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GENERAL DISCUSSION (continued)
DEBAT GENERAL
(suite)
DEBATE GENERAL
(continuación)

- STATEMENTS BY THE HEADS OF DELEGATIONS (continued)
- DECLARATIONS DES CHEFS DE DELEGATIONS (suite)
- MANIFESTACIONES POR LOS JEFES DE LAS DELEGACIONES (continuación)

EL PRESIDENTE: Buenas tardes, señores delegados, vamos a continuar con la lista de oradores inscritos en el debate general.

En primer lugar, tiene la palabra el Presidente de la Oficina Internacional de Epizootias, Sr. A. Laaberki.

A. LAABERKI (Observateur de l'Office international des Epizooties): Monsieur le Président, au nom de l'Office international des Epizooties, je voudrais d'abord m'acquitter d'une tâche agréable: celle de joindre ma voix au concert d'éloges qui a salué votre élection ainsi que celle des vice-présidents de la vingtième Conférence de la FAO. Le choix qu'a porté sur vous cette très honorable assemblée s'il consacre vos qualités personnelles n'en est que plus conforme à l'image et aux traditions de votre pays.

Et je relève avec satisfaction que l'Espagne est, avec le Maroc (au nombre des vice-présidents), l'un des 28 Etats fondateurs de l'Office international des Epizooties, Organisation intergouvernementale créée à Paris en 1924, qui réunit aujourd'hui près de 100 Etats Membres.

Je voudrais aussi m'adresser au Directeur général de la FAO, M. Edouard Saouma, pour lui rendre un hommage reconnaissant pour le redressement spectaculaire qu'il a pu réaliser depuis son élection à la plus haute charge de cette illustre Organisation.

Le nouvel élan qu'il a su donner à ses services nous concerne d'autant plus que l'OIE et la FAO sont liés par un accord de coopération depuis 1952 et que notre collaboration doit se poursuivre de façon exemplaire.

Fidèle à sa vocation, l'OIE veille sur la santé animale à l'échelle mondiale grâce à son système d'alerte permanente, d'information rapide, de documentation à la disposition des Etats Membres. Grâce aux travaux d'experts de ses commissions spécialisées, il fixe les conditions sanitaires et les normes biologiques devant régir le commerce des animaux et produits animaux, et édicte dans ce but un code zoosanitaire international, mondialement reconnu, et largement appliqué, même par les Etats non membres de l'OIE.

L'OIE par ailleurs encourage et coordonne la recherche et la diffusion des connaissances scientifiques et techniques pour la lutte contre les maladies animales, et pour le contrôle des épizooties qui occasionnent encore trop de pertes dans les pays en développement.

L'OIE réunit chaque année, au mois de mai, à Paris, en présence de nombreux observateurs, d'organisations régionales et internationales, une Conférence de près de 100 Etats Membres pour débattre des problèmes sanitaires selon une échelle d'urgence et, en considération du caractère d'évolution des épizooties, des répercussions des maladies sur le plan économique, social et humain dans les régions géographiques. Les débats sont consacrés par des résolutions et des recommandations qui sont adressées aux Etats Membres et aux organisations internationales, plus précisément à la FAO et à l'Organisation mondiale de la santé.

Ainsi donc, l'OIE joue pleinement son rôle international en matière de coopération sanitaire vétérinaire pour le plus grand bien des Etats Membres, de l'OIE et de la FAO, en contribuant de façon déterminante à promouvoir le commerce international des animaux et produits animaux en s'associant activement à tous les efforts entrepris à l'échelle mondiale pour assurer la sécurité alimentaire et sanitaire des populations humaines.

C'est d'ailleurs sur ce terrain de la sécurité alimentaire que je tiens à placer le problème de la santé animale. De toutes les réserves alimentaires, c'est encore le troupeau, l'animal vivant qui reste le plus vulnérable. Sa protection est parfois aléatoire ou exige des moyens sophistiqués et


onéreux, je veux parler des vaccins et des produits biologiques en général, les produits de traitement antimicrobiens et antiparasitaires.

Là encore, ce sont les pays en développement qui sont les moins bien pourvus et, pour certains, notamment en Afrique, les plus démunis parce que leur équipement en laboratoire est insuffisant ou parce qu'ils n'ont pas la maîtrise technologique des produits de vaccination ou de traitement, faute d'encadrement et de financement.

Pourtant, on pouvait croire que l'élevage étant l'une de leurs principales vocations, sinon la principale, les ressources qui en résultaient devraient leur assurer le financement, donc l'équipement, l'encadrement. A de rares exceptions, il n'en a rien été. Excédentaires à la veille de la décolonisation, ce sont les pays développés sortis de la guerre qui résorbaient encore leurs excédents. Une fois indépendants, leur production a fléchi puis s'est essoufflée derrière le galop démographique et les limites du pouvoir d'achat.

Cette évolution était perceptible dès la première décennie du développement. A la deuxième décennie, les déficits se sont aggravés et, pour certains pays, la dépendance saisonnière et périodique de leurs importations.

La nécessité de réduire les déficits apparaît à l'évidence. Pour cela, il importe de résoudre deux préalables: le premier tenant d'abord à la place des pays en développement dans le circuit international du commerce des animaux et produits animaux. Ces pays doivent y avoir accès pour stimuler et régulariser leur production car l'effort qu'ils doivent fournir dépasse, pour être déterminant, la simple autosuffisance qui reste pour le moins dans leur cas, une forme d'économie de cueillette améliorée. Le deuxième préalable tenant à leurs besoins en produits de prévention et de traitement. Un effort international doit porter essentiellement: sur les équipements scientifiques et techniques des laboratoires et la recherche biologique qui ouvre des perspectives immenses; sur la mise en commun de moyens financiers et technologiques pour la production de produits biologiques et de vaccins.

Nous avons eu l'occasion de préconiser à cet effet, lors du vingt et unième Congrès mondial vétérinaire tenu à Moscou, en juillet 1979, la mise en service d'un bateau laboratoire pour l'Afrique, formule à la fois pratique et économique dont on soupçonne à peine l'immense intérêt, notamment pour mettre à la portée des chercheurs africains et des pays qui seraient atteints de maladies contagieuses et d'épizooties, la technologie et les vaccins.

L'effort international doit porter enfin sur les produits des traitements qui restent hors de portée des pays africains, notamment à la fois du point de vue du coût et du point de vue technologique. Ces produits sont là aussi justiciables d'une vaste coopération internationale pour la constitution d'une banque régionale de produits thérapeutiques. Certes, la FAO fournit déjà des efforts méritoires en la matière. La preuve en est l'inscription dans son programme de la trypanosomiase en Afrique, affection on ne peut plus grave où toutes les tentatives de lutte ont été jusqu'ici décevantes.

Il reste beaucoup d'autres maladies, et je voudrais lancer un appel solennel à la FAO et au FIDA réunis pour qu'ils apportent leur aide et leur soutien à l'OIE dans l'offensive qu'il mène de par le monde contre toutes les maladies-je dis bien: toutes à la fois-qui attentent encore au bien-être quand ce n'est pas à la simple survie des populations humaines.

On ne doit plus accepter que des maladies soient tolérées comme endémiques dans une région pauvre et non éradiquées parce qu'elles ne constituent pas une menace directe pour une région plus riche. C'est sans doute le seul domaine où il ne saurait y avoir jamais de paix: celle des consciences.

N. SUMYA (Mongolia) (interpretation from Mongolian): Mr. Chairman, distinguished delegates, it is my privilege on behalf of the delegation of the Mongolian People's Republic to address the FAO Conference and congratulate you on your election as Chairman of the current Session.

I take this opportunity to congratulate the two new Member States which have joined our FAO family.

As I am addressing this Session at the latest moment of its general debate could I permit myself to fully share the opinion that agriculture is one of the important branches of the development of any country.

For us such an assessment is not merely theoretical one, but is confirmed by our achievements and the practical experience which we have accumlated in our socialist construction over more than 50 years.


Notwithstanding every kind of report on the world agricultural situation it is true that the difficulties, not only in agriculture but in other sectors of the economy of many developing countries, are the direct consequencies of the archaic and monocultural socio-economic structure, as well as the current new-colonial practices carried out mainly by the transnational corporations. In view of this it is not possible to find any substantial solution to the problems of a comprehensive agricultural development without introducing profound progressive internal socio-economic changes beneficial to all strata of the population, first of all, through carrying out democratic agrarian reforms and creating and strengthening the public sector in economy and a nation-wide socio-economic development planning system. In this connection, the Mongolian delegation would like to draw the attention of the Conference to the important decisions taken by the United Nations General Assembly sessions in recent years and by ESCAP and the other organs of the Un system on the problem of promoting the public sector and the cooperative movement in the economic development of developing countries.

In the meantime our general discussions here during this Session clearly show that at the present time the food problem is one which involves a greater number of countries and cannot be resolved by pragmatic and uncontrolled measures. This problem could be overcome by common efforts.

Mr, Chairman, as far as our country is concerned, after the revolution of 1921 the first constitution adopted by the people's Government banned feudalities and clergies' deep-rooted exclusive rights to land and all other ownership and declared the land and its resources as the property of the people as a whole. That provided the people's Government with the possibility of carring out a wide range organizational, social and economic policy. Prior to 1921 there was only small, extensive and backward live-stock breeding. Since the early 1930s and up to the end of the 1950s almost all herdsmen joined cooperative agricultural associations, as a result of which more than 200 000 small individual households have been replaced by 258 cooperative agricultural associations and 48 state farms. Cooperative agricultural associations engage basically in livestock breeding and to a lesser extent in crop growing while state farms are largely producers of crops including fruits and vegetables, and raise pedigree cattle for meat, milk and wool production. The state farms are financed by the Government and represent the main producers of the essential agricultural products. Besides sharing the income from the sale of their produce, members of cooperatives are entitled to pursue private husbandry up to 50-75 head of stock.

The Government of the Mongolian People's Republic is giving a priority to high mechanization of agricultural cooperative associations and state farms as well as to raising their productivity. Actually the main types of agricultural works are fully mechanized: On the average every state farm has 240 tractors (15 hp), 45 grain harvesters and 36 trucks, while every cooperative has 28 tractors, 13 trucks and other equipment.

Mr. Chairman, this year in our country we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the cooperative movement and that of virgin land cultivation.

The victory of the cooperative movement in its socio-economic context is compared in my country to the victory of the people's revolution in 1921. The main results of virgin land cultivation and the cooperative movement are the full achievement of self-sufficiency in flour, other food items, and the creation of animal feed production potential. It should be noted that the cooperative movement was not purely an economic measure but was directed also towards up-dating the society's productive forces in keeping with the new requirements of the development, promoting socialist culture and gradually improving the living and cultural standards of the population. The most important task is also to create through these and other comprehensive measures an industrial-agrarian structure of the economy, and thus to turn Mongolia in the near future into an industrial-agrarian state .

At present a number of industrial projects are being built, including the giant copper molybdenum mining and concentrating complex, which is among 10 of the biggest enterprises of its kind in the world. As a result of this, of the total net output of agriculture and industry, the latter will account for a prevailing part and the total export will be doubled. . This indicates the country's advance along the road of industrial development and shows the important changes which have taken place in the structure of all economic sectors.

In this connection, Mr. Chairman, I have pleasure in noting that the international assistance of the Soviet Union and other fraternal socialist countries plays a decisive role in the attainment of the goals of ever faster socio-economic development of our country.

A serious discussion has been taking place for some years in the United Nations system on the concept of establishing a new international economic order. In this connexion my delegation would like to draw the attention of the Conference to the existing reality that for the first time in history between the socialist countries, within the framework of CMEA there has been established a truly just new international economic order based on equality, on the respect of sovereignty and fraternal mutual assistance and equal benefit.


I fully share the opinion expressed during our deliberations here by many delegations that disarmament is the most important task of our time and represents an essential pre-condition for global economic progress, especially for the more rapid progress of developing countries. In this context FAO should take into consideration the importance of implementing a number of initiatives to speed up disarmament, in particular the proposal by the USSR in the UN General Assembly to reduce the military budgets of permanent members of UN Security Council by 10 percent and to utilize part of the resources thus released to aid developing countries. The continuous efforts of the socialist countries in this field can be seen once again from the recent initiatives by the Government of the Soviet Union unilaterally to reduce its troops and armaments in Central Europe as a concrete measure to break the impasse of many years talks to achieve military detente in Europe.

The arms race, which is continuing and becoming a still more dangerous phenomemon generates profound concern in the international community. So it is natural that since the last FAO conference session we have been witness to greater events such as the Special Session of the UN General Assembly on Disarmament and the Agreement concluded between the USSR and the United States of America on the limitation of strategic armaments (SALT-II). My delegation also supports among other events the initiatives taken in this field by the non-aligned Nations in their Declaration made during the recent Havana Sixth Summit Conference and the Declaration launched by the Forum of World Veterans for Disarmament held here in Rome from 18 to 20 October 1979.

Despite the growing concern of the international community to preserve world-wide peace and security, hot-beds of war and tension in some parts of the world are still regretably being maintained by reactionary forces and their accomplices. In this regard the delegation of Mongolia shares the just concern expressed here by the delegation of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam over the complicated situation on the northern border of that country, caused by the expansionist and hegemonist policy pursued by the ruling circles of a neighbouring country.

In concluding my statment I am pleased to express satisfaction with the cooperation between Mongolia and FAO, which we hope will become more fruitful as one of the many forms of international cooperation and I reiterate the readiness of the Mongolian Government to support continously FAO's multifaceted activities.

I take this opportunity to express the support of my deletation for the proposal made by the Hungarian delegation to declare FAO's Birthday as the Day of World Food Production and Agriculture.

It is the hope of my delegation that the present session, which is taking place at the juncture of the two decades, will adopt concrete decisions towards promoting fruitful international cooperation during the next decade to achieve the noble endeavours established by FAO.

A. L. TANIS (Haîti): Monsieur le Directeur General, Messieurs les Membres du Bureau, Messieurs les Ministres, Honorables délégués et Observateurs, Monsieur le Président de la Conférence, les délégués participant à la 20ème Session de la Conférence biennale de la FAO vous ont choisi. A le faire, ils ont dû certainement déceler en vous toutes les grandes vertus qui caractérisent les meneurs d'hommes-aussi, la délégation d'Haîti qui n'a pu participer à votre élection, par suite de circonstances indépendantes de sa volonté, appuie le choix judicieusement fait et vous présente ses plus chaleureuses félicitations.

Que le maillet symbolique que vous tenez, Excellence, indique sérénité et compétence, durant le temps de votre mission parmi nous.

Ma délégation veut aussi rendre témoignage à l'actuelle Direction de la FAO pour son réel souci de conserver les nobles traditions de courage et d'indépendance de l'Institution, dans ses relations avec les Etats Membres.

La délégation d'Haîti profite de l'opportunité offerte pour présenter ses meilleurs compliments au Conseil indépendant de la FAO ainsi qu'au Secrétariat technique pour la qualité des documents soumis à la Conférence.

Ma délégation saisit cette occasion pour adresser une cordiale bienvenue aux nouveaux Etat Membres, le Samoa occidental et la Dominique, et elle leur transmet le salut fraternel et pacifique du peuple haîtien.


Vous m'excuserez, Messieurs et Dames de cette docte Assemblée, de vous délivrer un message que je qualifie "d'improvisation écrite" en lieu et place de la Déclaration que devait vous lire Mr. Edouard Berrouet, ex-Secrétaire d'Etat de l'Agriculture, des Ressources Naturelles et du Développement Rural. Comme vous le savez, un changement ministériel survenu en Haïti, à la fin de la semaine dernière, a fait c'un des adjoints de la délégation d'Haîti à cette Conférence le nouveau Secrétaire d'Etat de l'Agriculture; je parle de son Excellence, Mr. Paul St. Clair. Il a dû regagner précipitamment Port-au-Prince.

J'espère que le présent exposé aura, malgré tout, le mérite de situer la position d'Haîti vis-à-vis de la FAO et dans le contexte de la lutte contre la faim. Il vous informera, également, des lignes directrices de la politique agricole du Gouvernement de la République d'Haîti,

Monsieur le Président, Honorables délégués et Observateurs, en cet univers troublé, dominé par l'angoise, il est vraiment réconfortant de retrouver ici une telle conjonction de courants de pensée, tant de conceptions diverses qui viennent se reprofiler chaque fois au creuset de ces Assises de la FAO où en même temps nos délégués peuvent s'interroger sur une méthodologie d'action à rechercher pour la sauvegarde de notre civilisation confrontée à l'épineux problème de la faim. Une fois déjà, avec l'écroulement de la Société des Nations, s'effondrait, du même coup, l'espoir de millions d'hommes dont les espérances légitimes se sont renouvelées au sein du système des Nations Unies, Tous les responsables du bien-être des peuples pour le présent et pour l'avenir se doivent de relever un défi affligeant: la détérioration physique des 3/4 de la population du globe en proie à la malnutrition et à la sous-alimentation. De tous les droits de l'homme, le droit à la nourriture, en effet, demeure essentiellement un droit fondamental.

Aujourd'hui le monde connaît une situation alimentaire critique due à des conditions climatiques adverses et surtout à l’ accroisement de la population. Depuis que les progrès de la science médicale et la diffusion des services de santé ont fait reculer les frontières de la mort, la population mondiale s'accroit de plus en plus vite selon les lois naturelles qui gouvernent la fécondité des hommes. De moins de 1 pour cent par an au cours des derniers siècles, son accroissement est passé à 2 pour cent actuellement, et avec la population, évolue encore plus vite la demande alimentaire mondiale également tributaire de l'augmentation du pouvoir d'achat qui est de 0,5 pour cent l'an.

Jusqu'à ce point de la présente décennie, les réserves céréalières mondiales se sont épuisées à un rythme qui alarme sérieusement les Gouvernements et les Institutions internationales spécialisées. Les prix des produits alimentaires atteignent des niveaux records partout dans le monde. On se trouve en présence d'un nouveau problème qui va acquérir dans les années à venir une importance grandissante. Ce n'est pas seulement la population qui augmente mais aussi une certaine demande en provenance de l'accroissement des pouvoirs d'achat individuels. Comme les pouvoirs d'achat individuels continueront vraisemblablement à augmenter à un rythme de plus en plus rapide dans les classes majoritaires des pays développés, il faut s'attendre à ce que les pays riches accaparent des quantités de nourriture de plus en plus abondantes au détriment des pauvres. Il en résultera du côté des pays en développement une plus grande privation, à moins que ces derniers mettent rapidement au point des programmes qui leur permettent de subvenir à leurs besoins alimentaires tant actuels que futurs. Mais, dans les conditions concrètes de leur actuel sous-développement, y arriveront-ils? Nous savons, Monsieur le Président, que certains pays en voie de développement ont fait de remarquables progrès, maix ceux-ci sont vite contrecarrés par des conditions défavorables-d'ailleurs très complexes-telles que: le problème agraire, le manque d'eau d'irrigation et des principaux entrants, l'insuffisance de l'épargne et des
investissements, les techniques agricoles archaîques, les problèmes de la commercialisation des pro-duits, tous ces facteurs forment un cercle vicieux qu'il est difficile de rompre. Nous savons que pour le briser, il faut s'attaquer simultanément à tous les problèmes en s'efforçant d'accroître le rende-ment des productions végétales et animales et partant le pouvoir d'achat des agriculteurs, d'organiserou d'améliorer l'enseignement agricole et la recherche, de vulgariser les données techniques, de ren-forcer les structures coopératives et le crédit agricole, de mettre en place les infrastructures d'irri-gation et routières voulues, de lutter contre l'érosion et enfin d'éliminer toutes les restrictions au,commerce national et international.

En face de ces problèmes graves et préoccupants, la communauté internationale, les yeux tournés vers la FAO, étant donné que cette Institution à vocation universelle est la seule qui soit en possession d'information et de compétence aussi vastes que variées, la seule qui puisse être considérée comme unp grande banque de connaissances et de compétences au service des agriculteurs du monde, comme la bourse où s'opère le transfert des valeurs technologiques entre les pays nantis et les pays en développement dans les domaines ayant trait à l'agriculture. Lourde responsabilité que celle d'aider chaque Etat Membre à lutter contre la pauvreté rurale, cause et conséquence de manque de productivité.


En ce qui la concerne, Haïti fait confiance à la sagesse de tous les hommes de bonne volonté; car elle a compris que pour sauver la Planète du désastre, il faut "moraliser" les relations internationales, étant donné que l'existence et la persistance de zones sous-développées est, à la fois, un non-sens et une lourde responsabilité qui pèsent sur l'humanité tout entière, dans un monde où plus de deux milliards d'hommes sont en proie à la faim et à la tentation de la violence. Une fois de plus, Haïti réaffirme sa confiance dans les objectifs de l'Institution et appuie le Programme de travail et le Budget présenté par sa Direction. Qu'il me soit permis de vous féliciter, M. le Directeur général de la FAO, ainsi que vos collaborateurs, de la persévérance apportée à la promotion technique, sociale et économique des Etats Membres, comme au renforcement des moyens d'études, de conseils et d'intervention. Le Gouvernement de la République d'Haïti suit avec intérêt l'évolution de l'Organisation, ses nouvelles orientations. Il a également retenu l'évolution du Programme de coopération technique qui est entièrement financé par un budget spécial de l'Organisation. Il apprécie en outre, comme une action efficace et positive, la libération de fonds consacrés en priorité aux pays les moins favorisés pour la mise en oeuvre de projets de production vivrière et toutes autres interventions susceptibles d'améliorer le revenu et le niveau nutritionnel des petits agriculteurs. C'est dans cette perspective que le Gouvernement d'Haîti a basé sa stratégie pour augmenter la productivité des grands facteurs de développement à partir du tryptique: l'homme, la terre et l'eau.

Cette nouvelle stratégie basée sur une augmentation de la productivité, avec la participation volontaire des populations rurales réunies en groupements, pré-coopératives ou en coopératives est axée sur les volets fondamentaux de la promotion économique d'un Etat moderne, à savoir:

1) Une production suffisante et équilibrée de biens pour l'alimentation de la population, dans le cadre d'une politique nationale d'autosuffisance.

2) Une production importante de surplus pour approvisionner les entreprises agro-industrielles aux fins de rechercher une incidence bienfaisante sur les termes de l'échange.

3) Un nouvel excédent de production en vue de rendre favorable notre balance commerciale, par l'exportation.

Avec la détermination d'améliorer notre capacité d'absorption de l'assistance internationale et d'atteindre les objectifs du Plan National, il convenait de créer des structures d'accueil au sein du Département de l'Agriculture, des Ressources Naturelles et du Développement Rural. C'est ainsi qu'il a été constitué:

- un Service National de Semences Améliorées (SENASA);

- un Service National de Commercialisation Agricole (SENACA);

- un Comité Sectoriel de Politique Agricole (COSEPA), la plus haute instance de planification intégrée du secteur;

- un Conseil de Coordination de Projets, faisant office de cabinet du Secrétaire d'Etat et composé uniquement d'experts nationaux;

- Un Projet d'Appui à la Direction Générale (PADG) appelé à restructurer le nouveau réseau sur le terrain au niveau de nos traditionnels Districts Agricoles en vue de transiter la mise en route du nouveau concept de régionalisation tel que défini dans le Plan.

Tous ces nouveaux Organes sont déjà opérationnels, ainsi que divers proiets de développement intégré conçus et exécutés par le Gouvernement d'Haîti en coopération avec les institutions multilatérales, bilatérales et financières. Je ne me lancerais non plus dans une énumération exhaustive des projets agricoles développés conjointement par Haîti avec le Groupe d'Organismes des Nations Unies. La promotion de l'agriculture demeure le principal volet de notre stratégie de développement et s'inscrit en toute priorité dans notre Plan quinquennal. Le secteur primaire constitue, en effet, le grand pourvoyeur du reste de l'économie en biens de consommation, en matières premières et en main-d'oeuvre. La participation de la FAO et du PNUD à notre effort de développement a toujours été intense et leurs différents domaines de compétence seront de plus en plus mis à contribution.

A la lumière de ces considérations, le renforcement de l'assistance technique et financière des organismes des Nations Unies et en particulier de la FAO, du FIDA et du PNUD est vivement sollicité dans les domaines suivants :

Commercialisation des céréales dans le cadre du Programme de la Sécurité Alimentaire Nationale (projet déjà étudié): ce programme vise à limiter la dépendance alimentaire du pays en encourageant la production des céréales locales, en améliorant la commercialisation et partant,le revenu de vie des paysans.


Ce programme, pour être efficace, devra être basé sur la conduite de deux autres projets:

- un projet d'Alerte Rapide à la Production Agricole (système de prévisions des récoltes);

- un projet de Prévention des Pertes Alimentaires avant et après récoltes.

Renforcement du Système National de la Vulgarisation Agricole (ce projet ayant déjà démarré: la nécessité d'un renforcement de l'encadrement technique de nos petits exploitants s'avère de plus en plus contraignante. Il s'agit, à long terme, de transformer nos communautés respectives par une action continue sur les forces productrices et les rapports sociaux: telle a été d'ailleurs exprimée, dans le cadre du développement global, la transcendance du nouvel humanisme technique en vue d'une prise en . charge de leur avenir par les populations elles-mêmes, selon un libre choix de la voie qui leur convient.

Contrôle et éradication de la Peste Porcine Africaine: compte tenu de la place qu'occupe le porc dans la diète quotidienne des masses paysannes et dans l'économie rurale du pays, le Gouvernement nourrit l'espoir que les Projets Inter-Pays et Régional pourront démarrer dans les meilleurs délais possibles.

D'ailleurs à la dernière Conférence Régionale de la FAO tenue à Montevideo, il était convenu qu'aucun pays en développement ne pourrait par ses propres moyens financiers lutter contre la PPA. La FAO était désignée comme l'organisme chargé de freiner l'expansion de la maladie et son Directeur général avait reçu les pleins pouvoirs en vue de trouver les fonds nécessaires au financement des campagnes de contrôle et d'eradication de ce fléau de l'élevage porcin.

Les négociations semblent traîner alors que la maladie multiplie ses foyers dans les pays infestés.

Programme d'Elevage et de la Santé Animales: ces projets visent à augmenter la consommation de protéine animale dans l'alimentation de la population d'Haïti tout en réduisant l'évasion de nos devises vers l'étranger.

De plus, l'intégration agri-élevage s'avère un impératif si nous voulons augmenter les rendements des productions végétales et animales et conduire d'autres projets (agriculture de montagne).

Amélioration des terres de montagne: l'aménagement et une mise en valeur plus rationnelle de nos bassins versants sont l'objet de pressantes démarches pour la protection des infrastructures d'aval et la promotion d'une agriculture de montagne combinant ainsi harmonieusement les activités agro-sylvo-pasto-rales de la vallée et des hauteurs. En fait, une grande partie de notre production vivrière provient des zones montagneuses. Cette exploitation intensive des terres déclives a engendré un déboisement continu et une érosion accélérée des sols mettant en péril notre programme d'infrastructure routière, notre réseau d'irrigation, de même que la vie et les biens des communautés.

Le Gouvernement élabore présentement un programme d'agriculture conservationniste en montagne et apprécierait d'obtenir, en l'occurrence, l'assistance voulue.

Au terme de cet exposé, la Délégation d'Haîti lance à nouveau le cri d'alarme dénonçant la situation alimentaire défavorable et dangereuse du monde sous-développé, en réaffirmant la confiance d'Haîti en la sagesse de tous les hommes de bonne volonté, dans . l'Organisation et dans les efforts qu'elle déploie pour maximiser l'efficacité de la coopération internationale d'Haî. ti, en vue de réaliser le bien-être à l'échelle de la Planète.

Membre à part entière de la Communauté, la Délégation d'Haîti pense que le bien-être généralisé contemplé pour chaque peuple et pour toutes les nations ne peut se concrétiser que dans la mesure où s'effacent les disparités criantes pour faire face à la fraternité humaine authentique. A cette croisée de chemins où les perspectives de l'avenir s'estompent de nuages sombres, quand les mythes séculaires vacillent sous l'action d'idées forces, génératrices de mutations, il n'y a pas de temps à perdre: l'urgence appelle l'intervention décisive. Si l'on ne procède pas, sans délai, à un véritable reconditionnement de l'environnement des pays en retard, le processus deviendra irreversible et le désespoir de certains peuples ne sera rien moins que la rançon de l'irresponsabilité des détenteurs de la richesse. La solution dépend objectivement de la prise de conscience et du vouloir des pays développés, parallèlement à une promotion de l'esprit de rationnalisation et de concertation des pays démunis: là, résident les germes ultimes de l'espoir.

Excellences, honorables délégués et observateurs, je vous exprime ma reconnaissance personnelle pour la bienveillante attention que vous avez accordée à cette communication. La Délégation d'Haîti vous félicite de votre participation active à cette 20ème Session de la Conférence de la FAO.

EL PRESIDENTE: Muchas gracias a la delegación de Haiti por su intervención y quisiera en nombre de la Conferencia felicitar vivamente al señor St. Clair, que como nos ha sido comunicado, formaba parte de la delegación de Haití y ha sido nombrado Secretario de Estado para Agricultura de su país.


K. BINGANA (Botswana): Mr. Chairman, Mr. Director-General, Tour Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen: I am indeed happy to be provided with the opportunity to address this Twentieth Session of the FAO on behalf of my Minister, who was not able to attend due to circumstances beyond his control. However, before beginning with the Botswana country statement I would like to congratulate you, Mr. Chairman, on your election to this high post at this Conference. My heartfelt congratulations also go to the Commonwealth of Dominica and the Republic of Western Samoa for their admission into this Organization.

I am oonoerned to see that the main themes of this Conference are again concerned with the production of food and world food security. We are now approaching the second last decade of this century and have not really made significant progress in closing the food gap on a global basis. Let us strive to make more progress on this front during the next decade than we did during the 1970's in spite of the conferences held by FAO on the food problem.

Botswana is presently preparing its fifth National Plan and in this document is giving major emphasis to increase food production, greater food security, more rural employment through increased rural development and food self-sufficiency. Botswana is a rural country with approximately 80 percent of its people living in the rural areas, many of which are remote and often inaccessible. The large proportion of people engaged in agriculture does not necessarily indicate that this sector contributes the same proportion to the Gross Domestic Produot. Agriculture's proportion of contribution to Gross Domestic Product has dropped from 35 percent in 1973 to about 20 percent in 1979· This proportion will continue to deorease as copper, coal and diamonds contribute more. However, if agriculture which is our only renewable resource is encouraged and developed it will remain very significant.

The semi-arid conditions of Botswana have the effect of making its agriculture highly risky for arable production, but its vast grazing areas are the most abundant resource which provides grazing for cattle and smallstook. During the period 1974-78 the national cattle herd has increased to record size. However, during 1979 Botswana was ravaged by serious drought. The crop was reduced to about 10 percent of normal and cattle producers responded by selling their stock in record numbers in order to reduce their possible losses of cattle from poor grazing.

Botswana has a highly developed livestock industry which is one of the few amongst African countries which sells fresh beef into the European and other foreign markets as well as to some African markets. The higher price received for this beef has positively affected the incomes of the rural producers. However not all people in the country sell cattle or make their livelihood from cattle sales. We have been unfortunate in having an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in 1977 in the northern part of the country and in that part of the country producers have not been able to sell cattle since then. We had planned to move the cattle out of the foot and mouth area which had been declared clear to the abattoir in September this year. Cattle owners had faced two natural disasters and became the victims of the first foot and mouth outbreak followed by drought in 1979· On August 1st 1979 another foot and mouth outbreak was confirmed; thus cattle owners have not been able to sell for two years. The Government has devised several emergency schemes to relieve hardship of limited cash flow in the affected area in order to alleviate the dual effects of foot and mouth and drought. We are appreciative of the quick action of the Direct--General in providing some TCP funds in the first instanoe of foot and mouth disease outbreak.

This disease seems to be related to the contact between wild buffaloes and cattle. Recurrences of the disease can be avoided through a regime of biannual vaccination of cattle in that part of the country where cattle are at risk. This is, however, costly in terms of manpower, vehicles and vaccine, but is necessary to save the fresh beef export market for the remainder of Botswana's beef. During the past two years a vaccine factory has been set up on an experimental basis and is now producing an effective vaccine, and foot and mouth is under control. The permanent vacoine factory will be built starting calendar year 1980 and upon completion will produce enough vaccine for Botswana's needs with surplus for export.

The elimination of trypanosomiasis by the eradication of its vector, the Tsetse Ply, is one of Botswana's early objectives for this Plan Period. During the 1970's our scientists have been experimenting with aerial spraying to eliminate tsetse flies and have full confidence that the system they use of spraying with fly-specific chemicals can eradicate the fly and control its re-entry into the presently infested area. We are aware of FAO's interest in the elimination and eventual eradication of tsetse flies in Africa and hope that Botswana's experienoe will be useful to other countries.

Related to the eradication of the fly, plans have been devised to build a fence which will separate the buffaloes and the cattle. The elimination of this contact will greatly reduce high risk of foot and mouth infection which now exists in the area. The ecology of the areas now uninhabited by cattle


and people because it is infected with tsetse fly could be destroyed by over-grazing due to competition between cattle and wild game. The end result could be great destruction to the existing game and to the ecology of the area. In order to stop this occurrence, a comprehensive land use plan will be drawn up to minimise the loss of game and the ecological disruption in the newly tsetse fly-cleared area. This action will protect the tourist industry and the game which is used for local consumption and will save the land from ecological destruction.

Even though a large part of the agricultural income in Botswana comes from livestock production, arable production touches a larger proportion of the population than cattle production because many of the cattle holders are also crop producers. However, subsistence production still predominates in many households and large numbers of the poorest rural people engage in crop production. Because of limited resources and traditional methods of production, yields are low and returns to labour are not highly remunerative. The result of this is that many of the young people drift to other types of employment and to the towns and villages seeking alternative sources of income. This has not only caused a loss of many young men and women to agricultural labour forces but has caused an increase in the social problems which have been experienced by many developing countries where cities have grown very rapidly. It is the objective of the Government to devise an Arable Lands Development Programme which will provide the means for smallholders to earn from arable production an income equal to what they could earn in the towns. This will involve action by other parts of government in addition to the Ministry of Agriculture, but the goal is to reach a large proportion of small farmers during the next five years.

The Arable Lands Development Programme will include the provision of incentives for people to adopt more modern methods of farming, marketing and storage of crops. This will require incentives to use credit in order to increase the resources available to the farmer. Price incentives will be a necessary part of the package, and in a country which is grain deficit, this approach to pricing can be used but will not greatly burdening recurrent costs to Government because crops which are purchased above world prices will not be sold into world markets. Botswana plans to be self-sufficient in food grains by the middle of the 1980's and in most essential food products before the end of the next decade.

Steps have been taken to improve the marketing of food products. The export abattoir is one of the largest in Africa, and a high proportion of Botswana's beef is sold in export markets. On the crop side, the Grain Marketing Board is expanding its operations to cover the entire production area of the country. The Botswana Government wants to thank FAO for its help in the early years of this Board. A small strategic grain reserve is being set up to provide the food requirements of the country for short periods during times of severe shortage and allow time for supplies to be brought in.

The Arable Lands Development Programme is in its detailed planning stage but in spite of this early stage, IFAD has expressed interest in providing aid for its implementation. We look forward to this cooperation with IFAD. Another international organisation which has been helpful during the drought situation which hit Botswana is the World Pood Programme which has provided increased amounts of food aid to help feed those who suffer from hunger because of drought. We also want to take this opportunity to thank the United Nations High Commission for Refugees for all the help Botswana has received during this period of increasing numbers of refugees which come as a result of the unfortunate political situation in Southern Africa. Caring for large numbers of refugees has put increasing strains on the resources of the country and without help from the international community could have more adversely affected our development plans.

Mr. Chairman, I have earlier mentioned the drought situation which has deteriorated in recent months. While at the time of the declaration of drought by the President on 1st June 1979, there were still pockets of areas unaffected, the drought has now become pervasive. Both people and livestock are equally beginning to feel the strain.

On the crop side, surveys undertaken in the districts indicate that low yields with most districts suggesting that yields are only about 10% normal, consequently harvests are poor. Some of the major crop producing area reported the lowest rainfall in 40 years. Many districts report little food in home storage. Several districts therefore, indicate there will be need for food relief as soon as possible. Now that it has rained in the eastern part of the country, there is a great need for seed.

On the livestock front, grazing conditions have deteriorated in recent months with some districts reporting cattle deaths. Although the water supplies have slightly improved with recent rains, it will take time for the range to recover. In the Northwest the problem is compounded by the build-up of the cattle population because of foot and mouth disease.

Tc cope with problems created by drought, an Interministerial Drought Committee has been formed to advise government on measures to be taken to alleviate drought as well as to coordinate drought.


Sub-committees have also been formed both within Ministries and in districts. The District Drought Committees monitor the drought situation in the districts and report to Central Government through the Interministerial Drought Committee.

In order to provide the Government with better information to cope with unforeseeable situations and to enable improved plannings of the use of its resources, plans are under way to carry out a population census in 1981 to be followed by a Census for Agriculture in early 1982. Mr. Chairman, FAO will be a partner in the Agricultural Census, and these data will be added into the worldwide pool of agricultural census data.

Presently the Government of Botswana is undertaking a large-scale study of migration which is one of the most significant phenomenon affecting the availability of human resources. The movement of people, especially those in the employable age group, can affect rural development. Many of the young men go to work in the mines as an alternative to working on the land because it provides a source of cash income for either pleasure, investment in cattle and in some cases arable agriculture or other forms of enterprise. However, while this source of manpower is away from the rural areas, productivity is bound to suffer with the result that many households are female headed. This too often leaves the household with very limited physical and managerial resources for productive resource use. However, we are unsure of what the economic consequences of migration are, but feel that the effect on employment, productivity and social welfare of people is adversely affected.

Mr. Chairman, one of the problems facing Botswana is the small pool of trained manpower to fill the large and increasing number of technical jobs in our rapidly expanding economy. Government is taking steps to reduce this gap, but the start-up time is slow. During the next year the Certificate level training in agriculture will be doubled and the following year the diploma level training will be introduced in Botswana in order to supplement the small output presently received from the Swaziland programme. There will eventually be an increase in degree training but presently a large number of first-degree and all post-graduate trainees are sent overseas.

Mr. Chairman, we look forward to brighter and more productive agricultural decade in 1980· Botswana also hopes to have greater cooperation with FAO and other donor organizations, both mult-lateral and bilateral during the coming decade.

J. LOURENCO (Portugal) (interpretation from Portuguese): Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, as representative of Portugal, I would like you to accept my warmest greetings and congratulations on your election as Chairman of this Conference. I would also like to congratulate the Director-General, Dr. Edouard Saouma, for the excellent work and for the quality of the documents which the Secretariat has presented to us. It is with great pleasure that I remember the recent visit of Dr. Saouma and of Minister Lamo de Espinosa at the time of the European Regional Conference which was held in Lisdon last year.

I would like to avail myself of the opportunity of welcoming the new members of the Organization, Dominica and Samoa, and to wish them full success in their cooperation with this international Organization.

As I start to speak to this meeting, the third which has been held since the revolution of the 25th of April, as Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries of Portugal I must recognize the support given by FAO to the development of the agricultural sector and rural society in our country. This support, through a number of projects, has proved to be of the greatest usefulness in solving some of our problems, the solution of which has been greatly facilitated thanks to the cooperation of the experience of the specialists of FAO.

Portugal continues to tackle problems connected with agrarian reform which started after the 25th of April and which for a number of reasons has not yet gone beyond the stage of purely land tenure operations. My predecessors have had the opportunity in the course of the earlier session of the Conference to describe the situation which was then existing in Portugal as far as agrarian structures are concerned. Unfortunately, there is not much that can be added to it. Integrated agrarian reform, which tends towards the creation of productive systems characterized by an intensification and diversification of cropping, has not yet been implemented because of a number of difficulties in carrying out land tenure improvements. In particular, it has not yet been possible to create a balanced and stable pattern of collective and private ownership in the action area nor to guarantee the existence of a whole range of farm types as they are provided for in the Constitution for beneficiaries of agrarian reform going from small peasant farms to cooperatives with integrated production and independent collective farms. On the other hand, and this is no less important, no start has as yet been made with different types of farming enterprises. Nor do we yet have a


definition of the ground rent which has to he provided by those farms to the State, the State who is the land owner. In the north and the centre of the country where we have the vast majority of our farm population and where most of our agricultural produce comes from, it is important to amplify the physical and economic dimensions of the small farms in order to make it possible for the rural families to have an equitable income, the farm families which so far have been among the poorest sectors of the Portuguese society.

In the framework of agrarian reform, which although it will be geographically circumscribed has not yet been able to programme thoroughly the action to be taken, there is still stagnation in agricultural production. In this respect, the point which most gives rise to concern lies in the inefficiency of the measures which have been implemented in order to try to improve the situation, which, instead of taking a positive turn, has been maintained at the same level and has brought about an increasing dependence of our country on food and production input imports.

A large part of the agricultural area in our country is located in the Mediterranean zones, that is to say, the soil and the climate are unfavourable and the utilization of those areas depends on the sources of measures to surmount adverse conditions. It is therefore necessary to have intensive and consistent policies of irrigation and land tenure improvement, but this policy in turn makes it necessary to have higher levels of investment and better-oriented investments than has been the case recently.

The inadequacy of measures adopted so far is clearly shown by the very low value of gross capital formation. As far as the use of capital resources is concerned, it is also necessary to safeguard the environmental conditions, starting with our forest stands and with the possibility, between the conservational functions of the environment, of drawing economic profit from it. We must affirm that for us it is absolutely essential to avoid any depredation of the Mediterranean forests and our vast stands of pinus maritima which for the last years have been victims or devastation ana rires. Measures must be taken urgently in order to avoid destruction of this wealth.

In our country it is necessary to have international cooperation and to have well-planned support taking into account the importance of the problem. My country has already had opportunity of offering facilities for the Seminar on Controlled Forest Fires in 1981.

Still with regard to the use of natural resources, we would like to point out we have vast areas of community ownership for which it is necessary to decide the types of utilization and improvement which need to be institutionalized, and this certainly involves the necessity to coordinate essential plans between forest and grassland. Here again, the FAO-because of its vast experience-could give us extremely useful assistance.

Portugal is still a country where the agricultural population represents a very high proportion of the total population-about 30 percent. That is why the main problem of the agricultural sector is the point of view of implementation, and hence we have the need to give priority to productive activities which are characterised by the intensity of the work input. We therefore have to have a policy for the setting up of certain industries in the rural areas.

For more than 800 thousand farmlands the degree of ageing gives rise to extreme concern, ageing which is particularly noticeable in back-country regions. On the other hand schooling for a very large part of our agricultural population is extremely limited, hence there is the need to define social and structural policies, the results of which will certainly be most promising. Among the measures to be adopted and carried out in this field there is first of all the reception and settlement of young farmers, group farming, in order to increase the physical dimensions of small farms, the farm management centres. These measures, which are part of the present programme of the government, are to be seen in the general context of the regionalization and decentralization of the agricultural services according to the laws which were published in 1977· This is an experience which we think was fruitful but which will still need further correction.

However, the measures concerning social structures cannot be applied effectively if it is not possible to have prior rural extension work, and here again we count on the aid of international organizations. Taking into account the present productivity of land and labour, both of which are very poor in our country even compared with that of countries with similar ecological conditions and population pressures, it was, of course, to be expected there would be agricultural and food deficiencies.

Food policies must improve, also the dietary habits of the population, especially in the rural areas where the daily per capita intakes of animal proteins, meat, fish, eggs, and milk, would still be below the minimum of 30 grammes per day for nearly half of the population concerned.


As far as food production is concerned, the problem of fisheries is of extreme importance for us, and necessary measures have to be taken in this respect. Portugal has always been considered as a fishing nation, although we do not yet actually know what the fishery potentials of our Exclusive Economic Zone are. This universal reputation certainly comes from the practice of deep sea fisheries which has been carried out by Portuguese throughout the centuries, and also because of the presence in the international markets of Portuguese fishing products such as tinned sardines.

This international image certainly contributes to the fact that Portugal is one of the countries where fishery consumption per capita is very high. About 40 percent of the animal proteinswere, at the end of the 1950's, provided by fish; earlier this proportion was something like percent. The per capita consumption, however, is going to drop progressively because of the new Law of the Sea, which is going to change radically the framework of all international fishing because of the over-exploitation of the continental shelf due to traditional fishing methods, if we do not develop rapidly the use of our ΕΞΖ.

The Portuguese Government has drawn up with the cooperation of the international organizations a working programme which will make it possible for us to design a long term fishing programme. This programme will have a first stage, in the course of which we plan to draw up an inventory of marine resources in order to be able to define the priorities for the preparation of a fisheries development programme. At the second stage, there will be the development of a systematic project for the evaluation of fishing resources, and thus the protection of these resources.

At the same time, we are going to re-structure our fishery administration, especially with regard to fishing in the EEZ, and in this respect we are trying to set up here a Fishery Operation and Inspection Centre which will have to coordinate fishing activities in the EEZ. Also both for foreign and Portuguese vessels this will record their identification and their characteristics, movements and catches, and provide data on fisheries to research and statistical bodies, to provide liaison between the competent departments on the one hand and the Marine Aeronautics on the other for proper control of fisheries.

Thanks to those measures, which are essential in order to ensure the proper management of our EEZ, there is a spirit of cooperation between coastal countries which continues, and countries will now allow our high-sea fishing fleets access to their coasts, and we believe it will be possible to maintain at least the present level of fishing production per capita.

We have taken note of the Programme of the Director-General for the development of fisheries in the EEZ which was discussed recently by the Committee on Fisheries, COFI, with which we are in full agreement.

In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, I would like to draw attention to the fact that my country has benefited from a number of projects which have been carried out with the help of the United Nations agencies in the following fields: improvement of olive oil production; soil conservation and drainage; rural extension work; forestry development; development of fisheries in the EEZ; grain storage; harvest production; in-service training of foresters; fattening of beef cattle on pasture land; school feeding in primary schools; and assistance to pregnant women and nursing mothers.

Cooperation has been a reality. We hope to be able to extend and improve it further, since the rural population of Portugal certainly needs it to raise its living standards and quality of life; to enable it to intensify and diversify production and thus to make its due contribution to greater world food security.

V. GARAZO (Namibia): Señor Presidente: Es un privilegio muy especial dirigirme a la Vigésima Sesión de la Conferencia de la Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Agricultura y la Alimentación en mi capacidad de representante del Consejo de las Naciones Unidas para Namibia. Este privilegio debió corresponder al Presidente del Consejo, Embajador Paul Lusaka, de Zambia, quien debido a compromisos inaplazables no pudo incorporarse a la Delegación de Namibia a esta Conferencia. También he de decirles que-es un hijo de Venezuela, país miembro del Consejo de las Naciones Unidas para Namibia, quien se dirige a esta honorable audiencia, en representación de los legítimos intereses de Namibia.

La contribución sustancial de la FAO al entendimiento de los problemas agrícolas mundiales adquiere especial relevancia en una época en la cual la preocupación de los gobiernos se vuelca hacia asuntos cruciales del desarrollo nacional y hacia la necesidad de incrementar los suministros mundiales de alimentos para aliviar los dramáticos problemas de desnutrición y hambre que azotan a innumerables regiones del mundo actual.


Los participantes en esta Conferencia comparten un profundo conocimiento sobre los problemas alimentarios mundiales y sobre los aspectos técnicos y financieros relacionados con tales problemas. Esa participación constituirá indudablemente un valioso aporte de sus Gobiernos en la formulación de políticas conjuntas de cooperación internacional para hacer frente de manera adecuada a los problemas relacionados con la nutrición de la humanidad.

El mensaje que traigo, sin embargo, ofrece otra dimension. Debo traer a la atención de los miembros de esta Conferencia que el Consejo de las Naciones Unidas para Namibia representa a un pueblo que todavía se esfuerza sin desfallecer en una intensa lucha para lograr la autodeterminación, la libertad y la independencia nacional de su propio país bajo el liderazgo de su movimiento de liberación, la South West Africa People's Organization, SWAPO, contra el racismo y el colonialismo impuesto allí ile-galmente por Sudafrica.

El Consejo de las Naciones Unidas para Namibia fue establecido por dócision de la Asamblea General en 1967. Sus atribuciones son las de administrar el Territorio hasta su independencia y promulgar las leyes, decretos o reglamentos necesarios para la administración del Territorio hasta el establecimiento de una Asamblea Legislativa sobre la base del sufragio universal adulto. Al finalizar 1967, el Consejo hubo de reportar que el Gobierno de Sudafrica, ignorando la decisión de la Asamblea General, impedía que el Consejo desempeñara las funciones para las cuales fue creado. Desde entonces, Sudafrica ha rehusado acatar la decision de las Naciones Unidas de retirar su administración ilegal del Territorio, impidiendo así que el pueblo namibiano pueda realizar sus aspiraciones de lograr una genuina independencia nacional.

Desde su establecimiento, el Consejo de las Naciones Unidas para Namibia se ha esforzado para movilizar la opinion pública internacional y en obtener apoyo para presionar a Sudafrica a retirarse del Territorio. Además, el Consejo ha actuado en estrecha cooperación con la SWAPO en la formulación de políticas de asistencia a los namibianos que han logrado escapar de las opresivas prácticas racistas de la administración ilegal sudafricana en el Territorio. A este respecto, el Consejo propuso la creación del Fondo de las Naciones Unidas para Namibia, así como el Instituto para Namibia en Lusaka, Zambia. Ambas iniciativas, apoyadas por la Asamblea General, han incrementado significativamente el apoyo de las Naciones Unidas a la causa del pueblo namibiano.

En una etapa más reciente, en 1976, la Asamblea General estableció el Programa de la Nación Namibiana, el cual ha recibido amplio apoyo de las agencias especializadas y otros órganos dentro del sistema de las Naciones Unidas. El Programa, dirigido a proporcionar asistencia, dentro del sistema de las Naciones Unidas, y previsto para abarcar tanto el actual período de lucha por la independencia, como los primeros años de vida independiente de Namibia, incluye:

1º El examen y planificación de medidas de los organismos especializados y otras organizaciones y órganos del sistema de las Naciones Unidas para la asistencia de los namibianos;

2º La consolidación de un plan de acción amplio y sostenido;

3º La ejecución del plan de acción.

La Asamblea delego en el Consejo que represento la elaboración, en consulta con la South West Africa People's Organization, las directrices y políticas del Programa y dirigir y coordinar su ejecución. En una reunión efectuada en Lusaka, Zambia, el Consejo adopto, el 22 de marzo de 1978, esas directrices, las políticas y el plan de acción para la ejecución del Programa.

El 16 de febrero del corriente año, el Consejo aprobó un informe sobre la ejecución del Programa de la Nación Namibiana, consistente en 45 proyectos prioritarios que contemplan algunas de las necesidades de Namibia previas a la independencia. Los fondos para la puesta en marcha de los proyectos provienen de promesas de contribuciones voluntarias, así como de fondos del Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo.

La Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Agricultura y la Alimentación, en particular, ha jugado un papel decisivo en el desarrollo de los proyectos de asistencia al pueblo namibiano dentro del marco del Programa de la Nación Namibiana. Deseo hacer un aparte en esta etapa de mi declaración para agradecer a la FAO y a su distinguido Director General, señor Edouard Saouma, el interés y la deferencia demostrados en torno al caso de Namibia.


Entre los planes contemplados por el Programa y relacionados con la rama agrícola y alimenticia en general, elaborados por la FAO, previendo los problemas que enfrentará Namibia al alcanzar su independencia, figuran las siguientes actividades:

- pesquerías;
- agricultura y preparación de la reforma agraria y programas de reasentamiento;
- ganadería, silvicultura y fauna silvestre;
- planificación del desarrollo de aguas con fines agrícolas;
- evaluación de tierras utilizables;
- programa de becas en materia de economía alimenticia;
- entrenamiento para el manejo del suministro de alimentos.

Asimismo, hay en curso programas operados por la FAO y que cubren el período pre-independencia, así como programas de emergencia de ayuda alimentaria para refugiados namibianos en Angola.

La puesta en marcha de estos programas es indispensable para que la economía agropecuaria de Namibia pueda desarrollarse de modo que alcance niveles satisfactorios. Estudios confiables realizados sobre el Territorio muestran que la productividad agrícola en Namibia está lejos de atender las necesidades de la población. Ello, por supuesto, no es más que una de las tantas evidencias de la negligencia con que Sudafrica administra el Territorio. Se trata de una administración de agotamiento tanto de los recursos naturales renovables como de los no renovables, que está conduciendo aceleradamente a Namibia hacia su depauperación.

Informes dignos de crédito revelan asimismo que la producción pesquera en Namibia está declinando de manera alarmante, y que algunas áreas presentan indicios de agotamiento, proceso no pocas veces asociado a fenómenos de contaminación marina. Es por ello que el Consejo de las Naciones Unidas para Namibia ha recurrido a la experticia de la FAO en la búsqueda de soluciones para estas calamidades, cuya magnitud ha determinado el ingreso de Namibia en el Comité sobre Pesquerías, para el actual bienio con el objeto de seguir de cerca los trabajos de ese importante órgano en su preparación para acometer adecuadamente la solución a las dificultades que, en materia pesquera, enfrentará inevitablemente al convertirse en un Estado independiente.

Sea propicio este momento para agregar el nombre de Namibia a la extensa lista de países que han endosado el Plan de Cinco Puntos propuesto por el Director General y luego aprobado por el Consejo de la Organización. En la acción inmediata a seguir, es ingrediente esencial la solidaridad, pues, como lo dijo el Presidente de esta Conferencia, es en la consecución de una nueva solidaridad entre las Naciones en donde está la clave del futuro del hombre, y en la tarea de vencer dificultades inmensas es necesario seguir profundizando en la conciencia internacional.

Nos llena de satisfacción recordar ahora la admisión de Namibia como miembro de pleno derecho de la FAO. Tal realización, ocurrida durante el décimo noveno período de sesiones de la Conferencia, en noviembre de 1977, es un importante avance y un logro diplomático que está contribuyendo a la efectividad del reconocimiento del Consejo para Namibia como Autoridad Administradora legal del Territorio, protege los derechos e intereses del pueblo namibiano, y ayuda a éste y a la comunidad internacional en la lucha para erradicar la administración ilegal sudafricana en Namibia. Como ya lo reconoció la Delegación del Consejo que atendió el décimo noveno período de sesiones de la Conferencia de la FAO, la condición de Namibia como miembro de pleno derecbo en la FAO, hará más difícil que Sudafrica logre el reconocimiento de cualquier régimen espurio que pueda intentar establecer en Windhoek. La condición de Namibia como miembro pleno de la FAO, además, abre nuevas vías de comunicación y posibilidades de cooperación con otros organismos especializados.

Señor Presidente: El pueblo de Namibia y su movimiento de liberación, la SWAPO, necesitan el apoyo efectivo no sólo de los Estados miembros de las Naciones Unidas, sino también de aquellas organizaciones dentro del sistema que, como la FAO, se empeñan en proporcionarnos un mundo mejor. El proceso de abolición del hambre en el mundo durante el presente siglo está íntimamente ligado a los cambios sociales, económicos y políticos que tienen lugar en diferentes regiones del planeta. Namibia independiente no será ajena a este proceso de interacción dentro del cual cada uno de nosotros tiene una responsabilidad que cumplir. Deseamos ver emerger una Namibia libre, próspera, cuyo pueblo pueda olvidar la pesadilla vivida de opresión, despojo, hambre y humillaciones a que ha sido arbitrariamente sometido por un régimen ajeno a la existencia de los más elementales derechos humanos de la población nativa. Es también placentero para mí notar que la SWAPO ha sido invitada a asistir a esta Conferencia y está aquí presente con nosotros.


Se me ha pedido en nombre de SWAPO expresar al Director General el agradecimiento del movimiento auténtico de liberación de Namibia, por su invitación y por el apoyo constructivo de la FAO al programa de la Nación Namibiana, así como por la asistencia alimentaria de emergencia suministrada a nimibianos exiliados en Angola. Sudafrica todavía prosigue su determinación de establecer un régimen títere en Namibia. Continua su escalada de actos de violencia. La corriente de arrestos masivos, de detenciones y otras formas de intimidación contra miembros de SWAPO, prosiguen.

Pero el heroico pueblo de Namibia está decidido a llevar adelante su lucha armada hasta su conclusion logica una vez más gracias a los miembros de la FAO por su pleno apoyo a la nación namibiana.

Quiero finalizar mi declaración expresando a usted, señor Presidente, el beneplácito de la delegación de Namibia por el hecho de que sea un ilustre hijo de España quien presida nuestra Conferencia. También deseo, en nombre de mi delegación, dar la bienvenida a Dominica y Samoa Occidental, con cuyo ingreso nuestra Organización se ve fortalecida.

A. S. SUIVAI (Samoa): Mr. Chairman, Mr. Director-General, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen:

May I begin by saying how privileged and delighted I am for being afforded the opportunity to lead Samoa's delegation on the occasion of its formal acceptance as a member of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

The Government and people of Samoa have long been associated with FAO and its work in Samoa. I would like to say however that even though FAO's achievements are conspicuous, Samoa nevertheless gave long and careful consideration before applying for membership. Ours is not a rich country. Our resources, material and manpower are small. The decision therefore to join could not be taken lightly. Samoa's decision has as much to do with its belief in FAO's aims as in its ability to achieve these aims.

It is my country's hope that our membership in this Organization will bring before this forum the perspective of the small South Pacific countries. It is also my country's hope that FAO's awareness of the South Pacific perspective, its problems and aspirations, will induce a more emphatic presence in the region. Samoa therefore views with great importance the contribution of the South-West Pacific region to the universal struggle waged by this Organization against poverty and malnutrition.

I should like to take this opportunity to thank the Director-General, Mr. Saouma, and the Secretariat for the assistance extended to our delegation. His dynamic leadership has been an example of hope for us and as we take our place in this forum we look forward to closer working relationships with him and his staff.

This debate takes place at a very crucial point in our work. We are approaching the end of this decade, a decade in which we have already experienced the manifold traumas of poverty and natural disaster. His Holiness Pope John-Paul the second reminded us of, among other things, the injustice inherited from the past. The benefit of hindsight enables us to ponder over our failures and to establish a fresh approach that should seek to rectify them. But this is not enough. We are embarking on a mission which will test our resources to the maximum. Our goals as exemplified in our programme of work should radiate hope. Our hope must relate to well-informed vision and determined concerted action.

Samoas very existence derives from the fruits of its soil and the surrounding sea. Our culture and tradition embody these elements. These facts, of themselves, make us sensitive of the need to husband and conserve our resources. But the last few years have demonstrated that Samoa is, by its very nature, acutely conscious of the problems faced by the world. As President Kenneth Kaunda paraphrased the metaphysical poet John Donne: no man is an island and the sufferings of another man diminish him. As we face the pressing demands exerted by population growth and its concommitant developments we realise that we are challenged by problems of a universal nature. The power of mass communication and the migration of peoples and goods have brought to our shores a new situation. More than two-thirds of our total active population work in the agricultural sector, which provides some 90 percent of our exports. This augurs a precarious situation, especially in view of possible natural disasters and pressures of a monetary economy. We regard the stimulation of the productive capacity of our agricultural base as a development that could lead to creation of new employment possibilities as well as a contribution to raising of our people's income in the rural areas. We have also been attempting to improve our exports of primary products and agro-based industrial products. It is important that we take a bold programme of action in keeping with the realistic circumstances we have pledged to translate into action. The starting point could be the question of meeting our basic needs. While we would recognise the large differences that exist among ourselves, we must realise that we are clients in a world of natural events. The rule should not be the survival of the fittest but the labour of the fittest for the betterment of every man, woman and child in the world today.


Assistance by way of field support in order to accelerate and improve the production and distribution of food, should be vigorously promoted. We face today a precarious situation in world food security and this should force us to redefine in a concerted effort solid measures to safeguard security of food at large.

The advent of industrial development has caused in our respective countries certain shifts in our thinking and action. The developing countries continue to adjust themselves to new pressures. Their system of land-tenure requires novel definitions in order to meet the standards of modern finance. Furthermore, this has proved difficult for those countries which set as a priority high productivity in commercial crop production.

We view in this respect the application of appropriate technology to be one of the answers to these problems. And it is essential in this regard that technical and capital assistance must be made available to small countries that are involved in this form of development.

The world conference on agrarian reform and rural development demonstrated to us the importance of the participation of rural dwellers in the developmental process. They should be agents that preside over structural changes, and should be involved in deciding the level of technical assistance. They have proved that the institutions that have managed on their own have withstood the test of time. It is by strengthening rural institutions that we could hope to halt the movement of people to the urban areas. Often the root of poverty lies in this movement and is being made worse by uncontrolled investments. A strong rural development programme which directs capital assistance to meet rural priorities should be promoted.

Samoa is quite clear about its responsibilities in the development of its rural areas. It directs a. cohesive rural development programme that sets as its priorities communal enterprises. This has allowed the small farmers to join in communal developments which they, on an individual basis, would not have been able to do. Significantly it has demonstrated to us, that national development can be transformed into action by adherence to our traditions and cultures.

While we are a developing country, we have a number of natural resources, which, properly exploited, can assist us in improving the lot of our people. Our tropical forest cover has, for instance, been a valuable resource. We are now pioneering an electrification scheme from woodfuel and have regarded this resource as an important source of energy of us. We recognise that forests can contribute greatly to our national economy and also constitute an integral part of our fauna and flora.

The development of forestry industry has several benefits. The exports of timber and timber impregnation create employment and serve as revenue earners. But there should be a scheme of reafforestation that must be based at rural areas. This will be labour intensive and the net effect should be to lift the standard of living in the rural area. A set of international standards on plant protection by which member countries would be guided is a matter of priority. This should be done to prevent the introduction and spread of destructive plantpests and diseases. By implementing elaborate plant protection measures and strengthening of plant protection and quarantine services we must at the same time ensure that they do not unnecessarily become barriers to trade.

The development and management of fisheries in exclusive economic zones is of utmost importance to us. Our fisheries resources supply us with protein for a fast growing population. We realise that the principal fisheries resources of our proposed EEZ are migratory species and it is therefore necessary to cooperate with other coastal states in order to ensure maximum utilisation and conservation. It is essential to us that a climate conductive to joint ventures be promoted in order for those concerned to reap the economic benefits derived from fisheries resources.

We would therefore wish to see that comprehensive and up-to-date surveys and determination of living resources that are available in two hundred exclusive economic zones be carried out. In this connexion there are related activities in which technical assistance ought to be pursued simultaneously. These include: the effective management conservation, utilisation and harvesting of such living resources; the determination of the most beneficial and effective manner of utilisation of the resources whether by access agreement with foreign fishers, joint venture agreement or other financial agreement or arrangement; the question of fishing licences of permits to be granted to foreign fishers.

We realise that through the exercise of naked power by the larger fishing states, modern technical improvements in fishing, leading to unrestricted exploitation, might deplete the living resources of the high seas. Mr. Chairman, the answer to our problems does not lie in lamenting our fate and yearning to reinstate the conditions of the past. Rather it lies in accepting the fact that we are now part of a wider world and wish to play our own unique part in it. Our hope is to develop a modern economy based on improved methods of agriculture, forestry and fishing, to improve transport both within the country and externally, and to establish industries that will add value to our raw materials and decrease the dependence on imports. We hope at the same time to preserve throughout this development process the widespread and equitable distribution of wealth that has always been a feature of our society.


E. RAVELOJAONA (Madagascar): C'est un honneur pour moi de prendre la parole aujourd'hui devant cette noble Assemblée.

En premier lieu, il est de mon devoir de présenter les excuses de S. E. M. Simon Pierre, Ministre du développement rural et de la réforme agraire.

Depuis deux mois environ, S. E. M, le Ministre avait manifesté déjà le désir de participer à cette Conférence, mais comme dit un de nos proverbes "Fotoam-bita tsy mahaleo ny sampona"-"Un imprévu est plus fort qu'un rendez-vous fixe". M, le Ministre n'a pu se rendre à Rome étant retenu par des obligations internes de son ministère. En effet, le Ministère du développement rural et de la réforme agraire procède actuellement à de vastes restructurations nécessitées par les lignes de conduite de la révolution.

Voilà, Monsieur le Président, les raisons majeures qui ont retenu M, le Ministre, et je suis persuadé que vous acceptez par votre compréhension les excuses qu'il vous présente.

En second lieu, je profite de cette occasion qui m'est offerte pour vous adresser, Monsieur le Président, les félicitations chaleureuses de ma délégation pour votre élection à la tête de cette importante réunion qu'est la 20ème session de la Conférence de la FAO.

Votre dynamisme, votre compétence ont conduit les nombreux délégués à porter leur choix sur votre personne, et nous avons tous suivi avec attention la manière pleine de délicatesse avec laquelle vous avez dirigé les séances.

Certains d'entre vous ne connaissent peut-être pas Madagascar ou connaissent mal cette grande terre plongée dans l'océan Indien. Une superficie vaste avec ses 589 000 km2 aussi grande que la France et le Benelux réunis. Ses cotes couvrent plus de 5 000 km. Sa population n'est pourtant que de 8 500 000 habitants.

Mon pays est à vocation agricole et 85 pour cent de ses habitants sont des paysans attachés à la terre. L'agriculture est donc l'activité principale du peuple malgache.

Nous nous attachons donc à tout ce qui, de près ou de loin, s'efforce de mettre en valeur la terre. La FAO joue un rôle primordial dans ce domaine de mise en valeur des terres pour avoir des productions susceptibles de nourrir plusieurs millions d'âmes.

L'insuffisance de l'alimentation dans le monde, en particulier dans les pays en développement, est l'ennemi No 1 que tous les pays de bonne volonté doivent combattre.

Certes, la tâche est difficile, le chemin est long à parcourir, mais avec la compréhension des uns et des autres et avec les efforts déployés par la FAO, tot ou tard, la malnutrition dans les pays en développement sera, nous en sommes persuadés, anéantie.

Un de nos proverbes dit "Taon-trano tsy efan'ny irery"-"Construire une maison ne peut être l'oeuvre d'une personne". Nous avons donc à combattre ensemble, la main dans la main, un ennemi commun qui est la faim.

Pays riches, pays pauvres, nous sommes embarqués dans une même barque dans cet océan mondial. Nous ne pouvons pas nous esquiver du devoir que nous impose la sécurité alimentaire mondiale.

En ce qui concerne mon pays, et dans le cadre du développement de l'agriculture, de l'élevage, le pouvoir révolutionnaire, sous la haute direction de S. E. M. le Président Didier Ratsiraka, a pris de nombreuses dispositions afin de donner au peuple, détenteur du pouvoir, l'espoir de se nourrir décemment.

D'ailleurs, le Livre rouge, dans son chapitre III point 4, dit "L'agriculture et l'élevage sont les bases essentielles de notre développement et de notre révolution".

L'objectif visé par le pouvoir révolutionnaire est de pouvoir nourrir et vêtir les 8 millions d'âmes qui peuplent Madagascar.

De nombreux efforts ont été effectués depuis la révolution pour augmenter les surfaces cultivées. Diverses actions ont été aussi prises pour accroître la culture du riz, nourriture de base des Malgaches: entretien des réseaux hydro-agricoles, travaux d'aménagement de périmètres nouveaux, y compris l'extension des périmètres existants, organisation des équipements agricoles, encadrement en général.


Chacune des six Faritany ou provinces de Madagascar est tenue dans les années à venir à aménager 15 000 ha en rizières, qui donneront donc un total de 100 000 ha environ. En outre, il est prévu de réaliser à court terme l'aménagement de 200 000 ha en soja et 50 000 ha en blé.

Dans le cadre de notre révolution, des journées patriotiques ont été organisées. C'est ainsi qu'il y a des périodes pendant lesquelles, grands et petits fonctionnaires et paysans,consacrent des journées soit pour la préparation des rizières, soit pour le repiquage du riz, ce qui rencontre pleinement la volonté du pouvoir révolutionnaire de guider la population dans le développement de la riziculture.

Nos dirigeants encouragent les paysans à produire davantage en leur octroyant des primes. Ceci stimule chaque paysan à cultiver plus, pour satisfaire ses besoins familiaux et dégager un surplus commercialisable. Cet encouragement touche également les autres produits, car Madagascar cultive en effet de nombreux produits agricoles dont l'exportation constitue notre principale source de devises: par exemple la vanille, le café, la girofle, le poivre, etc.

Le manque de voies de communication à l'intérieur du pays pose les plus grands problèmes à notre époque.

La construction de nouvelles routes, et l'amélioration et l'entretien des réseaux de communications existants sont parmi les tâches prioritaires auxquelles le pouvoir révolutionnaire s'attelle avec énergie.

En effet, pendant la saison pluvieuse, les communications sont très difficiles entre les principales zones de production, et ne permettent donc pas l'évacuation des produits ni d'en assurer la distribution dans les zones déficitaires.

Actuellement, le Ministre du développement rural et de la réforme agraire est en pleine restructuration pour mieux répondre aux exigences dictées par la ligne de conduite de notre révolution.

Les structures en partant du "Fokonolona", cellule de base, sont déjà mises en place depuis plus de deux ans, et le pouvoir révolutionnaire a donné à chaque groupement une grande latitude et une pleine responsabilité pour le développement de son économie.

Cette initiative révolutionnaire porte ses fruits et on assiste chaque année à des rendements encourageants dans la production.

D'après tout ce qui précède, Madagascar s'efforce donc d'augmenter sa production agricole. Il ne néglige pas non plus de prendre soin de son cheptel. Madagascar compte d'abord sur ses propres efforts pour réduire au minimum la malnutrition et compter ensuite sur l'aide de pays amis.

Mon pays est ouvert à toutes formes de coopération quelles qu'elles soient, à condition que ces coopérations ne présentent aucun caractère de domination ni d'exploitation.

On assiste parfois à des coopérations assorties de certaines conditions inacceptables. Mon pays rejette catégoriquement ces formes de coopération.

Par contre, ma délégation a noté avec satisfaction les déclarations de nombreux pays qui offrent leur collaboration dans le domaine de l'assistance en général. Qu'ils en soient remerciés.

Avant de conclure, il nous tient à coeur de souligner combien nous apprécions les nombreux efforts entrepris par la FAO dans la lutte contre la faim et la malnutrition dans les pays en développement.

A cet égard, nous appuyons donc fermement les divers programmes spécifiques lancés par notre Organisation, et que nous considérons comme les instruments les mieux appropriés pour mener cette lutte.

Nous ne sommes que trop conscients de la gravité de la faim et de la malnutrition qui sévissent dans le monde. C'est un devoir sacré pour chacun et pour tous d'unir leurs meilleurs efforts dans le combat auquel se joue notre Organisation sous le leadership de son Directeur général.

Nous sommes tous persuadés que nous réussirons à combattre ensemble la faim si nous nous accordons la confiance mutuelle. Ainsi la barque ne chavirera pas et le monde sera sauvé.


EL PRESIDENTE: Señoras y señores delegados, en el orden del día que les ha sido distribuido en la mañana de hoy, al llegar a este punto, es decir, al término de la intervención de la delegación de Madagascar, estaba previsto que examináramos el Tercer Informe del Comité General, que les ha sido facilitado a lo largo de la tarde; pero nos quedan en este momento todavía dos intervenciones de organizaciones: concretamente las correspondientes al Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Medio Ambiente y a la Comisión Económica para Asia Occidental, ya que respecto a los otros dos oradores inscritos parece que con ellos ha habido una alteración.

Si les parece a ustedes, por mantener el orden, podríamos continuar con todas las intervenciones y al término de las mismas examinaríamos el Tercer Informe del Comité General.

Se muestran conformes los señores delegados? Pues entonces continuamos con las intervenciones correspondientes a las organizaciones. Antes, el Sr. Secretario General desea hacer alguna manifestación. Tiene, pues, la palabra el Sr. Sylla.

SECRETARY GENERAL: This is not an announcement but a note which I have just received from Dr. Williams, who is the Executive Director of the World Food Council who was on the list of speakers for this afternoon. The note is as follows:

"The Executive Director of the World Food Council had the honour of addressing this Conference, on behalf of the United Nations and Secretary-General Waldheim, on Tuesday 13 November.

"Inasmuch as the views of the World Food Council are well reflected in that brief statement, and in view of the time constraint under which this Conference is working, it is not the intention of the Executive Director to take your time with another statement.

"The World Food Council is grateful for the many references by Ministers to its catalytic and supportive role and for the whole-hearted co-operation it continues to receive from FAO.

"It remains for the World Food Council to wish this Twentieth Session of the FAO Conference every success. "

EL PRESIDENTE: Muchas gracias, Sr. Secretario General. Y en este caso pasamos a las intervenciones de organizaciones. En primer lugar tiene la palabra el Sr. Peter Thacher, del Programa de las Naciones Uni das para el Medio Ambiente.

P. THACHER (United Nations Environment Programme): Mr, President, Mr. Chairman, I have come on behalf of the Executive Director of the UNEP, Dr. Mustafa Tolba, to present his Statement to your Conference. He is unavoidably detained in Santiago, Chile, and could not be here before the conclusion of this Meeting.

Mr. President, Mr. Director-General, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen,

May I begin, Mr. President, by joining others who have spoken in congratulating you and your colleagues on your election to your high office and expressing my confidence that under your guidance the Conference will successfully address the complex issues on its agenda.

FAO's longstanding concern with environmental problems has led to a close and fruitful partnership with UNEP, and it is, therefore, a particular privilege for me to speak to you today of our shared perception of the overall problems and of the nature of our partnership.

In August of this year, your distinguished Director-General Mr. Edouard Saouma, attended a Symposium on the interrelationships between Resources, Environment, Population and Development, at which I also had the pleasure of participating. Mr. Saouma delivered a remarkable statement in which he articulated the principles for a third agricultural revolution. The principles call for the rational use of the natural resources of our earth: an environmental equilibrium that includes human development, sustainable, productive ecosystems, and appropriate agricultural production systems adapted to the existing ecological conditions.

These principles find expression in the long-term strategy towards the year 2000 which is now before you for your consideration. I sincerely hope that this Conference will forcefully endorse the principles and the innovative modalities for action that the Director-General is proposing.


As you are aware, Sir, the United Nations General Assembly is to meet in special session next year and is expected to adopt a new international development strategy for the 1980's. In addressing the Preparatory Committee for that strategy in May this year I stressed my view that the strategy should be framed in a long-term perspective. In such a perspective, there is no conflict between environmental goals and those of sustainable development, and I recalled that the. Governing Council of United Nations Environment Programme has considered that the possibility of successfully establishing a New International Economic Order may largely depend on the environmental and ecological soundness of the actions taken, and on the rational management of resources. In my statement, I stressed that the objective of a substantial increase in food and agricultural production is vital, but the means devised for its advancement should take into account the total impact on land-based agricultural ecosystems.

It is therefore essential, in my view, that the efforts and contributions of the Food and Agriculture Organization should be taken fully into account by the United Nations General Assembly in framing the strategy and in its implementation. The relevant goals for the Strategy in the end can only be achieved by efforts on the ground, and they should only be framed bearing the actual situation in mind.

FAO has made tremendous efforts towards devising a system for world food security, which I think should provide the essential safety net complementary to the implementation of the Strategy.

Let me now refer to the specific nature of FAO/UNEP co-operation, which I believe is based on firm ground and augurs well for our joint efforts in meeting the challenges of the 1980's and beyond. As you know, UNEP is not an operational organization. Its mandate is to catalyze and co-ordinate, and the resources of the Fund of UN Environment Programme are used for this purpose through partial and selective support of new activities. Such support for specific activities carried out by co-operating organizations like the Food and Agriculture Organization is expected to gradually phase out, and the activities which hopefully have by then proved their value are carried on and developed by the organizations themselves. The Food and Agriculture Organization has recognized these principles from the start, and I wish to express my deep appreciation for the way in which increased resources are being proposed for allocation by FAO to the areas of its collaboration with UNEP. Let me assure you that this will release and make available some UN Environment Programme support for use in new co-operative activities with FAO.

The memorandum of understanding jointly signed by the Food and Agriculture Organization's Director-General and myself is an important step in strengthening our working relations and spells out the ways and means for our mutual co-operation. My friend and colleague, Mr. Saouma, takes a keen interest in the inter-actions between our two organizations, and I wish through you to thank him for sparing no effort in helping me improve our co-operation further, as well as that of the UN system as a whole in focusing on and dealing effectively with environmental concerns. I also wish to place on record our appreciation of the efforts of the internal co-ordinating machinery within the FAO secretariat, which is the Inter-Departmental Working Group on Natural Resources of the Human Environment, chaired by Mr. Huguet.

Le me now refer to some of the specific areas of co-operation between FAO and UNEP:

- Soils are a prime target for UNEP/FAO co-operation

In co-operation with FAO and other organizations we are preparing to identify and define the most important legal, scientific, technical, cultural and institutional elements of an integrated soils policy.

- We are co-operating with FAO and other concerned organizations to develop an integrated programme of activities for the conservation and wise utilization of tropical forests. An important meeting of experts at Libreville in Gabon from 25 February to 1 March 1980, being generously hosted by the Government of Gabon, is expected to produce a useful instrument for the concerned countries and for the international community as a whole to tackle the crucial problems of the tropical forests of our planet.

- Linked with the subjects of soil degradation and forest depletion is the very important problem area of desertification. Combating desertification is not new to FAO and has been conducted under other names ever since the creation of the organization, especially within the context of FAO's EMASAR programme. UNEP was entrusted with co-ordinating the implementation of the Plan of Action to Combat Desertification which emanated from the UN Conference on Desertification held in Nairobi in 1977 . I am particularly appreciative of our co-operation with FAO directly and within the Inter-Agency Working Group on Desertification as well as within the Consultative Group for Desertification Control of which FAO is one of the co-sponsors. I should also like to express my great satisfaction with the support given by FAO to the United Nations Sudane-Sahelian Office which acts, on behalf of UNEP, as a coordinator for implementing the Plan of Action to Combat Desertification Processes. These methodologies will become very important tools for the fight against desertification-perhaps the single most important environmental threat to humanity today.


- UNEP's concern for the global commons is manifest in its programmes on the protection of the living resources within the marine environment. Following the Stockholm Conference in 1972, UNEP identified its responsibilities in regard to marine living resources as the promotion and catalysis of activities which will serve to ensure that the renewable living resources of the oceans do not suffer from human exploitation, beyond threshold recovery levels. Man needs to control and regulate his varied activities in the marine environment, to prevent over-exploitation and deterioration of the quality of the living resources therein. Nations have a particularly heavy responsibility to manage the living resources of their exclusive economic zones. During recent years, we have held joint activities with FAO on marine mammals conservation, marine pollution, effects of river inputs to ocean systems and on the international information system for the science and technology of marine and fresh water environments. FAO and UNEP are co-operating to produce a global plan of action for the prudent management and the avoidance of pollution of marine resources.

- UNEP and FAO have also placed high priority on conservation of plant and animal genetic resources, particularly those of species that constitute the essential guarantee for continued agricultural productivity. Intensive selection for high performance and uniformity has dangerously narrowed the genetic base of many food species. Our two organizations are working closely towards the conservation of crop, plant and animal genetic resources and in environmental application of microbal resources, especially in the area of biological nitrogen fixation in the tropics.

- The awesome proportions of edible agriculture produce lost because of contamination demands coordinated and sustained effort in many directions: improvement of sanitation in rural areas, control of insecticides and chemicals used during food processing; more efficient transport and distribution co-operation in international trade; and the establishment of research and training centres. FAO and UNEP are working together to deal with this problem, of food contamination.

- The Global Environmental/Monitoring System, which we refer to as GEMS, co-ordinated by UNEP's Programme Activity Centre, has had a long history of co-operation with FAO. A few examples:

(a) The global assessment of soil degradation, led to the development of methods for the determination of the existing state of soil degradation and the measurement of the rate at which it is chemically, physically and biologically degrading.

(b) The Tropical Forest Cover Monitoring Project has developed and tested useful, simple methods for determining the extent of tropical forest cover using various combinations of information gathering systems.

(c) An advanced approach to arid land monitoring is embodied in the new UNEP/FAO pilot activity on the inventory and monitoring of Sahelian pastoral ecosystems, presently about to start operations. This will hopefully provide the Senegalese Government with information necessary to ensure sound management and control of desertification.

I hope these few examples of common effort will enable you to share my feelings of hope and encouragement for the prospects of common effort by UNEP and FAO. The decisions adopted by this policy-making Conference will give us a further impetus. We in UNEP are fully aware of the challenge of the future: from all over the world a multiplying human population attempts to meet their needs, needs for more and better food and nutrition, through more and better development, through more equitable international economic relations embodied in a New International Economic Order. Working together, FAO and UNEP can assist the international community to meet these needs without destroying the essential ecological equilibria of the biosphere. At times in the past, UNEP had to face the reluctance of those who feared that environment and development were conflicting ideas but this is now behind us. But we are still concerned about the impact of not-well-thought-out development activities on the limits of tolerance of the biosphere. The FAO principles for a third agricultural revolution constitute a huge step in the right direction. And we certainly welcome the forward-looking initiatives taken by FAO to design new and appropriate agricultural strategies, and we therefore wish you every success in your deliberations.


M. AHMED (Economic Commission for Western Asia): Mr. Chairman, distinguished delegates, and observers, due to unavoidable circumstances, Dr. Mohammed Said Al-Attar, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Western Asia, was unable to attend this Conference in person. On his behalf, I wish to congratulate you, Mr. Chairman, and to congratulate your colleagues for being chosen to preside over this important Conference. As can be judged from the ongoing discussions, we are confident that the Conference will achieve its planned objectives under your able guidance.

We also would like to avail ourselves of this opportunity to express our appreciation to Mr. Edouard Saouma, the Director-General of FAO, and the Conference Secretariat for making this Conference possible. The documents prepared by FAO for this Conference are, indeed of high quality and have provided major guidelines and a very useful framework for the ongoing discussions.

Agriculture and rural development is one of the major concerns of the United Nations Economic Commission for Western Asia. Though the importance of agriculture has slightly declined during the recent years it continues to play an important role in the overall socio-economic development of the region. Agriculture, besides being a major source of income, after petroleum, to the majority of the population, provides the non-agricultural sectors with food and labour.

Though the rate of growth in food and agriculture production has been impressive in some of the countries in the region, the gap between the domestic production and consumption has become larger. Consequently, the self-sufficiency ratio for the major food commodities has sharply declined during the recent years. The agricultural sector requires greater attention for achieving a more stable economic growth.

For the above reasons, the United Nations Economic Commission for Western Asia, through the Joint/FAO Agriculture Division, has made concerted efforts to tackle agricultural problems in the region on three major fronts: namely, agricultural planning and adjustment, agricultural and rural institutions, and regional cooperation. In the area of planning, emphasis is being placed on sector and subsector studies with a view to assessing the present and potential role of agriculture in the overall socioeconomic development of the ECWA region. In collaboration with FAO and other relevent international and regional organizations, efforts are being made to strengthen, through in-service training, the planning capacity of the member countries.

During the 1978-79 biennium, two agricultural sector studies, one for the Yemen Arab Republic, and another for Democratic Yemen, were carried out. A livestock subsector study was completed, covering the northern part fo the ECWA region. ECWA has also cooperated with FAO in undertaking a livestock subsector study covering the Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula. Two volumes of an annual bulletin "Agriculture and Development" were issued during 1978-79. This publication reviews and appraises the past and present developments and performance of the agricultural sector and provides guidelines for the rationalization of agricultural planning and decision-making in the region.

As for the activites under the agricultural and rural institutions subprogramme, the main focus is on social economic, and institutional problems which have bearing on productivity and farm income, with emphasis on the traditional agricultural subsector. Action programmes and alternative policy measures are proposed for tackling some of the outstanding rural development problems in the region. This activity also involves the monitoring and assessing of the ongoing agrarian reform and rural development programmes in the region.

During the 1978-79 biennium, studies were carried out on planning farm enterprises and organizations, pastoral systems and problems in the ECWA region, land tenure and fragmentation problems, and a study on cropsharing as related to productivity and farm income in the Yemen Arab Republic. Under the same subprogramme, greater emphasis will be put on agricultural marketing, credit and farming systems and their impact on productivity and income.

Under regional agricultural cooperation, issues pertaining to food security and agricultural resource conservation practices and policies are handled. Though some major progress has been made in the past, increased effort will be required for achieving more effective and comprehensive technical and economic cooperation in the region. ECWA's activities are aimed at increasing awareness among member countries of the importance of this activity and at strengthening their planning capacity. Several studies have been undertaken regarding plan harmonization and integration, intra-and interregional trade in agricultural commodities and inputs and food security issues and policies in the ECWA region. A book on "Food Security Issues in the Arab Near East" was published and another on "Irrigation and Agriculture Development in the ECWA Region" is in the process of being published.


Increasing attention is being paid to arranging workshops, seminars and intergovernmental consultations with a view to exploring possibilities for joint intercountry and regional projects which will lead to an improved food security position in the region and to a more rational utilization of the available agricultural resources.

B. JODA (Libya): Mr. Chairman, I would like to congratulate you on your election to chair this meeting of FAO. I am fully convinced that your sound guidance will enable this Conference to achieve the expected results. Also it is a great pleasure for me to see one of the citizens of a country that we respect and with which we have close historical associations here presiding over our destinies.

I would like to welcome the newly joined members. I am convinced that this enlarged family of FAO will increase its strength and abilities.

I have arrived late but, you may know that working in agriculture, especially under rainfed conditions, requires all our efforts and takes up all our time. This is what caused me to be so late in addressing this distinguished meeting.

We in the Jamahiriyah have high hopes of this Conference, as this session is being held at a time when we have many declarations about the New International Economic Order. Despite the fact that this order is still in the realm of ambition it is still one of the major targets and legitimate claims of developing countries. It is only natural that agriculture is one of the main axis, of the New International Economic Order.

This Conference is being held at a time when all indications point out that agricultural growth in developing countries has not achieved any noteworthy progress. On the contrary, it is falling in a number of countries of the world. Hunger and malnutrition are still the main concerns of the World and their victims are increasing daily. Food security for the majority of humanity is far from being achieved. Prosperity and stability for rural inhabitants of most of the Third World countries are still words echoing in international fora. They may have heard of them but they have not so far witnessed any results from the application of this. Because of all these considerations the gap between the poor and the rich is increasing.

We in the Jamahiriyah are fully convinced that freedom for nations will come only if they can achieve self-sufficiency in the area of food.

This Conference was preceded by the World Food Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development and the whole of this building echoes still with what was said there. The programme of action which was agreed to at that meeting stresses the importance of agriculture and the role of rural dwellers in achieving self-determination and independence in the field of agriculture.

I do not wish to speak at length, especially as the General Discussion has just ended. However, on behalf of my nation I would like to submit certain demands and requests.

We in the Jamahiriyah fully endorse the Organization and support it. We hope that all the ideas being exchanged in this Organization will be translated into genuine actions aimed at providing food for all the hungry of this world. My appreciation of this international Organization does not prevent me from pointing out that the transfer of the regional office of the Near East is a request being submitted by the people of the Jamahiriyah. All the countries of the region have requested the transfer in its own interest. The present location of the headquarters has not enabled it to undertake any of the activities required by it. Consequently we hope that all delegations attending this Conference will respect the desires of the countries of the region and agree to the transfer of the headquarters to another country.

As many of those who have heard our statements may be well aware, we do not consider our agricultural development something to be undertaken individually. We consider that the development of all arable lands and the feeding and nourishment of citizens in all the corners of the earth is a target to be achieved by us all. It is a means for us to achieve prosperity for humanity.

I thank you for your kind attention. My delegation will examine all the issues raised at this Conference. I would like to reaffirm to you once again that we fully support this Organization and its Director-General without any restrictions. We wish FAO to be the main instrument to overcome hunger in the four corners of the earth.


Third Report of the General Committee
Troisième Rapport du Bureau
Tercer Informe del Comité General

EL PRESIDENTE: Creo que con esta intervención hemos terminado las intervenciones correspondientes a la lista de oradores de hoy, y, en definitiva, de todo el debate general, y deberíamos pasar entonces al examen del tercer informe del Comité General.

Como saben los señores delegados, el Comité General se ha reunido en la mañana de hoy. Ha emitido el informe que ha sido distribuido a todos ustedes y yo rogaría al señor Sylla que nos fuera leyendo cada una de las secciones del informe para, a continuación, pasarse a la aprobación, salvo que hubiera observaciones por parte de los señores delegados.

SECRETAIRE GENERAL: Demande d'admission du Gouvernement de Ste-Lucie à la qualité de membre de l'Organisation.

1. Le Bureau note qu'une demande d'admission à la qualité de membre de l'Organisation signée par le Ministre de l'agriculture, des terres, des pêches, du travail et des coopératives de Ste-Lucie a été reçue par le Directeur général le 10 novembre 1979 (voir Annexe A). Il note également qu'un instrument officiel d'acceptation des obligations découlant de l'Acte constitutif de la FAO, signé par le Ministre des affaires étrangères de Ste-Lucie, a été reçu par le Directeur général le 16 novembre 1979 (voir Annexe B).

2. Le Bureau note que la demande est conforme aux prescriptions formelles stipulées à l'Article II. 2 de l'Acte constitutif.

3. Pour ce qui est de la date à laquelle la demande d'admission a été présentée, le Bureau rappelle qu'en diverses occasions la Conférence a examiné des demandes d'admission reçues après expiration des délais (Article XIX, paragraphes 1 et 2), après avoir suspendu les dispositions pertinentes en vertu de l'Article XLII. l du RGO. Ces suspensions supposent que notification a été faite aux délégués de l'intention de proposer une suspension au moins 24 heures avant le vote; la décision de suspendre l'application d'un article requiert une majorité des deux tiers des suffrages exprimés en séance plénière au moyen d'un scrutin par appel nominal. Une telle suspension a déjà été recommandée par le Bureau àcette fin dans le passé.

4. Ayant examiné la question, le Bureau recommande à la Conférence (de suspendre) l'application de l'Article XIX, paragraphes 1 et 2 du Règlement général de l'Organisation. Le paragraphe 1 stipule que l'instrument officiel d'acceptation des obligations découlant de l'Acte constitutif doit parvenir au Directeur général au plus tard à la date d'ouverture de la session de la Conférence au cours de laquelle la demande d'admission doit être examinée, et le paragraphe 2 précise que la demande devrait être reçue au moins 30 jours avant l'ouverture de la session de la Conférence.

5. Le vote sur l'admission à la qualité de membre appelle, lui aussi, en vertu de l'Article II. 2 de l'Acte constitutif, une majorité des deux tiers des suffrages exprimés, sous réserve que la majorité des Etats Membres de l'Organisation soit présente, et le vote en vertu de l'Article XII. 9(a) du RGO, a lieu au scrutin secret.

6. Si le présent rapport est approuvé par la Conférence lors de la séance plénière du 20 novembre, un vote sur la suspension de l'application dudit article pourrait avoir lieu le lundi 26 novembre, éventuellement au début de la séance du matin. Si la majorité requise des deux tiers est obtenue, le deuxième scrutin sur l'admission à la qualité de membre de l'Organisation pourrait avoir lieu ce même matin. Si la Conférence l'approuve, un calendrier révisé pourrait être publié sous la cote C 79/12-Rev. 2-Corr. 1.

7. Le Comité note enfin que, conformément aux procédures et pratiques établies, la contribution exigible par Ste-Lucie pour le dernier trimestre de 1979 serait de 2 600 dollars. L'avance due au fonds de roulement serait de 650 dollars, sur la base du niveau actuel du fonds.

Approved
Approuvé
Aprobado


SECRETAIRE GENERAL: Droits de vote

8. Conformément à la décision prise par le Bureau à sa première séance, des représentants du Directeur général ont à nouveau pris contact avec les délégations des Etats Membres à qui leurs arriérés de contributions risquent de faire perdre leur droit de vote à la vingtième session de la Conférence et l'on peut, d'ores et déjà, signaler les faits nouveaux concernant un Etat Membre, la Bolivie.

Le Directeur général a reçu deux communications de la Bolivie confirmant qu'un versement de

9. 27 207 dollars serait effectué dans les prochains jours, et que le solde de 11 311 dollars serait réglé au cours du prochain exercice budgétaire. Le versement de 27 207 dollars suffirait à assurer le droit de vote du Gouvernement. Les communications faisaient remarquer que le retard du versement dépendait de causes indépendantes de la volonté de l'Etat Membre et demandaient que son droit de vote à la vingtième session de la Conférence soit rétabli.

10. En conséquence, le Bureau recommande que la Conférence autorise la Bolivie à exercer ses droits de vote pendant l'entière durée de la vingtième session de la Conférence.

Prochaine séance du Bureau

11. Le Bureau décide de se réunir à 9 heures le mercredi 21 novembre 1979 pour examiner les propositions de candidature reçues pour la nomination des membres du Conseil pour chaque région et chaque mandat avant de les communiquer à la Conférence, conformément à l'Article XXII-lO(d), (e) et (f) du RGO.

Comme le débat général vient de prendre fin, les délégués seront certainement heureux d'apprendre que 117 Etats Membres, un Mouvement de Libération national, trois organisationsdes Nations Unies, trois organisations intergouvernementales et deux organisations non gouvernementales ont participé à ce débat général.

Sur ce nombre, le service des conférences m'apprend que 94 ministres et vice-ministres ont participé aux débats. Je crois savoir également qu'il s'agit d'une participation record et pense donc qu'il y a lieu de s'en réjouir. Vous savez aussi qu'à la cérémonie d'ouverture nous avons eu le plaisir d'avoir la participation de Sa Sainteté Jean-Paul II qui, sur l'invitation du Directeur Général, est venu adresser à notre Conférence ainsi que le Président Kaounda qui a fait la Conférence McDougall. Vous-même, Monsieur le Président, avez participé au débat général ainsi que le Directeur général, le Président indépendant du Conseil et le représentant du Secrétaire général des Nations Unies.

Avant d'en terminer, je voudrais faire une petite rectification. Ce matin, en se référant au Samoa occidental, un délégué a donné un nouveau nom à notre Directeur général en l'appelant: "Monsieur Saouma occidental…". J'apporte une rectification non pas au Samoa qui demeure occidental mais pour mon Directeur qui, lui, est international. . .

EL PRESIDENTE:Muchas gracias señor Secretario General. ¿Hay alguna observación en relación con este punto?. Damos entonces por aprobado el punto, lo que implica que en la mañana del día 26 de noviembre se procederá a votar sobre la aprobación del artículo y posteriormente sobre la admisión como miembro de la Organización al Gobierno de Santa Lucía, y la Secretaría preparará y distribuirá la agenda. Pasamos entonces al punto siguiente.

Approved
Approuvé
Aprobado

EL PRESIDENTE:Para finalizar las sesiones relativas al debate general, nada más que dos precisiones.

La primera de ellas, que la Comisión III mañana iniciará sus trabajos a las 9 y media de la mañana en esta Sala. El Secretario de la misma será el Sr. A. Peters que estará ayudado por el Sr. D. Alhéritière.


En segundo lugar, decirles a ustedes que cuando procedamos a levantar la sesión no volveremos a reunir-nos en sesión plenaria hasta el proximo lunes, a las 9 y media.

Y nada más, señores delegados, que agradecer a todas las delegaciones, absolutamente a todas las delegaciones, la magnífica colaboración y el orden que han prestado para el buen desarrollo de los debates, lo cual nos ha permitido eliminar la tan temida sesión nocturna, que parecía planear sobre la Sala el primer día.

Por consiguiente, se levanta la sesión hasta el proximo lunes. Muchas gracias a todos.

The meeting rose at 17. 30 hours
La seance est levée à 17 h 30
Se levanta la sesión a las 17. 30 horas

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