CHAIRMAN: We are starting our morning session with document C 79/28. To show the revelant importance of this particular item, we have none other than the distinguished Director-General himself to introduce the agenda item.
DIRECTOR-GENERAL:I would like to say a few words on what I believe is one of the most important items of this Session the follow-up action to the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development.
As you will recall, it was the 19th Session of the FAO Conference which gave me the mandate to convene the World Conference in cooperation with other members of the UN System which, it hoped, would result in a well defined Programme of Action.
In my opening statement I have already informed you about the results of the World Conference. I have spoken about its unique features and achievements, as well as the challenges it has thrown to all of us, both international organizations and national governments, to mount a determined assault on rural poverty.
Mr. Chairman, on this occasion, however, I would concentrate on the follow-up action of the Conference.
It is mainly derived from chapter twelve of the WCARRD Programme of Action as well as the Resolution which was adopted by the World Conference on the follow-up action.
As you will recall, this Resolution affirmed that the primary responsibility for agrarian reform and rural development rests with the Member Goverments.
It is based on the belief that the governments do have the good will and the conviction to promote agrarian reform and rural development based upon growth, equity and peoples participation.
At the same time, the Resolution clearly recognized the important role of the UN System in the implementation of the Programme of Action.
It specifically recognized the responsibilities of FAO as a lead agency in the field of agrarian reform and rural development.
The Second, Committee of the General Assembly of the United Nations Commission II and, it is believed, also the General Assembly, has already endorsed the Declaration of Principles and the Programme of Action of WCARRD as adopted and without any amendment, and also has called upon the agencies and organizations of the UN System to help implement it.
The recommendations of the World Conference have already been transmitted to the UN Preparatory Committee for the Formulation of the International Development Strategy for the Third Development Decade.
I have already approached the Heads of the various UN sister agencies and Organizations informing them about the recommendations of WCARRD relating to their field of interest and competence.
An ad hoc meeting of the ACC Task Force on Rural Development was convened a few weeks ago in Rome by FAO, in its capacity as the lead agency, to exchange views on future inter-agency cooperative action.
This matter was further discussed at a recent meeting of the ACC 1/ Consultative Committee on Substantive Questions and at the ACC itself.
__________1/ Administrative Committee on Coordination.
The ACC, which is a committee headed by the Secretary-General and attended by the heads of all organizations of the UN system, has decided that the United Nations task force on rural development will be continued under the leadership of FAO.
At the regional level, an inter-country consultation on the follow-up of WCARRD has already been held in Asia and the Pacific Region.
This Consultation in Asia reached a number of very important conclusions and recommendations such as the establishment of national coordinating bodies at the highest political level to guide the implementation of the WCARRD recommendations, as well as a selection of priority areas during the first phase ending in December 1980.
They have agreed to make an inventory of measures to be taken and to review progress achieved in 1980·
We hope that similar inter-country consultations may be held in other regions as well.
Moreover, in the FAO Regional Conferences to be held next year, the Ministers would review and discuss the follow-up measures in their respective regions.
At the same time, in order to facilitate coordination of activities of the UN Agencies at the regional level, an inter-agency meeting was held in Latin America and similar inter-agency meetings are planned,
I now seek an endorsement by the FAO Conference of the recommendations of WCARRD so that I may proceed to take further action to ensure an effective follow-up.
In the document now placed before you on this subject, I have put forward concrete proposals for action by FAO in the medium-term and in the next biennium.
I hope that would facilitate the provision by member countries of adequate voluntary contributions for the implementation of the Action Programme.
We have already started to explore ways in which to improve and intensify our ongoing activities toward, the promotion of agrarian reform and rural development.
Our Regular Programme activities are under review to ensure conformity with the orientation of the Programme of Action.
I have instructed the Department and Divisions concerned to devise detailed work plans to meet the same requirements.
At the same time, FAO's field programmes are being examined with the same objective in view.
They will be adapted, if and where necessary, in consultation with the recipient and donor governments.
A considerable impetus, we anticipate, will be given by the recommendations of the World Conference to requests for assistance from the member countries in the various areas identified by the Programme of Action.
This would include help in such specific areas as: formulation of rural development strategies: setting benchmarks: developing indicators: monitoring and evaluation: and dissemination of information and knowledge on agrarian reform and rural development and assistance in mobilizing additional resources for rural development.
We intend to cooperate with regional intergovernmental organizations in the provision of assistance to Member Countries, and it goes without saying that we also intend to cooperate with non-governmental organizations.
In this connection I make special reference to the Regional Centres for Integrated Rural Development which we are assisting to set up.
A Centre for Asia and the Pacific is already established and one in Africa is expected to follow suit. Similar initiatives are in process in the Near East and Latin America.
All these Regional Centres will require financial support which we must help to mobilize.
It is not only that intergovernmental organizations will need support in the implementation of the WCARRD Programme of Action.
We will also explore ways in which we can support the activities of many non-governmental groups working at the grass roots level.
In the Conference document submitted to you, we have indicated a list of projects which will contribute toward the implementation of the Programme of Action.
This list is not exhaustive.
We produce these model projects as illustrations of the kind of projects on which we need to focus our attention.
This, hopefully, will provide you with a basis for concrete deliberations.
These projects could be expanded and modified in consultation with donors and recipient countries.
I have ventured to add an annex to the document on the follow-up resolution in an attempt to facilitate your conclusions on the future course of action to be followed by FAO.
I have indicated the approximate amount of resources which we think would be needed over the next five years in sustaining our efforts to assist member countries in the follow-up.
Mr. Chairman:In conclusion, I, therefore, hope that the Conference endorses the report of the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development and its recommendations.
I also hope it will support my request for voluntary contributions to strengthen our efforts for the follow-up of the Programme of Action.
I look forward to your continued cooperation to enable me to fulfil my responsibilities placed upon us by the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development.
CHAIRMAN: I thank the Director-General for so excellently presenting the document and before we start our deliberation on the document I would like to invite the attention of delegates to two points. The first is that the document is divided into two parts. The first part deals with the follow-up action and the second part with the resolution. I will be very happy if delegates will comment on and combine both of them, and even give an indication of their adoption of the resolution. I hope delegates will keep this in mind during their interventions. The second point is to ask those delegates who would like to take part in the discussion to indicate by raising their flags.
O. IGNACIO (Philippines): Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for giving me the floor and for breaking the ice this morning. We aregreatlyhonoured by the presence of our Director-General, and we thank him for his eloquent introduction.
The document C 79/28 before us is well prepared and the Secretariat should, therefore, be congratulated for work well done.
At the outset, Mr. Chairman, in the course of my discussion of the document on hand, may I request your indulgence and those of the other delegates if I cite certain relevant paragraphs of Document C 79/9, which I know has already been thoroughly discussed by this Commission.
We take note and we are in agreement with the observation that the implementation of the Programme of Action spelled out by WCARRD rests primarily with the national government of the Member nations. In line with this observation and pursuant to the expectations of the Director-General expressed in Document C 79/9, page 11, that the recommendations of WCARRD will be pursued vigorously by all Member Governments, we would like to state our position and share with you our experience.
The Philippines, Mr. Chairman, has a strong and determined political will on agrarian reform and rural development. For His Excellency, Ferdinand E. Marcos, the President of the Philippines, has laid out agrarian reform as the cornerstone of the new society, which we gave birth to on
September 21, 1972. From then on agrarian reform in the Philippines was given a big push. During the WCARRD, the Philippines was ably represented by a delegation headed by its Minister of Agrarian Reform, Hon. Conrado F. Estrella.
Immediately after the conclusion of that historic WCARRD, my country, through the relentless effort of the Minister of Agrarian Reform, took initial steps to implement some of the proposed programmes of action within the limited resources that we have. To cite one, Mr. Chairman, we have started a project - similiar to Project 3 laid out in Appendix Β of our document - which aims to promote income-raising activities of the rural poor through small farmer's organizations. Let me explain this further. Through the initiative of the Philippine Ministry of Agrarian Reform, the farmers were organized into an Association named ARBA, which means Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association. The membership of this Association consists of farmers who have received their respective Certificate of Land Transfer, a document which is an evidence that the farmer is now the deemed owner of the land he is tilling. This Association has been organized from the grassroot level - the barangay -through the Municipal and Provincial levels up to the National level.
We have begun the organizational, stage. The next step to be taken is to make these organizations viable. That is, it is necessary that the farmers to be now trained, among others, to compact farming, land consolidation and cooperativa marketing, supplemented by training of rural leaders and managers for self-help activities. Ultimately, this will raise the income of and give employment to the rural poor. We shall, at the opportune time, make the appropriate request for assistance in this regard.
In addition, Mr. Chairman, the Philippines has started a Small Farmer Development Field Action Project. This is a special project being tried in agrarian reform areas aimed at developing and strengthening the capacity of the small farmers and landless agricultural labourers to "receive" and for government agencies to "deliver" services to the rural areas. This project grew out of FAO-ASARRD field workshops conducted in 1975 in some selected areas of the country. This small farmer development programme centres around simple productive activities, like mushroom culture, fishpen projects, intensive rice culture, and black beans production. The putting up of post harvest facilities isnow in the pipeline.
Mr. Chairman, with regards to Project 9 - Comprehensive National Programme for the Integration of Women in Rural Development, let me state here that the Philippines has already broken the ground, so to speak, pursuing this important project. We have started projects on non-formal educational opportunities for rural women, including leadership training, instruction in health care, family planning and nutrition. Also in due time, the Philippines shall make proper request on this subject. The rest of the suggested projects are all meaningful. We shall look over them and determine which are applicable to my country.
We are happy to note, Mr. Chairman, on page 11 of Document C 79/9, that FAO will continue to exert leadership and provide technical assistance in the implementation of land settlement schemes. We are particularly interested in this because we are presently up-grading our 44 resettlement projects comprising an area of 734, 825 Ha. with 49, 898 settler-families. Three of these resettlement projects, namely, Agusan, Bukidnon and Capiz with a total area of 77, 000 Ha. are now being up-graded through a loan agreement with IBRD. We hope to see, Mr. Chairman, that in the near future we can avail of FAO's technical assistance in implementing a land settlement scheme.
On the Regional level, Mr. Chairman, The Philippines has actively participated in an Inter-Country Consultation on the follow-up to WCARRD, among the member countries in Asia and the Pacific, which was held in Bangkok 31 October to 3 November, a few days before the start of this 20th Session. As has been stated here the report of the Consultation has been inspiring and the Philippines is proud to have been given an opportunity to participate in that fruitful exercise.
Mr. Chairman, this well-planned and articulate proposal of the Director General for follow-up action of the WCARRD recommendations will become a mere proposal if not given appropriate and timely resources. That is why, we note with deep concern, Mr. Chairman, the report that resources available for agrarian reform and rural development have been gravely lacking over the past few years and no significant increase is forseen in the next few years. The Philippines, therefore, strongly support FAO's appeal that all organizations within the UN system together with its financing institutions increase their financial support to the WCARRD programme of action On our behalf, may we request that the donor countries be a little more understanding, be a little more generous, and be a little less reluctant in financing agrarian reform and rural development.
Finally, Mr. Chairman, the Philippines wholeheartedly support the follow-up action proposed by the Director-General and strongly recommend the approval of the draft resolution, Appendix A of the document.
CHAIRMAN: Before I give the floor to the next speaker I wish to invite the attention of delegates here present that we are here to discuss this item. We all agree it is an important item and we all, in fact, realise the depth of the importance of this item. But my appeal is that delegations should be a little bit brief, concise and to the point, otherwise we shall be here and spill over on to the afternoon session, which I am sure we will not all like, and which will be a little burdensome to us. So I wish the appeal to take some root so that the following speakers will be brief, concise and to the point.
C. SANCHEZ AVALOS (Argentina): La Delegación Argentina agradece y felicita al señor Director General su clara exposición sobre el tema sometido hoy a nuestra consideración.
Su explicación ha sido excelente para interpretar mejor el contenido del documento C 79/28 sobre actividades complementarias de la Conferencia Mundial sobre Reforma Agraria y Desarrollo Rural.
No caben dudas que la acción a cumplir por la FAO en este campo, ha sido objeto de una programación lograda con método acertado y espíritu práctico.
Al señalar nuestra satisfacción por esta introducción que ha efectuado el señor Director General, mi Delegación juzga oportuno proponer una simple enmienda al proyecto de Resolución que forma parte como Apéndice A del documento C 79/28, en la Página A uno.
Se refiere al apartado 2 del séptimo párrafo del proyecto, cuyo texto dice: "Ratifica la Declaración de Principios y el Programa de Acción contenido en el informe de la Conferencia Mundial sobre Reforma Agraria y Desarrollo Rural".
Opinamos, señor Presidente que una redacción correcta de dicho párrafo, debe agregar a la mención del informe la de su anexo editado separadamente y con posterioridad.
En ese anexo se han consignado todas las reservas formuladas por diversos países que participaron en la Conferencia Mundial aludida y su mención en la Resolución proyectada resulta indispensable, a nuestro juicio, para que la ratificación propuesta al Vigésimo período de sesiones de la Conferencia de la FAO, comprenda con exactitud los alcances con que deben interpretarse las decisiones aprobadas por la Conferencia Mundial sobre Reforma Agraria y Desarrollo Rural.
CHAIRMAN: I would assure the delegate of Argentina that the Secretariat has taken full note of his suggestions.
BERTELING (Netherlands): It is not, I am afraid, a Dutch custom to commend the Secretariat for the work it does. We expect that froma good Secretariat. However, I would like to make an exception at this stage and commend the Director-General and his staff for the preparatory work for the World Conference and for the prompt follow-up action.
The Netherlands consider the report now before us from the Director-General on the follow-up of WCARRD as a good basis for concrete follow-up action within the FAO. It is clearly recognized by the Director-General in his report and also a couple of minutes ago in his introduction that FAO is not the only organization concerned with the follow-up and coperation within the framework of the ACC, in order to assist in the implementation of the Declaration of Principles and the Programme of Action of the World Conference.
I must say, however, that my delegation has the feeling that in the proposed draft resolution contained in Appendix A of the document, the role of other agencies is not sufficiently recognized, it puts a little too much emphasis on FAO. My delegation is pleased with the rapid action to call a meeting of the ACC Task Forceon Rural Development, and it is also pleased to hear that its functioning will continue as the Director-General has just mentioned. We urge all agencies concerned, especially the United Nations itself, the World Bank, IFAD, the ILO, Unesco, WHO and UNIDO to take their share of the implementation. Much attention is needed to the non-agrarian aspects of rural development, otherwise rural development might fail.
The Netherlands Government expects from FAO that in the proposed an very important monitoring activities sufficient attentino will be given to the agrarian reform necessary in many developing countries. Furthermore, my delegation would call upon all governnments concerned and ask FAO to make full use of
the representatives of rural organizations and of women's organizations. We would prefer to have this included in the draftresolution, and therefore my delegation would like to propose officially adding, for example, after Paragraph 9 of the Resolution an extra pragraph which would read as follows: "Calls upon all States concerned and the FAO to take effective measures which will assist in the establishment and the strengthening of representative rural organizations includings rural women's organizations so that such organizations can fully participate in the implementation of the Programme of Action. ".
We feel that the use of rural organizations, as is also requested, for example, in the ILO Convention and Recommendations adopted by all governments, is more important, since the request for only $ 20 million for five years is totally insufficient. Major activities lie in the hand of the countries themselves, as has been stressed before this morning. Governments and private rural organizations are then very important and we have noted with pleasure that the Director-General also put quite strong emphasis on this matter. It is only they who implement effectively the Programme of Action, FAO's main role is assistance and monitoring.
The Netherlands Government will take decisions at a later stage on possible extra-budgetary support to FAO for follow-up activities. We are glad to see that many already existing programmes have been linked to the follow-up of the World Conference like the Food Security Assistance Scheme, the Scheme for Agricultural Credit and the Rural Organizations Action Programme, ROAP. Essentially the small farmer should benefit from these activities, and that is why my Government considers positively a contribution to ROAP. In the other room I have already mentioned our support for the Food Security Assistance Scheme and my Government is also interested in projects like Project 9 in Annex Β of the document on integration of women in rural development.
My delegation would like some information on the target which I have referred to already of only $ 20 million for the next five years. We have no problem as such with this target, we would like to know the calculating methods, since so many activities are related. For example, will our support to FSAS also be included in these calculations?
The Netherlands Government plans to use the results of the World Conference in its bilateral assistance activities and to discuss this with the developing countries with whom we have a special relationship. Furthermore, the Netherlands has good cooperation with the International Labour Organization and the World Health Organization. Substantial contributions have been given to these organizations for activities related to rural developmente like ILO's Rural Public Works Programme and the programme of the World Health Organization on Primary Health Care. Probably this is, at least for our part, in reply to the request made by the delegation of thePhilippines.
I hope that these activities will also be included in the work of the ACC Task Force. Then FAO will really be able to monitor progress in the implementation of the Programme of Action in order to save succeeding generations from the scourges of hunger and unemployment.
CHAIRMAN: I am sure the concern and the request for information from the delegate of the Netherlands will be taken care of by the Secretariat.
G. ERICSSON (Sweden): On behalf of the four Nordic countries, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, I will comment on Document C 79/28 on the follow-up of WCARRD. The Nordic countries have paid great attention to the Conference as such as a means to formulate a common framework for national rural development efforts and for international cooperation in that field.
During the Conference, member countries agreed to adopt the Declaration of Principles and the Programme of Action on a national and an international level which form a common frame of references and it will thus create a better understanding between partners in development.
We find the result of the Conference to be a great step forward, and we pay tribute to the FAO which prepared so carefully for and organized so successfully the Conference here in Rome. We are now all challenged with the task of putting words into practice, and here a big challenge is placed on this Organization.
In the Action Programme, the member governments agreed on what to do. To our mind, the next step will be, in close cooperation with member governments, to give more precise formulation to how it can be done, and on that basis, request advice and give support to member countries in their implementation of the WCARRD programme.
We are not proposing another long period of strategy and policy formulation. What we aim at is more operational guidelines based on the policy formulation already in the Action Programme to harmonize. the work within the Organization and to give all the staff a firm basis from which to operate. A basic criterion on such guidelines should be the full recognition of people's participation as one of the main means, maybe even a precondition for successful rural development.
The Nordic countries are prepared to give full support to the WCARRD follow-up activities in FAO. In order to explore ways and means for such support, we have recently had technical consultations with the Secretariat. We are therefore fully aware that such work is under way, and we shall express our appreciation of the speedy action that has been taken.
It was made clear in the Conference and has been further developed in the document now under discussion that many of the activities in the Action Programme fall outside the normal responsibilities of FAO. This calls for close cooperation with the other UN Agencies. The Conference stressed the leading role of FAO in rural development, and this should not be allowed to mean building fences around rural development as a specific FAO area of competence. On the contrary, it must mean the ambition and ability to inspire other agencies to come into closer cooperation in the field of rural development. This means that the overall strategy to be applied will not be an FAO strategy but a UN strategy. We urge the FAO to involve the other agencies fully in their work right from the beginning. The ACC Task Force on rural development may be instrumental in this respect, but also other more informal forms of cooperation must be sought. We do appreciate the Director-General's decision not to create newmechanisms in the Organizations to cope with this task, and to avoid to create a new fund for this specific purpose. The organizational framework already exists and the problem is more to adapt it to new demands.
We have already expressed our appreciation for the increase of resourcesfor rural development in the next biennium and would like to see this trend pursued in the coming biennium. However we are aware that further resources must be added to those which will be available in the Regular Programme, both intellectual manpower and financial resources. We in the Nordic countries have between ourselves discussed further how we can best join forces and give support within the limits of smallcountries.
The result of our technical consultations recently held, and the better knowledge that we now have of what is underway has functioned as a stimulus in that direction.
We also prepared to support ROAP as well, as supplementary activities within a WCARRD follow-up umbrella programme. More definite decisions in that respect have to wait for more precise programme formulations by the Secretariat.
Mr. Chairman, from what I have said so far, it follows that we support the resolution in Appendix A to the Document C 79/28 with the insertion of a new operative paragraph as proposed just now by the Netherlands delegation, and to conclude we wish the Director-General and the Secretariat full success in this very important WCARRD action programme which has been presented.
CHAIRMAN: Wethank the distinguished delegate of Sweden speaking on behalf of the Nordic countries for his constructive intervention and I am sure that the contents will be very helpful to the Secretariat. It is pleasing to note that the Nordic countries are conceding giving additional support to the WCARRD proposed programme.
K. M. KHUDHEIR (Iraq): (interpretation from Arabic);In view of the fact that we have finished discussing development programmes between developing countries and we are now turning our attention to the follow-up of the recommendations of the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development, we would like in this connexion to stress the participation of Iraq. With regard to these efforts and the aid its gives to developing countries, though we ourselves are developing and we need to develop our different sectors, we have spread no effort in giving aid, giving support, material and financial support, to other developing countries, and we support about 200 000 million dollars in aid to the least developed countries. In this connection we presented an integrated programme in order to help developing countries and to help them cope with inflation, fluctuating prices and increase in oil prices. That is the reason why Iraq set up a fund where all countries participate without taking into account their political regime, and this has tended to help the developing countries. This fund is also funded by certain OPEC countries;long-term with no interest on loans are provided in this context. We have applied this since 1976 and the aid supplied in this way has led to about 108 million dollars being supplied since last June alone.
With regard to technical cooperation, we need experts and technicians. We did make available our expertise and know-how to developing countries and have also accepted hundreds of students in our universities where they follow courses free of charge. In this connexion we would like to point out that the aid given by our government in the context of rural development and agrarian reform is that we guarantee the energy which is, after all, the guiding force of developing countries, particularly because some of these poor countries have serious problems in supplying themselves on the free market. In this way Iraq, a developing country, gives an example which we feel should be followed with regard to the aid that can be given to the least developed countries. In this way we can help to build up the new economic world order, and we are keen to pass on this universal message which should lead to the well being of all.
With regard to Doc. C 79/28 for which we thank the Secretariat, we wish to add to paragraph No. 4 promoting action for poor country populations - this is page Β 5 I refer to - and to help governments to provide cooperatives for small farmers at the local level which can be featured and geared to the general rating of income for the training of local leaders and administrators. To this particular paragraph we would like to add also the guaranteed participation of small-holders and agricultural organizations and cooperatives in preparing decisions involving agrarian reform and rural development as a whole. The important thing is that the small farmer be able to participate in the drawing up of such decisions.
CHAIRMAN: I thank the distinguished delegate of Iraq. I am sure the Secretariat will welcome very much a written explanation of his intervention or suggestion as an amendment, and I hope the distinguished delegate will be kind enough to assist the Secretariat somehow on that aspect
M. BUENO GOMEZ (España) Solamente unas consideraciones con el ánimo de contribuir en lo posible a impulsar el despegue de las actividades de la FAO que estamos analizando con el nuevo enfoque derivado de la Conferencia Mundial de Reforma y Desarrollo Agrario, enfoque que en este momento comparte nuestro país.
En relación con la primera parte del documento, nuestra delegación considera muy acertadas y oportunas las actividades ya iniciadas por el señor Saouma y sus colaboradores cerca del ECOSOC, de las diversas Organizaciones de las Naciones Unidas, etc. , así como de las medidas que se piensan adoptar en el seno de la propia Organización para mentalizar a su personal y adecuar su estructura y recursos a la aplicación de la parte del Programa de Acción que le corresponde. En esta línea, y lo mismo que se han expresado a nivel de Organismos Internacionales hace unos momentos, creemos que podría ponerse mas énfasis por parte de la FAO en mentalizar a los Gobiernos, y no sólo a los departamentos agrícolas de dichos Gobiernos, sobre la importancia y la urgencia de implicar a los departamentos correspondientes en los Programas concretos de Reforma Agraria y Desarrollo Rural, ya que con el nuevo enfoque estas actividades no son sólo de la responsabilidad de los departamentos de agricultura.
En cuanto a la segunda parte del documento, nuestra delegación considera adecuado y oportuno el proyecto de resolución que se acompaña en el apéndiceA de dicho documento.
En relación con la política para la movilización de recursos, creemos que se ganaría en eficacia si se presentaran los proyectos susceptibles de financiación por los donantes voluntarios, con unos objetivos concretos más diferenciales en relación con la reforma agraria y el desarrollo rural;es decir, más estrechamente conectados con la Declaración de Principios de la Conferencia Mundial. Quizá convendría reconsiderar la presentación de los proyectos que a modo de ejemplo figuran en el apéndice B, ya que si bien es cierto que algunos aparecen muy claramente encuadrados en aquellos principios de la Conferencia Mundial, otros, por el contrario, parecen propios del trabajo convencional de la FAO.
Si se quiere destacar esta nueva orientación de la Reforma Agraria y Desarrollo Rural, y siendo los recursos limitados, quizás sería eficaz reducir el numero de cada uno de los proyectos y dotar más adecuadamente a cada uno de ellos.
Finalmente, nuestra delegación insiste en la necesidad de un reforzamiento en relación con las actividades de extensión agraria y capacitación agraria, dirigido tanto al logro de una mayor participación de la población en el planteamiento y desarrollo de los programas de reforma agraria y desarrollo rural, como a facilitar el acceso a insumos y servicios por parte de los pequeños agricultores. En este sentido, nuestro Gobierno ofrece la mayor colaboración posible a esta Organización.
CHAIRMAN: I thank the distinguished delegate of Spain and I take it for granted that he has given his support to the Resolution with his observation which will be taken care of by the Secretariat.
F. Ε. K. CHANDLER (Canada): Canada is very pleased to join other delegations in endorsing the recommendations for national action for agrarian reform and rural development from the World Conference of last July. We respect the undertaking which many countries assumed at that time to promote the well-being of their rural populations, and where necessary to alter their national priorities and programmes accordingly. This coincides with our view that the initiative and a large measure of the effort in resources and rural development must come from within the countries concerned.
We are grateful to the Director-General for his introduction to the FAO Secretariat and for providing us with the documents on plans for follow-up to the World Conference, and we are particularly, interested by the structure of inter-agency and inter-country meetings in different regions which have been or are being arranged. We can assure the Conference that whatever experience Canada has already gained in the tremendously complex field of rural development will be shared with the FAO.
We recognize that a certain amount of external financing is essential and Canada will take whatever steps it can to assist these efforts through bilateral or multilateral channels.
We are pleased to join in approving the Draft Resolution, although we would ask that one minor addition to the text be made. At the end of operative paragraph 2, we believe the words "as adopted" should be added in order to reflect the fact that a number of countries did have reservations of one kind or another on some parts of the WCARRD declaration.
In addition to this, as one of the delegations which included farmers organizations to the Conference, we are very pleased to welcome and support strongly the amendment presented by the Netherlands.
DARMAWAN ADI (Indonesia): As regard the follow-up to the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development held in Rome last July, my delegation would like to express again its endorsement of the recommendations and conclusions reached by countries of Asia and the Pacific during their Inter-Country Consultation on the follow-up to WCARRD held in Bangkok from 31 October to 3 November 1979, which was organized by the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Far East.
In this connexion allow my delegation to reiterate some points originating from the recommendations and conclusions concerned.
The aforementioned Inter-Country Consultation Meeting unanimously supported the Director-General's proposals contained in doc. C 79/28 of October 1979 entitled "The World Conference on Agrariam Reform and Rural Development". By this support, the member countries in Asia and the Pacific are determined to use the Director-General's proposals as a guidance and bridgehead for follow-up action in agrarian reform and rural development as intended by the Declaration of Principles and Programme of Action adopted by WCARRD. The spirit, the will and the guidance are there;what we really need now is creating the most suitable climate for strengthening the mechanism of cooperation and coordination for accelerating the implementation of the Principles of Programme of Action in the form of meaningful and operational tasks by national governments, FAO as the lead agency, and by other UN organizations.
The need for a favourable climate and smooth coordination is clearly reflected at the aforementioned Consultative Meeting for member countries for the Asia and Pacific region. In this context, allow me to quote the wording of one paragraph of its report: "The Consultation strongly felt that FAO, while advising Governments for the need of coordination, should have a better coordination system among its own divisions. The Consultation further reiterated that coordination among UN Agencies is imperative for not only the maximization of resource use but also for greater effectiveness of the agencies".
It is quite human that one makes mistakes and that misunderstanding might arise among people. Occasionally, there might exist differences of opinion among officials who are in charge, directly, of promoting the eradication of poverty, injustice, diseases, ignorance and other forms of backwardness.
The delegations of the Association of South-east Nation Countries therefore appeal that such differences should not be at the expense of or adversely affect regional and sub-regional or individual country programmes. With the above considerations in mind and the need for effectiveness in operation, allow my delegation to recommend the following points.
First, with regard to follow-up tasks in implementing the Principles of Programmes and Action, more muscles should be provided for the Regional Offices of FAO, in particular the Office for the Asia and Pacific Region, so as to strengthen the effectiveness of its operation.
Secondly, in programmes and projects pursuant to follow-up action and in the light of regional and sub-regional organization, we should not only take cognizance of these organizations but also, to the largest extent possible, utilize them for channels of coordination and cooperation with due regard to the role of FAO as the lead agency in matters of agrarian reform and rural development.
In conclusion, my delegation would again express its endorsement of the resolution as mentioned in Appendix A of doc. C 79/28 by this Conference.
CHAIRMAN: I thank the Indonesian delegate for being so brief and constructive. I am sure the suggestions he has made will be taken into consideration by the Secretariat.
P. BURI (Italy): The Italian delegation feels that, at this point of the agenda, it must express its warmest appreciation to the Director-General for organizing this year, on the occasion of the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development, such interesting meetings and fruitful debates.
Having attended and contributed, in an atmosphere of serene cooperation, to the activities of that Conference, the Italian delegation wishes to express its total agreement with the final report of the Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development, as well as with document C 79/28,
With regard to the measures that emerged, from the final decisions of that Conference, the Italian delegation would like to draw attention to the great importance that should be assigned in rural areas to hospital infrastructures, including in this term hospitals, multiple health consulting officers and first-aid centres.
As far as education, training and extension services are concerned, the Italian delegation believes that in some situations it would be convenient to take into account also traditional forms of local farming, subsequently guiding them towards a gradual and progressive introduction of more advanced and sophisticated technologies.
Finally, with reference to the Resolution on the follow-up to WCARRD, the Italian delegation would like to know - during this Twentieth Session of the FAO Conference and in compliance with paragraph 1 of Appendix A of the Resolution - whether any countries have already translated into action the decisons approved by WCARRD.
Furthermore, my delegation would also like to suggest that such information be published also in the special FAO Reports on Land Reform, Farm Settlement and Agricultural Cooperation.
CHAIRMAN: I thank the delegate of Italy, and he will perhaps communicate his country's position on the resolution to the Secretariat.
LI CHENG-HUAN (China) (interpretation from Chinese): TheChinese delegation thanks the Director-General for his important speech and explanation of the item. At the World Conference held last July we stressed in our speech that we would implement these resolutions with action.
Not long ago, at the invitation of the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, we attended the Inter-Country Consultation meeting and WCARRD follow-up in Bangkok, which fully discussed how national and international agencies should proceed with agrarian reform and rural development. We endorse such a Consultation as it marked the start of coordinated action. We think that in the final analysis it is up to the efforts of all governments and people to implement the WCARRD Declaration of Principles and Programme of Action.
The Consultation emphasized the following aspects required by the current situation. It is important to increase food grain production as a natural speeding up of development of rural economy. People's participation must be ensured in order to promote agrarian reform and rural development, and the actual
conditions of respective countries must be taken into account when formulating strategies and policy matters and identifying priority areas.
It also called for the setting-up of a national coordinating body in each country.
All those matters are relevant to the recommendations embodied in WCARRD's Declaration of Principles and Programme of Action and are conducive to the follow-up activities of WCARRD. At the same time, we have noted that FAO has also done some work in organizing and pushing forward the WCARRD follow-up which has yielded initial success. We are convinced that FAO will certainly make, therefore, a better contribution to world-wide agrarian reform and rural development. As it gives full play to its role as a leading agency strengthening cooperation with other agencies concerned, following the recommendations in document C 79/28, it will provide technical and financial assistance for the necessary projects and accelerate exchange of experience.
The Chinese delegation supports the draft resolution contained in document C 79/28, Appendix A.
Ms. J. SZANTO (Hungría): La delegación húngara desea expresar su aprecio al Director General de la FAO por someter a nuestra consideración este documento tan altamente interesante en un espacio de tiempo tan corto.
Este documento expresa claramente el Programa de Acción adoptado en julio de 1979, en la Conferencia Mundial para la Reforma Agraria y Desarrollo Rural. Es sabido que Hungría apoya a dicha conferencia y se adhiere a la idea de que es indispensable un tratamiento prioritario de la reforma agraria y el desarrollo rural para expansion de la producción agrícola y alimentaria en los países en desarrollo.
No deseo reiterar aquí el punto de vista de mi Gobierno que fue ya expuesto por nuestra delegación en la Conferencia Mundial. Mis observaciones se limitan ahora a las actividades que nos presenta el Director General y a la forma en que él considera necesario realizarlo para la implementación práctica de los resultados alcanzados en la Conferencia Mundial.
Estamos totalmente de acuerdo con las líneas generales que se expresan en el documento que estamos considerando, es decir, que debería promoverse una mejora de la estructura agraria de los países en desarrollo, a través de proyectos concretos.
Observamos con satisfacción que la FAO ha iniciado ya acciones necesarias para adecuar la responsabilidad de la Organización como consecuencia de los acuerdos de la Conferencia Mundial.
En los últimos quince años, Hungría ha implementado un cierto número de programas agrarios con el fin de incrementar la producción agraria, la eficacia de las organizaciones rurales y, en general, del desarrollo rural. Debería darse una especial consideración entre estos proyectos a los complejos programas derivados de la instalación de cooperativas agrícolas, su fortalecimiento y su transformación en modernas unidades de producción en gran escala. Si observamos el corto período histórico precedente, podemos concluir que estos programas se han realizado con éxito.
Mi delegación ha estudiado con toda atención la Propuesta de Resolución y los 15 proyectos que figuran en el Apéndice B. Consideramos correcto el Proyecto de Resolución, y en nuestra opinión, dicho proyecto hace referencia a las actuales limitaciones financieras. Durante el debate sobe el Programa de Trabajos y Presupuesto de la FAO para 1980-81, la delegación húngara ya declaró su satisfacción porque unas mayores cantidades de recursos se dedicaran al desarrollo rural. Sin embargo, quisiéramos añadir que sería deseable aplicar las posibilidades extra de los nuevos recursos agropecuarios de los mismos, para expansionar este programa.
Estamos de acuerdo sustancialmente con las perspectivas de los 15 proyectos sugeridos. Quizás no es éste el foro apropiado para estudiarlos en detalle, pero pienso que deberían ser revisados con atención los costos de los proyectos en base a su distribución por países.
Mi país está interesándose en la implementación de varios proyectos;particularmente en el proyecto N° 4 es decir, Promoción de Actividades para Incrementar las Rentas de la Población Rural más pobre a través de las organizaciones de pequeños agricultores.
El Programa N° 7 relativo a Centros Nacionales para el Desarrollo Rural. El N° 11, Capacitación y Extensión de Tecnologías apropiadas para las Industrias Forestales.
También el N° 13, relativo al Entrenamiento a Nivel Nacional para el Desarrollo Rural.
Y. AFT (Israel): My delegation wishes to express its heartfelt support for Doc. C 79/20 as an impressive follow-up of WCARRD. We very much appreciate the presence of the Director-General we had with us this morning which indicates once again how much FAO is committed to rural development and agrarian reform.
We endorse the Declaration of Principles and Programme of Action and endorse the draft Resolution Appendix A, but we also support the amendments suggested by The Netherlands regarding popular participation, and the other amendments suggested by Canada. we support in particular the strengthening of national centres for rural development, project 7, since we believe agrarian reform and rural development does require a very firm national commitment.
We are also in support of the Integrated Development in Rural Pishing Communities, Project 8, a category of activity that our technical cooperation has been much involved ing in some countries.
We assume the project proposals presented in Annex Β are not the final array of projects contemplated. Por instance, we feel the challenge of the recent productivity of small farmers requires a very serious effort to bring technology, and that special type of technology, to the farmer's gate. In this respect we think the technical assistance of multilateral agencies has much to offer. What is more, we are confident of the future for intensifying production of small holdings through multi cropping, linking dry farming and irrigated farming, and improving and specializing post-harvest activities adaptable to peasant communities. We believe that type of action wants consideration as additional projects under Appendix B. In fact, we believe it will be important to identify a number of projects the world over which perhaps could act as pace-setters so that we all can learn and develop techniques by which today's maximun yields and benefits would become tomorrow's average yields and benefits.
My country in a modest manner has cooperated shoulder to shoulder with the other 25 countries in integrated rural development project works. Por us integrated rural development in the context of agrarian reform policies represents a gross-function action that should bridge national policies with the needs and responses of lesser privileged farm communities. We would wholeheartedly endorse FAO's efforts in this important category of rural development, and will be happy to cooperate with FAO and with any other agency that has taken upon itself this important task.
CHAIRMAN: I thank the delegate of Israel. We are grateful for his country's offer of cooperation. I am sure the Secretariat will take good note of that.
Sra. Doña G. SOTO CARRERO (Cuba): Qui si éramos en primer lugar agradecer, por su amable conducto, la presencia del Director General en esta Comisión, así como la elocuente exposición hecha del documento. Se lo agradecemos doblemente pues comprendemos cuantas importantes tareas le ocupan en estos días de la Conferencia.
Mi delegación hará una breve exposición puesto que mi país asistió a la Conferencia Mundial sobre Reforma Agraria y Desarrollo Rural, y en la misma expusimos nuestros puntos de vista sobre los aspectos tratados y dimos nuestro incondicional apoyo a la declaración de principios y al Programa de Acción, lo cual ratificamos en este momento.
En aras de la brevedad solicitada por usted, tampoconos referiremos a la labor que se ha llevado a cabo en nuestro país y se contina efectuando, para realizar una verdadera reforma agraria de manera integral·
Tal como se plantea en el párrafo 2. 3 de la Introducción del documento C 79/28 el Programa de Acción nos brinda una definición autorizada de los objetivos, estrategias y medidas programáticas que deben aplicarse, y expone el acuerdo tomado por los Estados Miembros de considerar las medidas paraestablecer objetivos específicos, a partir de indicadores concretos, y autoriza a la FAO y a otras organizaciones del sistema de Naciones Unidas, a llevar adelante la supervisión y evaluación de los diversos aspectos de los progresos a nivel nacional e internacional.
Nuestra Delegación reconoce y estima una vez más las responsabilidades de la FAO como organismo rector en materia de agricultura y alimentacion, y por consiguiente el medio indicado para cumplimentar programas de reforma agraria y de desarrollo rural.
Estamos seguros de que la preocupación de la FAO y del Director General en particular por el cumplimiento del plan de acción adoptado por la Conferencia y las acciones ya tomadas en ese sentido sig
nifican un paso de avance en el logro del nuevo orden económico internacional, tan ansiado y necesario para los países en desarrollo.
Consideramos, Sr. Presidente, que esta Conferencia de la FAO debe exhortar nuevamente a los otros organismos especializados de Naciones Unidas para que emprendan actividades en las esferas de su competencia y cooperación con la FAO, en la preparación de programas y actividades conjuntos que, como se plantea en el Documento, podrían financiarse con recursos extrapresupuestarios.
Se debería además exhortar a los países a que cumplan su parte en las actividades complementarias concretas, específicamente en lo que se refiere a la formulación de estrategia de desarrollo rural y contribuir a la planificación general que efectúen siempre con éxito sobre las bases objetivas de su situación y dificultados en el orden socio-económico.
Asimismo esta Conferencia no debe pasar por alto la propuesta del Sr. Director General de que los países miembros realicen contribuciones voluntarias que permitan a la FAO y a otros órganos asumir sus responsabilidades en lo referente a la aplicación del programa de acción.
Sr. Presidente, consideramos innecesario extendemos más en nuestra exposición, puesto que el Documento C 79/23 expone may claramente cuáles son las acciones necesarias para dar cumplimiento al programa de acción y al proyecto de Resolución propuesto en el Apéndice A del Documento analizado, al cual nuestra Delegación da su más decidido apoyo;con lo cual, de manera muy precisa, los pasos necesarios para realizar las actividades complementarias de la Conferencia, que eviten que el plan de acción aprobado por 89 Ministros, 25 Viceministros, así como por otras importantes personalidades asistentes a la Conferencia sobre Reforma Agraria y Desarrollo Rural, quede solamente en un abultado y encuadernado documento, pero que no revierta en acciones concretas.
Apoyamos la propuesta expresada por el distinguido Delegado de Canadá, en el sentido de agregar al epígrafe 2 de la parte dispositiva del Proyecto de Resolución la frase tal como fué aprobada, Entendemos que de esta forma queda perfectamente entendible lo que quiere decir, lo que ratifioamos, la declaración de principios y el programa de acción contenido en el informe de la Conferencia Mundial sobre Reforma Agraria y Desarrollo Rural.
Z. GHOSHIIH (Jordan) (interpretation from Arabic): The delegation of my country wishes to express its sincere thanks to the Director-General for his excellent introduction to document C 79/28 as well as the recommendations for the UCARRD. The Director-General's introduction is proof that he is personally strongly involved in this whole subject.
My delegation endorses Part 1 and Part 2 of this document, which is clear and comprehensive. He agree with the action FAO wishes to undertake on the basis of these recommendations, which can only he carried out if the governments and FAO cooperate in national, regional and intergovernmental organizations, with the agreement of the countries themselves. We hope that FAO, through this document, will be able to reach the target it has set itself to help the poorest countries, and we endorse the Draft Resolution as it is contained in this document.
H. FARAJ (Maroc): Ayant pris connaissance du document traitant de la Réforme agraire, la Délégation du Maroc fait part de sa satisfaction de la qualité du document présenté. Le Maroc a participé avec beaucoup d'intérêt aux travaux de la Conférence mondiale sur la Réforme agraire et le Développement rural, et ne peut que se féliciter du fait que celle-ci ait été déjà suivie d'effets notamment en ce qui concerne les contacts pris avec l’ECOSOC et les organisations du système des Nations Unies, les institutions financières et, en ce qui concerne la mise au point d'une liste de projets intéressant notamment l'élaboration de stratégies nationales, le suivi des programmes de réforme agraire, la promotion de coopératives de petits exploitants, l'organisation des circuits commerciaux.
Ces projets ont le mérite de s'inspirer directement de la Déclaration de principe adoptée par la Conférence mondiale sur la Réforme agraire et le Développement rural, et de pouvoir être mis en oeuvre très rapidement dans les pays en développement, La Délégation du Maroc approuve donc totalement le projet de résolution.
D. BETI (Suisse): A la fin de la Conférence mondiale sur la Réforme agraire et le Développement rural de juillet dernier, la FAO a été chargée de mettre en oeuvre, d'un commun accord avec les autres organisations du système des Nations Unies et tous les pays concernés, le Programme d'action tel qu'ila
été adopte par la Conférence. Le temps écoulé depuis cette décision est encore très court. Dans le document C 79/28, le Secrétariat nous expose la façon dont il envisage d'entreprendre ce suivi, et le Directeur général vient de nous donner des compléments fort utiles à ce sujet. Nous aimerions les en remercier.
A notre avis, c'est la première étape de ce suivi qui devrait avoir la priorité absolue sur les autres démarches prévues. Nous parlons de l'étape d'examen et d'actualisation des activités déjà en cours de la FAO, examen et actualisation à entreprendre selon les orientations retenues dans le Programme d'action de la Conférence mondiale sur la Réforme agraire et le Développement rural. Sans doute, les activités de la FAO, et spécialement celles de terrain, sont-elles en majorité d'une haute qualité, cependant, est-ce que chaque projet en cours de la FAO favorise effectivement et suffisamment la participation des populations elles-mêmes à leur propre développement? Est-ce que nous pouvons être sûrs que certains projets en cours de la FAO ne cimentent pas des structures de propriété allant à l’encontre d'une utilisation équitable des terres, et d'un accès juste à l'eau et aux autres ressources naturelles productives? Dans quelle mesure les projets en cours de la FAO contribuent-ils à une intégration des femmes dans le développement, une intégration qui n'implique pas seulement une participation au travail mais qui leur permette aussi de profiter pleinement des fruits de ce travail? Est-ce que les projets en cours de la FAO ont tout l'impact voulu sur la création d'emplois productifs et rémunérateurs, notamment des populations rurales? Est-ce que ces projets influencent favorablement les conditions de travail et de vie des petits exploitants et travailleurs ruraux?
Voilà, Monsieur le Président, quelques questions seulement qui nous viennent à l'esprit quand nous pensons au suivi du Programme d'action de la Conférence mondiale sur la Réforme agraire et le Développement rural. Nous ne connaissons évidemment pas les réponses à ces questions. Nous ne voulons même pas dire que nous doutons que le bilan d'une telle analyse ne serait pas positif en ce qui concerne notamment les activités de terrain de la FAO, mais nous souhaiterions en être surs. Cet examen est si nécessaire, cette réactualisation des activités en cours de la FAO devrait précéder la mise au point d'un nouveau programme spécial, tel que celui proposé par le Secrétariat, car si les activités en cours ne correspondaient pas complètement aux orientations du Programme d'action de la Conférence mondiale de juillet dernier ou si elles présentaient même des lacunes graves par rapport à ces orientations, à quoi servirait-il d'y ajouter de nouveaux projets, sans y avoir apporté préalablement les corrections nécessaires?
Au paragraphe 4. 4 du document C 79/28, on nous dit que cet examen et ses réactualisations sont entrepris actuellement. Nous aimerions savoir de la part du Secrétariat comment cet examen est-il effectué spécialement en ce qui concerne les programmes et projets de terrain. Nous aimerions recevoir à ce sujet une réponse très concrète quant aux procédés ét aux méthodes adoptés pour cet examen.
En outre, qu'est-ce que la FAO prévoit d'entreprendre dans les projets, au cas où des adaptations -adaptations mineures ou majeures - s'avéreraient nécessaires, et que va-t-il se passer si une telle adaptation exige des moyens supplémentaires?
Il va de soi, à notre avis, que cet examen et cette réactualisation des projets en cours ne peuvent, et en tout cas ne doivent, être entrepris qu'en accord et en collaboration étroite avec les responsables de chaque pays en développement concerné, et dans les cas de projets financies par des fonds fiduciaires de chaque pays donateur concerné.
Il nous semble également important que le rôle et la présence sur le terrain des autres organisations du système des Nations Unies, comme l'OIT, l'UNESCO, etc. , ne soit pas négligé dans cet examen, d'autant plus que, comme tout le monde le sait, le développement est une entreprise très complexe et interdisciplinaire. La Conférence mondiale sur la Réforme agraire et le Développement rural, et notamment le chapitre XII du Programme d'action, ont été très clairs sur ce sujet. Le document C 79/28, ainsi que la résolution qui nous est soumise aujourd'hui pour adoption, sont moins explicites sur ce point. Nous nous permettons dès lors de demander au Secrétariat comment, concrètement, la FAO envisage-t-elle d'associer les autres organisations du système des Nations Unies à l'examen et à la réactualisation des programmes et projets, spécialement de terrain. Dans ce sens, nous appuyons l'amendement proposé par la délégation des Pays-Bas et les pays nordiques.
En ce qui concerne cette même résolution, nous appuyons également la proposition d'amendement soumise par la Délégation de l'Argentine, et ceci dans un souci d'exactitude.
En outre, nous aimerions proposer un amendement visant à compléter le point 5 de la résolution. On devrait y ajouter, à la fin, après le point virgule, la phrase suivante: "Cette mise en oeuvre devrait comprendre, dans une première phase, une analyse des activités en cours de la FAO, et, si nécessaire, leur adaptation selon les orientations retenues dans le Programme d'action de la Conférence mondiale sur la Réforme agraire et le Développement rural. "
CHAIRMAN: I thank the distinguished delegate of Switzerland for his constructive intervention. I am sure it will be very helpful to the discussion and the Secretariat and I am sure will assist him with providing tangible answers for his tangible questions.
J. L. LIJOODI (Kenya): I wish to express the appreciation of my delegation to the Director-General for the brief and precise introduction to the follow-up action of the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development. I wish also to take this opportunity to thank the FAO Secretariat for the active role they have played, and the efforts they have made, ever since the decision was made to hold the Conference, which has subsequently enabled us to effectively discuss in concrete terms the implementation of the July recommendations. We hope that this spirit continues through the period when actual programmes are implemented on the field.
Mr. Chairman, I will be very brief with my comments, as you have asked, in order to save time. I would like to point out immediately that the Government of Kenya has committed itself to the recommendations of the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development, just as we did for the preparation and participation in the Conference itself. As our Minister informed you in our country's statement on the 15th, in the Plenary Hall, we support strongly FAO's position as the leading UN agency in the implementation of the recommendations, and we are prepared to cooperate fully for the successful efforts to bring about successful implementation.
We have noted with satisfaction the steps which have been taken by the Director-General with his staff, to attract the interest of the rest of the UN agencies and the international financial institutions in the follow-up proposals. We also appreciate the efforts which have been made in order to have a programme of work and a plan of action worked out in all the FAO's divisions in order to determine how this fits in to the regular programme. We sincerely hope that the international financing institutions have examined in detail the comments which were made regarding the cumbersome lending procedures which have clearly been identified as one of the bottlenecks to rural development in developing countries. It is hoped, further, that additional financial resources will be made available for the implementation of the recommendations.
Mr. Chairman, we have examined the project proposals contained in document C 70/28 and we are satisfied that they do generally cover the field of rural development satisfactorily. We support strongly the proposal to establish a monitoring system through which a realistic assessment of progress can be made, and it should be given the priority it deserves in the list of project proposals.
Having examined the proposed projects in the follow-up action in relation to our problems at home in the field of rural development, we are convinced that the implementation of the proposals will have to be done with some degree of flexibility. This is so because of the various stages of development in which the affected countries are to be found and the varying degrees they have already attained in the various components of total rural development programmes.
Finally, on the follow-up action, Mr. Chairman, my delegation would like to stress more emphasis on laying the foundation for organizational and institutional framework for people's participation and the women's participation in development. When this is done we expect that financial resources will be made available for implementation of the subsequent programmes. In this respect my delegation would like to pay tribute to the Nordic countries who have, through the Swedish delegation, pledged additional extra-budgetary resources. We expect more pledges either now or later on, from the rest of the developing countries in order to have a more practical approach to the implementation of the programme.
In conclusion, I would like to give our support to the proposed resolution.
CHAIRMAN: I share the expectation of the delegate of Kenya about additional support for the Programme which I think we might probably have by the time we finish this debate.
R. B. SINGH (Nepal): First of all, my delegation wishes to congratulate the Director-General for eloquently and comprehensively introducing the document C 79/28. We also wish to thank the Secretariat for setting out the document in such a well organized manner.
My delegation wishes to congratulate the Director-General on successfully carrying out the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development held in July this year here in Rome. The report
has not only provided a review of agrarian reform and rural development in the developing countries. It has also brought out detailed action plans for agrarian reform and rural development which are so very vital to raise the standards and level of developing countries. The leader of our delegation has already spoken about our firm commitment to complete the follow-up activities recommended in the World Conference and in the recent follow-up consultations initiated by the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Far East.
The WCARRD Conference and the follow-up consultation meeting held in Bangkok recently no doubt provided the forum for soul-searching on failures as well as achievements of tasks. To that extent, it was a very useful exercise, but as the test of the pudding lies in the eating, the success of the Conference will be judged on its action in the future in ameliorating the mass poverty, hunger and malnutrition of the present as well as future generations. However, the developing countries themselves have to carry out the structural and institutional reforms to help the poor by themselves. Some of the past efforts have undoubtedly brought a breakthrough in some areas, but after decades of our endeavours we now realize that the problem of hunger, malnutrition and poverty still remains stark reality.
The World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development has taken many important decisions. In fact, this subject has also received special attention at the UN Conference on Science and Technology in August 1979.
The urgent need for transforming rural societies into more balanced economies will need effective use of the appropriate technologies which would increase production and provide alternative employment. In the view of my delegation a very special effort needs to be made by the developing countries themselves with the assistance of the FAO and other appropriate UN agencies to modify available technologies and to develop new small scale technologies through research that would reduce poverty and bring benefit to the needy rather than to the élite.
These technologies should be developed based on traditional experience. They should cover the total
system of production, conservation, milling, processing of durable foods, as well as perishable commodities. Only through such efforts to use science and technology can a self-reliant rural economy be built. The exchange of information and experience in this respect between developing countries would be of great value, as the technologies developed would be more easily transferable. Of course, the use of science and technology for rural development would need the training of manpower, specially suited to this purpose and adequate investment in the development and transfer of appropriate technologies. We hope that FAO will give more attention to this.
We have now rightly diagnosed, as WCARRD did, that technological improvements are no doubt necessary but are not sufficient in themselves. This is where the question of structural and institutional reform has been brought out. Here again, the institutional and structural reforms by themselves would not be sufficient.
Unless these reforms as envisaged in the WCARRD documents are backed by a sufficient amount of investment, our hope and aspiration will become a mirage. When I talk of investment, what I have in mind is investment in agriculture and rural development in particular. Mr. Chairman, you are aware that the region I come from is very dependent on the unpredictable monsoon for water. Technology alone is not enough for better production, water is a must and ours is also a region which is rich in abundant supplies of water. My own country, Nepal, has so much water resources that the experts tell us it can meet all the water and power requirements of many neighbouring countries of South East Asia, if we can harness this resource fully.
As the leader of our delegation has said in his policy statement in the Plenary, the tremendous water resources which we have cause more problems in terms of flood, soil erosion and landslides. This is where we need massive investment, as is the case with other infrastructure such as roads, transport and communications. The other area where substantial investment will be needed is in the field of rural credit, particularly to small farmers who form the majority among the farming community in the developing countries. A suitable measure of land reform with proper technology input and credit packages coupled with on the farm development water practices, with suitable processing and marketing infrastructure, will undoubtedly bring changes in the direction that has been envisaged in the WCARRD Programme of Action.
As we mentioned earlier, my delegation would like to repeat that His Majesty's Government is firmly committed and has a strong political will to pursue the WCARRD Plan of Action as suggested by the World Conference and the recent follow-up consultation meeting held in Bangkok under the auspices of the FAO Regional Office of Asia and the Far East. Here we would like to congratulate Dr. D. L. Umali, the Regional Representative, and his able staff who left no stone unturned to make the follow-up consultation meeting the big success that it was.
In conclusion, we fully endorse the Plan of Action suggested in the report of this regional meeting, as well as that of the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development.
A. F. CHOUDHURY (Bangladesh): Let me first thank the Director-General very much for his able and analytical introduction of the document before us. The World Conference of last July rightly assigned the leading position to FAO to help implement the Programme of Action for effecting agrarian reform and rural development. FAO has a distinct advantage in this through the ACC Task Force on rural development and its regional and country offices and its good working relationship with other agencies.
The recent establishment of the Centre for Integrated Rural Development in Asia and the Pacific in Bangladesh is also a step forward in this task. Since a strong political will has been shown by the last World Conference, the FAO can now go full swing in the direction of proper agrarian reform and rural development, especially in the developing countries.
Since the last World War, the world has witnessed astonishing progress in the fields of science and technology and yet distress, malnutrition and hunger are staring in the face of the great majority of the human race. Is it not a mockery to humanity itself that while their fellow beings are starving and dying prematurely, a minority of them are busy investing huge resources in arms and weapons which can destroy civilization itself? Therefore, the expression of political determination of themember nations in the last World Conference has not come even one day too early.
As for my country, Bangladesh, it is fully committed to the Programme of Agrarian Reform and Rural Development, not only are we very anxious to achieve this in the shortest possible time but the fact that the position of our country positively dominated the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development in July last is eloquent proof of our complete dedication to the principles and the Action Programme adopted by the Conference.
I would also inform the Commission that our President has given a clarion call for a peaceful revolution to effect the necessary agrarian reform, in order to remove the structural and social constraints in our goal of rural development which, in the immediate future is the elimination of mass poverty, the promotion of employment, a substantial increase in food production and the satisfaction of basic needs.
All concerned have now to accept this challenge of the appropriate agrarian reform and rural development in order to give the right to food and other basic needs to the multitude of poor. For this task, the world has no better organization today than the FAO.
I would like to make a short reference to Appendix Β of document C 79/28. It appears that obviously the projects noted in this appendix are illustrative and not exhaustive. The criteria of these projects all seem to be valid to each other, they need further refinement by discussion with the World Conference or other organizations. Moreover, they should be adjusted to the requirements of individual countries which will request such assistance.
With these words, my delegation lends strong support to the draft resolution in Appendix A for document C 79/28. Further, the additional sub-paragraph proposed by the delegate of the Netherlands and some other suggestions from other delegates are also supported by us in principle. I think the Resolutions Committee is the competent forum to examine how best these additions could be incorporated.
CHAIRMAN: I think the delegate of Bangladesh has made a brief and most constructive contribution.
R. CARLIER (Belgique): Je voudrais d'abord remercier M. le Directeur général pour son introduction. Depuis la Conférence mondiale sur la réforme agraire et le développement rural, nous disposons d'une véritable charte du paysan qui définit les droits des ruraux et aussi les obligations de leurs gouvernements. Non seulement les ruraux auraient maintenant accru, sinon égalisé leurs chances avec les populations urbaines, mais ils pourraient obtenir tous les moyens de production dont la plupart auraient été utilisées. Notre Conférence est aujourd'hui invitée à donner suite à la Conférence mondiale sur la réforme agraire et le dévloppement rural en donnant son avis sur la mise en oeuvre du Programme spécial de la FAO. Cette suite se situe sur un double plan.
D'abord le concept de la réforme agraire et du développement rural doit être incorporé dans chaque politique de développement, et plus spécialement dans le programme de la FAO et des autres institutions internationales, comme le PNUD, la Banque mondiale, le FIDA et beaucoup d'autres, sans oublier les actions bilatérales. Mon pays a déjà intégré ce concept dans son assistance bilatérale au développement rural. Nous concentrons nos efforts sur les petits agriculteurs et les éleveurs modestes qui sont bénéficiaires de la réforme agraire.
Le plan d'action que la FAO applique joue le rôle catalyseur dans le processus. Pour rester en accord avec ce principe, la FAO devrait donc éviter l'écueil du double emploi, en s'occupant de tous les domaines du développement rural qui sont déjà englobés dans les programmes existants. Si nous prenons le document C 79/28, nous voyons que la FAO, et nous en félicitions le Secrétariat, a déjà fourni un certain nombre d'exemples - 15 en tout. Notre opinion est qu'ils sont plus ou moins l'élaboration du point 12 du plan d'action mais qu'ils restent encore très schématiques et trop théoriques dans leur formulation et dans leur expression budgétaire. Certains d'entre eux ne sont pas assez focalisés sur le point principal de la réforme agraire. Nous faisons pleine confiance à la FAO pour passer, dans ses futurs travaux, de la stratégie aux programmes prévus. Pour cela, l’initiative et la collaboration des pays en développement devraient être acquises en premier lieu afin de rendre ces programmes le plus opérationnels possible.
La Belgique, comme l'a déclaré le chef de la délégation, examinera avec grand soin toutes les propositions que le Directeur général de la FAO nous soumettra dans ce sens pour assurer au plus vite le démarrage du plan d'action, y compris celles qui impliqueraient le principe d'une contribution volontaire. C'est pourquoi nous appuyons la résolution proposée. Etant donné que nous reconnaissons le rôle important joué par les organisations non gouvernementales dans le processus de la réforme agraire, nous appuyons l'insertion proposée par la délégation hollandaise. Dans l'esprit des points abordés par ma délégation, ma délégation voudrait, elle aussi, appuyer l'amendement de la délégation suisse en ajoutant au point 5 l'adoption des programmes existant au plan d'action de la réforme agraire et du développement rural.
A. GAYOSO (United States of America): I will try to be very brief. It is my pleasure to express my government's and my delegation's satisfaction with the preparations and the resources of WCARRD as shown in the Report and its Annex. It is particularly because of the excellent work of FAO under the leadership of the Director-General that we can now use our energies in assuring that the agreed-upon action programme is carried out soundly and expeditiously. After all our document C 79/28 expresses very clearly;the Declaration and the Programme firmly establish agrarian reform and rural development as synonymous with true and effective economic and social development for the mass of mankind and place this firmly within the context of the achievement of a New International Economic Order. The US delegation is very satisfied with what seems to be an early and very effective outstanding effort within FAO. One only expects that other members of the UN family will be involved also right from the start. We want to reiterate our endorsement of social law, and have initiated very satisfactory contacts within FAO in order to increase our collaboration and coordination.
As you know the United States is currently spending more than 2000 million dollars per year in bilateral assistance to rural development through the United States bilateral programme. These expenditures directly support specific United States policy framework which places overwhelming emphasis on agrarian reform and on popular participation in the developing process. What the Director-General called the Charter of the Farmers, that is the Action Programme, is the only effective way to achieve higher levels of equity and income for all in developing countries in the context of multilateral efforts.
Finally, we want to support Argentina's and Holland's amendment to the Resolution. We have also given the Secretariat a recent suggestion on a more minor level which we assume is now part of this meeting's amendment. With these minor amendments the UN delegation supports the Resolution of WCARRD to this Conference.
Mrs. N. SHEANAKUL (Thailand): The presence of the Director-General who introduced the follow-up to the World Conference on Agrarian and Rural Development underlined the importance of the agenda item in front of us. The Thai government no doubt gives a very high priority, if not the highest, to agrarian reform and rural development in our national policy formation and will spare no efforts in cooperating with other nations either at the regional or international level in bringing about progress and welfare for the rural poor.
For this reason Thailand truly appreciates the prompt action taken by FAO concerning the follow-up of the World Conference. The Inter-Country Consultation for Asia and the Far East held recently in Bangkok proved very encouraging and promising for Member Countries attending it.
The Thailand delegation also feels that rural women should be given a place in the agrarian reform, and that institutions and organizations dealing with the social and economic development of rural women should be called upon, and their efforts be mobilized in the development of the rural poor. We believe that no real progress can be made, or a true state of well-being achieved, unless women are integrated in the development programme. In this respect the Thai delegation strongly supports the proposal by the distinguished delegate from the Netherlands that item 9 of the Draft Resolution include organizations and institutions working closely with rural women, and that existing as well as new resources be mobilized for agrarian reform and rural development.
Miss M. PIOTROWSKA (Poland): The World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development was one of the most important steps towards the work of social justice and the implementation of new international economic orders. That is why we are very satisfied that during the few months it was possible for the Secretariat to prepare a document in which not only the future action is discussed, but which gives also a clear picture of initiatives already taken by FAO in this field. It is very important because in the opinion of the July Conference the contributions of FAO to the implementation of the work of WCARRD is decisive. It was possible during such a short time not only to begin the review of FAO's Regular Programme in order to assure its conformity with the orientations of the Programme of Action, but also to prepare the model projects falling in line with the decisions of WCARRD.
It is too early to analyse the results of the follow-up action. It needs time and will be done as mentioned in the Draft Resolution during the next FAO Conference. Poland fully endorses the Draft Resolution which, in concise and clear form, gives the growth lines of future FAO action.
T. KAYAKAWA (Japon): Nous avons participe activement à la Conférence mondiale sur la réforme agraire et le développement rural. Nous avons une haute appréciation de cette Conférence et nous apportons en principe notre soutien à la Déclaration de principe et de Programme d'action adoptée par la Conférence.
Nous voulons, particulièrement, insister sur le fait que le Programme national d'action pour les pays en développement est l'un des résultats les plus fructueux de cette Conférence qui permet aux pays en développement de concrétiser les mesures nécessaires pour leurs réforme agraire et de développement rural. Quant au projet de résolution sur la suite à donner à cette Conférence, nous l'apprécions, en principe, à l'exception du paragraphe 9. En ce qui concerne ce paragraphe puisque récemment beaucoup de fonds et de comptes spéciaux ont été établis, nous ne sommes pas satisfaits de constater qu'un fonds sera à nouveau créé.
Nous pensons qu'il serait possible de faire une exploration nécessaire des projets et de les exécuter en utilisant d'une manière effective les moyens qui sont déjà disponibles pour la réforme agraire et le développement rural.
Pour la raison que nous venons de mentionner, nous réservons notre position sur le paragraphe 9 du projet de résolution proposé par le Directeur général de la FAO. Nous espérons que notre réserve sera mentionnée dans le rapport.
S. A. MADALLALI (Tanzania):The Tanzanian delegation wishes to congratulate the Director-General and the FAO at large for presenting this very important document. We also thank Dr. Saouma for his lucid introduction of this paper to this Committee, and believe that all the delegations will participate fully in discussing this subject appreciating the success achieved so far, and approving the resolution proposed in Appendix A of Document C 79/28.
Mr. Chairman, regarding the basic concepts for national development through land reform and rural development, our participation at the Conference has been a result of our genuine determination for rural development in our country, strengthened by the belief that land reform is a basic tool for integrated rural development, especially when it is coupled with mutual understanding and an implementation desire both within the country as well as between countries, regions and the world at large. Tanzania is already implementing basic principles for rural development and we believe that the will to pursue it is profound, the intentions are genuine and the potential is available. Our target is to convert our ambition into reality, especially in the rural areas.
I take the opportunity to exemplify Tanzania's determination to implement this rural development policy, because we believe that rural development is not a dream but a fact which requires political willingness by the people, plus the establishment of techical institutions which will enable all productive people to receive the basic facilities for agriculture and overall rural development, that is, giving power to the rural poor.
To this effect, Tanzania's land reform policy is that of no absolute individual ownership but that of the right of usufruct in which free land utilization under overall national ownership has effectively distributed land to everybody. To make land more productive, specific institutions have been established to assist the land development peasant to become an efficient surplus producer. First and foremost, we have embarked on distribution of technical, advisory and demonstrative services through village level extension services. A specialized training programme is now being undertaken. We have the Rural Development Bank, which is basically concerned with timely supply of agricultural inputs through distribution as well as assistance in the harnessing of financial requirements in support of rural development and covering farm inputs, village level investment credit and storage constructions.
Over and above these facilities, we have established a crop marketing structure in which the production units, that is the villages, are the primary societies which collect village production and sell to specific national parastatals which proceed to better storing, processing and eventually distribution for the domestic consumption and/or export.
Within the context of rural development strategies, Tanzania has now taken up the concept of integrated rural development more seriously and practically. We have already prepared and are implementing some regional integrated rural development projects, and it is our intention to pursue such an approach for all the twenty regions of the country. Simultaneous to the implementation of such projects, we have formed projects preparation and monitoring groups of technicians whose responsibilities include following up project implementation, identifying problems, and making necessary recommendations and reviews. They are actually the basic checkpoints of our rural development progress.
At this point, I should mention that although Tanzania has endeavoured to create such institutions, it is true that this is only the beginning of our desire to strengthen attention to the peasant by providing assistance for rural development. We are still far from reaching rural requirements due to a genuine shortage of technical manpower coupled with an acute financial shortfall and frustratingly poor infrustructural system. This where it becomes evident that faster rural development requires not only national participation with serious use of all existing local capacities, technical training and input distribution facilities, but also the utilization of experts from countries with surplus technical manpower and through technical cooperation among developing countries as well as assistance from the developed countries.
This brings me to the important issue, as mentioned in Appendix B, regarding national centres for rural development. My delegation wishes to thank FAO and, indeed, all African Member States who, with their determination for practical rural development, have made it possible to hold a government Consultation for the establishment of a Centre for Integrated Development for Africa in September this year. On behalf of my government, I convey my country's gratitude for the success of the Consultation and, more important, for the agreement entered into by more than eighteen countries to establish the Centre for Integrated Rural Development for Africa with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania. We hope the other members of our region will hasten to sign the agreement so that the Centre can start functioning.
Tanzania will fully cooperate with member States to ensure maximum benefits from CIRD Africa. Such centres for rural development would certainly become more useful when Member States establish their national centres for rural development. These would form the basic network for better coordinated integrated rural development policies. Even more important would be the cooperation between regional centres for rural development. This means that the establishment of such centres in the Near East and Latin American regions would form the basic media for economic and technical cooperation amongst developing countries.
May I conlcude by saying that FAO has already started providing assistance to member countries towards the implementation of the Programme of Action as adopted by WCARRD. FAO's activities in Tanzania have contributed tremendously in our struggle for self-sufficiency in food production, the formulation and establishment of a National Food Security Programme, and overall Food Production Strategy.
This is now the beginning of concentrating our efforts towards hunger eradication. The potential for much higher food production in developing countries exist, while serious shortfalls of technical manpower, finance, technology and research, are the basic drawbacks to agricultural development. FAO's assistance has helped a lot in reducing this gap. All of us here should therefore expand our cooperation to cover more and more issues of rural developments.
As regards the suggestion which was made by the delegate of Switzerland, that we should add at the end of paragraph 5 of the resolution an analysis of field programmes, the Tanzania delegation feels that this would not be logical;the feelings of the Swiss delegation are well taken care of by paragraph IV 4. 1 and 4. 2 on page 3 of document C 79/28 under the heading "Future Follow-up Action", and also in paragraph V. 5. 2 on "Monitoring and Evaluation". We feel that any resolution on this most important topic should be action-oriented lest we reduce the implementing agency, FAO, to a monitoring and analytical unit rather than action-pursuing. As I said before in one of my interventions, analytical and monitoring activities should be left to the developing countries themselves, because we still believe each Member State is a better evaluator of any programme that is being implemented.
My delegation therefore fully supports the draft resolutions as proposed in Appendix A of doc. C 79/28, and urges all delegations to recommend its adoption by the Conference.
E. MAY (Suriname): First, my delegation wishes to congratulate the Director-General on his excellent presentation of document C 79/28.
Agricultural reform and rural development are of principal importance in my country, and FAO, in the opinion of my delegation, has a major task in these activities. But we feel that other agencies can also contribute to the objectives of agrarian reform and rural development. My delegation, therefore, wishes to support the amendment presented by the delegate of Netherlands.
K. CHOUERI (Liban) (interprétation de l'arabe): Après avoir écouté l'exposé exhaustif du Directeur général, nous voudrions l'en remercier, surtout qu'il nous a habitués à de tels exposés. Nos remerciements s'adressent également au Sécretariat, puisque c'est là un document complet qui reflète la voie qui a été tracée pour les activités futures.
La Déclaration de principe, ainsi que le Programme d'action, adoptés par la WCCARD en juillet dernier, ont donné à la FAO de très lourdes responsabilités pour le suivi des recommandations de la WCCARD et la FAO a répondu avec célérité dans ce domaine.
Nous remarquons également l'examen positif des objectifs de la FAO, de ses activités de terrain, et ce, conformément aux recommandations et aux programmations de la WCCARD.
Les activités de suivi bénéficient de l'appui total de mon gouvernement, surtout dans le domaine de la stratégie, de l'évaluation, des ressources financières et également de l'aide technique. Nous espérons que les recommandations incluses dans le Programme d'action pourront être suivies notamment dans le domaine de la réforme agraire et du développement rural. Mon gouvernement remercie la FAO pour l'aide qu'il recevra dans ce domaine.
Ma délégation appuie la Déclaration de principe et le Programme d'action de la Conférence mondiale sur la Réforme agraire et le Développement rural. Nous réaffirmons le rôle de chef de file de la FAO, dans le domaine de sa compétence, pour le suivi des recommandations de la WCCARD.
Nous voudrions également demander au Directeur général de ne ménager aucun effort pour aider les pays en développement dans la mise en application de leurs programmes de développement.
Nous voudrions également insister sur la nécessité des ressources extra-budgétaires sur une base volontaire, pour arriver à ce suivi, et nous pensons que les pays nordiques peuvent jouer un rôle primordial à ce propos.
Maintenenat, en ce qui concerne l'analyse des projets - et c'est là une question qui a été posée par un délégué - nous pensons que la proposition faite est assez difficile à appliquer, surtout en ce moment, puisque c'est là une opération de longue haleine, et je ne pense pas qu'il soit nécessaire d'y procéder maintenant.
Le délégué de la Tanzanie m'a précédé lorsqu'il a dit que le paragraphe 5. 2 a en fait passé en revue les questions d'évaluation et de surveillance qui devraient être faites par les pays en développement.
Pour ce qui est la coordination interinstitutions, nous avons pris note des éclaircissements et des explications que le Directeur général nous a donnés ce matin puisqu'il a dit que l'équipe de travail du CAC (Comité administratif de coordination) a été chargé de poursuivre ses activités et ce, sous l'égide de la FAO.
Pour finir, nous voudrions apporter notre appui au projet de resolution figurant à l'Annexe A de ce document.
R. C. SOOD (India): The FAO Conference has been invited to endorse the draft Resolution in Appendix A in document C 79/28, and the Declaration of Principles and Programme of Action adopted by the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development. These matters have been considered in depth by the World Conference at which India was represented. We note with satisfaction the steps taken by the Director-General to follow up the recommendations taken at the Conference.
The Indian Government has made serious efforts in securing a better life for the disadvantaged section of the people, the feudal agrarian system has been done away with, a more equitable distribution of land resources through programmes of land reforms has consistently been our national objective, programmes of enforcement of ceilings on holdings, tenancy reforms and consolidation of holdings have been taken up. India is engaged in the popularization of technologies which can help to maximize the benefits of labour intensive small holdings and public policies on services which can minimize handicaps faced by small farmers in mobilizing inputs.
On the development front we have a three-pronged strategy for promoting rural regeneration. This includes a programme for meeting minimum needs of the rural people, social security measures and generation of greater opportunities for gainful employment.
I would like to mention in particular that with a view to ameliorating the economic condition of the rural poor a significant step taken in the period 1978/79 is the introduction of a new programme of Integrated Rural Development. Basically the new programme is an attempt to mount a frontal attack on rural poverty through intensive activity in 2 300 blocks out of the 5 004 blocks in the country.
I would mention also the Food-for-Work programme initiated in April 1977 which marked a significant innovation designed to offer gainful employment to the rural poor, and raise their income levels leading to raising nutritional and living standards through the creation of durable community assets by making surplus food stocks available from the Government stocks.
We would like to suggest in this context a comprehensive strategy for rural development based on the Indian experience including, in particular, the following measures:
(1) A massive effort in the transfer of appropriate technology to the fields of small farmers through blends of national public policies, services and intensive extension methodology, so as to bridge speedily the wide gap between potential and actual yields. We Ourselves and a number of other countries have been bringing this point up in different fora, and would emphasize this is basic to any strategy for rural development.
(2) Promotion of health care and nutrition services in villages with community participation in sanitation, drinking water supply, organic recycling, and soil, plant, major nutritional animal and human health care.
(3) Promotion of "Nutrition gardens" - "a Tree for Every Child" and other simple homegrown food recipes for the maladies, and appropriate nutrition and population education programmes.
(4) Promotion of social security measures like "Employment, Guarantee" and "Food for Work" for able-bodied persons, and "Food for Nutrition" for old and infirm persons, pregnant and nursing mothers and children.
(5) Involvement of rural women in rural development programmes. This was also highlighted by the Netherlands and others.
(6) Promotion, dissemination and application of results of biological break-through in agricultural research.
As will be seen, the Indian government is fully committed to the concept of WCARRD. The Indian delegation wholly endorses the Resolution which incorporates the Declaration of Principles arid Programme of Action and follow-up action to be taken by FAO on the recommendation of the World Conference. We welcome the prompt action taken by the Director-General in following up the recommendations of the World Conference and hope the required finances for further implementation of the Programme will be forthcoming at an early date. The responses from the various countries have been encouraging. Our feeling is that the requirements proposed by the Director-General are modest considering the scope of the programme, but obviously it cannot be implemented without funds, as seems to have been suggested by the Hon. Delegate of Japan.
G. DE BARROS CARVALHO DE MELLO MOURÃO (Brasil): Sere muy breve. La Delegación de Brasil apoya el proyecto de resolución sobre "Actividades complementarias de la Conferencia Mundial sobre Reforma Agraria y Desarrollo Rural", con la propuesta de enmienda hecha por el distinguido Delegado de Argentina, en el sentido de hacer referencia al Anexo de declaración final de aquella Conferencia, en el párrafo resolutivo N° 2 de la resolución.
En efecto, el fuerte apoyo de mi Delegación al proyecto de resolución está cualificado por las reservas y observaciones interpretativas que hizo la Delegación de mi país a los Documentos finales de la Conferencia Mundial y que constan en el Anexo de los mismos. En el marco de aquellas reservas y observaciones, la Delegación de Brasil apoya, como he dicho, la propuesta de resolución.
CHAIRMAN: I would intervene here to inform the non-governmental organizations who wish to take the floor that, considering the shortage of time, I suggest it would not be too much of a burden for them to send in their statements in writing to the Secretariat for the necessary process and action.
M. TURKI (Libya):(interpretation from Arabic): With regard to document C 79/28, I want to commend and congratulate the Secretariat on its excellent work, and compliment the Director-General for the very clear, comprehensive introduction he gave us this morning.
We are satisfied with the efforts made by FAO in this area to provide a follow-up to the WCARRD recommendations. We repeat our endorsement of the Declaration of Principles and Programme of Action, particularly popular participation and recognition of targets and priorities. Complying with your request for brevity. I shall not give details of what my country is doing in this respect, but in any case the decision of the WCARRD is going hand in hand with the present political and economic system in Libya, which is based primarily on handing over all powers to the masses to plan and execute policies.
Therefore, farmers, who make up the majority of our population in the Jamahirya, not only participate in such activities since the declaration of the popular revolution, but also have the full authority to plan agrarian reform policies through popular conferences and execute such policies through popular committees established throughout Libya.
With regard to the second part of the document, follow up of the plan on rural development, and the draft Resolution in Appendix 1, we wish to reiterate our support of this draft resolution and highlight the responsibility of governments to put into effect these recommendations. , and subsequently the need for FAO to take care of this follow-up, because it is up to FAO to follow this up.
I wish to thank the Secretariat, together with the Director-General, for the projects contained in Annex III, and we give our support to the text.
Β· CHUMP (New Zealand):The New Zealand delegation would like to compliment the Secretariat on the Action Programme arising out of WCARRD. Direct support of Country Action is, we think, very anion in line with the principles adopted by the World Conference. These projects have recognized in a practical way the integrated nature of rural development and the need for governments to assist agrarian reform by an extensive programme of support. This must include agricultural imports, resource management, credit, social and health services. In this connexion we would also support the amendment as proposed by the Netherlands delegation with its greater emphasis on the role of women in development.
New Zealand strongly supports the principle of agrarian reform and rural development. We consider the most effective way of realizing the food producing potential of the world' s agricultural land is to have the commitment of farmer-based ownership of land. Farmers should benefit from land ownership and improvement, as a result of which the whole economic activity of a rural area can be increased. The increased economic activity can benefit the landless rural poor because the demand for services resulting from their land improvement creates employment off the farm. Because equitable land tenure systems encourage and motivate farmers to increase agricultural production it is New Zealand's opinion that programmes of agrarian reform should have priority and preceed programmes for rural development. New Zealand would like to see greater attention in the action programme on appropriate population policies. In the long-term social betterment depends basically on the balance between population and resources. Even now in many countries rural populations are greater than can be
accommodated by efficient systems of land tenure, and while land use may be intensified to expand food production and improve the welfare of land owners and their families, many of the rural poor who are landless could be further alienated from the land owners. Equitable land distribution is a principle which New Zealand supports because it is in accord with New Zealand's social, political and economic philisophy. Because of this philosophy New Zealand supports action programmes which lead to better land use.
New Zealand is, therefore, pleased to support the Draft Resolution.
M. DESSOUKI (Egypt):(interpretation from Arabic): Egypt is one of the first developing countries to have implemented a programme for agrarian reform, and this was approximately a quarter of a century ago. This programme was developed to increase our efforts in agrarian and rural development for small farmers in particular. Egypt is particularly concerned with the activities of the Organization in agrarian reform and rural development, and welcomes the results of the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development and supports the Declaration of Principles and Programme of Action of the Conference.
Egypt supports the Draft Resolution found in Annex A in the Document with the amendment presented by the Netherlands. Egypt also accepts the projects with the amendments presented by Iraq in regard to Project 4. Egypt would like to emphasize the importance of Project No. 5, which is related to the organization of marketing of agricultural products and farm input supply. The Egyptian delegation is particularly interested in the activities of the centre for rural development for Africa which will be established in Tanzania, and declared in its participation in the activities of this centre. We would like to thank the Organization for the consultations that have been carried out in view of the establishment of this centre. We are also very pleased in regard to the contributions mentioned by some delegations for the implementation of the principles and programme of action approved by the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development.
L. de AZEVEDO (Portugal): Nous avons eu l'occasion d'etre présents à la Conférence mondiale de la réforme agraire et du développement rural, et nous avons défini à ce moment-là notre position face à une matière aussi importante pour un développement économique et social véritable et efficace de toute l'humanité, comme il nous l'a été rappelé pendant la Conférence mondiale: reconnaître le rôle primordial des femmes dans la vie économique, qu'il s'agisse d'activités agricoles ou non agricoles. C'est une des conditions de succès des politiques, des plans et des programmes de développement rural. C'est pourquoi nous voulons donner notre appui à la délégation des Pays-Bas et à toutes les autres délégations qui ont attiré l'attention sur l'importance du rôle des femmes et des familles rurales dans tout le processus du développement intégré, et sur la nécessité d'intensifier la participation des femmes dans les groupements agricoles en vue d'améliorer leur participation active dans ce même développement. Intégrer les femmes dans le développement rural n'est pas seulement un problème de justice sociale, mais bien une condition fondamentale pour que ce développement puisse se transformer en une réalité.
Nous aimerions bien aussi profiter de cette opportunité pour vous informer que le Groupe de travail de l'économie familiale de la Commission européenne d'agriculture de la FAO tiendra sa cinquième session au mois de septembre 1980, en Autriche, et que le thème choisi, pour cette session, est le rôle des femmes dans l'amélioration des revenus de l'exploitation familiale agricole, en vue du développement rural. Un des principaux documents de travail portera sur le sujet de la participation des femmes dans les groupes agricoles. Ce document a été élaboré conjointement par le Secrétariat de la FAO et les représentants des organisations suivantes: Alliance coopérative internationale, Fédération internationale des producteurs agricoles, Comité de l'aide aux coopératives et d'autres organisations et pays qui s'y intéressent. Tous les pays européens, membres de la FAO, seront invités à participer à la session, ainsi que les observateurs des organisations internationales et non gouvernementales. Mais nous sommes sûrs que tout le monde pourra profiter des résultats de cette session de travail et au sein du Plan de la FAO, pour aider le transfert des technologies en vue du développement des populations de tous les continents.
CHAIRMAN: I thank the distinguished delegate of Portugal and I must appeal once again because we really are running out of time and at least to be fair to every organization and delegation represented here we must hear some intervention from the delegations. I appeal once again to the delegates, please, when you take the floor speak only on the essential points of the document, particularly the Resolution and the Programme of the Director-General. This, I am sure, will be very helpful to the Secretariat and to all of us.
M. A. OROZCO DEZA (México): La Delegación de México estima oportuno manifestar su apoyo a los criterios para la acción complementaria propuestos por el Director General de la FAO, sustentados éstos sobre la Declaración de Principios, el Programa de acción y la Resolución sobre las medidas complementarias que deberá aprobar la FAO para reforzar las recomendaciones y conclusiones de la Conferencia Mundial de la Reforma Agraria y Desarrollo Rural, mal haríamos si después de ser la propia FAO quien auspicio la Conferencia, no acoge en su seno dichas recomendaciones y conclusiones y pasa a una acción contemplativa.
México ha apoyado plenamente el hecho de que tanto el Programa de Acción como la Resolución Complementaria reconozcan la responsabilidad de la FAO como organismo principal en materia de reforma agraria y desarrollo rural.
Cabe resaltarse el necesario establecimiento de políticas de reforma agraria y desarrollo rural en el contexto general del desarrollo económico de los países del Tercer Mundo y cómo su observancia incidirá en la corrección de las desigualdades nacionales e internacionales. Este proceso debe ser característico de la voluntad política de países pobres y ricos para que dichas políticas formen parte integral y coadyuven al establecimiento del Nuevo Orden Económico Internacional cuyo espíritu fue manifiesto en la pasada Conferencia Mundial de Reforma Agraria y Desarrollo Rural.
México es un ejemplo claro de que un proceso de reforma agraria ha permitido la participación del sector rural orientada a definir adecuadas estructuras de producción y a mejorar su tradicional situación marginal, permitiendo a su vez que el desarrollo de formas asociativas y democráticas como las que se gestaron hayan generado incrementos en los niveles de producción, mayor participación y un adecuado aprovechamiento de insumos, tecnologías y asistencia técnica.
Señor Presidente, insistimos en la necesaria revisión de las actividades del Programa Ordinario para conformarlo con las orientaciones del Programa de Acción de la Conferencia Mundial de Reforma Agraria y Desarrollo Rural.
Estimamos fundamental el apoyo directo a la acción nacional en la evaluación y formulación de estrategias generales de la Reforma Agraria para establecer un sistema de tenencia de la tierra adecuado en una primera etapa y de Desarrollo Rural Integrado en una segunda. Consideramos importante también el apoyo regional a las actividades nacionales. Sin embargo en materia de crédito agrícola creemos que el apoyo debe ser no sólo a través de las asociaciones regionales de crédito agrícola, sino también a través de otros organismo regionales que ya han sido establecidos con anterioridad como es el caso de ALIDE en la América Latina, por lo que proponemos se incluya esto en el texto del documento C 79/28.
México ha dado particular énfasis con resultados positivos, al desarrollo de agroindustrias por considerarlo un proceso indispensable para la integración vertical del sector rural;consideramos pues que es una actividad complementaria concreta por lo que proponemos se incluyan consideraciones al respecto en el citado documento.
Para nuestra delegación resulta alentador saber que dentro de las medidas que se han tomado de inmediato para iniciar la acción complementaria están: la presentación ante el ECOSOC de los resultados de la Conferencia Mundial sobre Reforma Agraria y Desarrollo Rural y el Informe presentado por el Comité Preparatorio de la Estrategia Internacional para el Desarrollo celebrado en Nueva York, así como la presentación de éste en el 34° período de sesiones de la Asamblea General.
La Delegación mexicana apoya el "conjunto" de proyectos presentados por el Director de la FAO en el Apéndice Β del documento C 79/28 y se adhiere al proyecto de Resolución presentado en el Apéndice A del mismo documento. Sin embargo, proponemos la inclusión de un proyecto sobre agroindustrias por considerarlo, como ya se dijo, una actividad complementaria concreta.
Finalmente, apoyamos plenamente la propuesta hecha por los Países Bajos en el sentido de que se incluya un párrafo en la Resolución que nos ocupa para que las asociaciones de mujeres campesinas participen en las actividades de reforma agraria y desarrollo rural.
G. BIRAUD (France): J'essaierai aussi d'abréger mon intervention. Je voudrais d'abord saluer encore une fois, au nom de notre pays, cette très importante Conférence du mois de juillet. Je n'en dirai pas tous les mérites ici bien sûr, faute de temps. Ce que je puis constater, c'est que sur les points qui concernaient le développement rural et la réforme agraire proprement dite, qui étaient au coeur de nos travaux et au coeur des travaux préparatoires des conférences régionales, un très large consensus a été possible. En revanche, sur certains autres points, la Conférence n'a peut-être pu se mettre pleinement d'accord, et cela tient essentiellement à l'élargissement considérable donné au champ de réflexion de la Conférence à l'égard d'un vaste ensemble de questions internationales sur l'aide, le commerce, etc. Or, ces
questions venaient d'avoir fait l'objet de débats dans diverses autres instances responsables des Nations Unies et l'on ne pouvait raisonnablement pas attendre des divers gouvernements concernés qu'ils modifient substantiellement, en quelques semaines, des positions bien connues qu'ils défendaient ailleurs.
En outre, il nous semble que la durée trop limitée des travaux de la Conférence de juillet par rapport à la diversité de son ordre du jour, l'a contrainte à des méthodes de travail inhabituelles dans les réunions internationales;au point qu'elle a dû parfois ignorer certaines dispositions de son Règlement intérieur tendant par exemple à la diffusion des amendements;de sorte qu'à aucun moment, les délégations n'ont été en mesure d'étudier les amendements proposés, puis de se prononcer sur eux autrement que par des réserves. Dans ces conditions, on ne pourra pas s'étonner du nombre de réserves et de déclarations interprétatives contenues dans le Rapport de la Conférence. La présentation de ses résultats ne permettait pas de prendre commodément une vue exacte des conditions dans lesquelles chaque paragraphe du document avait recontré ou non l'assentiment des délégations.
En ce qui concerne mon pays, des erreurs de numérotation, des imprécisions qui avaient échappé à la vigilance de notre délégation en séance finale, rendaient incompréhensible la mention de certaines reserves. C'est done avec d'autant plus de plaisir que ma délégation a salué la publication de l'annexe à ce rapport datée de septembre 1979, annexe que rétablit bien la réalité des faits. Je m'associerai donc à la suggestion d'amendements de M. le délégué de l'Argentine tendant à faire explicitement référence à cette annexe dans les mêmes termes qu'au rapport, au paragraphe 2 du projet de résolution. Je m'associe égalementà la demande d'amendement proposée par le délegué du Canada concernant ce même paragraphe. Avec cette précision que la délégation française sera heureuse d'adopter le projet de résolution qui nous est soumis. Et à propos de celui-ci nous voudrions en terminant dire qu'il implique dans notre esprit que c'est l'ensemble de l'action de la FAO, l'ensemble de l'action du système des Nations Unies, l'ensemble de l'action de nos gouvernements qui se doivent désormais d'être conformes au principe et aux orientations contenus dans la déclaration et le programme d'action de la Conférence. Et je m'associe à cet égard tout particulièrement à ce qu'a dit tout à l'heure le représentant de la Suisse.
Je voudrais terminer par une question au Secrétariat à propos des amendements pour lui demander qui, du Comité des résolutions ou du Comité de rédaction, va mettre au point le texte définitif de la résolution que nous examinons?
CHAIRMAN: I assure the delegate of France that an appropriate answer will be given to his question.
K. F. KENEALLY (Australia): Australia considers that the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development very actively pursued its mandate to take up the key issues of agricultural reform and rural development, in particular the problems of social and economic structures and the institutional changes that are needed to enable the countries concerned to meet the food and other requirements of rural people.
The outcome of the Conference which was planned in close cooperation with the United Nations and other interested specialized agencies of the United Nations system was to involve all governments of the world in a new and sustained effort to improve conditions and the quality of life for rural peoples, and to stimulate self reliant growth with equity within the context of the new international economic order.
We consider that the recommendations of the Programme of Action, as accepted by WCARRD participating countries, reinforced by the Declaration of Principles, contained important acknowledgements by national governments of their responsibilities in the field of agricultural development. In this sense, WCARRD could indeed prove, if implemented, to be a significant milestone in human progress. Australia looks forward to all governments honouring the commitments made in the Declaration and Programme of Action.
My own Government intends to pursue actively those recommendations directed to it. For the sake of brevity we shall refrain from detailing the highlights which particularly impress us as focussing on key constraints and requiring an especially careful follow up. Many of our points have already been mentioned by other delegates earlier in the day.
We do, however, see great long-term benefits in the development of indicators, benchmarks, criteria and methods for monitoring and the evaluation of rural development and the adoption of systematic procedures for this purpose. The exchange of experience in agrarian reform and rural development among developing countries is also fundamental, as are measures to strengthen national capabilities for the formulation and implementation of projects offering a significant impact on poverty alleviation.
As regards the resolution on follow-up, my delegation is able to support the general thrust of the operative sections. However, we find ourselves moved to suggest some improvements, and offer the following comments. Firstly, the resolution, to my knowledge, has not yet gone through the Resolutions Committee. We believe there would be an advantage in following the standard procedures laid down for the Conference in this regard.
Secondly, we are puzzled about the reference in paragraph 4 to FAO as leading agency of the Organizations in the UN system. This is the sort of jurisdictional problem the Resolutions Committee might have solved for us. At the point I can only suggest a full stop after the world "competence" to steer us clear of United Nations agencies sovereignty questions.
Thirdly, we note that paragraph 9 calls on sources of voluntary funding. We are uncertain, however, what the construction of the $20 million target is and wonder whether it adds anything here. We also doubt that the catalytic effect mentioned refers to sustaining the flow of resources, or whether it should refer to the follow up action.
Finally, we have noted several amendments suggested from the floor here today. These are very likely to be useful and they will probably be agreeable to us, but we would like to know whether we can actually see the wording of these suggestions some time, and also ascertain how are to mesh these various amendments into the text.
CHAIRMAN: This was a most constructive intervention. I think it is only fair, as we have the time, to include among our speakers some of the non-governmental organizations and I now call on the representative of the Associated Country Women of the World.
Mrs. M. H. PLUME (Observer for the Associated Country Women of the World): The Associated Country Women of the World is a worldwide organization with 8. 5 million members in 68 different countries and women's societies in 48 developing countries are affiliated to the ACWW. Our aim is specifically to raise the standard of living of rural women.
ACWW strongly endorses the concept of people's participation in the plan of action of WCARRD. All member societies have been informed about the plan follow-up and this will be discussed during the forthcoming triennial conference in May 1980, the golden anniversary of the ACWW.
With regard to document C 79/28, we would like to comment on two aspects. The first one is people's participation. The Associated Country Women of the World would like to see that in all rural development projects special provisions be made to enable people's organizations and women's organizations to participate in the planning, implementation and evaluation of these projects. We therefore welcome the amendments proposed by the Netherlands delegation in the resolution and believe that this will facilitate cooperation between governments and people's organizations.
Secondly, the role of women: we appreciate the special emphasis as illustrated in project 9. We hope that there will be found a way in which women programme officers and women's organizations can work together to the benefit of rural women.
However, we would stress that equal opportunity for women to participate and be directly involved pertains to all rural development activities. They should have the possibility to take part in such projects as income raising activities, marketing cooperatives, agriculture and technical training. Rural development can only benefit the whole population if the women can take part in the overall programmes in their villages.
In many countries, women's organizations have gained experience in rural areas through such projects as leadership training, child care, nutrition schemes, health care and handicraft centres. This practical experience should be recognized and be considered as an important input into rural development at country level.
Mrs. G. PELA (Observer for the International Federation of Agricultural Producers): I think Commission II has done very good work this morning and I can therefore omit a good part of my statement, with particular reference to representatives of rural people's organization.
We are very grateful to the Director-General for his opening statement and for mentioning FAO's readiness to support non-governmental organizations' activities at the grass roots level. We have very much appreciated the proposal put forward this morning about people's participation and the great support that it has received. This proves that farmers and governments representatives may arrive at the same conclusions, and this is very encouraging for future collaboration.
My next point is on the $20 million fund which is mentioned in the resolution. We view this with some apprehension, this fund is in fact spread over five years and should be available for over 100 countries. It is intended to finance a vast range of activities. We would strongly urge the Conference to use this fund for very specific purposes and would recommend that priority be given to projects connected with the setting up of a monitoring mechanism and the establishment and strengthening of representative rural organizations so that they can actively participate in implementing the Programme of Action.
In conclusion, we would like to emphasize the importance that IFAP, the International Federation of Agricultural Producers, attaches to rapid, meaningful and sustained rural development, including an effective monitoring mechanism which should include NGOs' involvement at all levels. We are therefore supporting the Programme of Action and we are consulting our member organizations, from both industrialized and developing countries, in order to find practical ways of cooperation both with national governments and with FAO in implementing the programme.
CHAIRMAN: In order to give a further opportunity for speakers and to allow the Secretariat to reply to the points raised, we shall have to reconvene this afternoon. The morning session is adjourned.
The meeting was suspended from 13. 00 to 14. 30 hours
La séance est suspendue de 13 h a 14 h 30
Se suspende la sesión de las 13. 00 horas a las 14. 30 horas
I. CORDISCHI (International Labour Organisation): I have pleasure conveying to you the best wishes of Mr. Blanchard, the Director-General of ILO, for the success of the follow-up to WCARRD.
The Governing Body of the ILO which met in Geneva two weeks ago has concluded that the Declaration of Principles and the Programme of Action adopted at the WCARRD represent a major step forward toward the dynamic balanced development of the rural areas and the well-being of their population. Their implementation calls for an interdisciplinary, concerted effort by all the organizations of the United Nations system, under FAO leadership.
I can therefore assure you that the ILO stands ready to make a substantial contribution to the common effort as described in Document C 79/INF/16 which was distributed last Friday. In fact, you will be pleased to know that our cooperation with FAO extends over a wider range than paragraph 6. 11 of Document C 79/28 might suggest.
Close co-operation between ILO and FAO is in fact essential to assist member States in their efforts towards combating poverty, unemployment and hunger. There is clearly an interdependance of the issue at stake: to ensure his nutrition man must either grow food himself or have an income-yielding employment to buy food.
This shows that the implementation of WCARRD's Declaration of Principles and Programme of Action can make a vital contribution towards solving the cardinal problem of meeting man's basic needs and providing food and jobs for all.
M. ABDELAZIZ (Algérie): Mon pays qui a engagé un vaste processus de révolution agraire pour transformer radicalement les conditions de vie et de travail dans nos campagnes et, à ce titre, a participé activement à la Conférence mondiale sur la Réforme agraire et le Développement rural en juillet dernier, se félicite de la rapidité et du sens de l'efficacité avec lesquels le suivi du programme d'action adopté est envisagé par la FAO.
La méthodologie proposée est de bon augure dans la mesure où elle recense, ordonne et agence les différents aspects du problème.
Aussi, plaît-il à la délégation algérienne d'appuyer la résolution et ses annexes, objet de nos travaux, qui du reste reprennent dans la clarté, la précision et l’exhaustivité, les différents problèmes posés.
Cependant, je ne voudrais pas terminer sans remercier le Directeur général de la FAO qui a bien voulu rehausser de sa présence l'examen de ce point de l'ordre du jour et féliciter le Secrétariat pour la qualité des documents présentés.
AZIZ-UL HAQ (Observer for the Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia): Talking of the follow-up action on the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development 1979 one may reflect on the aftermath of the World Conference on Land Reform of 1966. The Conference of 1979, among other things, asked FAO to operate as lead agency in the UN family in respect of programmes in the field of agrarian reform and agricultural development. If as indicated earlier today the UN General Assembly has endorsed the WCARRD recommendations, this is supportive of the UN family for FAO to go ahead. As evidenced'by Conference document C 79/28 FAO has already initiated a chain of action. The process will call for investment in resources, time and patience. FAO will, above other things, need additional funds and organizations to cope with its new responsibilities if it can help the poor and under-served around the globe. The Director-General's request for extra-budgetary resources to the extent of $ 20 million is rather modest in the context of the nature of the work ahead. This can just be seen as seed money for the process to start. The Conference, I feel, should generously respond to this request for voluntary contributions. Agrarian reform and rural development has to begin with national efforts. The national governments, therefore, have to be effectively assisted. This will necessitate training of FAO country officers at regional level in addition to FAO regional officers. National network or institutions to conduct research, training and consultancy services must be promoted. In this context, the establishment of regional intergovernmental centres on integrated rural development is a step in
the right direction. At the FAO Headquarters there is need for an adequate and competent concept in allowing the activities to be undertaken, and for evolving the monitoring processes, on which there has been ample evidence. Finally, cooperation between other UN bodies and international and nongovernmental agencies will call for additional competence in FAO. With the Director-General's pragmatic approach, it is reasonable to expect that the necessary organizational rearrangement will be taken care of in the not to distant future.
V. KALASHNIKOV (Trade Unions International of Agricultural, Forestry and Plantation Workers): Mr. Chairman, it is our belief that it is in the interests of rural workers, peasants and their professional unions to ensure that the correct document will be followed by the practical projects.
The presentation made by the Director-General served the same purpose. My international union believes that rural masses, through their representative organizations, may use the documents of WCARRD and of this Conference in their drive for changes in the present situation, as well as for the contribution to implementation of the projects.
My international union also plans to follow the decisions of the Conference by convening regional and national meetings. The Director-General, in his presentation, made strong remarks on cooperation with the non-governmental organizations, this cooperation goes without saying. However, today we have to say again that the workers and peasants should participate in all the phases of liberation decisions made in the application of rural development plans. This participation means that the trade unions and peasant organizations should be guaranteed the right to be represented as equal partners to governmental bodies on the local, regional and national levels. Document C 79/28 clearly states this point. I refer to page 8, point 6. 17. However, the draft resolution and follow-up projects do not mention the role of the NGOs as was done in the Plan of Action. My international union was pleased to hear the proposed amendment of the subject. The same idea was expressed during the informal meeting of the NGOs and I do hope the proposed amendment will be supported by the delegates of the Conference and would include the role of rural trade union competent organizations at all stages of agrarian reform and rural development in decision making, planning, implementation and evaluation.
Mrs. S. R. PILLAY (International Alliance of Women): Thank you for giving me an opportunity to say a few words on behalf of the International Alliance of Women, which is an organization that has spearheaded the cause of women for eight decades. The programme of action of the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural development envisages a definite role for NGOs in its implementation. The International Alliance of Women at its triennial Conference in Monrovia held in September, wholeheartedly endorsed the objectives set out in the WCARRD's Report on the Integration of Women in Rural Development. In response, it has initiated action to fulfil some of these objectives by organizing a number of workshops to train rural women. Currently on hand is a workshop in Bangladesh on "The promotion of access to equal educational opportunities for girls and women in rural areas with special emphasis on drop-outs and early school-leavers". In the summer of 1980, we will be holding another regional workshop on better family living and education, in Southern Italy with the participation of 7 countries of the Mediterranean region.
During the next triennium, we plan to hold regional seminars on education of rural women in problems of nutrition, preservation of food and new resources of food (i. e, the use of hitherto unused sources of food) in a number of developing countries. Besides these, we have 18 more follow-up projects (projects arising out of regional seminars already held) to benefit rural women, which we have not yet been able to fully implement for lack of sufficient funds. The latter is the major limiting factor to our efforts to better the cause of rural women.
While undertaking our own direct action, we wish to record our wholehearted support for FAO's initiative in assisting countries in the implementation of the Programme of Action. In this connexion we will request both thedonors of voluntary funds and the FAO to consider means by which NGO' s such as us can be directly involved in the planning and implementation of appropriate projects at the country and community levels for the benefit of women in development.
I would like to record here the IAW's appreciation and thanks to the various delegations which have upheld the cause of women during the deliberations of this Commission.
J. R. RANGEL PARRA (Observador por la Federación Mundial de Trabajadores Agrícolas): En cuanto a los objetivos planteados en el programa de acción adoptado por la Conferencia sobre la Reforma Agraria y el Desarrollo Rural nuestra Federación Mundial de los Trabajadores Agrícolas (F. M. T. A. /CMT), tiene como principal meta la de transformar la vida actual de gran número de poblaciones rurales en el Tercer Mundo para hacerla más humana por la eliminación de la miseria y una redistribución eficaz del poder economico y político a través de la instauración de un sistema de participación efectiva de la población.
Sin embargo, opinamos que esto no debe necesariamente conducir a copiar el modo de vida que caracteriza la sociedad consumidora del mundo desarrollado.
Se debe tender a un desarrollo global que respete y que sea compatible con la tradición cultural y social de las poblaciones en vez de imponer por el sistema economico el modo de vida occidental, cuyo valor intrínseco se encuentra ahora cuestionado.
Por cierto, en primer lugar, se debe eliminar la subalimentación critica actual y asegurar la desaparición completa de ésta en el futuro.
Al mismo tiempo, se debe sin embargo reconocer que esta eliminación no puede realizarse por el incremento puro y sencillo de la producción agrícola. Primero, dependerá del aumento de la producción alimenticia. Pero también, en primer lugar, dependerá de un aumento y de una distribución equitable de las posibilidades del empleo en el mundo rural y por lo tanto de la distribución de los ingresos. De otro modo, el mejoramiento del destino de las poblaciones rurales actualmente marginalizadas y viviendo en la miseria dependería de la caridad, lo cual los mantendría para siempre en una situación de marginalización que es profundamente contraria a la dignidad humana.
En cuanto a la movilización de los recursos para el desarrollo rural, opinamos que se debería inscribir en el programa de acción el principio que una parte de los beneficios procedentes de la exportación de los productos agrícolas se reinvierta en el desarrollo de la infraestructura socio-economica del medio rural.
Toda subutilización de la tierra y de los demás recursos productivos agrarios debería apartarse e incluso sancionarse si fuese necesario.
Damos una importancia primordial y fundamental a los extractos del programa de acción que se refieren a la promoción de las organizaciones populares rurales de todo tipo.
Para realizar y reforzar la participación de la población rural, la realización de este objetivo sólo se podrá alcanzar si se tratan de organizaciones libres y autónomas gozando de todas las garantías cubiertas por los convenios internacionales adoptados por la O. I. T.
Consideramos justamente que esta participación representa el punto neurálgico del programa, mientras debemos observar todavía que en numerosos países miembros de la FAO, incluso si son miembros de la O. I. T. y que ratificaron los convenios 87, 98 y 141, y las cláusulas conexas que deben garantizar la libertad de constituir y de funcionar en organizaciones no son nada respetados y aplicados.
Al contrario, debemos repetir en esta Conferencia que, en numerosos casos, los trabajadores rurales que quieren hacer valer estos derechos, son perseguidos, encarcelados, torturados e incluso asesinados por mercenarios al servicio de los latifundistas o por el ejército y la policía. Los hechos de todos los días lo demuestran.
Mientras no se garantice la aplicación de los convenios internacionales mencionados arriba, los párrafos del programa' de acción que se refieren a la reorganización de los sistemas de propiedad de la tierra, la reforma de los arriendos y la redistribución de la tierra corren el riesgo de no aportar ninguna solución duradera al problema del acceso a la tierra y a los otros recursos naturales agrícolas porque la participación de las poblaciones rurales a través de sus organizaciones a la consolidación de esta reorganización no será garantizada.
Las experiencias pasadas demostraron efectivamente de manera clara que la ausencia de un acompañaniento social, técnico y práctico basado en una participación efectiva de los beneficiarios de las reformas lleva a un fracaso y tiende a volver a poner y concentrar las tierras en manos de antiguos latifundistas. Sólo las organizaciones de trabajadores rurales fuertes, autónomas y libres pueden, conjuntamente con las autoridades, asegurar que se produzca tal acompañamiento al verdadero desarrollo rural en condiciones favorables.
Por otra parte, el refuerzo de los poderes públicos, como está descrito en el programa de acción, no tendrá todos sus efectos si la participación de la población no se basa en la colaboración de organizaciones autónomas y libres.
En lo que se refiere a la integración de las mujeres en el desarrollo rural, queremos señalar que las mujeres siempre fueron y van a ser en el futuro todavía muy activas en el medio rural.
Pues no se tratará, como se hace en el párrafo Β (iii) del capítulo IV de favorecer la participación de mujeres en las actividades agrícolas y rurales sino muy específicamente de "hacerlas valorar" justamente.
Por otra parte, no se debe olvidar que la mujer tiene, más particularmente en el medio rural una triple función muchas veces:
- de trabajadora;
- de ama de casa;
-de educadora.
Esta valoración pues se deberá dar a los tres niveles.
En relación con las trabajadoras, se deberá abolir todas las discriminaciones que existen actualmente a su respecto. Por ejemplo, desde el punto de vista del reclutamiento y ciertamente de la remuneración.
Con el fin de permitir a la mujer rural realizar su tarea de trabajadora en condiciones humanas, se deberán crear equipamientos sociales para que, por ejemplo, en materia de guarderías infantiles, puedan gozar de los mismos derechos y posibilidades que las mujeres de los centros urbanos.
Como ama de casa, nadie negará la importancia de su papel en el campo de la alimentación, de la salud y de la higiene de los miembros de lafamilia rural. La organización de una formación escolar y extraescolar en todos estos campos se deberá desarrollar en provecho de toda la comunidad rural e incluso nacional.
Tercero, como madre de una familia muchas veces numerosa, su papel primordial en el terreno de la educación de los hijos no se cuestiona. Pues, deberá tener acceso a una educación de cualidad a través de la instauración de medidas especiales que tengan en cuenta sus actividades múltiples que cubren tanto las actividades productivas pues económicas, como sociales, culturales y políticas. Por lo tanto, se debe asegurar los mismos derechos a gozar de los resultados y de los frutos del trabajo, en otras palabras, la igualdad de tratamiento se debe lograr en todos los terrenos de la vida rural.
Tratándose del acceso a los factores de producción, a los mercados y a los servicios, sentimos que este capítulo del programa de acción eche en el olvido el caso de los pequeños agricultores que en algunas regiones, se encuentran cada vez más sin recursos a causa de las políticas de muchas compañías agro-industriales multinacionales para volverse "subcontratistas" de estas compañías.
Como no hay información objetiva ni tampoco respaldo de organizaciones rurales campesinas libres y autónomas y que además, siendo muchas veces analfabetos y sin posibilidades de abastecimiento y de mercados de venta, son sometidos a contratos que los dejan sujetos a estas compañías.
Ellas les imponen el cultivo de ciertos productos demasiadas veces destinados a la exportación y que no pueden consumirse en el lugar, les abastecen en semillas, fertilizantes, les dan instrucciones muy estrictas en cuanto al cultivo y tienen el monopolio para fijar los precios de los medios de producción y de los productos y su comercialización.
La ausencia de organizaciones autónomas rurales que, si fuese necesario, podrían en cierta medida defender los intereses de los agricultores los deja totalmente sujetos a compañías que sólo aspiran a realizar ganancias que transfieren a los países industrializados. Además, no vacilan en desplazar sus explotaciones a su antojo. Dejando a los pequeños agricultores en la miseria con estructuras socioeconómicas y culturales desmanteladas.
Ya que incluso una reforma agraria bien organizada no podrá crear bastantes empleos para una población rural siempre creciente, se deberá tomariniciativas para desarrollar actividades rurales no agrícolas capaces de dar un apoyo a la agricultura.
De este modo, hay que pensar primero de todo en implantar industrias de transformación de las materias primas y forestales. Esta implantación podría ser favorecida primero de todo por un mejoramiento de la infraestructura de la red de carreteras, por el desarrollo de los medios de transporte y comunicaciones, por la construcción de almacenes y la instalación de muchos servicios suplementarios y complementarios de carácter artesanal, y, finalmente, por el suministro de energía, el desarrollo de actividades diversas, particularmente durante la temporada de calma.
Teniendo en cuenta que la marginalización de las poblaciones rurales es la causa del alto grado de analfabetismo que padecen, que les ha privado de enseñanza y de una formación, deberán todos los programas de reforma agraria y de desarrollo rural conceder la mayor importancia a la alfabetización y a la formación básica y profesional necesaria para que puedan hacer un trabajo de exploración adecuado y rentable.
No pueden limitarse éstos a una enseñanza escolar para jóvenes y adaptada a las exigencias específicas del medio rural, sino que, durante un largo período, deberán prestar una atención especial a la formación y a la educación extraescolares para adultos.
Partiendo de las estipulaciones contenidas en el Convenio 141 y en la Recomendación 143 de la OIT, se debiera prever la posibilidad de una participación y de una colaboración de las organizaciones autónomas y libres de los trabajadores rurales en la promoción de las actividades educativas y de formación a favor del desarrollo rural.
Ahora bien, es grande la desorganización de los mercados internacionales de productos agrícolas vendidos por el Tercer Mundo, y grandes son las fluctuaciones de los precios en el mercado mundial por causa de las variaciones de la oferta y de la demanda y por ser en gran parte manipulados por las especulaciones de las grandes firmas multinacionales del sector agro-industrial.
En comparación con la evolución registrada por los precios de los productos industriales que deben importar los países en vías de desarrollo de los países industrializados, los precios de los productos agrícolas han ido bajando incesantemente salvo en algunos cortos períodos.
Así, resulta evidente que esta desorganización de los mercados internacionales limita en forma directa el desarrollo rural y de una manera indirecta el desarrollo general de los países del Tercer Mundo.
Resulta, pues, de la mayor urgencia tomar medidas a nivel mundial para poner fin a esta desorganización del comercio internacional de los productos agrícolas.
Nosotros estamos persuadidos de que una de las medidas más importantes que hay que realizar es la de lograr para los productores agrícolas de los países en vías de desarrollo precios remuneradores y estables en el mercado mundial, cuya relación sea capaz de corregir los términos del intercambio haciéndolos equitativos.
Es muy de lamentar que la proposición hecha por la cuarta reunión de la CNUCED sobre el programa integrado para los productos básicos no haya sido realizada de una manera efectiva, cuando supondría dar un gran paso hacia adelante el combinarlo con la concertación de acuerdos internacionales entre los países productores y los consumidores de los productos en cuestión, fijando precios mínimos y máximos susceptibles de resultar remuneradores y las cuotas de producción y de consumo.
La indexación de estos precios con respecto a los principales productos industriales que deben importar los países en vías de desarrollo consolidaría el sistema de beneficios de estos últimos.
Se debiera completar este programa con esfuerzos comunes hechos por los países industrializados y en vías de desarrollo que apunten a limitar los márgenes beneficiarios de los intermediarios, que con frecuencia tienen un carácter de explotación y contribuyen a reducir los precios de los productores, y con otras medidas destinadas a suprimir la especulación y las maniobras en los mercados.
Puede comprobarse la distorsión existente en lo referente a la división internacional del trabajo por el hecho de que las tres cuartas partes de las materias primas alimenticias, en gran parte importadas de los países en vías de desarrollo, son transformadas en los países industrializados, que apenas representan las dos quintas partes de la población mundial. Podría modificarse esta situación, que ahora priva a los países en vías de desarrollo de muchas posibilidades de empleo que pudieran adaptarse al medio rural, incorporando en gran escala los productos agrícolas y alimenticios manufacturados en un sistema generalizado de preferencias.
Como el desarrollo rural debe ser considerado y tratado como parte integrante del desarrollo general de los países, debe beneficiarse también con toda cooperación económica y técnica que se establezca entre los países en vías de desarrollo, y cuyos objetivos principales deben ser, según nosotros, los siguientes:
- reforzar su poder de negociación llevando la discusión a todos los productos básicos y haciéndola con frentes comunes de productores;
- facilitar la creación de órganos técnicos que sirvan exclusivamente a sus intereses; como, por ejemplo, Centros Regionales de Desarrollo Rural (sugerencia hecha por la Conferencia Regional FAO de Africa);
aumentar la solidaridad entre los países que estén más o menos bien dotados de riquezas naturales, con la expansion, por ejemplo, de las corrientes de los recursos financieros, con la concertación de acuerdos preferenciales (de comercio, de pagos, de aduanas), con la uniformiζación de las políticas fiscales y de los códigos de inversiones, con la compra en común de bienes importados de los países industrializados, con la creación de compañías de servicios: navegación, seguros, etc. ;
ampliar sus mercados para poner fin al sistema de comercio triangular, merced al cual puede servir de intermediario en el comercio entre dos países subdesarroliados un país desarrollado, importando éste un producto básico no transformado y reexportándolo después a otro país subdesarroliado;
mejorar la diversificación de sus estructuras económicas;
crear asociaciones de productores que cooperen íntimamente entre ellos;
conseguir para los productores los beneficios de los precios pagados, los cuales no deben ir a parar en los bolsillos de ciertas castas nacionales privilegiadas.
La creación de grupos de productores de materias primas, el logro de una mayor cooperación en las esferas financieras, técnicas y de comunicaciones y el realizar una integración interregional de los mercados y de las producciones del Tercer Mundo en el sector agrícola principalmente, constituyen otras tantas iniciativas que conducen a una autonomía colectiva de las necesidades esenciales y que pueden permitir escapar progresivamente a la dependencia.
Pero hay que rechazar categóricamente los sistemas de colectivización forzada, los cuales han producido con frecuencia una baja de los rendimientos y una burocratización de la gestión, sobre los que no ejercen la menor influencia los trabajadores rurales y que con frecuencia han ido acompañados de represiones ejercidas contra los que se oponen a tales presiones y quieren constituir organizaciones autónomas.
Cuando comprobamos:
que 100 grupos de empresas multinacionales (transnacionales) agro-industriales monopolizan casi el 50 por ciento de la producción mundial alimenticia;
que la mayor parte de ellas practican una política de integración vertical que va desde la fase de la producción de la materia prima hasta la del producto directamente consumible;
que estas empresas tienen por ello una fuerza económica que les permite dominar los mercados mundiales de los productos que fabrican,
se hace necesario, y de la mayor urgencia, como ya se ha dicho antes, elaborar al nivel mundial más alto, en el marco de la ONU, un código de conducta obligatorio y sancionado que obligue a las empresas:
a) a respetar integralmente el derecho sindical en las filiales, en la sede central y en cada órgano de dirección;
b) a respetar integralmente la legislación social de los países huéspedes y los convenios y las recomendaciones de la OIT;
c) a organizar una reunión anual (a cargo de la sociedad) de todos los delegados sindicales del grupo;
d) a fijar un salario mínimo y normas de trabajo por medio de la negociación;
e) a respetar la prioridad absoluta del empleo (cuota mínima de empleos nacionales en todos los niveles);
f) a respetar integralmente la planificación nacional;
g) a publicar anualmente los resultados reales, controlados, de las filiales y de toda la firma, con cuentas globales, el destino de los dividendos y el empleo de la plusvalía;
h) a publicar los salarios reales de todo el personal (sea cual fuere su categoría) en las distintas filiales;
i) a publicar los tipos de intereses, los precios de costo y los precios de venta;
j) a respetar un tipo máximo de repatriación (en reducción) de los dividendos y beneficios y un tipo de reinversión obligatoria en el país, especialmente en las sociedades mixtas (de dominación del Estado) nacionalizadas, cooperativas, etc. ;
k) a constreñir a las sociedades holdings, a presentar, al mismo tiempo que los balances y cuentas de los beneficios y las perdidas, la distribución de las acciones entre el grupo (o los grupos) hasta el grado tercero;
1) a declarar las transacciones (especialmente económicas, financieras y comerciales) realizadas con cualquier otra sociedad, sea cual fuere su grado de relación financiera.
Opinamos que la OIT la CNUCED y la ONUDI tendrán que desempeñar un papel específico en el control de las actividades de las multinacionales.
La primera tendrá que adoptar los instrumentos convencionales a ellas referentes, especialmente dentro del marco de una reforma de los mecanismos de examen de las denuncias relativas a las violaciones de la libertad sindical. La segunda y la tercera podrán proporcionar a los Estados del Tercer Mundo los medios reales para que refuercen su propia concepción y su capacidad de desarrollo.
Por lo que se refiere al problema relativo a la ayuda pública del desarrollo por parte de los países industrializados y en gran parte a la que pasa por las Naciones Unidas, hemos podido comprobar:
que su volumen es demasiado restringido proporclonalmente y que va reduciéndose;
que depende demasiado de las condiciones de empleo dictadas por los países donantes;
que la utilización de esta ayuda compete demasiado exclusivamente a los gobiernos de los países beneficiarios, debido a las estructuras a menudo no democráticas de las autoridades de los países en vías de desarrollo; esta ayuda no aprovecha siempre a la población para la cual se destina y sí muy frecuentemente a las capas acomodadas y dirigentes del país y hasta a las poderosas sociedades multinacionales en forma de subvenciones indirectas.
Por todas estas razones, la concesión de estas ayudas debiera ir acompañada de ciertas modalidades de entrega destinadas a evitar tales azares y que determinen, entre otras cosas, el ejercicio de un control y de un derecho de examen por parte de las organizaciones de los trabajadores rurales 1/
1/ Texto incluido en las actas a petición expresa.
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Ν. ISLAM (Assistant Director-General, Economic and Social Policy Department): I shall only deal with the most important questions raised during the course of the debate. The Director-General appreciates the support given by delegates to the steps which he has taken so far in following up the WCARRD Programme of Action, and also the proposals submitted to you for the implementation of the Programme of Action.
A number of questions have been raised about cooperation with other United Nations agencies and the respective roles of other United Nations agencies in the implementation of the Programme of Action. Both the Director-General and the resolution as contained in the document of the Secretariat emphasize this particular fact: that FAO is coordinating, and will continue to coordinate, its activities in the field of agrarian reform and regional development in cooperation with other United Nations agencies. As has been stated in the document, I would reiterate that we have already had a meeting of the ACC Task Force on Rural Development, immediately following WCARRD and discussing with other United Nations agencies various steps which FAO and other agencies together intend to take in the follow-up of the WCARRD recommendations. The Task Force in fact went into effective steps which the United Nations agencies, with the cooperation of FAO, could take in the task of following up the WCARRD recommendations. Specifically, if I may remind delegates, the areas identified in the inter-regional and cooperation and coordinated action by all the United Nations agencies expected in the near future are monitoring and evaluation, development of socio-economic indicators, and help to member countries in the programme of rural development strategies, improvement of the data repositories in rural development and agrarian reform and country level exercises. Those which have already been initiated under the ACC Task Force prior to WCARRD will continue to be strengthened and expanded to additional countries and this is an exercise undertaken by the United Nations agencies together in cooperation with each other.
Secondly, at the inter-regional stage the Director-General has already stated in his opening address to this Commission, that initiatives have already been taken in our inter-agency meetings at the regional level. A meeting has already taken place in Latin America, and other meetings are proposed in Asia, Africa and the Mediterranean regions. This only confirms the interest which FAO and other United Nations agencies have in coordinated efforts for the follow-up of WCARRD programmes. In addition to these formal inter-agency meetings, we have other informal meetings. And on-going cooperative discussions with such organizations as WHO, ILO and Unesco, and all these cooperative actions are being reorientated towards the objectives set in the WCARRD Programme of Action.
In fact, in the document before you, the inter-agency cooperation is mentioned in various paragraphs (paragraphs 4, 6, 7, and 8) so I would like to assure delegates who have expressed concern about the role of inter-agency cooperation that we here, and other United Nations agencies, are only too aware of this and are doing all that we can in this direction. We certainly want to intensify, improve and expand our cooperative activities in this area.
Comments have been made on some of the projects which have been given in the Appendix to this document and admittedly, as we have said, these projects are illustrative. They are neither final nor exhaustive, and we gratefully acknowledge the various comments and suggestions made by delegates for additions or alterations to these projects, which will be of great assistance in our final preparations for this project in consultations with the countries requesting action and assistance, as well as the donor countries who will hopefully be providing us with financial contributions for the implementation of these projects. I need not at this stage go into specific comments on alterations and additions made to these projects, since they will be subject to discussions with donor countries and the recipient member countries.
A question has also been raised about the rationale behind the specific figure of 20 million dollars. As we have tried to indicate in our document this 20 million dollars is obviously an approximate fugure and is an educated guess as in other future programmes. We could have asked for much more - several hundred million - because, as you have stated, the requirements and needs for programmes and activities in the area of agrarian reform and rural development far exceed in our opinion the resources at the disposal of the Organization, either at the Regular Programme or existing extra budgetary-resources levels. Therefore, we have said that there will be need for voluntary contributions of additional resources to follow-up the implementation of the Programme of Action. We recognize that there are competing demands and difficulties at this time for providing additional resources and we have also taken into consideration how much, in a short period of time, we can possibly effectively absorb and spend in our programme at the country level. So we have proposed a modest - pe; haps over modest -target, in the hope that it will be matched by contributions.
Looking at some of the projects mentioned, questions were asked such as, how was the cost estimate made? As I have stated just now, those cost estimates at this stage are approximate, but if one looks at any one of these, today, 30 countries wanting assistance, either in the form of monitoring and
evaluation or of formulation of rural development strategy or in the field of development of social indicators, we can easily absorb 20 million and more. Therefore, I want to emphasize the figure is a very modest one, and takes into account the difficulties and the conflicting directions of resources, and our ability in the short-term to absorb and implement programmes. As I just said we could have asked for much more but we have been very modest.
Questions have also been raised about the review of existing programmes, both Regular Programme and field programme activities, with a view to orientating them towards the goals and objectives of the Programme of Action of WCARRD. Specifically, a question was raised about the economics of field programmes with a view to making them consistent with WCARRD recommendations. At this stage I would like to repeat the Director-General's statement this morning when he said that FAO's field programmes are being examined with this objective in view, and they will be adopted if and when necessary in consultation with the recipient and donor governments.
At this stage, I think it will be worth recalling that for our internal purposes the Director-General has already established an inter-departmental Committee on Rural Development, which was established prior to the formulation of the Programme of Action - in fact, prior to the preparations for WCARRD. This Committee consists of the Assistant Directors-General of all the eleven Departments, and its terms of reference specifically include such activities as evaluation and monitoring of FAO's new programmes which have been referred to by several delegates. For example if I may quote "this Committee will advise the Director-General on policies and priorities of FAO in the field of rural development. It will review and monitor progress in the planning and implementation of rural. development activities and it will coordinate within the house the follow-up action. It will examine the relationship between programmes and projects in various departments and divisions and ensure their cooperation and coordination. So I would like to assure the distinguished delegates that on the various issues before us raised in the course of the debate, and questions asked, we hope we have done our best to take account of these already and to arrange within the member states to suggest criteria and methods to look after their worries.
A question has been raised on how the amendments would be handled. I take it that the amendments will be discussed in the Drafting Committee. Various delegates have desired amendments to the Resolution and we have taken note of all these amendments and they will be submitted to the Drafting Committee at the time when the report of the 18th item is considered at the Drafting Committee, and this could then be discussed and incorporated in the Resolution.
Finally, I would like to express the Director-General's appreciation of offers of help from a few member countries. With some of them we have already initiated discussions along the lines indicated by some of the distinguished delegates and we hope to continue these informal discussions with a view to finalizing concrete programmes where voluntary contributions could be received and effectively utilized.
CHAIRMAN: I wish to draw the attention of delegates to the fact that 37 countries spoke on this agenda item and no country spoke against the Resolution. Rather there were one or two - in fact 3 or 4 - amendments to the Resolution which of course as you have heard from Professor Islam will be taken care of during the Session of the Drafting Committee which in a sense means that the Resolution, has been adopted or could be adopted pending the necessary amendments which of course as we said could be taken care of in the Drafting Committee. Unless I hear anything to the contrary I take it that the Resolution is adopted. This brings us to the end of this Session on this agenda item.
Three countries sent in interventions in written form: Angola, Malaysia, and the Organization of African Unity.
P. KANGA(Angola): Permettez-moi, au nom de ma délégation, de féliciter le Directeur général pour le grand effort qu'il a accompli et pour les heureux résultats qu'il a obtenus dans un délai de trois mois.
Cela démontre le dynamisme que l'on parvient à donner à une organisation accusée à plusieurs reprises de lenteur et d'une lourde bureaucratie.
Le point 2. 4 sert parfaitement les objectifs que la République populaire de l'Angola assigne à la Réforme agraire et au développement rural comme un moyen de définition d'une nouvelle stratégie du
développement dans le contexte du Nouvel ordre économique international. Nous voyons aussi, dans ce nouveau contexte, apparaître la nouvelle signification de la FAO comme pivot du futur développement autocentré des pays en développement. En réalité, la plupart de ces pays sont essentiellement agricoles et il nous semble impossible d'obtenir un véritable développement sans que l'agriculture en constitue la base. Ainsi, la FAO comme organisation dynamisatrice de développement agricole doit être aussi le polarisateur du développement en général. Nous pensons que la FAO peut compter sur la collaboration des organisations internationales et régionales et surtout, en le prenant en bons termes, pour les tâches à développer et l'objectif tendant à mobiliser les ressources financières sans lesquelles tout ce qui nous a été proposé ne pourra passer que pour de belles intentions.
Dans le document C 79/28 qui sert de base à cette intervention, il y a parfois des expressions que nous considérons comme moins bien venues et qu'il vaudrait mieux changer.
Tel est le cas de la dernière partie du point 4. 2 où l'on donne à chaque gouvernement le rÔle d'arbitre quand ce dernier, qui représente la volonté de son peuple, doit avoir un role plus important que de résoudre des conflits entre ses propres structures et les équipes techniques de la FAO.
Selon le document concernant le point 4. 5, nous pensons aussi que chaque Etat doit faire un grand effort. Les interventions déjà prononcées au cours de cette Conférence nous démontrent qu'il y a beaucoup d'Etats dont les propres recettes ne sont pas suffisantes pour payer les dépenses courantes.
L'application pratique des principes exposés nous semble avoir des effets très limités.
En ce qui concerne le chapitre 5, particulièrement au point 5. 1, nous pensons qu'une stratégie de développement doit toujours s'inscrire dans un cadre politique concret et idéologiquement bien défini. La mentalité idéologique avec laquelle on pose le problème ne nous paraît pas la plus convenable, car la même stratégie aura, en principe, à choisir ses objectifs entre la satisfaction des besoins des masses populaires et la maximisation du profit. Nous aimerions que ce point soit revisé. Il y a encore un autre aspect dont nous parlons souvent et que l'on retrouve aux points 6. 15, 6. 16, 6. 17 et 6. 18.
Il nous paraît qu'on met une certaine timidité à affirmer que la création des coopératives est l'un des aspects fondamentaux du succès des conclusions de la Conférence mondiale de la réforme agraire et du développement rural.
Comme nous l'avons déjà dit, la délégation de la République populaire de l'Angola donne son appui à la proposition de résolution qui fait partie de l'annexe A du document C 79/28 et au projet 1 à 15 de l'annexe B.
Nous pouvons nous féliciter quant aux engagements financiers proposés par l'Organisation pour venir en aide aux pays qui en ont besoin. 1/
AHMAD BIN YUNUS (Malaysia): FAO is to be complimented on the document C 79/28 prepared for this topic of the agenda. I must say that the paper is very comprehensive, and the information it contains is certainly explicitly and precisely presented. Knowing the short time period that FAO has had in preparing this document between the end of the WCARRD in July and this Conference in November 1979, FAO has certainly done an excellent job.
The efforts of the Director-General of FAO and his staff in producing the document C 79/28 should be further complimented when we note the comprehensiveness of the 15 projects proposed for adoption by the Conference as follow-up action to implement the WCARRD Programme of Action. The objectives and the justification for these, projects are not only clearly identified but also the recipient country action and the FAO action required to complement each other in order to ensure success of the projects are clearly described. To complete the project submission, the expected results and the estimated FAO costs are clearly indicated. Mr. Chairman, Malaysia notes that these proposed projects are small projects in terms of financial inputs and that national institutions and experts are utilized substantially in the implementation of these projects. This is good. What is needed, in our opinion, are such low-cost projects which are comparatively easy to implement, great in impact, and effective in demonstration value. Because of the quantum of input from national institutions and local experts is expected to be substantial, the accelerator effect of the projects in the recipient countries can
1/ Texte reçu avec demande d'insertion au procès verbal.
be anticipated to generate a continuing ripple impact for a long time to come. And the rural people, particularly the rural poor, are the beneficiairies of these projects. If FAO can maintain such an auspicious beginning, the Malaysian Delegation will be able to rest assured that the WCARRD Programme of Action will be implemented without delay and without let up for the relief of poverty and hunger in the developing countries. Our confidence in FAO to be able to achieve its aim of translating the WCARRD Programme of Action into definite projects, such as the ones proposed, and putting them on the ground and bringing then to a successful conclusion is based on the past track record of the Organization in the implementation of the TCP and the Field Programmes. This ability, under the dynamic and imaginative leadership of the present Director-General, can and will be improved upon. On this, we have no doubt.
Mr. Chairman, the Malaysian Delegation finds the proposed projects acceptable. And we have no hesitation in recommending acceptance of the projects to any other interested party. Indeed, we would urge the developed countries to come forward and contribute generously to the funding of these projects. Similarly, Malaysia calls upon the multilateral financial institutions, particularly the regional development banks, to put their money on these projects to help alleviate the pressing joint problems of poverty and hunger in the developing countries. Adequate financial support is urgently required, especially at the regional level, which is where these institutions have a definite role to play in financing rural development projects.
However, Malaysia has two comments to make, regarding the proposed projects. Firstly, we note that Project No. 14 - Development of Rural Fish Culture in Central African Countries - is, as the title suggests, limited to countries in Central Africa only. This, we feel, is discriminatory to countries in the Asia and the Pacific region or even to other parts of the African region south of the Sahel. The catalytic impact of this project on rural income, employment and nutrition cannot be denied. Consequently, the Malaysian Delegation wishes to suggest to FAO to make this project universal in application. In passing, we would mention that poultry (i. e. chickens) is equally as compatible as ducks and/or pigs for integration with fish culture.
Mr. Chairman, we are pleased to note that such a project on rural fish culture has been proposed for implementation under. the WCARRD Programme of Action. Our interest in aquaculture stems from our belief that culture fisheries is the trend of the future in increasing the availability of food, in particular animal proteins, for the growing population. For the present, aquaculture in Malaysia and other Asian countries has had a very long history as an important rural industry which produces high quality food and generates income and employment. What is not needed is to modernise and upgrade what is essentially a backyard industry by the infusion of investment, improved appropriate low-cost technology and general development support in the form of extension, fish, seed-supply, credit and marketing facilities. The promotion of aquaculture has one not easily recognised advantage for the rural development programme of many developing countries, and this is the fact that waterlogged land in the rural areas can be economically utilized to produce high quality protein food.
Our second point regarding the proposed projects is that one of the projects identified relate to the development of agro-based industries for the rural areas. Agro-based industries development, and their location the rural areas, have been singled out as vital to the WCARRD Programme of Action in the generation of employment in the rural areas and as a means to decelerate the out-migration of the rural population in search of work and so create slums in the urban metropolitan centres. We would therefore suggest to FAO to prepare an additional project for implantation under the WCARRD Programme of Action, the objective of the project being the promotion of rural agro-based industries in developing countries. If possible, the industries to be promoted could be related to processing which adds value to the output of the rural areas.
Mr. Chairman, permit me to say a few words about Document C 79/28 in the form of general comments. We note with satisfaction that the WCARRD Declaration of Principles and Programme of Action has been widely disseminated and discussed by both the UN General Assembly and its specialised agencies and multilateral financing institutions. It is only through such efforts that financing the Programme of Action will be facilitated particularly at the regional level.
Malaysia is also pleased to note that FAO will put its own house in order first in terms of bringing about a change in the conceptual approach in existing activities of the Regular Programme, orientating them towards the WCARRD Programme of Action. On the same basis, the activities of the Field Programmes will be so focussed, subject to agreement by the donor governments and organizations and by the recipient developing countries. This essential step by FAO is one which is in the right direction. Another step in this direction is for the Director-General of FAO to direct all Headquarters Departments to contribute the necessary resources and manpower to help the Regional Office, in particular the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (which I believe is the new name of the Regional Office as from Friday 23 November), to implement the WCARRD Programme of Action. Current support is insufficient and it needs to be increased substantially and significantly. We must bear in mind that the bulk of the world's rural poor is in our part of the world.
Following upon its own re-orientation, FAO will then be in a position to benefit fully from discussions of cooperation with other agencies, in particular with the regional commissions of ECOSOC in the field of agriculture and rural development. The existing cooperation with other agencies should, at the same time, be strengthened and further developed for the mutual benefit of all concerned, especially the rural poor who are soley dependent upon the success of the implementation of the WCARRD Programme of Action. Indeed, FAO must cooperate with other agencies if it is to develop the appropriate and relevant indicators in the field of agrarian reform and rural development, indicators that are urgently needed for monitoring and evaluation of the progress of the WCARRD Programme of Action. Malaysia sincerely hopes that the fruits of such cooperation will be available for adaption and adoption by individual countries soon. This is because, at the recent FAO Inter-Country Consultation on the WCARRD Follow-up Action in Asia and the Pacific held in Bangkok from 31 October to 3 November this year, one of the identified urgent needs of member nations of the region is assistance to develop indicators and formats for monitoring and evaluation.
Mr. Chairman, allow me to deviate slightly from the topic under discussion to say a few words about the recent Bangkok FAO Inter-Country Consultation. Malaysia would like to place on record her appreciation of the initiative of the Regional Representative for the Asia and the Pacific on his timely and invaluable action in organising the Consultation in the first place. The discussions at the Consultation has definitely helped to clarify the concepts of WCARRD into a practical level for implementation purposes. Indeed, we would go as far as to suggest - and on this point, there was general consensus - that there should be a second Consultation in June 1980 to accelerate implementation of the WCARRD Programme of Action.
To round up my comments on Document C 79/28, Mr. Chairman, Malaysia agrees wholeheartedly with FAO's analysis that specific follow-up action on WCARRD lies in the development of strategies and their integration in national and rural programmes, and that the four main action areas are as identified in pages 4 to 6 of the English version of the document.
On the question of financing the implementation of the WCARRD Programme of Action, the Malaysian Delegation notes that the Director-General of FAO is realistic and pragmatic almost to the point of being unnecessarily over-cautious in recommending a minimum budget target of only US$20 million for the next 5 years. This means that in each financial year the funds available for implementation of the proposed projects in Appendix Β of the document C 79/28 is a mere US$4 million. Put another way, only 27 projects can be implemented per year on that small budget in developing countries. Surely the import and impact of the proposed projects in Appendix Β qualifies them for larger financial support than presently envisaged. In this respect, Malaysia would like to suggest to FAO to reconsider the minimum budget level for the WCARRD Programme of Action. We feel that it should be doubled or even tripled the proposed level.
However, we also know of the reasons upon which the Director-General of FAO decided on such a low minimum budgetary level. The current world economic trends and the absorptive realities trends in developing countries are considerable constraints to having a higher budgetary level. But the urgent necessity of serving the poor and alleviating their hunger and malnutrition surely justifies a higher budget level. And if the absorptive capacity is non-existence, then it must be developed immediately. The poor cannot wait for a less inflationary period for their projects. Let us be bold and act now for the poor, lest future generations should have cause to call us the timid generation.
Finally, Mr. Chairman, the Malaysian Delegation wishes to express our full endorsement for the resolution as contained in Appendix A of the document C 79/28. We would also like to express our support of the suggestion by Indonesia that in the implementation of the follow-up action of WCARRD cognizance must be taken of the existing regional and sub-regional organizations established for the purpose of promoting agricultural and rural development. 1/
I. M. NUR (Observer for the Organization of African Unity): The Financing Institutions indicated in Document C 79/28 page 2, paragraph 3. 5 has an important role to play in the development of the projects in question. The Conference should make all possible efforts to actively involve the institutions to benefit from its financial resources.
The support indicated to be obtained from the institutions is not reliable. Besides the nature of the support, its terms and conditions are not specified. The whole clause is subject to further clarifications and elaborations.
1/Statement inserted in the verbatim records on request.
In a situation like this when finance is a constraint and the alternative source as indicated in the document is voluntary contributions - page 2, paragraph 3. 9. However, it must be borne in mind that such contributions are not reliable. It might discontinue for technical as well as economic including political reasons.
Since the member countries are the major beneficiaries from the projects, it would be prudent to make it conditional for them to pay a fixed sum of money per annum as contribution to the projects.
The technical assistance - page 5, paragraph 5. 9 - should include the training of the nationals. The training would enable the nationals of the member countries to participate actively in the rural development projects.
For all practical purposes, the sources of finance of the project should be secured. Experience shows that the interruption of the flow of funds or shortages, as the case may be, will adversely affect the progress of the project.
The 20 million dollars earmarked by the Director-General to cover the activities outlined for the coming five years is amazingly a very low estimate as compared to the number of countries who need the assistance and the nature of the projects. The estimates, therefore, should be revised in the light of the above-mentioned factors.
Appendix B:The basis of the cost estimates for the projects envisaged must be indicated in order to be in a position to evaluate the project.
The cost estimates of the technical assistance of all projects is comparatively higher than other cost estimates. This requires an explanation.
For all practical purposes the break-down of all the costs must be made available. 1/
The meeting rose at 15. 15 hours.
La séance est levée à 15 h 15.
Se levanta la sesión a las 15. 15 horas.
1/ Statement inserted in the verbatim records on request.
