se déroule dans un contexte politico-économique et social très difficile pour beaucoup de pays membres parmi lesquels certains sont en guerre et connaissent la sécheresse et la faim.

Malgré l'augmentation en 1992 de la production alimentaire globale dans plusieurs pays de l'Afrique subsaharienne, la situation est sombre et préoccupante.

En Angola, la situation est grave sinon dramatique. Près de deux millions d'angolais affrontent une situation de pénurie alimentaire sans précédent dans l'histoire de notre pays. C'est la conséquence d'une campagne agricole perturbée essentiellement par la guerre et également par la sécheresse au sud du pays.

En Angola de nombreuses personnes ont dû quitter leurs terres d'origine en raison de la guerre.Elles ont perdu tous leurs biens, les infrastructures

de communication ont été détruites. On constate également la destruction des infrastructures de production du pétrole, principal produit d'exportation, avec toutes les conséquences économiques et écologiques qui en découlent. Cette situation contribue à augmenter de façon notable le déficit alimentaire du pays qui, en 1992, était estimé à 700 000 tonnes en équivalent maïs.

Au nom du Gouvernement d'Angola, je voudrais remercier la communauté internationale pour son appui et pour l'aide qu'elle a envoyée aux populations nécessiteuses et encourager les organisations et les pays donateurs, à poursuivre cette aide humanitaire, et à alimenter les populations victimes de la guerre et de la sécheresse.

La situation de guerre a interrompu, dans plusieurs zones du pays, la mise en oeuvre de projets agricoles et de développement rural, plusieurs d'entre eux sont financés par les institutions financières bilatérales et multilatérales et reçoivent une assistance technique de la FAO. De la même manière, il n'a pas été possible de réaliser les missions d'identification et de préparation des projets programmés. De toutes façons, nous sommes convaincus que dès que la situation s'améliorera le Gouvernement sera prêt à reprendre les actions déjà entamées en donnant la priorité à la production alimentaire et à la réhabilitation des capacités productrices des paysans.

L'ordre du jour de la session comporte des questions relatives au domaine des forêts. La forêt pour beaucoup de pays est une source de richesse et d'aliments et son utilisation rationnelle dans le cadre d'un programme de développement économique et social durable et souhaitable doit constituer une politique d'Etat.

Dans ce sens, mon Gouvernement développe des actions dans le domaine du reboisement, de la conservation et de l'entretien du patrimoine forestier national à travers le plan d'action forestier national dont la base est le Plan d'Action Forestier Tropical (PAFT).

D'autre part, nous voulons informer ce Conseil que certaines activités contenues dans la Déclaration Mondiale sur la Nutrition, adoptée en 1992 ici-même à Rome, sont en cours de réalisation dans les conditions actuelles du pays.

En avril dernier, la cinquième session de la Commission de la FAO pour les ressources phytogénétiques s'est tenue à Rome. Des questions importantes telles que l'érosion des ressources génétiques, leur conservation et, principalement le compromis international sur les ressources phytogénétiques, ont constitué des thèmes de discussion.

Mon Gouvernement attache une attention particulière aux problèmes de préservation des ressources phytogénétiques nationales. Dans ce contexte, nous serions disposés à signer ce compromis international sur les ressources phytogénétiques. Cependant, la question qui se réfère à "l'accès libre" aux ressources phytogénétiques, devrait être sérieusement analysée et l'Angola souhaiterait pouvoir compter sur l'appui des pays donateurs et de la FAO pour construire le Centre national de ressources phytogénétiques.

En terminant, nous souhaitons le meilleur succès aux participants de cette session, et nous sommes convaincus que les résultats à atteindre contribueront à la réussite de notre programme dans les prochaines années.

LE PRESIDENT: Je vous remercie de votre intervention très précise et très claire. Nous sommes tous conscients de la situation difficile que traverse votre pays actuellement.

Je voudrais passer la parole au Représentant du Zaïre, Vice-Premier Ministre chargé de l'agriculture, Monsieur Cléophas Kamitatu Massamba.

Cléophas Kamitatù MASSAMBA (Zaïre): Avant de commencer mon intervention, je voudrais m'acquitter d'un agréable devoir, celui de présenter, au nom de la délégation qui m'accompagne et au mien propre, toutes nos félicitations, à vous-même, Monsieur le Président, pour la maîtrise avec laquelle vous présidez nos travaux. Nos félicitations sont présentées également aux trois Vice-Présidents ainsi qu'aux autres membres du Bureau, pour leur élection.

Je voudrais associer à ces félicitations, le Directeur Général de la FAO pour sa brillante déclaration prononcée hier, à l'ouverture de cette session ainsi que le Directeur Général Adjoint et les membres du Secrétariat, pour la qualité et la présentation des documents mis à notre disposition.

Je m'en voudrais de ne pas renouveler nos remerciements à tous les Etats Membres qui ont bien voulu élire notre Pays, la République du Zaïre en qualité de membre du Conseil de la FAO. Nous y sommes très sensibles.

Le problème de la sécurité alimentaire mondiale que nous examinons en ce moment, dans le cadre du point 5 de l'ordre du jour de la présente session du Conseil, est d'une importance capitale.

En effet, quand bien même nous avons reconnu hier, lors de l'examen du point 4 de l'ordre du jour qu'il y a une certaine augmentation de la production alimentaire à l'échelle mondiale, il reste évident que cette augmentation de la production alimentaire ne profite qu'à une infime partie de la population de notre Planète, la majeure partie de cette population vivant dans l'insécurité alimentaire la plus totale.

La situation est particulièrement préoccupante pour les pays en développement qui connaissent une baisse sensible de revenu par habitant, la chute drastique des cours de certaines matières premières d'origine agricole, la fuite des capitaux et le délabrement des infrastructures de production.

Le cas de mon pays, le Zaïre, mérite que je m'y attarde quelque peu. La sécurité alimentaire y est sérieusement perturbée, suite à une crise politique et institutionnelle d'origine interne et: externe.

C'est dire que quelle que soit notre volonté sur le plan interne, de tout mettre en oeuvre pour venir à bout de cette crise, il faut reconnaître le rôle déterminant de nos partenaires dans la persistance des contraintes d'origine externe. Si chaque partenaire, au lieu de nous apporter un concours,

ne fait qu'allumer le feu au Zaïre, la maîtrise de la crise n'en devient que plus difficile et plus retardée.

L'avènement de la démocratie est un processus lent, difficile et au rythme propre à chaque peuple et à chaque pays. Nous souhaitons vivement que tous les partenaires respectent les choix de l'évolution et de la dignité de chacun, condition de l'instauration du climat de paix, de sécurité et de tranquillité propice à la réalisation de la sécurité alimentaire par tous.

Au Zaïre, 70 pour cent de notre stock alimentaire est produit par nos paysans. A-t-on le droit de les pénaliser, parce que certains partenaires entendent absolument sanctionner des dirigeants dont ils critiquent, à tort souvent, l'action politique du processus démocratique?

Par contre, c'est avec satisfaction que je souligne l'assistance et l'encadrement du PNUD et de la FAO dans mon Pays. Grâce à cette assistance, le Zaïre vient de s'attaquer à quelques-unes des principales contraintes au développement du secteur agricole et de l'élevage; cela, par l'identification et l'élaboration des Projets ainsi qu'à la lutte contre certains désastres naturels survenus dernièrement dans les secteurs de l'agriculture et de l'élevage. Ces projets sont les suivants:

1. Stratégiepourla promotion etlecontrôledusecteur informelde l'alimentation;

2. Appui a la promotion des organisations paysannes;

3. Lutte contre la tracheomycose du cafe ;

4. Lutte contre la pérpneumonie contagieuse des bovides;

5. Lutte contre la dermatose nodulaire des bovidés.

Tout en exprimant une fois de plus la gratitude de mon pays au PNUD et à la FAO, pour l'assistance multiforme qu'ils ne cessent d'apporter, je voudrais saisir cette occasion pour leur demander de poursuivre cette assistance à nos producteurs.

Le Gouvernement de mon pays s'engage de son côté à tout mettre en oeuvre pour garantir la sécurité qui est devenue l'A Β C de notre politique.

En intervenant sur le point 5 de l'ordre du jour, la délégation du Zaïre estime qu'il appartient avant tout à chaque pays d'assurer la sécurité alimentaire de sa population et que dans ce domaine l'apport supplétif de la coopération multilatérale et/ou bilatérale n'est positif que dans la mesure où il se réalise dans le strict respect de la dignité et des intérêts bien compris des partenaires, ainsi que dans le respect strict des conventions et des pratiques internationales qui nous lient.

Pour terminer, Monsieur le Président, la délégation du Zaïre s'associe aux autres membres du Conseil pour renouveler son appui au rapport de la dix-huitième session du Comité de la Sécurité alimentaire mondiale, rapport dont elle souligne la qualité et pour lequel elle félicite les auteurs.

Iván MARULANDA GOMEZ (Colombia): En esta intervención queremos señalar dos cosas, señor Presidente, una de carácter general y otra de carácter

particular. En primer lugar, después de analizar la situación que se presenta en materia de seguridad alimentaria, quisiéramos decir que creemos que resulta urgente incorporar de nuevo en los círculos de discusión y de decisión en el mundo el concepto de desarrollo como cuestión política, económica y social fundamental. En las décadas de posguerra, a mediados del siglo se le dio vigencia en todos los continentes al concepto del desarrollo y alrededor de él se construyó el progreso de muchas naciones, pero de algunos años para acá, quizás a partir de los años 80, los centros más importantes de decisión política entraron en un descreimiento hacia los valores del desarrollo e introdujeron otro tipo de criterios rectores: la riqueza, el éxito, la competencia, el consumo desaforado, la opulencia, el derroche, la exuberancia, la acumulación, la concentración. El poder y la superioridad han hecho parte sustantiva de ese nuevo fetichismo que se impuso sobre la tierra.

Los individuos y los pueblos quieren ser todo eso al tiempo, y esas metas desproporcionadas se han vuelto una obsesión. Los resultados no podían ser más catastróficos. Guerras, muerte, refugiados, depredación ecológica, ansiedad, drogadicción, infelicidad, penurias, hambre, son los estragos que ha dejado el imperio de la riqueza y el afán de poder sobre los demás como fines absolutos, como patrones de vida, como expectativas de vida. En verdad fue una desgracia haber abandonado el concepto del desarrollo como objetivo, como aglutinante, como energía de acción y de cooperación. Rescatar la idea, señor Presidente, del desarrollo y sus contenidos humanistas como meta para los pueblos y para la comunidad internacional, puede ser un buen comienzo para la rectificación de esta serie de desvarios cuyas consecuencias fatales padecemos y están conduciendo al mundo hacia la anarquía y quizás hacia la autodestrucción.

De un lado se fomenta la guerra y del otro se hacen acciones caritativas; de una parte se negocia con toda suerte de ventajas y sin compasión por la contraparte débil, de la otra, se donan recursos de supervivencia; de un lado se despoja a los productores pobres de sus mercados y de sus recursos, se les discrimina, y del otro, se habla de cooperación humanitaria. El resultado de actitudes tan inconsecuentes está a la vista: los riesgos aumentan a grandes pasos como lo demuestra el mapa de las conflagraciones y del hambre regados por el planeta; la miseria crece, las desigualdades, los desequilibrios, y es allí donde encontramos las razones para creer que nos hace falta volver a hablar de desarrollo en vez de ayuda caritativa y en vez de intervención, que debemos volver a reunimos como décadas atrás para discutir sobre el progreso armónico, la justicia, las oportunidades para el desarrollo de todos. Con seguridad que para el sistema de Naciones Unidas resultaría más exitoso cultivar los valores y los contenidos del desarrollo sostenible que el intento de apagar incendios de guerra.

Deseamos referirnos ahora, señor Presidente, a algo más específico. En el párrafo 15 del documento que nos ocupa se habla del problema de las restricciones al comercio del banano de América Latina impuestas por la Comunidad Económica Europea. En el Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria hablamos de este tema porque centenares de miles de familias latinoamericanas pierden su fuente de sustento a raíz del licenciamiento masivo de trabajadores de las bananeras ocasionado por el desalojo sorpresivo de buena parte de la fruta latinoamericana de los mercados de la Comunidad como consecuencia de medidas restrictivas anunciadas al comercio. Situaciones como ésta señor Presidente,

siempre acarrean hambre y violencia en nuestros países. Es la razón por la cual nos afanamos en ventilarlas en estos foros internacionales. También llevamos el tema al Comité de Problemas de Productos Básicos. Diez países del área latinoamericana presentamos allí una declaración en la que reiteramos que las actuaciones de la Comunidad Económica Europea con respecto al banano son violatorias de las normas de comercio acordadas en el GATT.

Dijimos también que el anuncio de las restricciones arancelarias y no arancelarias formuladas en forma discriminatoria por la Comunidad para el banano de América Latina ocasionaron pánico y desorden entre los productores y comercializadores, por lo cual, se anarquizó la oferta y se envilecieron los precios hasta descender cerca de un 40 por ciento en pocas semanas.

Aseguramos además que la dinámica de crecimiento de la producción de banano en la región pasó a ser ahora una situación contraria de abandono masivo de cultivos. Se rompió de esta forma la lógica del comercio y de la economía de mercado basada en las ventajas comparativas y en la competitividad, es decir, en la prevalencia en los mercados de estructuras de costos más bajos, altas productividades, precios más asequibles a los consumidores y mejor calidad de los productos.

Esta lógica del mercado se cambió en este caso por la fuerza de medidas restrictivas que van en contravía del esfuerzo que se hace por estos tiempos para liberar el comercio y abrirle salidas a la recesión de la economía mundial.

Reiteramos en esta oportunidad, señor Presidente, nuestro reconocimiento hacia Alemania, Bélgica y Holanda por su posición solidaria con América Latina en el caso del banano dentro del marco de la Comunidad. Esperamos que este asunto tenga un trámite cabal y se restablezca el cumplimiento del acuerdo sobre tarifas y comercio suscrito por las partes.

Es necesario repetir aquí que nuestros países han llevado a cabo un proceso de apertura de sus mercados, sin discriminaciones al comercio mundial para favorecer el proceso de apertura que tanto reclaman las naciones desarrolladas.

Esperamos que en la ímplementación de este esquema haya lealtad por parte de todos. Después de la reunión de ayer, señor Presidente, quedaron girando en nuestra mente dos cuestiones que dejamos pendientes y que no queremos dejar pasar, y como los temas de hoy son la continuación de los de ayer, nos referiremos a ellos brevemente.

En primer término deseamos expresar que nos pareció magnífico el discurso del Director General, Dr Edouard Saouma. No somos amigos de repartir felicitaciones que quitan tiempo y que muchas veces son más protocolarias que sinceras; además, las palabras son menos importantes que los hechos, cansan y producen indiferencia los ríos de discursos que se pronuncian en el mundo ante la escasez de realidades concretas. Pero debemos reconocer que nos pareció importante aquello que escuchamos ayer aquí del Director General; importante para la FAO, para sus organismos de dirección y para los gobiernos. Presentó los temas demayor importanciaquenos conciernen, yplanteó

posiciones respetables que se pueden compartir o no pero fueron expresadas con profesionalismo, honestidad y con valor.

Hubo otro detalle que registramos con alegría, fue la mención que usted hizo, señor Presidente, de Don Josué De Castro. Se trata de un latinoamericano del que nos sentimos orgullosos por sus servicios a la humanidad. El hizo aportes científicos en la formulación de metodologías para medir el impacto de la desnutrición en los caracteres antropomórfieos de los seres humanos y en sus condiciones cerebrales, así como en el funcionamiento del sistema nervioso central. El profesor De Castro puso de manifiesto la relación directa entre el hambre y el enanismo, el retardo mental, la disritmia y ciertas falencias auditivas y visuales que colocan al hombre de por vida en una condición irremediable de inferioridad y de infelicidad cuando sufre en el vientre materno o antes de los primeros cinco años condiciones de marginalidad y de hambre.

El profesor De Castro fue un apostol de la causa de los desamparados. Les dio a ellos instrumentos intelectuales, científicos y técnicos para luchar por su reivindicación en este mundo. A los demás nos dio la oportunidad de adquirir una conciencia de responsabilidad y de solidaridad hacia los desvalidos. Nos enseñó con su ejemplo de vida y con sus estudios que existe un camino sin egoísmo ni pequenez, además le dio contenidos humanos a los conceptos y a las acciones sobre el desarrollo.

Vaya pues nuestro homenaje también a Don Josué De Castro aquí en el seno de la FAO, una Organización a la que él honró y a la que impregnó de buena parte de los contenidos que le dan su razón de ser. Con el paso del tiempo su memoria adquiere mayor validez entre nosotros y nos congratulamos con él y con Brasil, su patria, en nuestra condición común de latinoamericanos.

Solicitamos de manera comedida, señor Presidente, que la referencia que hemos hecho aquí sobre las disposiciones de la Comunidad Económica Europea que limitan el ingreso del banano latinoamericano y nuestra mención del tema del banano en el marco del GATT queden registrados en el informe final sin excluir el punto de la quiebra en los precios causada por las medidas restrictivas que anunció la Comunidad, así como nuestra afirmación en el sentido de que la producción latinoamericana de banano está justificada y fundamentada en las ventajas comparativas, la competitividad de los productores bananeros y en la calidad de nuestra fruta.

Michel MOMBOULI (Congo): Merci bien de nous accorder la parole, Monsieur le Président.

En premier lieu, nous aimerions remercier M. Hjort, Directeur général adjoint de la FAO, qui a bien voulu nous introduire le document CL 103/10 à l'examen au titre du point 5 de notre ordre du jour que nous sommes en train d'examiner.

Nous aimerions en second lieu rappeler, ainsi que cela ressort de la page C3 de l'annexe C au document susvisé, que nous avons pleinement participé aux travaux de la dix-huitième session du CSA qui s'est tenue ici à Rome du 29 marsau ler avrilde cette année. Cefaisant, en toutelogique, c'est

naturellement sans difficulté que nous souscrivons à la teneur de son rapport dont nous recommandons l'approbation.

Dans le même esprit, plutôt que de réouvrir des débats sur des sujets déjà clos, et au risque de nous répéter, nous préférerons ne revenir que sur les questions en suspens.

Toutefois, nous ne saurions passer sous silence la satisfaction qui est aussi la nôtre en constatant, comme le CSA, que la sécurité alimentaire mondiale s'est améliorée grâce à la reprise de la production mondiale d'aliments de base en 1992, même si persistent encore ici et là de graves pénuries alimentaires localisées dont on dénombre encore un plus grand nombre en Afrique.

De même, nous déplorons que la consommation et la production de base par habitant aient baissé dans la moitié au moins des pays à faible revenu et à déficit vivrier au cours de l'année écoulée.

Tout comme le CSA, nous insistons nous aussi sur la nécessité d'une issue rapide et surtout positive des négociations commerciales multilatérales d'Uruguay en vue de l'avènement du nouvel ordre économique plus juste et plus équitable.

Nous réitérons à l'endroit des pays développés notre appel pour qu'ils accroissent leur aide publique au développement à long terme en faveur des pays en développement à la hauteur du taux de 0, 7 pour cent de leur PNB comme convenu au sommet de Cancún.

Nous partageons la nécessité pour les pays en développement de réexaminer leurs politiques de production agricole en vue de faire une plus grande place au secteur vivrier dans le but de s'assurer une autosuffisance alimentaire chaque jour plus grande. Dans cette optique, nous appelons les pays développés à soutenir non seulement la production céréalière mais aussi autant la production et la transformation des racines, des tubercules et d'autres denrées traditionnelles. Ce faisant, nous réitérons l'invitation qu'avec d'autres pays concernés nous avons lancée à l'endroit du Secrétariat de la FAO lors de la dix-huitième session du CSA et demandant à la FAO d'effectuer une étude sur les possibilités de diffuser dans les pays en développement à déficit vivrier et où les conditions s'y prêtent, la culture des nouvelles variétés de manioc mises au point par l'Institut international tropical d'Ibadan au Nigeria.

Avant qu'une issue appropriée par l'Assemblée générale des Nations Unies quant au devenir du Conseil mondial de l'alimentation ne soit trouvée, nous ne jugeons pas nécessaire toute autre réforme, fût-elle intitulée Conseil de la sécurité alimentaire mondiale, car la course effrénée aux réformes et examens à laquelle nous avons assisté par ailleurs ces dernières années au sein de certaines institutions du système des Nations Unies s'occupant de l'alimentation et de l'agriculture à Rome nous fait plutôt préférer la solution du mouvement global de la restructuration des Nations Unies aux réformes anticipées dont on n'hésite pas à oublier aussitôt les recommandations une fois celles-ci programmées sans attendre qu'elles soient mises en oeuvre pendant un temps raisonnable.

Nous appuyons l'ensemble des priorités proposées par le CSA à la FAO pour ses futurs programmes de travail sur la sécurité alimentaire et la durabilité tel que celles-ci ressortent au paragraphe 28 du document à l'examen CL 103/10.

Nous appuyons enfin la solution de statu quo retenue pour l'instant par le CSA concernant la fréquence des sessions du CSA et consistant en sessions annuelles sur des sujets d'intérêt différent.

Parviz KARBASI (Iran, Islamic Republic of): I would like to thank the Secretariat for document CL 103/10, April 1993. I have to thank His Excellency the Ambassador of Colombia because during his intervention he mentioned many facts that I am not going to repeat again. My delegation believes that in most of UN agencies, NGOs, bilateral and multilateral, negotiations are to provide for human welfare. The new world economic order needs for all Member States to participate on the same footing in international undertakings.

We look at the pledge of 1974 in the World Food Conference, which was 10 million tons of food for alleviation of hunger, and now in 1993 we see nearly the same target for food aid. The population in 1974 was about 4 billion, and the population in 1992 was 5.5 billion. If 100 million people are added every year to the globe with 19 million belonging to the developing countries, it will be a catastrophe for the alleviation of hunger and malnutrition. Nowadays, the issue of UNCED in the United Nations Conference for the Environment and Development is one of the key issues in the UN system. There are many changes in the UN system to meet the UNCED Agenda 21. The annual cost for implementation of Agenda 21 is around US$625 billion, of which US$500 billion should be provided by the countries and US$125 billion should be provided by the international donor community. We have seen how much the practicality of Agenda 21 is going to be implemented. It is important to see. They definitely forget about the 1 billion hungry people that are one of the causes of environmental destruction because hungry people will cut the trees for fuel. He will cut the trees in order to get the sun for his livestock. He will plant on the marginal lands, so poverty is one of the causes of environmental destruction. In this context, my delegation believes that a strong high political body for hunger alleviation is essential which stands above the individual agencies which are related to food and agriculture. My delegation believes that ACC alone is not able to coordinate hunger alleviation in the globe. A good example was here, just in Rome-based food agencies. We could not get the Director-General of FAO, Mr Jazairy, President of IFAD, and Mr Ingram, the Executive Director of the World Food Programme, together to discuss the interim secretariat arrangements. So this was a very simple indication that ACC is not able, and it is the governments which have to tell ACC what they have to do. In this regard, my delegation would like to support paragraph 21 of document CL 103/10, in which many delegates call for the formation of the World Food Security Council to raise the level of political awareness concerning world food security. My delegation believes that the World Food Council, in restructuring the UN system, should be given a stronger mandate to act as the World Food Security Council. The Committee on World Food Security could serve as a preparatory technical committee.

Alim FAUZI MA (Indonesia): Let me start by expressing my delegation's appreciation to the Committee for Food Security for the excellent preparation of this report, document CL 103/10 now presented before us for the Council's consideration.

I wish also to express our thanks to the Secretariat for their very informative introductory remarks.

The world food security situation is still alarming, even though it was reported that global production of cereals exceeded consumption. This is possibly due to the unbalanced distribution of stocks between countries and between different cereals.

The growth in food production and imports of the developing countries has not been sufficient to contain hunger. The number of hungry people increased in several regions. The absolute number of people suffering from undernutrition has increased in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. In Asia, as could be seen from the result of the independent analyses by the International Food Policy Research Institute and the World Bank, the outlook for the next 10-20 years indicated that although the growth in effective demand for food would be matched by the region's food production growth, the number of hungry people would be reduced by no more than 40 million. This would still leave some 260 million people unable to purchase or grow enough food to meet their nutrition needs.

World food security is becoming less a problem of global food supplies, overall stability and global stock level as such, but more a problem of inadequate access to food supplies for vulnerable groups caused, inter alia, by lack of purchasing power.

With regard to the role of food aid in the 1990s, we are of the view that:

- food aid could be a major resource in supporting development strategies, especially in food deficit low income countries;

- care should be taken, however, to avoid any disincentive effects on efforts to enhance domestic production.

We also suggest that international food aid could most effectively be utilized in promoting food and agricultural development in food deficit countries, based on employment-oriented strategies capable of promoting in a more rapid manner income growth among the poorer classes of the population and thereby enhance their access to available food supplies.

We share the concern of developing countries that the current unfavourable economic situation undermines the chances of significant improvements of their economies. We noted the Committee's views as stated in paragraph 14. We noted also the views regarding the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations, emphasizing that the liberation of trade needed to be accompanied by special and differential treatment for the developing countries. The developing countries are currently facing various challenges as a consequence of the uncertain developments in the world economy, among othersthetrend towardsunilateralism among variousadvancedindustrial

countries. Their policies of protectionism as well as efforts to enhance international trade relations obstruct the transfer of technology which ultimately slows down industrial development efforts and enhancement of agricultural and food production of the developing countries.

My delegation follows with attention the Committee's views as expressed in paragraph 16. The structural adjustment and policy changes should be carried out carefully and gradually. A drastic adjustment would result in an adverse impact on the vulnerable groups and could also possibly make a negative impact on the food production in the country.

We welcome the Committee's recommendation in paragraph 28 regarding the priority that FAO should undertake in developing work programmes on food security and sustainability. Perhaps the Secretariat could offer more information as to how this recommendation will be implemented in our future Programme of Work and Budget. We underline the importance of training, dissemination of technical information and development of human resources.

Before concluding my remarks, I wish to refer to paragraph 37 and urge FAO once again to take all necessary actions to implement the ASEAN Food Security Project, we would welcome more information from the Secretariat on this matter.

Vishnu BHAGWAN (India): My delegation, after having actively participated in the meeting of the Committee on Food Security earlier in March/April, has no difficulty in endorsing its report for acceptance by the Council. However, I have only one short observation and suggestion with regard to the construction of a composite Household Food Security Index as outlined in the relevant document presented to that Committee.

Whereas we appreciate the Secretariat's effort to develop this index on a limited number of indicators, at the same time we feel that to be satisfactory and meaningful it has to take into account a wide range of factors such as per capita income and dietary energy supply, information on infrastructure development for ensuring access, stability of supplies, prices, wages and employment and nutritional factors. It also has to keep in mind the distributional aspects of national income and thus study the interpersonal distribution of incomes as among various regions.

Many of these factors were mentioned by many participants, and have been summarized in paragraph 19 of the report. We feel that in doing this it will be necessary to strike a balance between the feasibility of considering as many as possible of these factors and the extent of quantification that they can possibly be subjected to.

We are of the view that for developing and refining this concept it will be useful to draw upon the experience and expertise available in the member countries. I should like to make a specific suggestion: that a group of experts may be constituted to study this subject and make constructive recommendations to the Committee on the basis of their considered opinion. It will help us in our endeavours to develop and construct a rational Household Food Security Index.

Supote DECHATES (Thailand): As this is the first time that my delegation takes the floor, may I express our great pleasure in congratulating you once again on your election as Chairman of this Council. My congratulations also extend to the three Vice-Chairmen upon their election.

My delegation is very grateful to the Secretariat and members of the Committee on World Food Security at the 18th session for presenting us with the quality of the report in document CL 103/10.

It is my intention not to go through the whole report since the report was endorsed by our representative at that meeting. I would only like to highlight the ASEAN Food Security Reserve Project as contained in paragraph 37. My delegation sincerely appreciates the hope expressed by the Secretariat of the Committee on World Food Security in trying to materialize the ASEAN Food Security Reserve Project within 1993. We acknowledge that success in finding donors relies not only on the Secretariat but also on recipient countries. We, as one of the recipient countries, will do whatever is necessary in cooperating with FAO to find potential donors. We would urge the Secretariat to continue to cooperate closely with the authorities in the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific to finalize the project.

My country would much appreciate it if we could be informed and consulted on the progress of the ASEAN project in the future, either directly from the Secretariat or through the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.

Duck Soo AHN (Korea, Republic of): The 18th session of the Committee on World Food Security, held in this room last March, considered many important food security policy issues, including the world food security situation, sustainable agriculture and food security, and the review of the activities of the World Food Security Assistance Scheme, etc.

In thanking the Deputy Director-General, Mr Hjort, for his concise introduction, the Republic of Korea fully endorses the report before us as one of the members participating actively in the deliberations of the last Committee on World Food Security.

To avoid duplication with the discussions in the 18th Session of the Committee on World Food Security, my intervention will be restricted to only one point.

With reference to the report, I would like to stress the necessity of successful conclusion to the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiation for the enhancement of food security all over the world.

Nevertheless, Mr Chairman, I would like to draw your attention to the concern, as well expressed in paragraphs 14 and 16, that the impact of the Uruguay Round coupled with other reform under way could lead to an instability of specific food supply and an increase in food prices on the world market.

Considering this probable impact, Mr Chairman, it is important to support the developing countries to keep the production of staple food in their lands for the enhancement of food security itself and also for the protection of the environment.

Charles STOLL (Canada) : As a member of the CFS, Canada had the opportunity to participate in the 18th session of that Committee. We have drawn the following conclusions from the proceedings of that meeting.

Firstly, despite improvement at the global level, acute localized food security problems remain and they must be addressed.

Secondly, prospects for improved harvests in 1993 are favourable in some areas of former food deficit. It appeared at the time of the meeting that world food stocks would decline in 1993. Yesterday we heard that stocks are on the increase and we certainly hope that this more optimistic forecast is realized.

Thirdly, the analysis of the access side of food security, such as the Household Food Security Index, is most welcome, but still needs to be intensified, particularly in countries where food security problems are most acute.

Four, the FAO Food Security Assistance Schemes have the potential to contribute to the implementation of the ICN Plan of Action. As such they should be better integrated within the overall strategies and programmes of FAO, and reflected in the streamlining of the Special Action Programme.

Fifth, although the farming system approach is a useful starting point for the analysis of problems of food security and sustainable agriculture, and should be continued, FAO will have to be more precise about its own programmes to address the problems identified, especially following the results of the first meeting of the CSD.

Sixth, the dismantling of protectionism and of barriers to trade via the successful conclusion of the Uruguay Round are critical to the promotion of opportunities for growth.

Finally, the need for food aid regrettably will persist, especially in response to both natural and man-made disasters.

We have also taken note that the issue of the frequency of meetings of the CFS will be revisited at the next session of the CFS in 1994. This is to be addressed in the light of other developments within the UN System aimed at reforming its operations and enhancing its efficiency. Of special importance will be changes to the role and functioning of ECOSOC and the future of the WFC. In this context, we believe that the proposal to create a world food security council made by the representative of Iran is best left for consideration in a more appropriate forum. Thus, while we share his concern for the necessity to raise the profile of the food security issue within the UN System, we think that this issue is best considered at the United Nations in New York.

Finally, we wish to register our support for the initiative taken by the G-77 and OECD Chairpersons, supported by the membership of the CFS, to select a rapporteur to prepare the report of the deliberations of the CFS. We welcome the continuation of this practice as a way of increasing the efficiency of the CFS reporting process, and would commend its use to other bodies of FAO.

Jürgen OESTREICH (Germany) : In our statement yesterday on Item 4 we dealt with matters of world food security. Therefore, today I want to limit myself to a few remarks on paragraph 40 of document CL 103/10 - that is, the paragraph which deals with the World Food Council.

The World Food Council was created, inter alia, as a political forum of the United Nations devoted to policy formulation. International agricultural policy and the fight against world hunger remain priority items on the agenda of the United Nations. It is evident that the original mandate of the World Food Council continues to be of great political importance.

The United Nations General Assembly Resolution Res/47/150, "invites the World Food Council to continue its attempts to agree on appropriate measures to be taken and to communicate any agreed conclusions to the General Assembly". Further efforts are necessary to this effect. There is agreement that this reform should be achieved in the context of the reform of the economic and social sectors of the United Nations system. Therefore, there is every reason to believe that the functioning of the Food Council should be maintained as long as the restructuring of the economic and social sectors of the UN System in this specific field does not show sharper outlines.

At the moment it seems that none of the solutions proposed for the necessary reform of the functioning of the World Food Council can be adopted by consensus. There is a proposal of a biennial ministerial session of the Food Council during the FAO Conferences. We believe that this can hardly lead to results which comply with the mandate and importance of the World Food Council. Therefore, we favour that regular sessions of the World Food Council be held in the years between the Conferences of FAO in Rome.

If necessary, an extraordinary session could be convened during the Conference. A second proposal is the intensification of the activities of the FAO Committee on Food Security. We believe that this could be helpful in assisting the World Food Council to analyse specific world food problems, but it could hardly replace the World Food Council and the messages the World Food Council has to give the international community.

The World Food Council, being a ministerial-level body, outside FAO, needs some secretarial support. This does not mean - and I want to stress this -that the Secretariat of the World Food Council should not be integrated into the re-structured UN Secretariat in New York. However, it could involve and imply that there would be cost saving, and these cost savings should, in our view, facilitate acceptance of maintaining the World Food Council.

Finally, in our view, the participation of the World Food Council itself in the reform discussion is necessary. Therefore, the reform ideas developed by the Council during its 18th Ministerial Session in Nairobi in June 1992, and the Ad Hoc Committee on the Review of the World Food Council in September 1992, should be further taken into consideration.

To conclude, I want to associate myself with those delegations who have stated at the 18th Session of the Committee on World Food Security that Rome, as the base for UN agencies dealing with food issues, should remain the centre of international discussion in the field of food security.

Kyuzo SAITOH (Japan) : My Government, as one of the members which attend CFS, appreciates the vital role of CFS in the field of monitoring and analysing world food security. It is regrettable that there are so many famines and so much malnutrition devastating so many countries of the world. My Government has been expanding our ODA in the field of agricultural development and food in a bilateral and multilateral way.

My government does not consider that the food problem is only a regional problem but the fact that chronic food-deficit countries increasingly depend for their food on food-exporting developed countries, without the achievement of agricultural development, would harm their sound social and economic development, as well as undermine the balance of world food supply and demand.

Moreover, my delegation hopes that the structural adjustment programme and increasing concern about environmental problems will not discourage agricultural development in chronic food-deficit countries but help to set up appropriate agricultural technology in the light of sustainable development through research and extension activities.

Recognizing my comments above, my delegation considers that CFS has a lot of work to do in order to enlighten Member Countries and other related organizations.

Recently, food aid has been reviewed in the Uruguay Round and Food Aid Committee. FAO is expected to contribute to this process by providing an opinion and information based on long experience in food and agriculture in order to achieve stable world food security by balancing agriculture, trade and food aid.

Whilst the restructuring of the UN system is going on, my Government hopes that all the activities of the UN system on world food security will not be weakened at all.

Paul ROSS (Australia) : Australia was pleased to be able to participate in the 18th Session of the Committee on World Food Security, which is the subject of this item.

Australia made a statement yesterday under the item on the Current World Food Situation. We do not propose to repeat the comments we made in that statement. However, there are a few remarks we should like to make on the Report before us.

CFS, and FAO generally, have consistently recognized the importance of a successful conclusion to the Uruguay Round for improving world food security. In paragraph 14 of its Report the Committee has again stressed the necessity of an early and successful conclusion to the Round and its importance to the food security of developing countries. As a member of the Cairns Group, Australia will continue its efforts to achieve a satisfactory conclusion to the Round. It is our hope that this can be achieved before the end of this year.

Turning to FAO's work on the development of a Household Food Security Index, as mentioned in paragraph 19 of the report, we support FAO carrying out further work on this index, which could be a very useful tool. Because of the relevance of this work to other UN agencies and relevant organizations such as UNDP and WHO we would like to encourage FAO to consult with interested agencies and ascertain what scope there may be for collaboration in developing the work further.

With regard to Item 3 in the report on Sustainability and Food Security, we support the priorities identified by the Committee for FAO's work programme on food security and sustainability. In particular, we support FAO activities related to encouraging people's participation in decision making. As noted in paragraph 27 of the report, while national governments have an important role to play, local participation is essential in decision making. Women especially must be fully integrated into the process. The role of women has a great bearing not only on production but more importantly on access to food and the nutritional well-being of the household.

We would also like to endorse the use by FAO of the farming systems approach to problems of sustainability in fragile areas, as noted in paragraph 26. The Secretariat's planned case studies on the linkages between environmental protection and food security are welcome. We agree that the perception and avoidance of risks among farmers and land users should receive emphasis in these studies. Account must be taken of the risks that farmers will be facing in the adjustment process towards more sustainable agriculture.

As mentioned in the Australian statement to the ICN, food security is about managing risk. Of particular importance is the ability to manage the transitional risk in moving towards food security. Risk can be managed better collectively. We need to analyse the risks, share our knowledge of them and pool our resources to combat them.

We should like to acknowledge the key role for FAO in assisting member countries to achieve sustainability in fragile areas and improve food security - in helping to manage the risks. We support the comments in paragraph 22 of the report that FAO is well placed, as a follow-up to UNCED, to help ensure that projects incorporate sustainability concerns and that interventions are relevant and beneficial to farmers.

Finally, we support the suggestion made by the delegate of Canada that wider use be made of Rapporteurs along the lines of the CFS example to assist the efficient running of FAO meetings.

Harry C. MUSSMAN (United States of America): The United States fully endorses the report of the Eighteenth Session of the Committee on World Food Security. We particularly commend the work done by FAO in assessing the world food security situation. In our view, this is one of the central activities of the Organization, which should be carried out on a continuous basis.

However, we regret that the CFS was not able to agree to meeting every two years, as had been proposed by a number of members at the Seventeenth Session. We think this would be a much more efficient use of FAO and member country

resources under most circumstances, since there are other fora, such as the Council, where some of the CFS discussion on food security is duplicated.

For example, our previous agenda item, the current world food situation, is a case in point - a subject that is fully discussed in the Council; therefore discussion of it in the CFS is redundant. Because of this we continue to support having regular CFS meetings but only in the non-Conference year. It is, of course, always within the discretion of the Director-General to convene a special CFS meeting at any time that circumstances warrant.

We are pleased that the length of the meeting was reduced and hope that this practice will continue, unless there are exceptional circumstances. The important work that FAO does relative to world food security would be enhanced by having the Organization spend less on meetings and more of its limited funds on workable strategies and demonstration projects to fight world hunger.

Benson C. MBOGOH (Kenya): My delegation wish to congratulate the Secretariat on the comprehensive background report, which we endorse. We also thank Mr Hjort for his introductory remarks.

The last year, 1992, has been described elsewhere as a year of great challenge in which global and food security systems and humanitarian values have been put to an extreme test.

At our recent session of the CFA it was reported that food aid resources pledged by donors towards the mitigation of food crises worldwide totalled US$3 billion, more than 70 percent higher than for the previous record biennium, 1989-90. Some 42 million people who have been victims of hunger have received help. This situation is a vivid illustration of what can happen when the food security system collapses. So what lessons can be drawn from these events in the context of the report before us?

The first is the need for close monitoring and continuous assessment of food security. In our view, close monitoring and assessment of factors that could lead to serious food shortfalls nationally, regionally and globally is an imperative. The efforts of FAO and those of donors should thus be intensified to strengthen the early warning systems in vulnerable developing countries and, we stress, to ensure that there is adequate technical capacity at country level to operationalize the systems fully.

Secondly, the establishment of strategies and operational modalities for dealing with emergency relief food operations should be stressed. These would include logistical support arrangements, adequate personnel and adequate coordinating mechanisms in the whole continuum of the operation starting at national, regional and international levels.

Thirdly, rapid deployment of emergency food assistance presumes adequate levels and availabilities of food aid resources. However, in our observation this has not been the case even when large production surpluses in the food-exporting countries have been evident. It is imperative that the level of multilateral food aid resources be raised and fully supported by donors.

Fourthly, more determined efforts are needed in addressing factors which predispose the entrenchment of food shortages, particularly in helping food-deficit countries to become self-reliant in food.

The problems of low agricultural productivity and unfavourable international trade must be given top priority in order to promote growth in domestic production of food and agriculture as a whole. Furthermore, food security is closely linked with rural poverty, itself resulting in part from lack of or low rural income, especially where access to land is limited. In this case, crop diversification between programmes to include cash cropping, the generation of farm employment and other income-earning opportunities are essential for food security insurance.

A further point is the need to safeguard low-income rural and urban workers from the negative effects of economic reforms particularly when they affect their ability to have access to food. Some structural adjustment programme measures have had the adverse effect of raising consumer prices of food and the cost of farm inputs well above the affordable levels of the poor masses. Such problems must be adequately analysed and safeguards taken to protect the vulnerable poor.

In all these points that I have raised above, FAO has a leading role to play, as it has indeed played. But it must continue to do more.

Finally, there is the question of frequency of meetings of the CFS. In our view, the current dimension of world food problems indicates the need for meetings of the CFS and we favour the status quo for annual sessions, at least for the time being.

Ms Jindra Linda L. DEMETERIO (Philippines): The intervention of my delegation will be brief as our statement yesterday touched on a few points regarding food security. We also had the opportunity of participating in the 18th Session of the Committee on World Food Security which produced the document under discussion. I will thus refer to only one specific item in the Report regarding the activities of the Food Security Assistance Scheme. I allude to the project proposal submitted by ASEAN on its food security reserve.

If my memory serves me right, this request for assistance has been pending before FAO for the last five years or so. Therefore, I join my colleagues from Indonesia and Thailand in urging the Secretariat to facilitate the approval of the ASEAN proposal so that the much needed assistance can be extended as soon as possible. It goes without saying that this proposed activity is of vital importance to the ASEAN countries as food security is a major concern to that region, like everywhere else.

M. MAJID-UL-HAQ (Bangladesh): The picture of global food security is not very inspiring. Many developed and developing countries of the world, particularly countries of Asia and Africa, are facing acute problems. The solution to the food security problem must begin at the national level. The steps to be taken will include investment on food distribution systems, transport and communications, early warning systems and a mix of stock and trade policies.

The essential elements for an effective national food security system are ecological security, technological security, post-harvest technology and building grain reserves, social security, nutrition education, and population stabilization.

It is my convictionthat only when all countries pay serious attention to building their respective national food security systems will an international food security system emerge.

I wonder if it would be considered immodest if I say that very few countries approach food security with as much of a sense of urgency as Bangladesh. The country has an average per capita income of approximately US$ 210, a population density of nearly 800 inhabitants per square kilometer, and a history of periodic flood, cyclone, drought, hailstorm, etc. The average household still spends 60 percent of its budget on food; foodgrains account for 80 percent of caloric and 60 percent of protein intake. The poorest section of the population spends 75 to 80 percent of its income on food, particularly basic foodgrains.

The present democratic Government of Bangladesh has been pursuing food security through a policy of food self-sufficiency, interpreting this largely as a drive to achieve self-sufficiency in production of rice. Bangladesh is just entering a comfortable level of production, the long-run stability of which has to be witnessed before a dependable security is attained.

Mr Chairman, the Government is pursuing the policy of providing food items to the insecure segment of the population under the umbrella of improved food security programme. For increasing employment opportunities and food consumption level of the poor and disabled persons in the rural areas, the Government has been providing over a half million ton of food grain through Food for Work Programme. Under this Programme rural infrastructures are being developed. Besides Food-for-Work, food items are also provided under Vulnerable Group Development Programme to feed the destitute women-headed families. Under the medium-term policy framework of the Government in alleviating poverty there are provisions for safety nets under Food-for-Work, Vulnerable Group for Development and Rural Maintenance Programme.

Given the enormous size of the vulnerable population, resources are not adequate to bring all of these people under the umbrella of improved food security programme. To overcome this problem, long term measures for providing adequate income support, creation of employment opportunities and increasing purchasing power need to be ensured.

We support the statement of the delegate of Iran inasmuch as it pertains to the strengthening of the World Food Council.

T.A. ANUMUDU (Nigeria): May I start by congratulating you for your wise guidance of our Council and I also would like to express our appreciation to the Council for electing Nigeria as one of the Vice-Chairmen for this Session. I wish especially to thank Sweden, the Republic of the Congo and the United States of America for nominating, seconding and supporting us for the post of Vice-Chairman.

The issue of food security is critical, especially to our countries in the developing world. It is the key to political stability which leads to economic and social development. The main elements of food security are adequate aggregate food supply in all seasons, an efficient food storage, processing, transportation and distribution as well as adequate effective purchasing power by households, thereby ensuring access by all the people to food at all times.

Although the report we are considering this morning and that was considered yesterday indicated improved global production, it is important to bear in mind the deteriorating situation in Africa which the reports have revealed. The dismal condition in Africa requires the combined efforts of the nation states of Africa, the world community and international agencies like FAO to tackle the adverse conditions militating against increased agricultural production in that continent.

There is no doubt that the many studies by FAO have identified the obstacles to agricultural development in Africa, as well as in other areas, but it is important at this forum to emphasize the impact of training and knowledge in bringing about better agricultural productivity. Fortunately, this area of training and knowledge constitute the strongest points of FAO. The Organization should therefore not relent in making available to the countries of Africa the benefit of its 50 years of excellence in agriculture. The special need of African agriculture, if there is anything like that, must, be identified through a process of relevant research. It is here also that we look up to the international community to improve their contribution to the research institutes in Africa that are charged with responsibility or given the mandate to carry out improvement studies on agrarian crops and farming systems. In particular an appeal must go to the international financing agencies like the UNDP and the World Bank and the manager of the world's agricultural research funds, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, not to give up their hopes on Africa as they would seem to hint by their current drastic reduction of funds to agricultural research in that region. Though the results are long in coming there are glowing examples of resounding success in agricultural research such as have been achieved by the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture in Ibadan in Nigeria and we seek to persuade these agencies to increase, not to reduce, their allocation to research on agriculture in Africa.

The precarious position of food production and availability in most developing countries is further aggravated by upheavals in the world's financial system. The huge debt burden that most of our countries face and the consequent devaluation of our currencies reduce our ability to procure adequate agricultural inputs to improve production and, what is more, even when that little is produced its earnings in the export market is lowered both by reduced access to markets and serious erosion of prices of agricultural products which we have seen from the reports have fallen by over 37 percent in the last few years.

In Nigeria we have faced all these problems but we have managed by a combination of policies to maintain a steady growth in agricultural production of almost 4.5 percent per annum in the last four years. New organizational arrangements have been made to bring more land under cultivation and to treat the farming populations as valued agents in the economic and social

development of their villages. As we march into the future we count on our association with the FAO who so far has cooperated and assisted us most encouragingly.

Juan NUIRY SANCHEZ (Cuba): Como conocemos, señor Presidente, el 18° periodo de sesiones del importante Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria, efectuado el pasado marzo, fue un evento ampliamente analizado y debatido. Informe que compartimos y razón por la cual seremos breves ya que, como usted plantea, señor Presidente, no es necesario repetir. Además de lo apuntado en este sentido de brevedad nos ayudan los siguientes aspectos:

Primero, que en nuestra intervención inicial en el tema 4 nos pronunciamos sobre esta difícil y angustiosa problemática, así como subrayamos la posición de nuestra delegación en relación a que el Consejo de Seguridad Alimentaria de la FAO continúa representando un foro internacional único en relación a la fragilidad de la seguridad alimentaria en el mundo, y es la FAO su órgano rector y sede de esta problemática. Segundo, que la intervención del Director General de la FAO fue ilustrativa y crítica en este sentido. Tercero, la presentación del tema realizada por el Sr. Hjort fue muy clara y realizó un resumen muy acertado en síntesis y objetividad.

Señor Presidente, a pesar de que todos estos aspectos nos ayudan en nuestra exposición, nos limitaremos a hacer algunas referencias a cuestiones complementarias unas, o de actualidad otras, imposibles de dejar de reflejar sobre este agudo tema para todos los países en desarrollo y en particular para nuestra región.

Recientemente en la Asamblea de Gobernadores del Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo se reveló que de haberse mantenido los precios de los productos básicos en los años ochenta, el año pasado América Latina y el Caribe habrían recibido por sus exportaciones 217 000 millones de dólares y no los 127 000 que en realidad recibieron. En otras palabras, que la caída de los precios de los productos básicos ocasionó una pérdida de 900 000 millones de dólares para toda la región. Semejante erosión, por sí misma dramática, se produjo luego que a lo largo de la década de los ochenta se perdieran más de 120 millones de dólares por el descenso del precio de los productos básicos. Ahora bien, volvemos de nuevo al Acuerdo General sobre Aranceles y Comercio (GATT) que acaba de informar que si bien el comercio mundial creció por primera vez desde 1990, las perspectivas para 1993 son inciertas y que las barreras proteccio nistas del Norte siguen siendo muy altas sin que se vislumbre la conclusión, que parece eterna, de la Ronda Uruguay, la cual debe significar una liberalización del comercio.

Como se conoce, señor Presidente, las rápidas evoluciones de la situación geopolítica y económica hacia la constitución de bloques, afecta directa o indirectamente a la región de América Latina y el Caribe, marginándola más en la asistencia al desarrollo o a su ayuda necesaria. Como dato ilustrativo señalo este contrasentido. El 75 por ciento de la inversión del capital en países en desarrollo se concentra hoy en América Latina. La región, aunque se enfrenta a gigantescos obstáculos, no se va a resignar a contemplar este desafío con los brazos cruzados. Enarbolaremos nuestro derecho a la ayuda, a la cooperación y al desarrollo.

En la multiplicación del mapa mundial en el que se busca espacio, nuestra región no cederá su lugar ni permitirá limitar su ayuda ni recursos. Esto es un deber indiscutible por derecho propio.

Finalmente, señor Presidente, nuestra delegación respalda los pronunciamientos de la delegación colombiana, tanto en relación a rescatar la idea del desarrollo como en su análisis particular en defensa de América Latina y el Caribe, sumándonos al planteamiento del colega colombiano de que su propuesta sea reflejada en el Informe de este Consejo.

Hubert De SCHRVRER (Belgique): Hier vous avez accueilli cinq nouveaux membres au Conseil, dont la Belgique.

Au moment d'entamer son mandat, mon pays est conscient de la responsabilité qui devient la sienne en participant au rôle capital de contrôle que doit exercer l'organe exécutif de la Conférence générale.

La délégation belge se propose dès lors de collaborer activement avec vous-même, Monsieur le Président, ainsi qu'avec les autres membres pour mener à bien cette tâche.·Elle.ne manquera pas de prendre ses responsabilités pour contrôler, approuver et quelques fois même critiquer l'action menée par la FAO, son Secrétariat et/ou ses organes subsidiaires.

Si nous voulons que cette institution qui aura bientôt 50 ans puisse continuer à jouer le rôle mondial irremplaçable qui est le sien, il est indispensable de relever constamment les nouveaux défis, de s'adapter et de se renouveler.

Ceci dit, Monsieur le Président, je voudrais réserver ma première et courte intervention aux relations que pourrait avoir le Comité de sécurité alimentaire avec le Conseil mondial de l'alimentation.

L'avenir du CMA n'est pas encore décidé à New York, et nous ne savons pas sous quelle forme il pourra survivre, mais s'il n'a pas rempli l'attente de ses fondateurs, c'est certainement dû au manque de relations étroites avec la FAO et les autres organisations établies à Rome.

Le nouveau nom qui pourra lui être donné n'est pas capital, mais ce qui importe c'est que le Comité de sécurité alimentaire puisse collaborer étroitement avec le CMA et être associé à l'organisation de ses réunions au niveau ministériel. Je voudrais approuver les propositions qui demandent que ces réunions puissent se tenir à Rome et coïncider si possible avec la Conférence générale de la FAO.

Soutenu par le CSA, qui a pour mandat la surveillance des paramètres de sécurité alimentaire mondiale, le CMA pourrait rendre des avis de politique générale en matière d'alimentation.

LE PRESIDENT: Je remercie très vivement le Représentant du Royaume de Belgique de son intervention et je ne doute pas qu'il fera en sorte que la FAO dispose de moyens voulus pour relever les défis auxquels il a fait allusion. Je voudrais faire remarquer que la Conférence de la FAO set ient

traditionnellement au niveau ministériel et qu'il est important qu'une large participation ministérielle soit assurée au sein de la Conférence.

Ulrich KNÜPPEL (EEC): I would like to briefly reply to the intervention by the Honourable Ambassador of Colombia regarding the Community's new banana regime.

In the context of the creation of the Single Market, the new EEC trade regime for bananas has been established after consultations with all interested parties and in particular all third countries concerned. The interests of producers in the Community, in ACP countries and in Latin America, had to be considered. We are well aware of the fact that this new trade regime does not satisfy all the expectations expressed. The Community obviously takes the request by Latin American countries for a GATT panel on the new regime seriously and will respond to it in accordance with established GATT rules and procedures.

The following aspects should nevertheless be noted:

Firstly, the Community had to preserve imports for traditional ACP bananas which are an important part of the economies of many of the 70 ACP countries and which in the absence of differentiated tariff quotas would be squeezed out of the Community market quite rapidly by other imports.

Secondly, in the period 1986-88 banana imports from Latin American countries were only 1.4 million tons. The present quota of 2 million tons takes, therefore, to a large degree, account of the increases which have occurred in the meantime.

Thirdly, banana import prices fell considerably even before the details of the new Community trade regime for bananas were known. This was due to considerably increased banana imports from Latin America as these countries attempted to position themselves in the Community market before the new import regime takes effect on 1 July 1993.

LE PRESIDENT: Toutes les déclarations figurent dans le verbatim de nos réunions, non seulement pour ceux qui le demandent, mais également pour ceux qui ne le demandent pas, y compris ceux qui acceptent de ne pas intervenir et de déposer le texte écrit de leur intervention. C'est le cas de l'Egypte et de l'Ouganda qui ont accepté de nous déposer le texte de leur intervention. Je les en remercie tout particulièrement.

Rolf AKESSON (Sweden) : My delegation took part in the useful deliberations of the CFS just a few months ago, and of course also in the adoption of its report. Since we support the statement by the UK yesterday morning concerning the need to avoid repetition and increase our efficiency, and also your comments this morning in the same vein, I will here confine myself to restating our endorsement of the report in front of us.

Winston RUDDER (Trinidad and Tobago) : Permit my delegation to intervene on this agenda item on behalf of the 13 member CARICOM states of the Latin American and Caribbean region. The report of the Committee on World Food Security, document CL 103/10, reflects the dilemma confronting developing countries and explains in large measure the current state of food and agriculture in many parts of the world, an outcome which we learned yesterday is somewhat less than acceptable in many countries. My delegation submits that the observations in paragraph 16, with which we entirely agree, have even more serious implications for small islands and resource-poor states like those which dot the Caribbean Sea. Caught in the vice of structural adjustment programmes, buffeted by the theologies of market liberalization and trade reform, raising questions of whether free trade or fair trade, inhibited in providing incentive support to food and agricultural production and development, and aware of the limitations imposed by our narrow natural resources base, what then are our options for survival of our agriculture and food producing sector, for growth and development of our economies, and for stability of our society?

My delegation raises the spectre of concern to highlight the need for accelerated action on the priority work programme on food security and sustainability which has been identified at paragraph 28 and to focus on the importance for the FAO to strategically target in this regard small island and resource-poor countries like those my delegation represents at the Council. Further, my delegation humbly advises that the observations at paragraph 20 with respect to enhanced nutrition and the follow-up to the ICN should be more adequately supported by more explicit incorporation of the nutrition dimension in the conclusions drawn at paragraphs 28 and 29.

Finally, a word on bananas. We heard the intervention of the EEC delegation. This is not the forum for a full-fledged debate on commodity problems. In fact, that took place last week. May I remind the Council, however, that like sugar, cocoa and other traditional exports, there is a complexity of issues related to the banana industry in Latin America and the Caribbean, and particularly trade in preferential markets like the EEC. Council should be alerted to the fact that this commodity constitutes the engine of economic growth in a number of the small island economies of the Caribbean and that deliberations and decisions aimed at traumatically reversing traditional longstanding trading arrangements could have a devastating impact on the welfare of entire populations. This, I am sure, is not consistent with promoting or enhancing food security. Having said that, we are agreed and are working steadfastly on the development of an appropriate policy and programmatic framework with the objective of diversifying our economies and our agriculture and with the intention of increasing self-reliance.

LE PRESIDENT: Je remercie très vivement le Représentant de Trinité-et-Tobago qui nous a fait part de ses préoccupations au sujet des pays des Caraïbes. Le Représentant de la Barbade au Comité du Programme, M. Harris, nous a d'ailleurs fait part de ses préoccupations très légitimes et je crois qu'il a eu raison de soulever cette question ici dans le cadre du Conseil.

Daniel Yoman KONAN (Côte d'Ivoire): Je suis heureux de vous voir diriger à nouveaux les débats de cet important Conseil. C'est avec beaucoup d'attention que la délégation ivoirienne a suivi l'intervention du délégué de la Colombie au cours de l'examen de ce point de l'ordre du jour relatif au rapport du Comité de la Sécurité alimentaire mondiale. Notre délégation souhaite vivement que soit évité au sein de ce Conseil un débat qui risque de nous diviser outre mesure sur cette question brûlante du marché de la banane notamment en Europe. A ce propos, nous aimerions rappeler à nos collègues ici présents que cette même question du marché de la banane qui intéresse de nombreux pays en développement, dont la Côte d'Ivoire, avait également été évoquée longuement lors du tout récent Comité des produits de la FAO, ici même par certaines délégations dont la Dominique et la Colombie. C'est donc le lieu pour nous de réaffirmer la position de l'ensemble des producteurs africains de bananes qui a été brillamment exposée par notre collègue du Cameroun, M. Tomayanga. Si cette question de la banane devait être reprise dans le rapport final de ce Conseil, nous demanderions nous aussi, au nom des pays africains producteurs de bananes, dont le mien, que l'intervention de notre collègue du Cameroun au Comité des produits de la FAO, la semaine dernière, soit reprise in extenso dans le document final afin de refléter notre position bien connue des membres de la Communauté dont je salue l'intervention de son Représentant.

J.P. LUNGU (Zambia): Since Zambia was represented at the Eighteenth Session of the Committee on World Food Security, we would like to support the proposal which was made yesterday that the Council should avoid reopening debates on the reports of its various committees. We can therefore afford to be very brief indeed.

The purpose of our intervention is simply to endorse the deliberations and the conclusions of the CFS as contained in its report which is before us. My delegation is pleased to be associated with this report, which we think is a correct reflection of what transpired in the CFS.

It is also important for us to point out that the World Food Security situation has become more vulnerable now than it has been in the past. It needs constant review and monitoring on an annual basis. We have no better organization to do this than FAO through its Committee on World Food Security. CFS therefore provides the best opportunity for member countries to focus on food security matters in a more scientific manner through for instance the use of Early Warning Systems, which enables member countries to take immediate corrective measures whenever early signals of danger in a food supply situation appear.

It is for this reason that my delegation remains convinced that the mandate of the CFS is still as valid today as it was eighteen years ago when the Committee was established.

We therefore cannot wait for the Committee's conclusions on the ongoing discussion on its own future status, but offer our advance views that the CFS must continue to fulfil its mandate with even more vigour that it has done before.

We believe that the CFS should not only limit itself to reviews of the World Food Supply situation, but it should also be in a position to take on the responsibility of recommending to the Council remedial measures for situations of food insecurity in the world. This has become even more important now in view of the doubts involving the World Food Council, which is currently under consideration.

Adel Mahmond ABOUL-NAGA (Egypt) (Original language Arabic): Our delegation supports the document CL 103/10 but we like to emphasize the following points:

Despite the general sense of satisfaction with the food production estimates that has been discussed extensively yesterday, the increase in the international production and the fall in the numbers of those facing food shortages worldwide, it causes us great concern what we witness in the increase of hunger and food shortages in Africa and other areas of the world, as a result of greater incidence of natural or man-made disasters.

The decline in per capita share of food in more than half of the low-income food deficit countries in various parts of the world is also cause for concern in view of its consequences on the economic situation and the future of development in these countries. It is a situation that exhausts their limited financial resources, leaves them at the mercy of fluctuations in international prices and the vicious circle of external debts which affects most developing countries. We should like to emphasize in this respect that the protectionist policies followed by certain countries adds more burdens on these countries. A successful conclusion to the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations has become more urgent than ever.

Our delegation should like to stress the importance of the study of the future of non-emergency food aid, the increase of long term development aid and the need to strike a balance between emergency food aid and aid for development programmes, especially sustainable development which is the optimal and certain path towards food security.

Our delegation should also like to draw attention to the high cost of implementing sustainable agriculture approaches, and appeals to the developed countries to direct their aid and assistance towards these programmes to insure continuous and steady development in these countries instead of exhausting the greater part of this assistance to address temporary needs in these countries.¹

W. A. SAKIRA (Observer for Uganda): Our delegation would like to thank you for giving us the floor to air our views on this important subject especially as we are attending this Council Session as observers. We wish to express how happy we are to see you in the chair. The Secretariat also deserves a word of thanks for the clear and informative document it has provided to us on this Agenda Item.

¹ Statement inserted in the verbatim records on request.

Our delegation took part in the 18th Session of the Committee on World Food Security held in Rome between 29 March and 1 April 1993. However, we did not intervene yesterday when the item on the World Food Situation was being discussed. We therefore request you to allow us a short comment on this issue. It was pleasing to learn that at the global level, the food security situation had improved following the strong recovery in world staple food production in 1992 as indicated in paragraph 10 of document CL 103/10. However, it was worrying to note that the aggregate cereal stocks had fallen in the low-income, food deficit (LIFD) countries. Furthermore, it was unfortunate to learn that acute localized food shortages were experienced in a number of Member Countries, Africa continent taking the lead. There is need therefore to devise appropriate measures to address these problems.

We endorse the message carried in paragraph 12 that FAO has a fundamental role to play in crop and food supply needs assessment, in the assessment of agricultural rehabilitation and in the implementation of such rehabilitation projects as a positive contribution towards the revitalization of agricultural development.

We have on a number of occasions expressed our dismay about the continuing protectionism being practised by some industrialized countries. Inevitably this has a negative impact on the food security of many developing countries. We look forward for an early and successful outcome of the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations which we hope will be of benefit to us all, particularly developing countries.

Our delegation strongly supports the farming systems approach as a means of addressing problems of sustainability and development in fragile areas and we endorse the seven priority areas which FAO should pay attention to in developing its work programme on food security and sustainability as indicated in paragraph 28. In particular, we wish to state that establishment of the necessary information base, training and dissemination of technical information and conducting locally adapted research on specific technical and economic issues concerning food security and sustainable development have our strong support. In addition, we would like to reiterate the importance of Early Warning and Food Information Systems (EWFIS) and the need to train national experts in various aspects related to food security.

We would like to endorse the decision which was taken by the Committee on World Food Security that among other things, intensification, diversification and increased resilience of agriculture were the main objectives of food security and sustainability. Last, we support the statement by the delegation of the Congo that FAO should assist Member Countries in obtaining and utilizing traditional food crops such as roots and tubers, millets and sorghum which have been developed by international research centres. In this connection, efforts should be made by FAO to assist countries in Sub-Saharan Africa to obtain and utilize the high yielding mosaic resistant varieties of cassava which were developed in Nigeria.

We endorse the report of the 18th Session of the Committee on World Food Security.¹

Giuseppe VASTA (Observateur de l'OCDE): Je vous remercie d'avoir bien voulu m'accorder la parole. Je suis heureux de vous voir présider cette session du Conseil et je vous suis reconnaissant pour votre façon brillante de conduire les travaux. Avec vous je voudrais féliciter aussi les trois Vice-Présidents.

Je tiens à féliciter chaleureusement et à remercier Monsieur le Directeur Général pour son magnifique discours d'ouverture, très riche et complet, constituant une véritable documentation. Des miracles - car il s'agit bien de miracles - ont été réalisés ces dernières années par la FAO sous la direction du Directeur, M. Saouma, qui n'a pas hésité à confier à la FAO, en toute tranquillité le soin d'améliorer le vivre des hommes. Cette tranquillité d'esprit dont M. le Directeur Général a fait preuve me rappelle une célèbre définition de Saint Augustin affirmant que "l'ordre consiste dans la tranquillité de toute chose". Puisque l'ordre et la tranquillité se trouvent à la base de la paix, la phrase heureuse de Monsieur le Directeur Général sera sans doute de bonne augure pour l'avenir de la FAO et du monde entier. Nous l'en remercions très vivement.

Je dois aussi féliciter le Dr Hjort pour sa présentation brillante des documents et pour ses réponses très concrètes et très précises aux questions posées par les délégations.

Le document sur l'alimentation dans le monde CL 103/2 est en relation étroite avec le rapport de la dix-huitième session du Conseil de la Sécurité alimentaire mondiale (CL 103/10). Nous devons remercier ce Comité pour le rôle essentiel qu'il a joué depuis sa création en vue de renforcer la sécurité alimentaire.

Le Comité a noté, entre autres, que la guerre civile qui sévit dans un nombre croissant de pays africains a entraîné un mouvement plus important encore des populations provoquant de graves conséquences dans le domaine de l'activité agricole avec ce que cela implique quant à la diminution de la production alimentaire. Le carences existant dans certains pays sont la cause de graves maladies et d'une aggravation du taux de mortalité. La FAO prévoit même un accroissement des populations à risque en 1993 ainsi que des problèmes de ces groupes en raison du chômage toujours grandissant et de l'augmentation des prix.

Le Comité a insisté sur la nécessité de renforcer la nutrition, notamment du point de vue de la qualité des aliments. Il a fait porter ses efforts sur les problèmes de durabilité et de sécurité alimentaire, qui ont une double dimension. Une attention spéciale a été portée à la nécessite d'une coordination entre les Organisations basées à Rome que s'occupent d'alimentation (FAO, PAM et FIDA).

¹ Statement inserted in the verbatim records on request.

Le Comité a décidé de transmettre immédiatement le rapport de la session du CSA à la cinquième Commission de l'Assemblée générale des Nations Unies et au Conseil de l'Alimentation.

Ces problèmes si importants feront l'objet d'examens ultérieurs au sein des organes compétents. Ce qui se passe actuellement dans le monde est un appel criant à l'aide immédiate des organisations internationales, à nous d'y répondre avec générosité et solidarité.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR-GENERAL: I do not think there were many specific questions to which I should respond, but there is reason to comment in some regards.

First of all, we appreciate what I take to be a consensus, articulated most succinctly by Sweden, that the report is endorsed.

Second, I took note of the comments which I can perhaps summarize by saying "Food Security First"; in addition, that what it is all about is the development of the human resource - so this is the appropriate time to be thinking about that. We will turn to give our attention in more depth to natural resources and so forth later on, but I thought that this was a timely statement and intervention to have been made by those members who made such reference.

There were statements of concern about the ASEAN Food Security projects. I can simply only reaffirm what was stated at the Committee on World Food Security, that the Organization is willing and ready but we still have the problem of finding the financial resources necessary. We have, since the Committee on Food Security, accelerated our search for resources, and that search is continuing - but as of today we do not have the donors or further financial resources to move forward with those projects.

There was considerable discussion and comment about bananas, and, as members have noted, this matter was recently discussed at the Committee on Commodity Problems. The representative from Côte d'Ivoire made, I thought, a very good suggestion for the Council to consider, that being that since those three or four paragraphs that are in the Committee on Commodity Problems Report were the subject of discussions and negotiations which extended through essentially a full day, perhaps they can be taken en bloc, or paraphrased very slightly, to become a report of the Council. In the case of Colombia, I gather that he feels that he has added to the debate and discussion that took place at the Committee on Commodity Problems but this is at least a suggestion for Council to consider and decide upon.

There were comments from more than one country about the Household Food Security Index, and perhaps India's intervention was the fullest in that regard. We do appreciate the concerns expressed by India on the utility of this Household Food Security Index in its present form. We would like to reiterate that what was stressed at the Committee on Food Security meeting was that this initial effort on the part of the Secretariat was exploratory in nature, and not intended to yield a definitive operational measure of household food security for the countries at this stage. This is a new and important area of work by the Secretariat, as a number of member countries

have indicated. The work will continue on both the methodological and empirical aspects.

We welcome the suggestion made by India of convening a meeting of experts to guide the Secretariat on this topic.

Finally, I would like to inform the Council that work on approaches for monitoring household food security is now under way and this work will test appropriate variables at the household level which can best explain the food security situation of households. I intend to report, of course, on the work of this activity to the Committee on Food Security.

There were some comments about the frequency of meetings but I do not believe the comments of the United States, expressing its hope on that matter, were intended in any way to deviate from the conclusions of the Committee on Food Security, so I assume that the Council's concurrence and endorsement of the report simultaneously endorses a meeting next year at which this matter will continue to be discussed.

There were also some comments about the World Food Council and its somewhat clouded future. The uncertainties about the future of the Council was one of the reasons why the Committee on Food Security decided that it should not take a decision with respect to the frequency of meetings because, depending upon decisions made in New York, we may have some additional work, or the need for some amendments to the terms of reference of the Committee on World Food Security.

In view of the comments of one of the members of the Council, perhaps it is not fully known that a decision has been taken to transfer the posts for the Council from Rome to New York. That was part of the revised 1992-93 Budget for the UN, which has been approved. Therefore, in July 1993 - which is a matter of days now - those posts will be transferred.

It is also known that the General Service posts, which consist of the majority of those to be transferred, will be transferred without the incumbents. In other words, we have to try here in Rome to find a home for them.

It is also no secret that some of the officers, the professionals, do not wish to go to New York and would prefer to stay here.

I would also point out that to my knowledge - and I have checked on this recently - there is no work whatsoever under way for the preparation of a report for any forthcoming meeting of the World Food Council, nor any documentation from the World Food Council secretariat for ECOSOC. There is no plan that I know of for any meeting of the World Food Council. Of course, the members of the Council form a sub-set of members of FAO and the Ministers who come to the FAO Conference will include members of the Council, assuming that it is still in existence at that time. So they will be here. I think, in recognizing the fact that it is at the FAO Conference where more Ministers of Agriculture come together than in any other place by far, that this Council and the Conference could encourage those Ministers, who happen also to be members of the Council to address a specific topic of interest in the nature of food security.

I would just point out in this regard, that the General Assembly and ECOSOC do not have the authority to change the terms of reference for the Committee on World Food Security. That is a body which comes under the governance of this Council and the FAO Conference. However, they can duplicate the activities of the Committee on World Food Security, which they tended to do many times in the past.

I believe there was a misunderstanding on the part of Canada of our statements with respect to the stocks of cereals. The fact is that we see them building slightly in this current season - i.e. the 1992/93 season - and being drawn down slightly in the 1993/94 season. Maybe because we use 1993 in both cases, it was confusing. There seemed to be the indication that we had changed from our perspective given at the Committee on World Food Security. The fact is that there is no change in the perspective between then and now.

Finally, there is just one point to make with respect to another comment made by the Representative from Canada: in connection with the streamlining of the Special Action Programmes, we are indeed integrating the policy-related work and the household work into appropriate Special Action Programmes. That is mentioned in one of the other documents before the Council at this time. It is the one that lists all of the 12 presently proposed Special Action Programmes.

I hope I have addressed the issues and questions that were raised.

The meeting rose at 12.45 hours.
La séance est levée à 12 h 45.
Se levanta la sesión a las 12.45 horas.