INTRODUCTION - PROCEDURE OF THE SESSION (continued)
INTRODUCTION ET QUESTIONS DE PROCEDURE (suite)
INTRODUCCION Y CUESTIONES DE PROCEDIMIENTO (continuación)

CHAIRMAN: First, I should like to thank the delegates for their cooperation in enabling our Conference to proceed smoothly on schedule. Now Mr Henderson will read the third report of the General Committee.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY-GENERAL: The report contains two items. The first is the Right to Vote, and I shall read it out.

"In accordance with the instructions of the Conference, the Director-General had endeavoured to make contact with the Representatives of the 9 Member Nations which on the basis of the criteria laid down in Article III-4 of the Constitution would have no vote in the Conference. In reviewing his report on these endeavours, the Committee bore in mind the need to take into account, where appropriate, the serious economic difficulties, serious drought and óther conditions that could have an impact on the non-payment of contributions to FAO."

The General Committee noted that since its first meeting Liberia had paid an amount sufficient to regain its right to vote throughout the remainder of this session of the Conference.

The General Committee was informed that since its first meeting a contribution had been received also from Togo which, however, was somewhat less than the minimum amount required to ensure its vote. The delegation had confirmed that its failure to pay contributions in recent years was due to serious economic and drought conditions which were beyond the control of the Government. The Committee was sympathetic to Togo's well known difficulties and, noting that the delegation had indicated that a further payment to the Organization should be forthcoming in the next months, recommends to the Conference that Togo's right to vote be restored.

In the contacts with the delegation of Comoros, the delegate confirmed that the failure of his country to pay its assessed contributions to the Organization had been beyond the control of the Government, owing to economic difficulties and the lack of foreign exchange, but that the Government intended to make a partial payment and was ready to adopt a phased payment plan. In view of its sympathy with countries suffering from drought and other difficult situations, the Committee recommends for adoption by the Conference the following resolution, which is in accordance with a proposal of the Government of Comoros, and would ensure its voting rights at this session of the Conference."

I will now read the text of the resolution:

"THE CONFERENCE,

Noting that the Government of Comoros had made a proposal that it liquidate its arrears of contributions over a period of ten years commencing in 1983, in addition to paying each current contribution in the calendar year of assessment,

Decides that:

1. Notwithstanding Financial Regulation 5.5, the arrears of contributions of Comoros totalling $ 70 078.00 shall be settled through the payment of ten equal annual instalments of $ 7 007.80;

2. The first instalment together with the contribution assessed for 1983 shall be payable in 1983;

3. The annual payment of the instalments referred to above, together with the payment of each current contribution in the calendar year of assessment and any advances to the Working Capital Fund, shall be considered as fulfilment of Comoros' financial obligations to the Organization."

That is the end of the resolution.

"There were no delegations at present attending the Conference from Chad and Democratic Kampuchea. The Committee therefore does not recommend any action to restore their right to vote.

Contact was made with the delegations attending the Conference from Central African Republic, Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania. It was recognized that they were faced with serious difficulties, but the representatives indicated that they were not yet in a position to provide information as to the action which the Government was proposing with regard to payment of its contributions. Each agreed to provide information to the Director-General in the near future. Meanwhile, the General Committee decided to defer consideration of a proposal to restore the right to vote of those 3 Member Nations.

A representative of the Permanent Representation of Paraguay who was contacted by telephone advised that he had no instructions from his Government. A letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, however, had recently been received by the Director-General, in which the Government indicated that failure to pay its contribution to the Organization was due to recent floods and beyond the control of the Government. It requested that its right to vote be restored. The General Committee took into account the problem created by the recent floods. It also noted, however, that Paraguay had not had a vote in the Conference since 1975, and that its outstanding contributions now, totalled an amount approximately equivalent to 8 calendar years. After considering all of the serious circumstances in Paraguay, the fact that the FAO Conference in 1971 had granted payment relief to Paraguay in the form of a ten year instalment plan, and the Government's payment history since then, the General Committee cannot recommend that the vote of Paraguay be restored at this stage."

That is the end of the first part of the report. The second part of the report deals with statements in Plenary meetings of the Conference by International Non-Governmental Organizations having consultative status.

"The General Committee was appraised of a request from the World Confederation of Labour (WCL), an International Non-Governmental Organization having consultative status, to address the Plenary of the Conference. Having examined the request, the Committee in accordance with Rule X-2 (g) of the General Rules of the Organization, is now reporting it to the Conference, and recommends that the Conference concede speaking time in Plenary to the above-mentioned organization on the understanding that a maximum time limit of 10 minutes will be observed and that in no case will such organization be given priority in speaking over delegates of Member Nations."

CHAIRMAN: Are there any comments on that? Then the Report is adopted.

Applause
Applaudissements
Aplausos

T.D. DA COSTA (São Tomé-et-Principe): Monsieur le Président, M. le Directeur général, honorables délégués, mesdames et messieurs, au nom du Gouvernement de la République démocratique de São Tomé-et-Principe ainsi qu'en mon propre nom et au nom de la délégation qui m'accompagne, j'adresse un salut cordial et fraternel à tous ceux qui sont ici présents et en particulier à M. le Directeur général de la FAO, qui joue un rôle dynamique de premier plan dans la lutte en faveur du développement de l'agriculture et de l'alimentation dans le monde.

Permettez-moi M. le Président de vous féliciter de votre élection. Je suis certain que sous votre direction éclairée les travaux de cette conférence auront l'issue la plus fructueuse. Je félicite aussi les vice-présidents de la Conférence et les présidents des commissions.

C'est pour moi une grande satisfaction de pouvoir féliciter Antigua-et-Barbuda , Belize, Vanuatu et Saint-Christophe-et-Nevis qui ont été admis Membres de plein droit de l'Organisation, car leur présence parmi nous et leur participation active nous permettront d'obtenir les travaux les plus fructueux.

C'est pour moi à la fois une joie et une cause de fierté que de participer aux travaux de la Conférence. En effet, les problèmes dont elle s'occupe ont une grande importance pour l'agriculture et l'alimentation mondiales, secteurs dans lesquels il est urgent de trouver des solutions adéquates.

Plusieurs des orateurs qui m'ont précédé ont évoqué l'immense préoccupation que leur inspire la situation alimentaire dans le monde. Je saisis l'occasion de féliciter le Directeur Général de la FAO de l'analyse si éloquente et si claire qu'il a faite de la conjoncture politique, économique et sociale, en particulier du point de vue du monde en développement.

La situation est en effet alarmante pour les pays en développement et surtout pour beaucoup de pays du continent africain. Jamais dans son histoire l'Afrique n'a connu de moments si difficiles.

Seuls quelques pays industrialisés donnent l'impression de pouvoir maîtriser les effets de la crise économique mondiale, alors que la majorité des pays du monde souffre d'un retard économique, qui se fait sentir surtout dans le domaine de la production agricole, et en particulier alimentaire, ce qui ne manque pas d'avoir de graves conséquences sociales.

Les interventions des délégués de plusieurs régions du monde qui nous ont précédés confirment que nous ne devons pas sous-estimer la puissance de l'union. C'est elle en effet qui permettra de résoudre progressivement les problèmes dont souffrent des milliers de nos frères et qui risquent de compromettre irrémédiablement le sort des générations futures. C'est pour cela,M. le Président, que nous en appelons à la conscience de tous les pays ici représentés pour qu'ils cherchent en toute objectivité les moyens de nous aider à résoudre ensemble le problème dramatique qui est le nôtre. M. le Président, nous ne devons pas rêver mais nous fixer des objectifs réalistes. Il faut qu'à l'issue de nos débats nous puissions affirmer que la Conférence a fait un travail utile. Durant les presque trois semaines de la 22ème Session de la Conférence, je suis sûr que nous trouverons le temps de réfléchir sur notre action passée, présente et à venir. 'Nous devons identifier les causes de tous ces malaises, et attaquer le mal à la racine, même si celle-ci est profonde: c'est seulement ainsi que les solutions pourront être efficaces et adaptées à chaque cas. L'heure est grave; elle exige du courage, des actions concrètes et des décisions pratiques.

Personne ici ne s'étonnera que je m'étende particulièrement sur l'Afrique et sur mon pays. La majorité des pays africains, comme nous le savons, connaissent une crise économique si grave qu'elle entraîne une constante diminution, et en quelques cas même une véritable paralysie de l'agriculture et de la production des aliments indispensables aux populations. Divers fléaux, qu'il s'agisse des ennemis des cultures ou de la peste bovine africaine, viennent aggraver les effets de la crise et mettent en danger 100 millions de personnes vivant dans 22 pays dont le mien, Sao Tomé-et-Principe.

C'est dans ce contexte qu'on doit comprendre les efforts que fait notre organisation pour résoudre les problèmes alimentaires au moyen d'actions dynamiques et pratiques. Je vous assure que la FAO joue un rôle irremplaçable pour trouver des solutions aux problèmes qui surgissent continuellement. Permettez-moi d'exprimer ici les sentiments d'admiration et de gratitude de mon pays pour l'action de M. Saouma, Directeur de l'organisation et le travail des fonctionnaires de la FAO et la façon énergique avec laquelle cette dernière a toujours répondu à nos sollicitations.

J'en veux pour preuve la réunion organisée le 19 octobre par la FAO pour alerter la communauté mondiale sur la crise alimentaire et agricole grave qui frappe particulièrement les pays africains; à cette occasion le Directeur général de la FAO s'est exprimé sans ambiguïté et a fait des propo‐sitions concrètes à la communauté internationale représentée par des personnalités de très haut niveau. La crise alimentaire du continent africain a pris des proportions gigantesques et ses effets sont incalculables. Il n'est pas exagéré de dire que nous risquons une catastrophe si nous n'agissons pas tout de suite pour sauvegarder l'avenir à moyen et long terme.

Rappelons aussi que nos pays ont hérité du colonialisme des structures économiques inadaptées - et São Tomé-et-Principe ne fait pas exception. Pendant la première année qui a suivi l'indépendance, nous avons étudié en priorité la situation de l'agriculture et de l'élevage; nous avons vu que la monoculture du cacao avait empêché la diversification et le développement de l'agriculture. Nous avons pu corriger les erreurs passées : introduire des cultures industrielles, entreprendre une campagne en faveur des cultures vivrières de base pour assurer notre autosuffisance alimentaire, améliorer la production du cacao. Je dois constater que nous étions trop optimistes car c'est grâce au cacao, qui a enfin atteint des cours raisonnables sur le marché mondial, que nous avons pu faire des investissements agricoles, mais je dois malheureusement avouer que cette conjoncture n'a pas duré. Les prix du cacao sur le marché mondial ont baissé vertigineusement, les pluies ont manqué et nous avons perdu notre capacité d'importer des biens de consommation pour la population, d'investir pour relever la productivité des entreprises agricoles et soutenir la petite agriculture. C'est ainsi que notre économie s'est écroulée et nous nous trouvons aujourd'hui parmi les 22 pays africains les plus affectés par la crise alimentaire. Des mesures plus énergiques encore ont été prises récemment pour créer des conditions intérieures propres à enrayer cette évolution désastreuse; ces mesures, appuyées par une aide extérieure, devraient permettre de trouver des solutions plus réalistes et prometteuses au gigantesque problème de l'alimentation.

Nous sommes heureux de la façon dont plusieurs secteurs de la communauté internationale analysent la conjoncture agricole et alimentaire dans le monde, particulièrement en ce qui concerne les pays en développement du continent africain où, nous l'avons vu, la situation est véritablement critique. Il est fondamental que toutes les bonnes intentions exprimées ici ne restent pas de vains mots, et qu'a l'issue de la présente session de la Conférence, de véritables réalisations viennent aider nos pays à vaincre la pénurie alimentaire. Personne ici ne souhaite voir la situation s'aggraver et devenir catastrophique. Toutes les aides doivent être accrues immédiatement, pour permettre une augmentation soutenue de nos productions agro-pastorales et industrielles afin d'assurer une amélioration progressive du niveau de vie de notre population. Pour cela, les aides doivent nous permettre d'accroître le nombre et la qualification de nos cadres, afin que nous puissions tirer le meilleur parti des sciences et des techniques modernes, afin de vaincre notre retard économique au moyen d'une stratégie préalablement définie, fondée sur une judicieuse évaluation des priorités.

C'est dans ce contexte qu'au nom de mon gouvernement, en mon nom propre et en celui de ma délégation, je tiens à exprimer mon entière adhésion au Programme de la FAO pour 1984-1985, présenté par M. Edouard Saouma, Directeur général; nous le trouvons réaliste et extrêmement important pour les problèmes d'aujourd'hui. Il nous faut donc appuyer toutes les initiatives de la FAO et de son Directeur général, si nous voulons éviter de perpétuer une situation insoutenable.

Pour terminer, nous remercions très sincèrement toute la communauté internationale, la FAO, et toutes les autres organisations internationales de l'appui et l'assistance technique qu'elles donnent à notre pays et nous souhaitons un très grand succès aux travaux de cette conférence.

AKLU GIRGRE (Ethiopia): Mr Chairman, first of all I would like to congratulate the Chairman and the Vice-Chairmen on their election and for the competence they have demonstrated in leading the Conference. My delegation would also like to express its appreciation to Dr Saouma and his colleagues for providing a dynamic leadership to FAO and for their striking success in creating a great awareness to the international community of the growing world food problem.

My delegation is in full appreciation of the FAO's realistic Programme of Work and Budget for 1984-85 and we note our satisfaction in its consistent qualitative improvement over the last few years.

Nearly a decade after the World Food Conference adopted a Universal Declaration on Eradication of Hunger and Malnutrition, we still live in an unsafe world where not only more children go to bed hungry but children are born to woe for their future, more families fear for their next day's bread, the individual potential is more restricted by malnutrition and near starvation, and we have many developing countries which are still held bondage to famine.

It is an appalling paradox to note that while there is enough global food for everyone, hundreds of millions of people are starving to death because they cannot afford to pay for what is available in the food markets. To us it is still paradoxical to see that while some countries pay food producers to produce less, others are hard pressed to induce more food production. This indicates how complex the world food problem can be.

The world has not made much progress in coping with its food problems notwithstanding the prominence it accorded to the concept of world food security since it was developed by FAO during the food crisis of the mid-seventies. We are, today, farther away from solutions to food security problems than we had been then. In Africa, particularly in those African countries known as the least developed, the food situation is extremely precarious. There is a number of interrelated reasons for this state of affairs. I would like to mention a few of them.

1. Inability of the world community to come up with genuine solutions to global economic problems. Despite protracted debates, dialogues, lofty declarations that have been taking place over the last three to four decades between the developing and developed countries it is regrettable to note that little has been achieved and the world economy is today full of contradictions. I am by no means alluding that such debates, dialogues, and declarations are not important, they are important provided that they are held and made under an atmosphere of complete understanding and if there prevails a positive attitude on the part of developed countries toward the social and economic problems of developing countries.

2. Declining development assistance: the volume of development assistance to Africa has been decreasing in real terms in recent years and the terms and conditions for development assistance particularly credit have been rendered more stiff. Taking advantage of their level of industrialization, the developed countries continue to relegate the countries of Africa to a secondary position by denying them extension of assistance to process their raw materials at home. As a result, African countries find themselves unable to meet even a part of their debt and obligations.

3. Unfavorable terms of trade: the question of regulating prices, and concluding international grain agreements have been on the agenda of the international community and arduous negotiations have been going on over a long period to bring about an equitable solution to the problems. However, the plight,of the developing countries in general and the African countries in particular has so far gone unheeded.

4. Population growth, urbanization and adverse weather conditions. Most African countries have experienced and are experiencing population growth and urbanization. This and persistently adverse weather conditions which result in severe drought and ecological degradations have made African countries suffer from serious shortage of food production.

5. Inadequate and unsound economic and development policies in most African countries: these nations are often preoccupied with short-term economic and development problems and therefore formulation of policies reflecting this. More attention should have to be given to long-term economic and development problems and devise requisite policies to solve these problems.

6. Insufficient attention given to research in general and agricultural research in particular and to human resources or manpower development in most African countries. If Africa wants to tap her enormous potential for development in terms of her rich human and material resources she has to be more serious in her resource allocation to research and human development.

It is in recognition of the gravity of the situation and the need for urgent action to reverse this dangerous trend towards food self-sufficiency and balanced development that the African countries have committed themselves to undertake radical policy changes in the food and agriculture sector, as evidenced in the Lagos Plan of Action,

Of the development priorities for the 1980s, which emerged from both the Monrovia Strategy and the Lagos Plan of Action, food production has been made the most important priority of all. We in Africa firmly believe that the long-term solution to food security system calls for an increased food production through cultivating the virtue of self—reliance in African countries. External assistance is welcome. In fact, it is a necessary input. However, this assistance should be compatible with Africa's objective of self-reliance and sustained growth.

The problem of food security system confronting the low-income food-deficit developing countries in general, and Africa in particular, demands a resolute action.

Ethiopia, for its part, recognised the need to take drastic steps to alleviate the food problem. The land reform programme has succeeded in providing access to land peasantry, with a greater degree of equity and participation.

Access to food depends on access to productive resources, including land and water, and to services such as agricultural extension, credit facilities, and input supplies.

Ethiopia has been providing such services to the peasant sector through the implementation of intensive area-specific and countrywide agricultural development projects in order to raise food production, increase rural incomes, and improve quality of life of the rural population.

Considerable progress has been achieved in establishing peasant organizations, i.e., peasant associations, services cooperatives, and producers cooperatives, which serve both as production and service organizations as well as instruments for mobilization, participation, and training of the people in agrarian transformation and rural development.

Ethiopia has carried out fundamental structural policy and institutional changes to provide economic access to food for the rural masses. Currently, it is engaged in very serious agricultural development activities giving highest priority to the agricultural sector. The Government is committing the maximum financial and manpower resources at its disposal to the development of this sector with the objective of attaining a sustained self-reliance in the longer term. However, the resources are puny in relation to the problems confronted.

As one of the least developed low-income countries with the lowest official development assistance per capita, and one which is already grappling with the problem of providing relief and rehabilitation to millions of victims of man-made and natural disasters, Ethiopia finds it difficult with its own resources alone to carry out accelerated development of the agricultural problem. It needs international assistance to supplement its development effort.

In spite of the achievement of redistribution of economic, social, and political power, and the establishment of framework for development based on mass participation through peasants' organizations there still are constraints such as limited infrastructure, traditional agricultural practices, erratic climatic conditions and dependence on the tyranny of capricious rainfall, and continuing soil erosion.

However, Ethiopia is now finalizing the mapping out of a strategy for its agricultural development which identified the sector into high potential production areas and deficit areas and according to which it will effectively deal with problems confronting the country.

My Government is also reviewing the issues of marketing, pricing, incentives, and input s applies in order to provide farmers with the economic returns they need to produce more and to cater for the needs of consumers. Peasant service cooperatives are envisaged to take over more and more responsibility of marketing and distribution of food supplies from parastatal organizations.

Ethiopia has also undertaken to execute a food security project in keeping with the 1979 Plan of Action on World Food Security, proposed by FAO's Director-General to implement the recommendations of the 1974 International Undertaking on World Food Security.

Under the terms of this project, it is proposed to build up a reserve stock of food grains to meet food requirements for emergency situations. The plan is to bring the reserve level to 60,000 tons in the first two years and to raise it to 180 000 tons over the following years. It is expected that initial contribution to the reserve will be secured through an increase in food aid, while the maintenance cost will be borne by the Government. With the increase in national food production, stocks will be contributed from domestic sources as well.

The preparation of an overall food strategy is now underway and my Government is committed to implement the strategy with greater determination. A strong international support would certainly contribute to its successful implementation.

If there is to be a genuine world food security system, it must have a focal point. And that focal point must be FAO. I would like once again to thank FAO for manifold contributions which it is making to food security system, and to a strengthening of Africa's agriculture, fisheries, and forestry in general, and that of Ethiopia in particular.

R. B. SINGH (India): I am happy to be present here and participate in this assembly of nations. For the Member Nations of the FAO this is a unique opportunity when they meet once in two years and deliberate on vital issues concerning food - the basic necessity of life.

We are glad that four new countries have been admitted to the membership of this Organization. I. greet them on this occasion. Their membership is yet another testimony to the relevance of FAO to the needs and aspirations of the developing countries.

The world food and agricultural situation was outlined in the address of the Director-General. It is gratifying that there have been significant increases in global production of several food commodities in the opening years of the eighties, which resulted in record level carry-over stocks of cereal grains into 1983. The benefits of these production gains, however, have been unevenly shared. Most of the carry-over stocks are concentrated in a few exporting countries. Per capita consumption of food-grains remains stagnant in Asia and has declined in Africa. Abnormal food shortages haunt as many as 26 countries, most of them in Africa. Financial difficulties have forced many developing countries to reduce the use of fertilizer and inputs. This does not portend well for higher agricultural production in those countries.

We believe that food security is the most important and critical problem before mankind today. We have been actively participating in the deliberations of the Committee on Food Security and we would particularly like to commend the initiative taken by the Director-General in giving a new dimension to the concept of food security in his recent review of the subject. We support the three components of food security with emphasis on production of adequate food, and its availability to those in need of it.

In India we have at hand the problem of food supply for a population of over 700 million which is more than 1/7th of the total human race, and is the second most populous country after your own, Mr Chairman. Since our Independence 36 years ago, we have been waging a relentless struggle for achieving food security for our people. We have succeeded in increasing our irrigated area by 150 percent to the level of 55 million hectares. In fertilizer consumption the level has been raised from 70 000 tonnes annually to 6.6 million tonnes of nutrients. Programme of quality seed production and plant protection are receiving special attention. A vast infrastructure of agricultural research, education and extension has been created for achieving technological advances in our agriculture.

We agree with the distinguished leader of the US Delegation - Mr John Block - that the answer to the world's food problems lies in helping the developing nations strengthen their economies and that sound agricultural policies - national and international - are the key to solving these problems. We endorse the principles he enunciated - namely, remunerative price to the farmers, easy availability of inputs, including credit, and maintenance of food reserves, which, as in India, should constitute the basic charter of national agricultural policy. We expect that these principles would receive the support of the Conference. With regard to availability of agricultural credit, we would like to urge that the international financial institutions should relax the curbs and conditions imposed by them on refinancing facilities for the farm sector. Similarly, we appreciate and share the deep concern so poignantly expressed by the leader of the Canadian delegation regarding the replenishment of IFAD.

In our drive for higher agricultural production, we are now giving special attention to those vast areas in which rain-fed agriculture is practised. These account for nearly 70 percent of total cultivated area and a slight increase in yield per acre would result in a big production jump. The basic approach for the development is in terms of the watersheds which are treated with a total package of practices covering soil and water management, improved agricultural practices including seed and implements, supply of credit and pest control. In these rain-fed areas the proportion of small and marginal farmers is preponderant and they need special assistance. Appropriate programmes have been designed for them as a part of the overall strategy for the development of rain-fed agriculture. Coordinated research projects have been located at strategic places throughout the country which are undertaking adaptive research to answer the local problems.

May I commend the Director-General for yet another initiative he has taken. The call for the World Fisheries Conference in 1984 has not come a day earlier. I have learnt with great satisfaction of the valuable preparatory work done by the Committee on Fisheries recently when 93 member countries and many observers got together and devoted their attention to the problems of fisheries. The new regime of the Law of the Sea constitutes a landmark. About 90 percent of the exploitable fishery resources of the sea fall within the national jurisdictions now. We have to build our fleet of deep sea fishing vessels; construct harbours along a 6500 Km. coast, train the operating crew and develop post-harvest facilities to handle the catch from the deep seas.

Likewise, small-scale fisheries have an importance of its own throughout the world. In India, two-thirds of the marine fish landings come from the traditional sector. The fishermen engaged in this activity are very poor; they do not have viable self-help organisations and they suffer for want of infrastructural support. Greater attention is required to be given to their economic and social uplift.

The world is now talking, as never before, of ecology and conservation. Forests are the most precious gift of nature to mankind and constitute a remarkably efficient ecosystem. Nature has endowed India with rich and varied natural forests. However, human competition for food and habitat have put them under severe stress. This has necessitated a conservation strategy which recognises resource limitations compelling maintenance of the essential ecological processes and life support systems, as well as to preserve genetic diversity. A number of initiatives have been taken by us in this direction. In order to provide effective protection to the forests, a new Forest Conservation Act has been passed to prevent depletion of forest areas and another comprehensive forestry legislation is under preparation.

The health and scientific management of the country's land and soil resources is a matter of crucial importance and has been engaging our serious attention. A National Land Use Board and the National Land Resources Conservation and Development Commission have been set up, the objective being to provide an institutional arrangement at the national level for policy planning, coordination and monitoring the use of our land and soil resources.

We realise Mr Chairman, that the lasting solution to a country's food problem is through the attainment of self-reliance. Individual and collective self-reliance especially amongst the developing countries is the key to this self sufficiency. While every developing country has problems peculiar to its agricultural economy, it has some unique experience and know-how which can be of benefit to others. This basic realisation is at the root of economic and technical cooperation among the developing countries. We in India have always advocated the need to promote closer linkages amongst the developing countries based on equality, sovereignty and mutuality of interest. Our Government has set apart a portion of UNDP funds for the promotion of TCDC. We have been making available our scientists and experts to other friendly countries on request to assist them in their developmental effort. Facilities in our universities and research centres are open to the candidates from developing countries, and have already been filled up by over 40 000 students and trainees from developing countries. We have also benefited from this kind of cooperation in the areas of our own interest. We offered to host a focal point, in a meeting of developing countries held at New Delhi in February last, which could serve as a clearing house for collection, compilation and dissemination of information among the developing countries. We are glad that FAO has been quite active in this area and the promotion of economic and technical cooperation among developing countries is one of the priority areas in the budget of the next biennium.

The address by His Excellency Bruno Kreisky was very stimulating and refreshing. He spoke as an elder statesman with a vision of international solidarity. I sincerely hope the call he has given for developing the infrastructures and the agricultural sectors of the Third World countries through a new reconstruction programme will be seriously examined in the world capitals.

A decade ago the world community took a solemn pledge to eradicate hunger and malnutrition by 1985 which is just two years away. The world community has not been able to redeem that pledge; hunger and malnutrition still stalk the world. We are today at a very crucial point in human history. It is for us - for all the nations - to decide whether we will foster and strengthen the forces of peace and development or we will continue to be riven by differences and conflicts. We had the privilege of hosting the Seventh Summit of Non-Aligned Nations at New Delhi eight months ago, when more than 100 nations assembled. From this Summit came the New Delhi Message laying stress on

peace, harmony and cooperation, based on the dignity and equality of man. The same message was renewed by our Prime Minister Shrimati Indira Gandhi in her address to the Thirty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly last month. Let us hope that the forces of peace and development will reassert themselves and will lead to a world order where provision of food for every man, woman and child will be the responsibility of the world community.

A.R. TANCO Jr. (Philippines): Ten years ago a worldwide famine reared its frightful head once more and took millions of lives throughout the developing world. Although the threat of mass starvation does not seem as fearsome and as imminent today as it did during the world food crisis ten years ago, the situation we face today, although much less dramatic, is equally disturbing and even more complex since the food problem in many hungry countries has been complicated by problems of recession, mounting debt and widening balance of payments deficits. All of these, of course, in turn contribute further to falling farm incomes and growing food imports in the developing world. It is axiomatic, of course, that problems that are less dramatic are much more difficult to solve because it is much more difficult to raise the necessary measures. Indeed, the overall food situation masks the reality of hunger and poverty. Good harvests all over the world and surplus stocks held by the major food producing countries mask the underlying reality that hunger and poverty become worse for 500 million people in the developing countries.

FAO reports before the Conference indicate that in the last eight years from 1974 to 1982 food production rose in developing countries by a possible 3.2 percent, lower, of course than our desired 4 percent target but still better than the 2.8 percent growth of the previous eight years which preceded the 1973-74 world food crisis. Unfortunately against this 3.2 percent production growth population increased by 2.2 percent and therefore per capita food production increased by only 1 percent in the last eight-year period. Again this favourable growth of developing countries as a whole masks the tragedy that is quietly taking place in Africa. The same figures of FAO indicate that Africa's food production grew by only 2 percent in the last eight years against a 3 percent increase in population. This thus was the reverse of the situation in the developing world as a whole. Africa's per capita food production actually dropped by 1 percent against the developing world's 1 percent increase for this period. Moreover, this is not a temporary drop. This has been a steadily mounting deficit in the last two decades.

Indeed, outside Africa the food production record of other developing countries has also been mixed. The overall picture shows progress, of course, but in many countries in Asia and Latin America food production has lagged far behind population growth and the number of hungry people has continued to swell. By this time next year a decade will have passed since the World Food Conference of 1974. As we approach a decade mark it is time to take stock of the progress we have achieved in fashioning a world where "no child shall go to bed hungry and no man shall fear for his next day's bread". It is obvious that the lofty goal of eradicating hunger by 1984 will not have been attained by next year. But it behoves us to find out actually how far we have gone in the tasks set out by the World Food Conference almost ten years ago, in what areas have we succeeded, where have we fallen short of our goals? Why have we fallen short of our goals? And what yet needs to be done?

As stated earlier to the Conference by the President of the World Food Council, Eugene Whelan, these questions are precisely the issues which will be reviewed by the World Food Council in 1984. It is our fervent hope that this tenth anniversary session of World Food Council Ministers in 1984 can come up with the reforms and a renewed programme for action that will speed up the global effort to eradicate hunger. Such a blueprint would serve to give fresh impetus and new vigour to the battle against hunger, at a time when the whole world seems to have been lulled into complacency. There are those in fact who now say that hunger will be with us well into the Twenty-first century. Surely we must not allow such voices of defeatism to prevail. Surely we must not, we cannot, we will not relent.

The plight of Africa, in particular, as I mentioned earlier, cries for urgent and concerted action by the developed and the developing world together. It has been graphically pointed out here that more than one-third of Africa's 460 million people face immediate starvation unless food production and aid to Africa's hungry nations are increased drastically. Some 16 African countries besieged by abnormal food shortages are in dire need of assistance. In this respect we commend, as the others have, and we give our full support to Director-General Saouma's initiative in calling for immediate assistance. We note, of course, that donor countries which have responded with increased aid are certainly worthy of commendation, in particular the $US 25 million of food aid which is being given to the beleagured hungry countries of Africa, and Canada for the assistance that it is extending to Ethiopia.

Certainly food aid is necessary and vital but, as we all know, it is at best only a temporary palliative and the only real solution is therefore increased food production - production, production.' In 24 African countries, as I have said, the growth has been negative and unless fundamental structural changes are undertaken in these countries now this downward trend may become irreversible. As many African leaders have repeatedly underscored, the essence of the food problem in Africa is not distribution, it is not food aid, it is not anything else, but it is underproduction, and the first imperative is to translate technology into increased production.

In his statement to the Committee on Food Security last April, Minister Bortei-Doku focussed on the need to train and equip the African farmer in order to lift him out of subsistence farming. Dr Swaminathan, now Independent Chairman of the Council, spoke to us and reminded us of President Nyerere's statement :hat he is tired of hearing about the production potential of Africa. What he would like to see in Tanzania as well as in other countries of Africa is the speedy conversion "of such production potential into actual production". The Conference, of course, heard the President of Sudan only a few days ago underline the same point.

While it is axiomatic that these specific actions to solve the food shortages in Africa must be decided by the African countries themselves, it might be useful to note that he application of solutions :hat have worked in Asia and Latin America are applicable to Africa as well.

It is essential, of course, first of all to develop locations, specific technology adapted to the needs and conditions of Africa, and here a network of international institutes is present but needs substantia support Once technology is available, the problem then becomes one of extending such technology to countries and from countries to the farmers. Sufficient credit must then be provided to the farmer to enable him to buy his inputs. In this connection I add my voice to that of Colombia and Canada and the world Food Council, raising our voices in great concern that the International Fund for Agricultural Development still has not received the first replenishment it deserves and badly needs. It world be a great loss if IFAD, the only fund devoted solely do food production, were to perish on the tenth anniversary of the World Food Conference for lack of support from donor countries. We urge the United States, the largest OECD donor to the Fund, to provide speedily the replenishments it is committed to at the earliest possible time or else the loan window might be closed as early as anuary of this coming year.

We likewise call on the two OPEC countries which have not yet done so to contribute their share to the fund. Certainl a price support scheme in addition must be put in place to ensure that the Third World of Africa must produce fair returns to farmers and, above all, the political determination of the countries' leadership which has been there in Africa, must be there to serve as the catalyst for action.

These, together with management and with education, to my mind have worked in Latin America and, therefore, must and can work again in Africa.

In my thirteen years as Agricultural Minister of a developing country I have time and time again confirmed that these are the main elements. And in my travels throughout Africa in my four years as President of the World Food Council I have found repeatedly that where these elements are present success followed.

Viewed within this context it seems to me that several priority areas with respect to the food crisis in Africa reed urgent support from the international community. Let us not just talk about generalities, let us talk about specifics.

First of all, research. I will not go into great detail on this, but greater assistance should be given to tie development of new technology adapted specifically for African conditions, which range from the tropical rain forest of the south to the tropical occasional rain conditions of East Africa, and to the livestock oriented desert areas of central and northern Africa. Certainly, IITA, the International Livestock Centre for Africa and WARDA in Liberia, together with ECOSOC's help from India, could go a long way in providing this technology.

I need not mention, secondly, the need for technology transfer, the need to increase the extension services ir Africa, however rudimentary.

Thirdly, tie need for training and managerial development. It would seem to me that the massive effort by the World Bank, the African Development Bank, ADB, as well as the Arab Fund, can mount a special managerial development programme, as well as a farmer education programme.

I have already mentioned credit as a fourth element. May I stress the need for international and regional financing institutions to help in providing funds to support the delivery of credit both to the countries and from countries to their individual farmers. Finally, President Al Nimeri of Sudan has called attention once more to the alarming rate of desert encroachment or desertification of arable land, and he cited a figure of 4-5 kilometres a year. It is our hope that international agencies, including FAO, as well as bilateral donors will respond to President Al Nimeri's appeal for emergency assistance to arrest the desertification.

In concluding, I have chosen to focus on the problems of Africa because the problem of Africa is not a problem of Africa alone but a problem of the developing world. Perhaps it is best that a man from Asia should speak of the region known as Africa. The develpment of the necessary fundamental institutions there to remove the constraints to increase production in Africa is a process that will require not only vas: resources, it is also a process that will take a lot of time. Ten years hence we must not still be talking about generalities but specifics precisely because it will take some time and we must start now.

When I was a young boy my mother asked me if I would like to plant a mango tree so that I could see it grow to fruition and harvest it. I said I was not eager to do so because it would take too long for the tree to grow and bear fruit. She then said to me words that I still remember, "but that is why you must plant these seeds now". Unless we plant these seeds now which will make food production grow in Africa, our children and our children's children will continue to grow in a world ravaged by hunger and deprivation.

S.M. AL RAKABANI (United Arab Emirates) (original language Arabic): Mr Chairman, Mr Director-General of the FAO, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, in my name and on behalf of my country's delegation, it is my pleasure to extend to the United States Secretary of Agriculture our heartfelt congratulations on his election as Chairman of this Conference. I should also like to congratulate the Vice-Chairmen and to wish them every sucess in their endeavours. I hope that the activities of our Conference will be successful.

This Conference is being held at a time when problems relating to the provision of food in the world are increasing, particularly in the developing countries and among poor people all over the world. Our celebrations of the World Food Day in our country was a good occasion to enlighten young people about the magnitude and dimensions of the problem of hunger. It was also an opportunity for the rich people to reconsider their attitude towards the poor who are suffering from the pain of hunger.

Shall we consider this Conference a point of departure for a new understanding of the necessity for increasing the affluent countries' commitment to help the developing countries through the financial flows necessary for implementing large-scale investments needed by agriculture in these countries? Thus they would be able to secure stable and enduring earnings from their exports, and also to secure their imports of capital goods, and consequently to help the world economy to recover.

What has been said by Chancellor Bruno Kreisky at this Conference deserves consideration by every one of us. Our motto should be the search for solutions, to avoid egoism or talk of ideals - and to seek fulfillment of those ideals. In this context I cannot overlook a saying by our Prophet Mohammed - may peace be upon him - if a man dies from hunger, his compatriots should compensate his family, that is to say, they are all indirectly responsible for his death.

Despite our scarce agricultural resources we in the United Arab Emirates have been endeavouring to encourage our farmers and fishermen to maintain their professions through an intensified programme of support and soft loans. As a result, cultivated land has been doubled. Our production of vegetables and fruit has increased so that we have some surplus during a few months of the year.

We have set up our own infrastructure through the establishment of dams in order co increase water provision, which is the decisive factor in our agricultural expansion. Since we do believe that water is the basic requirement for increasing our agricultural production, we have been applying the most up-to-date irrigation techniques. Despite the great value of technology and funds for the development process, yet the human being remains the essential factor. In this context we do agree with the Director-General when he says that farmers are the real wealth and they are the irreplaceable resource of any country. We feel that the low income incurred by agriculture drove many people to move from rural to urban areas. As a result, our Government shoulders a greater responsibility towards the rural areas. We are endeavouring by all possible means to develop and improve living conditions there. We are trying to turn these areas into centres of demographic attraction by pursuing balanced pricing policies that may provide a reasonable income in proportion to the efforts exerted by those farmers. Thus farmers will be encouraged to continue in their profession and to increase their agricultural production.

In this context we agree with the proposal made by the Director-General for elaborating a large-scale study of agricultural pricing policies, which would be of great benefit in this field. In the United Arab Emirates we are a developing country and an OPEC Member State, we are aware of our dual role. Despite the fact that we depend upon one depletable resource, namely oil, and in spite of the difficulties caused by the fluctuation of prices and foreign exchange, we do take part in all actions at regional and international levels aimed at saving the world economy from the present crisis. I hope that I will not be imposing when I say that under these difficult circumstances the net flow of official financial assistance for development has never been less than 3 percent of our national product though earlier it reached 8 percent. In this regard I should like to indicate that the rate of our contributions is eight times larger than the contributions of the OECD countries whose contributions did not reach the level they pledged, i.e. seven per thousand of gross national product.

I know that I am not adding anything new when I repeat what has been said by distinguished heads of delegations, namely, that there is an urgent need for a renewed international agreement on grains that will secure the minimum level of food security requirements. The quantities covered by the food assistance agreement should be raised to reach 17 million tons instead of the current 8 million tons. Also, I will not be adding anything new when I stress the importance of the Five Point Plan of Action laid down by the FAO as a framework for the policies to be followed by the Third World for food security, nor when I mention tariff measures applied by developed countries against the exports of developing countries, particularly those applied against agricultural products.

Again, I am not adding anything new when I say that there is a growing feeling that this economic order must be restructured through a New International Economic Order which would be more equitable and which could be the right impetus for economic recovery in all countries of the world.

In conclusion, I should like to stress one point. We in this hall are responsible for history and our peoples for working together free from any prejudice for the food of this world; a world that, thanks to great advances in transport and communication, has become smaller and smaller. We should work together since we are aware of the fact that our interests as human beings are interdependent and not contradictory, and that the recovery of the economies of the affluent countries cannot be realized in isolation from the rest of the world.

We fully believe in the saying that God will always be helping us as long as fellow men are helping each other.

Before I conclude I wish to thank the Chairman and his colleagues for the great efforts they have made in preparing for this Conference.

A. B. DIOP (Sénégal): Qu'il me soit permis, tout d'abord, de vous apporter le salut chaleureux ainsi que les voeux fervents de plein succès de son Excellence Monsieur Abdou Diouf, Président de la République du Sénégal.

Je m'y associe avec d'autant plus de plaisir que mon pays a foi en la FAO qui, sous la dynamique impulsion de son Directeur général M. Edouard Saouma, se penche avec une détermination sans cesse croissante sur le sort des peuples du tiers monde, singulièrement sur ceux d'Afrique.

Permettez-moi de rendre un vibrant hommage au Dr Swaminatham, Président sortant, pour sa contribution aux travaux de notre Conseil.

Je voudrais également féliciter l'honorable John Block pour sa brillante élection. Nul doute que son expérience et sa compétence nous seront d'un précieux concours.

Mes félicitations vont aussi aux vice-présidents élus et à M. le Directeur général pour sa déclaration positive à l'ouverture de cette session et au Président indépendant pour son rapport exhaustif.

Je souhaite la bienvenue aux nouveaux Etats Membres dont l'originalité des expériences en matière de développement nous sera, j'en suis sûr, d'un apport fécond.

Le Secrétariat, comme à l'accoutumée, nous a présenté des documents de qualité. Qu'il. en soit donc vivement remercié.

Mais, nous devons tous avoir conscience que les résultats auxquels nos travaux aboutiront ne dépendront que de nous-mêmes, de notre volonté d'oeuvrer ensemble pour relever le principal défi de cette fin de siècle : fournir à chacun une nourriture convenable, en quantité et en qualité suffisantes.

Les analyses et constatations sur la situation alimentaire des pays en développement, pour objectives et pertinentes qu'elles soient, reflètent peu la réalité dans nos différents pays, car les mots ne sauraient suffire. Il faut, pour s'en convaincre, se rendre sur le terrain même, dans nos régions, dans nos contrées, dans nos localités. Ceux d'entre nos partenaires de développement qui ont eu l'occasion de le faire ces jours et ces mois passés ont constaté, par-ci, par-là, désolations, amertumes, désillusions et découragements devant les paysages tristes qui s'offraient à leurs yeux.

En effet, cette année, dans les pays du Sahel, et mon pays en fait partie, l'hivernage a été, encore une fois, extrêmement mauvais. La production agricole et alimentaire a atteint un niveau très bas, largement en-deçà de la moyenne généralement obtenue pendant ces dix dernières années. Le cheptel se décime ou souffre de maladies et d'un manque endémique de pâturages, d'abreuvement. Cette région de l'Afrique, si déshéritée par la nature, s'est ainsi retrouvée dans la situation des années catastrophiques 1972 et 1973.

Le cas du Sahel, singulier à bien des égards mais similaire, à des degrés et des variantes divers à celui des autres régions de l'Afrique, voire des autres continents sous-développes, montre combien les populations du tiers monde sont au bord de la survie et du désespoir : survie avec un minimum qui se rétrécit d'année en année, comme une peau de chagrin mais aussi désespoir devant une solution définitive et durable qui tarde à venir, pour leur mieux-être et leur prospérité.

Ces populations mèritent-elles leur sort ? Nous ne le pensons sincèrement pas. Leur seul tort est peut-être leur appartenance à des régions peu hospitalières, leur pauvreté et leur impuissance face des calamités naturelles mais aussi leur trop grande confiance en la solidarité internationale, pour compléter leurs efforts et ceux des gouvernements de leurs pays, en vue des remèdes attendus.

L'on nous dit qu'il n'y a jamais eu autant à manger car cette année et pour chaque habitant de notre planète ont été produits 10 pour cent de nourriture de plus qu'il y a dix ans. Malgré cette abondance constatée sous certains cieux, la triste réalité nous prouve ailleurs que de nombreuses personnes ne mangent pas à leur faim et qu'aujourd'hui plus de 450 millions de personnes sont gravement sous-alimentées.

Comment en est-on arrivé à cette situation inquiétante ? Et que devons-nousfaire pour renverser les tendances actuelles qui, si elles se maintiennent, risquent de rompre l'équilibre déjà fragile du monde dans lequel nous vivons ?

C'est à ces questions que nous voudrions tenter de répondre pour ainsi apporter notre contribution à la solution des problèmes qui nous préoccupent tant.

Au lendemain de nos indépendances, nos pays ont choisi un modèle de développement, sur la base des options politiques de nos Etats, défini une politique et mis en place une stratégie.

Jeunes Etats que nous étions, sans expérience, démunis de ressources importantes et disposant de peu de personnel qualifié, nous nous sommes laissés assister et guider sur la marche vers le progrès. Mais, nous étions aussi enfermés dans un engrenage dû à l'héritage du passé qui ne nous laissait que peu d'alternatives possibles.

Les cultures d'exportation introduites par la métropole pour les besoins d'une évolution vers une économie d'échange, ont été entretenues en raison des revenus monétaires qu'elles procurent aux paysans mais aussi en raison de leur contribution au financement par les recettes obtenues, des opérations de développement et particulièrement des achats des produits vivriers dont nos populations ont besoin et auxquels elles ont été habituées dans leur structure de consommation.

Peu à peu, nos pays se sont orientés vers la diversification, l'extension et l'intensification des cultures possibles sur nos sols, dans le souci de sécuriser la production agricole et de diversifier les sources de revenus. L'accent est de plus en plus mis sur les cultures céréalières et maraîchères à côté des cultures de rente ainsi que sur l'élevage et la pêche également pris en compte dans nos préoccupations de développement du secteur rural.

L'euphorie des premières années d'accession à l'indépendance s'est très vite estompée devant la réalité amère qui s'offrait à nos yeux. En effet, si l'indépendance politique était obtenue, beaucoup restait cependant à faire pour gagner la bataille de l'indépendance économique. Il fallait avant tout disposer des ressources nécessaires au financement du développement. Pour ce faire, nos Etats ne pouvaient que compter sur la communauté internationale mais avant tout sur leurs moyens propres.

L'apport de la communauté internationale n'a pas été négligeable au cours de ces deux décennies de développement. Il faut toutefois reconnaître que les efforts consentis ont été par trop modestes face aux défis que nous devons relever. Nos ressources déjà si limitées se sont amoindries et continuent de baisser considérablement, ce qui met ainsi à rude épreuve la satisfaction de nos besoins, eux, sans cesse croissants.

La détérioration des échanges s'accentue et le protectionnisme s'érige de plus en plus en règle générale. Alors que le sud s'efforce de jouer le jeu de la complémentarité économique auquel il est contraint, le nord, lui, met en place et renforce ses barrières commerciales à l'endroit des produits de ce dernier.

Les recettes d'exportation de la grande majorité des pays du monde sous-développé continuent de s'effondrer pour poser le problème du financement du développement en termes de recours à des emprunts obtenus parfois avec des taux d'intérêt élevés. Ces emprunts sont en plus assortis très souvent de conditions préalables difficiles à remplir au risque de bouleversements politiques et sociaux au sein des pays bénéficiaires. Le fossé entre le monde développé et le monde sous-développé ne pouvait que s'agrandir.

Plutôt que de vouloir rejeter la responsabilité de cette situation sur l'une ou l'autre partie, aujourd'hui il s'agit pour la communauté internationale de reconnaître et de comprendre les erreurs que nous avons ensemble commises au niveau des méthodes employées, des concepts adoptés et des approches suivies jusqu'à présent pour la promotion du développement. Il s'agit de bâtir en commun des économies solides, seul gage d'un nouvel ordre économique international que nous tous appelons de nos voeux.

Les moyens et les capacités d'y parvenir existent à l'échelle mondiale. Il suffit, simplement,de les orienter à des fins de développement. On pourrait, pourquoi pas, imaginer un nouveau "Plan Marshall" qui serait un plan d'urgence pour le développement agricole du tiers-monde plus particulièrement de l'Afrique qui souffre des plus graves pénuries.

De même que les programmes régionaux ou à l’échelon national, le plan d'action de Lagos constitue certainement un cacre approprié. Mais qu'importe le cadre choisi, l'important est de dépasser les déclarations d'intentions et les simples affirmations de volonté politique, pour aller concrètement à l'action, celle ce vaincre la faim et de venir à bout des privations qui caractérisent cette décennie du développement.

Ma délégation à noté avec satisfaction la part importante du budget que la FAO attribue à l'Afrique ainsi que la priorité donnée au développement rural. Tout en souhaitant un renforcement des moyens mis à la disposition de cette organisation, elle appuie les propositions de budget 84 et soutient les efforts du Directeur Général pour me gestion rigoureuse.

Elle soutient également les différents programmes notamment le PCT - dont elle souhaite le renforcement - et ceux qui ont une incidence directe sur la vie de nos pasteurs, pêcheurs et paysans.

Elle partage le concept élargi de la sécurité alimentaire tel que l'a défini Monsieur le Directeur Général.

C'est sur cette voie que mon pays voudrait vous appeler à vous engager, cette voie qui, à nos yeux, est la seule qui mérite d'être suivie, pour le bonheur de l'humanité tout entière.

Le Sénégal, poursa part, s'y est résolument engagé. En procédant à des profondes réformes de structure, en réorientant nos méthodes et nos approches, nous avons tiré leçon des expériences passées. Nous avons ainsi voculu compter d'abord sur nos propres efforts pour créer les conditions les meilleures à la borne mise en oeuvre de notre stratégie alimentaire qui se veut d'être une approche globale, non plus sectorielle, et qui a pour objectif la réalisation de 1'autosuffisance de notre pays en produits vivriers et en protéines d'origine animale. Comme nous, la plupart des autres pays en développement ont adopté cette nouvelle démarche, celle-là même qui, çà et là, semble faire l'objet d'un consersus de la part de la communauté internationale.

Il est donc nécessaire de coordonner ec de concentrer les actions vers ce but. Il faudra éviter de nouvelles déceptioms car nous devons tous, enfin, comprendre que nos pays sont interdépendants les uns vis-à-vis des autres et que des déséquilibres ne peuvent perpétuellement subsister dans une partie du monde sars affecter, à terme, l'autre partie, dans ses structures politiques, économiques et sociales.

La communauté internationale doit aujourd'hui plus que jamais, prendre conscience de cette réalité que nous rappellen tous les faits quotidiens. Nous devons être désormais prêts aux rendez-vous de demain, aux rendez-vous du progrès pour chaque homme et pour l'humanité, dans son ensemble.

Voilà l'appel que nous voudrions lancer à la communauté internationale, pour une meilleure coopération au développement, pour une solidêrité agissante, dans le sens bien compris de nos intérêts.

Ce que nous attendons, c'est un engagement politique ferme de la part de la communauté internationale, sur le combas, mené à nos côtés, pour le développement agricole et alimentaire de nos états.

M.J.D. SOARES DA COSTA (Portugal) : Mr Chairman, in addressing this important Conference on behalf of my country, I should like to express my confidence that it will help to promote peace among nations, increase food prod action and lead towards greater progress for all those who work for peace, welcome it and who benefit from it.

We all wish that such results be most fruitful and that is why I feel that I should greet all the representatives of the countries that together with us share this campaign of building a more worthy world in which to live. A world where solidarity is not just a word but a shared concern in the search for a better balance among all nations, not a mere figure of speech but the clear feeling of a stated and deeply lived reality.

I should like to greet Mr Chairman of the Conference, whose appointment was so significantly supported, which testifies simultaneously to the personal prestige that your Excellency has merited and the respect that your country deserves in its indefatigable struggle for peace through dialogue between blocs of countries that, although very different, give priority to the fundamental principles of human dignity.

I should also like to present my greetings to the Director-General of the FAO, Dr Edouard Saouma and through him to all the officials who work in this prestigious international Organization,everything they have fought for, to improve, food production. I share with him the same worries and suffering in the face of the peoples who lack the basic requirements for survival, about which we have not, up to now, been able to do anything, even in this century of scientific and technological progress.

We should like also to express our support for the new direction that the Director-General has introduced in ensuring food security, stressing the need for promoting integrated rural development. I should like to congratulate the four new member countries of our Organization, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Saint Christopher and Nevis and Vanuatu.

I should like to address a very friendly and special word to the countries that, with us, form a spiritual community based on the Portuguese language and that through our common experiences of living throughout the centuries have influenced and learned to understand each other and to feel mutual esteem.

This Conference is going to approach problems that are crucially important for the whole international community: to guarantee the peace and not to promote war, to work towards the hope of in ever-increasing solidarity and fewer divisions.

What is difficult is to choose among so many items of our extensive agenda, one or any of them that specially calls for our attention, and on which we may develop our opinion in the short period of time we have been granted.

Centuries of contact with the countries of the tropical world, without ignoring our European identity have made us, the Portuguese people, a link between different peoples located in various parts of the world.

This is why my country takes to heart the serious problems of development and food shortages which nowadays affect a large number of the developing countries due to ecological conditions which are not always favourable because of insufficient technological progress, leading to the calamities that assail them, from floods to prolonged drought, plant diseases and political instability.

It is a great pleasure for me to address a word to many countries which have given great help to the development of people and have saved thousands of human beings from death and from the effects of undernourishment.

I should also like to mention the special role which is being played by the World Food Programme; bringing in the help of so many contributing countries, it has succeeded in accomplishing joint action on behalf of immense areas that suffer from food shortages through the quantity and quality of resources it has managed to collect.

When we think how the food situation in developing countries has worsened, where the amount of food production per capita has fallen, it is our opinion that all those who have surplus resources should answer this call to universal solidarity so that the inalienable right to food may be fulfiLled all over the world.

This is why we particularly share the concerns of the Director-General of FAO, who has always, and recently very persistently, been drawing the international community's attention to the particularly precarious situation which affects the people of many regions in figures which have never before been attained.

My country is not self-sufficient in food and it has to import about 50 percent of what it consumes. It buys this in foreign currency to an extent which threatens the stability of its balance of payments, and this is a worrying situation for us. But in view of the difficulties for survival, our problems of increasing our agricultural production, undoubtedly decisive for us, cannot be compared with situations as serious and extensive as that of generalized famine in many countries.

Emergency food aid to areas of the globe affected by calamities must continue. We think that it should be reinforced by increased contributions from countries with food surpluses or who are wealthy enough to purchase food where it is abundant.

I should like to stress once again the undeniable and extraordinary generosity that most of the countries have been showing in this sector and ask for even greater help.

These support measures should continue in order to decrease the gap between developed and developing countries particularly the highly developed countries who may help to contribute to international stability.

I should like to express my deep support for the orientation that determined the elaboration of the FAO budget for the next few years. Many developing countries do not lack either the land or adequate ecological characteristics for certain types of agriculture, but they are short of technological development as well as essential material to develop their own resources. It is only by reducing economic differences between countries and making the poor ones less so, that we will be able to achieve a minimum of inequality among nations, and universal peace about which we are all concerned and hope for.

In "Populorum Progressio" Pope Paul VI reminded us that "Development is a new designation for Peace". But in order to achieve it we must persist in our aid to less developed countries, those with fewer resources, based on the principle of equality among nations and the preservation of universal peace for which we all hope. These countries must themselves choose the most suitable way to decide on their own development.

My country faces material difficulties, as is well known, and therefore our contribution in this field can only be a token one. However, we are rich in technicians and other professionals at all levels with enormous experience of the tropical world which our Organization has not taken the full advantage of, in spite of offers of cooperation that my country has put forward and will continue to do.

We believe that though the material means are indeed important, we must not forget that human resources are a greater priority. That is why once again we renew our offer and stress Portugal 's interest that a greater number of competent technicians with experience be integrated in FAO programmes or in other programmes sponsored by this Organization.

Portugal was not a country gifted with particularly favourable conditions for agriculture. These circumstances justify, at least partially, the average fairly low per capita income we have in agriculture and the fact that we have not been able to achieve self-sufficiency.

In agricultura we are trying to encourage corrective measures that will lead to better use of our soil resources and ensure that a faulty agrarian structure should not be a stumbling block. Therefore, we follow with great interest the work of FAO in the agrarian reform field in order to solve our problems which are mainly of a social nature as soon as possible through technical and scientific ideas, but without forgetting the general political component of the world of which we are a part.

We believe that the increase of production and the improvement of productivity are essential factors in raising farmers' incomes and obtaining greater social justice for those who work on the land. We are therefore engaged in reinforcing farming productivity through cooperative systems and rural extension. That is the reason why we are making great efforts to improve the quality of the people in agriculture by means of professional training and we are also increasing the productive efficiency of our farms and of our enterprises applying technological innovations.

Taking into account that a large part of our lands is better exploited under forestry, we are developing a diversified programme of forest improvement including the yearly planting of 50 000 hectares and protection of forestry resources and wildlife.

We are paying particular attention to our exclusive economic zone because we have plenty of islands where we can find fishery resources which perhaps other nations would like to possess or perhaps other nations are interested in sharing.

I should like to express my gratitude for the aid that the FAO has provided to my country in technical support which recently has been seen in the granting of two Technical Cooperation Programmes, and I should like to express my faith in the results of the World Fisheries Development Conference which was held in Rome last October. This gave us an opportunity of studying the conclusions carefully in order to be able to use them constructively in order to take part positively in the forthcoming Conference on the political level.

Per capita fish consumption in Portugal is amongst the highest in the world and we hope that by increased efforts through our fisheries programme we shall at least partially be able to compensate for protein resources which we have to import or produce with imported inputs.

We live in a world disturbed by international tensions, constant conflicts and catastrophies. If by some chance mankind does not destroy itself through some act of madness, food will become the great strategic weapon in the future. Therefore, raising food production is the task to which we must commit ourselves at this Conference whether we be rich, less rich or poor. However, it is not just necessary to produce foods, it is also essential to manage them correctly, so as to put an end to the very distressing situation we are witnessing now.

In my country we have grouped together agriculture and food production under the same ministry, precisely with this in mind, and this shows how clearly we share the concerns of FAO. We very much hope that the men of today will be laying down the basis for the survival of the population at the beginning of the next century without forgetting the serious responsibility towards the future, and whether that is good or bad will always be in our own hands.

B. TANTHIEN (Thailand): On behalf of the Thai delegation, I would like to join the previous speakers in congratulating you, Mr Chairman, on your election to the high office of the twenty-second session of the FAO Conference. I wish also to congratulate the three elected Vice-Chairmen.

My delegation extends a warm welcome to the new members of our Organization, namely Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Saint Christopher and Nevis, and Vanuatu. We sincerely hope that their membership will be of mutual benefit to their respective countries as well as to this Organization.

Mr Chairman, Thailand is as concerned about hunger and malnutrition in the world community as all other members of this organization, even though we have always been able to produce enough food to feed our people and have significant amounts left over for export. We could produce even more food for others, if markets at fair prices were available. We continue to believe that too little attention is being given to the impact of trade barriers and the protectionism on the world hunger and malnutrition.

My delegation would like to stress that in the face of economic recession, we can fully understand why protectionist pressures in agriculture tend to be extremely strong. Thailand always endeavours to collaborate with developed exporting countries. One example of our willingness to cooperate, even in times of economic difficulties, is the present "voluntary export restraint agreement" concluded between Thailand and the EEC. Under this agreement we limited the volume of tapioca exports to the EEC on a voluntary basis. But against a background of an economic recovery, there should be ample opportunity for reconciliation between national interests.

At this juncture, my delegation would like to refer specifically to the "Guideline 7 of Revision and Updating of Guidelines and Targets for International Agricultural Adjustment" which has rightly stated that all countries, particularly developed countries, should display the necessary political will to refrain from imposing any new tariff or non-tariff barriers to the imports of agricultural and agrobased products, especially those from developing countries. My delegation fully agrees with this and other guidelines. We hope, that this Conference will unanimously adopt the Revision and Updating of Guidelines and Targets for International Agricultural Adjustment.

The. overall world food situation at present is not as critical as it was in the early 1970's. But it is a fact that many developing countries are facing serious problems of food shortage and malnutrition, particularly in Africa. We in Thailand are well aware of this problem and share our food with thousands of refugees and displaced persons who stream into our borders. This sharing is a heavy burden. Thailand, nonetheless, has done its share in the task of feeding the hungry. We do not merely serve as a conduit for food aid. We have, first of all, ensured a capacity to feed our own people.

Our agriculture has been one of the most dynamic in the South-East Asian region. Between 1960 and 1981, Thai agriculture grew annually at over five percent. This growth enabled us to reduce rural poverty substantially. We have also contributed to food security as one of the few food exporting developing countries in our region.

In this connection, my delegation has supported FAO's food security work. Perhaps, the most far-reaching initiative of this work has been the recent establishment of the Regional Commission on Food Security for Asia and the Pacific. We appreciate the speedy and competent manner in which this Commission has been established. Today we have a permanent body, with its initial membership of 16 countries, to monitor the food security situation and promote technical cooperation in this vital field.

My delegation believes that FAO's capacity to respond to the needs of the Member Nations is well reflected in the FAO's budget proposal for 1984-85 bienniurn. We, therefore, agree to the 3.6 percent increase in technical and economic programmes in the proposed budget. In addition, the establishment of the new Research and Technology Development Division is a necessity. Its work, in our opinion, should emphasize, among other things, research into high weather risks, low-fertility soils, limited availability of capital as well as the transfer of new technology and modern farm management techniques especially in rainfed areas. Furthermore, this new Division would work closely with the proposed establishment of International Centre for Genetic-Engineering and Biotechnology, the site of which has been offered also by Thailand.

Turning to the item on food and population, there is no doubt that we invariably underestimate the impact of population increases on food supplies and the strain on our agricultural capacity. For too long, many developing countries have been unable to expand their food production to keep pace with the high rate of population growth. This growth will continue to contribute to the imbalance between the food and population for many years to come. We believe that the main aspect of the food and population problem is likely to become the actual numbers of people in relation to the land and other resources available for feeding them.

We are pleased to Inform the Conference that Thailand has a highly successful population control programme. We have reduced our population growth rate from a high 3.2 percent in 1972 to 1.8 percent in 1983 and expect a fall to 1.5 percent in 1986, the last year of the Fifth Five-Year National Economic and Social Development Plan.

Discussions on food and population may be reasonably linked with forestry. Experience in Thailand shows that the conservation of this valuable resource will be ensured only when its benefits are equitably shared by the people who live and work in these forests. Before we came to realize the problems, a significant area of land was stripped of forest cover in less than five years. Today, we involve the people as active partners in conservation, development and use of this resource. In cooperation with tie FAO, our diversified forest rehabilitation project in Northeast Thailand seeks to reforest within the existing farming systems, so that local rural dwellers are at the centre of economic activity. This project is setting the pace for national forest policy.

It is also significant to note that the ASEAN countries initiated last month a move to define a common forest policy for our sub-region, along the approaches of FAO's programme.

The Thai Government attaches great importance to fisheries development as a means of providing protein supply for our population and for maintaining food security. Hence fisheries development is an integral par: of Thailand's overall economic and social development plan. With the changes in the regime of the oceans, we have reoriented our policies and strategies for the development of fisheries with increased emphasis on the development of inland fisheries and aquaculture. Our major thrust will also be the improvement of small-scale fishing and farming communities engaged both in coastal areas and inland areas.

My delegation is gratified with the outcome of the technical phase of the FAO World Conference on Fisheries Management and Development and is looking forward to participating in the policy phase of this Conference which, undoubtedly, will have an important bearing on the acceleration of self-reliance of developing countries in fisheries planning, management and development.

The crucial role of people's participation was perhaps most strikingly underscored in the World Conference of Agrarian Reform and Rural Development. Thailand recognizes the key role agrarian reform plays in agricultural development and alleviation of rural poverty. We therefore welcome the useful special report on WCARRD follow-up.

My delegation attaches great importance to FAO’s policy of decentralization. We recognized the positive and constructive role played by the Regional Office in carrying out our programme of work.

The last two years have seen the Regional Office expand its useful service to the Region. Its seven technical commissions serve to promote projects and programmes in fisheries, forestry, plant protection, animal production, farm management, agricultural statistics and food security. It backstops 38 regional projects as well as country level programmes effectively.

In conclusion, my delegation appreciates major improvement in FAO services to Thailand. A country office has recently been opened within the Regional Office itself, without any significant increase in personnel and without any extra financial contribution from my, country. My delegation welcomes this move and reiterates our policy of supporting the strengthening of activities of Regional Offices in their respective regions.

F. NZAMUIRAMBAHO (Rwanda): Depuis l'epoque coloniale jusqu'à l'Indépendance de mon Pays, le 1 Juillet: 1962, le Rwandais a toujours recherché et recherche encore la satisfaction de ses besoins alimentaires. Cette satisfaction quoique partiellement atteinte au vu du faible volume des importations en produits alimentaires de base, a connu dans le temps et dans l'espace des hauts et des bas. C'est ainsi que l'histoire atteste de longues disettes et famines qui ont causé de nombreuses victimes humaines. Si l'on peut estimer à 75 pour cent le degré de satisfaction des besoins alimentaires de la population, dont le taux de croissance démographique annuel est de 3 pour cent, il y a cependant lieu de dire que l'ombre de pénurie alimentaire plane sur notre pays. Aussi comprendra-t-on l'importance à attacher au développement du secteur alimentaire au Rwanda, surtout s: l'on sait que la population rwandaise en l'an 2000 sera d'environ 9 500 000 personne; et que :.a superficie agro-pastorale utile qui est actuellement de 1 250 000 Ha ne va pas augmente:.

C'est donc Monsieur le President dans le cadre de la recherche de 1'autosuffisance alimentaire pour la population nationale que les hautes autorités de mon pays ont clairement défini une politique alimentaire axée sur l'intensification agricole et sur le renforcement des structures d'échanges régionaux des produits alimentaires. Les réalisations les plus récentes (1981) sont de 4 700 000 tonnes de productions vivrières et de 50 000 tonnes de production animale avec pour la production vivrière un taux d'accroissement annuel moyen de 3,9 pour cent. Ce taux a pu être atteint grâce à la conjugaison de certaines actions qu'il est nécessaire de développer à ce niveau. Un effort tout particulier fut soutenu pour la mise en place de Projets de développement rural intégré. A travers ces projets qui visent le développement global et intégré des zones rurales, nous avons entrepris un vaste programme de protection et de conservation des sols, de récupération de nouvelles terres non encore peuplées et d'amélioration des techniques culturales et d'élevage. En matière de développement rural, mon pays reste convaincu que le développememt doit venir de la base, donc de la population elle-même. Aussi, avons-nous mis en place le Système National de Vulgarisation en matière agricole et pastoral qui se base notamment sur la formation, la sensibilisation, la conscientisation et la stimulation. Un système de crédit agricole, pastoral et rural qui par ailleurs fonctionne déjà à travers certains projets dont il est question plus haut, vient d'être renforcé et s'opérera par le canal des institutions bancaires de développement notamment par les Banques populaires qui d'ici cinq ans couvriront tout le pays. Un réseau de distribution d'intrants et de matériels agricoles a été renforcé notamment par l'organisation annuelle du concours agricole et du concours bétail. Un réseau de commercialisation et de stockage des produits vivriers et des productions animales a été également mis au point à travers les actions de l'Office National pour la Promotion et la Commercialisation des Produits Vivriers et Animaux (OPROVIA).

Le programme d'association de l'agriculture et de l'élevage a également reçu dans mon pays une attention toute particulière, ceci dans le cadre de l'amélioration de notre patrimoine,foncier par la production et l'utilisation de la fumure organique, intrant à la portée de chaque exploitant. Ainsi nous préconisons la transformation progressive des exploitations traditionnelles en fermettes avec la mise en place des compostières à fumure. Ce programme connaît déjà des résultats, car fin 1981, on dénombrait 766.000 compostières pour un nombre d'exploitations familiales de l'ordre de 1.070.000. Toujours en matière de sécurité alimentaire, mon pays n'a pas oublié le facteur démographique. Aussi, a-t-il mis en place l'Office National de la Population (ONAPO) qui a pour objectif principal l'étude des problèmes relatifs à l'accroissement de la population et ses effets sur le développement global de la nation. L'un des thèmes'développés par cet "Office auprès de la population est: "Avoir un nombre d'enfants, que l'on sera soi-même capable de nourrir et d'éduquer suffisamment".

Monsieur le Président, l'arbre, source d'énergie et de matériaux de construction de toutes sortes constitue également un excellent facteur de protection et de conservation des sols, de même qu'une source nutritionnelle appréciable. Aussi dès les années 1920, avons-nous privilégié l'aspect reboisement et actuellement le rythme moyen annuel est de l'ordre de 7.000 ha de boisement. Cet effort a pu être fourni grace à la mise en place des projets de reboisement typiques et des projets de développement rural intégré. Depuis 1976, mon pays a institutionalise une journée nationale de l'arbre, le dernier samedi du mois d'octobre de chaque année. Un programme de développement d'arbres fruitiers fut également développé avec comme espèces principales: l'avocatier, le goyavier, le manguier, etc… Nous comptons dans un proche avenir diffuser dans les régions d'altitude le pommier et systématiser la diffusion de l'avocatier greffé.

L'agro-foresterie a de tout temps caractérisé l'exploitation agricole nationale. Aussi somme-nous en train de mener des recherches en cette matière afin de mettre à la disposition de l'agriculteur l'association la plus judicieuse possible.

Monsieur le Président, si le secteur alimentaire de mon Pays ne parvient pas à couvrir tous les besoins nutritionnels de la population, ce n'est pas qu'il nous manque de ressources à valoriser, c'est plutôt un certain nombre de contraintes qui agissent négativement, certaines isolément et d'autres par interaction à nos efforts de développement. Ces contraintes sont notamment d'ordre social et démographique, d'ordre technique, d'ordre financier et d'ordre écoclimatique. C'est compte tenu de cet état de chose et conscient du fait que la base du développement global et intégré de notre Pays est l'agriculture, que mon Gouvernement s'est engagé avec une ferme détermination d'accorder dans le Illème Plan Quinquennal de Développement 1982-86, une haute priorité au développement de l'agriculture vivrière qui se traduira par une affectation privilégiée à ce secteur des ressources financières tant nationales qu'extérieures, du personnel d'encadrement, des intrants agricoles de production et par la mise en valeur de quelques nouvelles terres encore disponibles; l'augmentation de la production vivrière devant passer par l'accroissement des rendements par unité de surface. L'élevage et la pêche,ayant également un rôle important à jouer pour améliorer la qualité de l'alimentation, recevront un accent tout particulier. La stratégie nouvellement renforcée prévoit toujours le passage progressif d'une agriculture traditionnelle conçue pour 1'autosubsistance à une agriculture plus intensive et intégrée dans des courants d'échange et vise 1'autosuffisance alimentaire de la population.

Les actions à mettre en oeuvre à court terme en vue de la réussite de cette stratégie sont notamment:

- la fourniture d'un appui financier et technique à l'Office National pour la Promotion et la Commercialisation des Produits Vivriers et Animaux (OPROVIA) accompagnée de l'adoption d'une politique de fixation et de contrôle des prix et de stockage et du développement des agro-industries capables en même temps de donner une plus-value à la production agricole et animale et à fournir un grand nombre d'emplois aux masses rurales afin d'en accroître le revenu pouvant servir d'investissement dans le secteur alimentaire;

- la fourniture d'intrants agricoles; semences sélectionnées, fumure organique et minérale, crédit agricole, matériel végétal et animal amélioré et adapté, etc.

- l'appui des structures nationales de la vulgarisation et de la recherche agronomique;

- la mise en place d'un système de protection des cultures et des produits agricoles après récoltes.

Toutes ces actions viendront renforcer celles des projets et autres activités en cours de réalisation et permettront d'atteindre à court terme (1986) une production vivrière de 5.240.000 tonnes et une production animale de 68.800 tonnes. A l'horizon 2000, elles permettront d'atteindre une production vivrière de 8.416.200 tonnes et de 177.300 tonnes pour la production animale. Ainsi les besoins nutritionnels de la population rwandaise'estimée à 6.400.000 personnes en 1986 et à 9.500.000 en l'an 2000 seront largement couverts.

Monsieur le Président, la base de tout développement équilibré est avant tout une sécurité alimentaire pour tous les peuples. Cependant, les perspectives d'avenir sont très inquiétantes. En effet, la situation démographique est très critique dans la plupart des pays du tiers monde et spécialement ceux du continent africain. L'écart entre les besoins alimentaires et l'offre s'accentue, de même que celui entre les besoins en ressources financières et techniques et l'assistance consentie en cette matière, alors que l'accroissement démographique s'accélère dans ces mêmes pays. Aussi, reconnaissons-nous l'efficacité des activités de l'Organisation des Nations Unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture non seulement sur le continent africain, mais dans d'autres régions telles que l'Asie et l'Amérique Latine, même si lesdites activités ne constituent qu'un minimum acceptable. C'est dans cet esprit que ma délégation appuie le plan de travail ainsi que le budget pour la période biennale 1984-1985 de notre organisation.

Avant de terminer mon intervention, Monsieur le Président, je voudrais vous adresser à vous personnellement, ainsi qu'aux autres membres du bureau, pour votre brillante élection et pour la compétence avec laquelle vous assurez la présidence de nos débats, les sincères félicitations de ma délégation. Nos félicitations sont également adressées au Directeur général de notre organisation, Monsieur Edouard Saouma, de même qu'à tous ses collaborateurs pour la sagesse avec laquelle ils s'acquittent de leur lourde tâche qui leur est confiée, à savoir la participation à l'effort international visant l'élimination de la faim et de la malnutrition dans le monde. Enfin, Monsieur le Président, c'est avec une grande satisfaction que nous saluons l'entrée dans notre organisation des nouveaux membres. Qu'ils soient donc les bienvenus parmi nous.

J. HELGASON (Iceland): Mr Chairman this is my first participation in an FAO Conference and I would therefore like at the outset to express my profound support for the objectives, goals and activities of the Organization. Being a farmer myself I sense the central responsibility this Organization bears towards farmers and peasants, fishermen and other food producers throughout the world. On the other side of the coin the Organization symbolizes the worldwide concern for the consumers of food, and especially those whose food consumption is below minimum bodily requirements, and recognizes the need for ensuring continuous and increasing supplies of nutritious food.

My country, Iceland, is no stranger to food shortages and famines. The generation of my parents experienced the hunger pains. All Icelanders dreaded the coming of winter when nothing grows and then suffered through the meagre months before the sun again rose in the sky when often the winter stores of food and fodder dried up.

Catching fish in the icy artic waters using small open boats was not a choice occupation and the toll taken was often staggering.

Natural calamities of climate and volcanic catastrophies reduced the population of Iceland to below 40,000 exactly 200 years ago.

To gain better control of one's surroundings, to harness the fertility of the soil, to exploit the potential productivity of plants and animals, and to enhance their resistance to adverse climatic conditions, one must combine a strong research effort with sound and effective transfer to the farmer and fisherman of the knowledge gained.

The advance from a state of want to a situation of plenty calls for hard, diligent work and' sound economic and marketing policies.

Iceland is not an easy country to habitate and to cultivate. Often nature seems to work against us. Yet in one generation we have moved from food shortages and hardship to a situation of food surpluses to the extent that we have had to take steps to regulate and dampen food production to avoid the build-up of unmanageable surpluses.

It is difficult to explain to our children that there is still widespread hunger in the world and that there are millions upon millions of children who go to sleep every night hungry and that every morning there are thousands of children who never wake up again - victims of that unpardonable paradox in our times of plenty amidst deaths of millions from want.

It is our duty, as inhabitants of countries with plenty, to come to the aid of our less fortunate brethren. The deteriorating situation in Africa is especially a cause for great concern and I fully endorse the Director-General's policy in his proposed programme to emphasize food and agriculture projects on that continent.

The parallel emphasis now being put on agriculture research is also gratifying, and I especially welcome the creation of a new programme element and a new Division in this area. I would like to express my full suport of the Director-General's Programme of Work and Budget for the coming bienium.

In our economy, the harvesting of fish from the rich ocean banks around Iceland constitutes the basis on which we have been able to build up an affluent modern society. We have crusaded against over-exploitation of the ocean and championed effective conservation measures and a rational management of the ocean resources. We are especially happy about the conclusive outcome of the Law of the Sea Conference and look forward to participating in the upcoming World Fisheries Conference next year.

In the field of fisheries, many Icelanders have served FAO as marine and fisheries experts, as well as master seamen. One of those, Mr Hilmar Kristjonsson, a pionneer in the development of effective fishing pear and a leader of FAO's programme in this field for over thirty years, passed away prematurely last month. He will long be remembered for the contribution he made to the development of this important aspect of ocean fishing and for his devotion to helping the developing countries in mastering the handling of modern fishing methods.

Next year, 1984, marks a milestone in the participation of Iceland in FAO's activities. We are very happy to have been given the opportunity to host the Fourteenth FAO Regional Conference for Europe in 1984. We hope to be able to demonstrate how a nation living in a harsh and often hostile environment is able to draw upon its mental and physical capabilities to carve out of this environment an attractive existence. We would like to demonstrate how, with hard work and knowledge, we have been able to harness some of the forces of this environment in order to produce energy and food and industrial goods from our land and ocean resources.

It gives me great pleasure on this occasion to extend to my colleagues, Ministers of Agriculture in the European region, my most hearty and personal invitation to visit Iceland in September, 1984, on the occasion of the FAO Regional Conference. My most sincere invitation is also extend to other members of European delegations and other representatives wishing to attend the Conference in Reykjavik.

P.N. PEETE (Lesotho):Mr Chairman, Director-General, Honourable Ministers, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, my delegation wishes first of all to add its voice to those who have congratulated the Chairman Mr Block, and his three Vice-Chairmen upon their unanimous election to the office that will guide us through the deliberations. It is our firm belief that under your guidance this Conference will be a success, with a clear direction in the conclusions reached.

The occasion of this Twenty-second session of the FAO Conference affords my delegation the singular pleasure and opportunity to express to you, Mr Director-General, happy wishes for your good health. In the same breath we express our appreciation for the way you have retained the esteem of your high office. You and your staff have selflessly served the course of mankind. You have directed all your efforts against hunger, disease and malnutrition. You have fought for improved conditions for all. Lesotho therefore finds it fitting to assure you of its continued support.

It is an honour and pleasure to welcome the new members to the Organisation and we hope they will help sharpen the conscience of the international community on the plight of the rural poor. Once again our Conference is called to address itself to the inability of man to feed himself. He are invited to take stock of rapid population growth in most of the developing countries. But above all our attention is drawn to the dangerous effects of hunger and malnutrition which are so rampant in the third World today, particularly in Africa. We are aware that FAO is taking action on the matter. In this regard we recall the special meeting called by the Director-General a couple of weeks ago on the exceptional international assistance required in food supplies, agriculture and animal husbandry for African countries. The general effects of the drought on human beings and livestock were adequately addressed at that meeting and I can only at this point underline the need for positive action. It is fitting at this hour to mention our appreciation for drought relief aid in the form of fertilizer and food aid that we received from numerous countries and international organizations, including FAO.

The emphasis on world food security remains appropriate and the revised framework by the Committee on Food Security gives a welcome redefinition of objectives, those of increasing food production, stabilizing the supply of food and ensuring greater economic access. We need at this point to clearly identify the instruments that will facilitate the achievement of the objectives. These instruments must reflect a unified and consolidated effort. I would wish to submit to the Conference that there must be a universal change of agricultural policy. Emphasis should be on activities that are direcly related to food production. Recipients of food aid should use it as a stimulant towards producing more food. National budgets should reflect a positive bias towards food producing projects and programmes.

Turning to the instruments of food security I would like to refer to some of the provisions made in the Programme of Work and Budget for the coming biennium. Particularly, I wish to refer to two that we regard as important for drawing us nearer to achieving the objectives of food security, and these are training and irrigation. Talking about irrigation, I might begin to sound too much like a man harassed by drought, which, of course, I am. The other side to it though is that we must emerge from the drought wiser and more prepared for times like this by enhancing our capability to harness all our water resources, a factor that will become useful in times of future droughts. Here one sees possibilities of technical cooperation with our fellow developing countries of Asia that have a lot of experience in this area. These countries could assist in establishing nation-wide irrigation programmes with emphasis being placed on assistance to smaller farmers. We would thus appeal to the donor countries to fund this TCDC proposal. As regards training, we want to ensure that we have the capacity to design projects ourselves. This gives more of an opportunity to conduct more meaningful consultations with the people concerned. Equally, the implementation of these projects and programmes becomes more meaningful when it draws heavily from local experience. We recall the Resolution of the Regional Conference for Africa and note with gratitude the positive response of the Director-General on the issue of high level manpower training. By the same token we wish to stress the need to devote more funds to irrigation.

As food shortfalls persist, the dependence on imports increases, thus causing a strain in the foreign exchange holdings of individual importing countries and possible deficits if there is no export revenue to restore the balance. As some countries cannot, given their land resources, produce adequate supplies of their food requirements, such countries have a necessity to depend on food imports. For such countries clearly strengthening their foreign earnings is an essential part of their food security. The duty of the international community is to ensure trade liberalization to assure a greater flow of goods and commodities at fair prices. Indeed, we know that most of the indebtedness of the developing world is a result of artificially low prices realised by their export products, particularly raw materials. In our discussion of the food problem, let us therefore not forget that adjustments in international trade are equally an important aspect in stabilizing food supplies. While on the question of foreign exchange earnings for stabilizing food supplies, I cannot overlook the contribution of livestock and livestock products in this regard. Worthy of particular mention here are exports of meat, milk and other dairy products, hides, skins, wool and mohair. There is a need to strengthen this sector in terms of providing well organized market outlets to these products, to train manpower in the development and management of our stocks and in the processing of the produce.

Another area that deserves special mention is the WCARRD Programme of Action. As we know, our food is produced by the rural people who need to be actively supported and whose commitment must be secured. It is again these rural dwellers who form major sections of the population in the developing countries who have the most problems of economic access to food. They therefore require urgent attention if their purchasing power is to be improved. It is satisfying to see that FAO has allowed itself to be influenced by the WCARRD Programme of Action, as reflected in these documents before us. My Government is impressed by the activities shown in these documents, particularly assistance in the establishment of the regional centres and follow-up missions to individual countries. An area that still needs to be managed with greater efficiency is the support that is given to women who are in any event the major food producers in the developing countries.

My delegation considers that strengthening of regional offices, especially in Africa, is the surest way to deal with the many peculiar regional problems. Let me hasten to say that this can be achieved by shifting of resources other than budgetary increases, as so ably demonstrated in the preparation of the Programme of Work and Budget.

We register our support for progress in the working of mechanisms to improve access to plant genetic resources. This, we believe, can be achieved without disturbing existing structures.

A judicious use of the Technical Cooperation Programme should be made and followed up closely with objective valuations.

My delegation, in addition, urges that the Conference unanimously adopts the proposed Programme of Work and Budget, as the hungry whom this Organization seeks to serve are unanimous in their demand for food and better living conditions.

All I have said today has been aimed at requesting all of us to show in a purposeful manner our determination to ensure greater harvests in all our areas, to ask those with the resources to help us interpret our desires into effective work programmes. In this regard one cannot but observe that, when looking at the contribution made to FAO and UNDP budgets, and the huge military expenditures of the developed countries, our commitment to the peaceful survival of mankind as opposed to mass destruction becomes doubtful. I therefore wish to end my statement with an appeal to all member governments to unreservedly take measures to facilitate the aims of this Conference.

U YE YOUNG (Burma): It gives me great pleasure to extend to you, Mr Chairman, the warm congratulations of the delegation of the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma on your election as Chairman of the Twenty-second session of FAO Conference, We also congratulate the three Vice-chairmen on their election. We are most fortunate in having the advantage of your wisdom and experience, and are confident that you will guide the deliberations of the Conference with tenacity and resourcefulness, in the numerous tasks which lie ahead.

My delegation would also like to extend a warm welcome to the newly admitted member countries of Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Saint Christopher and Nevis and Vanuatu to the Organization.

I need not stress that the FAO has been assuming greater responsibilities year by year and has contributed significantly towards hthe advancement of agriculture development. The biennal conferences have fostered better understanding and cooperation among member countries, and at the same time have led to the initiation of new development strategies. We have noted with interest that the agenda for the current Session includes a wide variety of significant topics.

In this regard, I would like to express my appreciation of the efforts made by the Contact Group, which was appointed by the FAO Council at its Eighty-second session, in preparing the draft guidelines for International Agricultural Adjustment for consideration at this Conference.

At its Thirty-seventh session in 1982, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 37/202 on review and appraisal of the implementation of the International Development Strategy for the Third United Nations Development Decade and reaffirmed its decision to carry out the first overall review and appraisal in 1984. There will therefore be review and appraisal of International Development Strategy by the FAO governing bodies. However, the fulfilment of these long-term objectives may take time due to the complexities and financial constraints in the implementation of agricultural development plans of the developing countries.

I would like now to outline in brief the situation of agricultural development in our country. Agriculture is still accorded the highest priority in our country. The economic targets of the State set forth in the Twenty-year long-term Plan are being implemented, and we are now in the second year, of the fourth four-year plan period. The performance of the economic plan in the preceding year is very satisfactory. The achievement in terms of GDP growth rate in the agriculture sector is 6.8 percent increase over the base year of the Fourth Four-Year Plan. The GDP growth rate of 5.9 percent in the Livestock and Fisheries Sector and 9.1 percent in the Forestry Sector have also been achieved.

In the Agriculture Sector, priority was given to crops essential for domestic consumption, export-oriented and industrial crops. Governmental support in the form of increased inputs, such as wider measures of irrigation facilities, provision for substantial agriculture loans, review and revision of pricing policies, an inducement towards adoption of scientific methods, and close guidance with prompt attention to the needs of the farmers were the strategies adopted.

In the production of paddy, the most significant achievements have been in the launching of the Whole Township High Yielding programme which started on an experimental basis in 1977-78. The success of the programme is remarkable, and eventually this programme has been increased gradually to more townships from year to year, to the extent of 82 townships last year, The national average yield of paddy per acre has now increased to 61.1 baskets (1275 Kgs.) in 1982-83 againsts 36.80 baskets (768 Kgs.) in the year 1976-77. In this programme, high yielding varieties were used with transplantation of the correct seedling age, closer planting in rows, application of proper dose of fertilizers combined with organic manures, integrated pest and disease control and harvesting at the appropriate.time to prevent grain losses. In the light of these successes, high yielding programmes for other crops such as oilseeds, cereals, peas and beans, potatoes and industrual crops were also introduced in several townships. The dramatic success of this programme was due to the acceptance of the new technology by the Burmese peasants and active mass participation.

As an agricultural country, the Livestock, Fisheries and Forestry Sectors also form an integral part of the rural economy. In the Livestock Sector, due attention has been paid to veterinary care and animal husbandry. Similarly, appropriate measures have been initiated to increase qualitatively and quantitatively the drought power as well as the production of meat and dairy produce.

In the Fisheries Sector, apart from expansion and development of inland fisheries, emphasis has been placed on development of marine fisheries, which have immense potential for foreign exchange earnings and also for domestic consumption.

We have now established an Institute of Fisheries Technology for upgrading the skills of personnel in the fishing fleet of the People's Pearl and Fisheries Corporation with the different types of fishing vessels and fishing gear and also to operate the fish-processing plants. Training for promoting the proficiency of the artisanal fisheries is essential in order to increase fish production. In the meantime, marine fisheries resources surveys have been carried out to detect and identify potential fishing grounds by hydro-acoustic survey methods. Experimental fishing was also conducted using several fishing techniques to identify the best fishing resources, However, we are still in the process of setting up a sea Fishery Survey and Research Unit which would give us the basis for planning of our fishing operations.

In the Forestry Sector, we are still endowed with natural tropical forests with great potential for foreign exchange earnings. With multilateral and bilateral assistance we are intensifying the loggings of large areas of teak and hardwood forests all over the country hand-in-hand with the undaunted effort of the implementation of plantation and reforestation. Furthermore, with a view to the overall information on our forestry resources being as accurate as possible for planning and better decision making, we are implementing a National Forest Survey and Inventory Project.

I have briefly described the various sectors of my country, and it is be apparent that much investment is needed in practically all the sectors for advancement in production activities of our country's economy. It may be noted that the inflationary costs for equipement and inputs is always on the rise and as a result the production activities are reduced, and consequently retarding to some extend the progress in implementation to achieve our planned targets. On the other hand, the international prices of agricultural commodities still remains low and unstable, thereby affecting the income and living standards of the farmers in the developing countries.

International relations as a whole are exacerbated as a result of prolongated crisis in the world economy. The consequences of the disarray in the world economy is being felt in all sectors of international economic life. No country is immune from these disruptive effects.

All of this indicates that there is a complex interplay of economic forces influencing both the developed and the developing countries. Clearly the situation calls for untiring efforts to work out a basis of cooperation. Reconciling the conflicting needs and desires of the developed countries and the developing countries will also call for much tolerance and goodwill. As we see it, there is no other way. In the contemporary world, economic development has become a matter for international cooperation and this requires a meeting of minds between countries in all stages of development.

Mr Chairman, the Food and Agriculture Organization has been called upon to assume greater responsibilities year after year, and with its assistance member countries have geared their efforts towards accelerated food production. In conclusion, may I be permitted to urge all Member Nations present here today, to mobilize all our resources and work together for a new area of cooperation and sharing, that would lead to a more equitable and advanced world society.

J.L.ZAPATA (Venezuela): Señor Presidente, gracias por concederme la palabra para saludar en nombre de Venezuela a los Señores Ministros y Delegaciones de países amigos, al Señor Director General y a los Representantes de organismos y entidades participantes en esta 22^a Conferencia de la FAO.

En primer término deseo felicitarlo por su elección para presidir los destinos de esta Conferencia, al igual que a los tres Vicepresidentes. Asimismo queremos hacerle un reconocimiento al Sr. Swaminathan quien ha desempeñado en estos dos años la Presidencia Independiente del Consejo de la FAO, ejercicio durante el cual ha demostrado sus extraordinarias dotes de dirigente inteligente, persuasivo, prudente y firme.

Nos reunimos en un momento histórico lleno de grandes contradicciones. Como todos sabemos, y se ha repetido en los distintos foros internacionales, nunca antes en los últimos años fueron mayores las reservas de alimentos y quizás nunca antes hubo tanta hambre; contrasentido que clama a la justicia social internacional y testimonia al mismo tiempo el fracaso de las Instituciones Internacionales, el fracaso de las políticas nacionales, el fracaso de los hombres en esta hora aciaga.

Ahora bien, el hambre que sufren tantos pueblos es sólo una consecuencia del atraso y la ignorancia que han conducido también a las desigualdades sociales, a la dominación colonial, a la discriminación racial, al apartheid, al neocolonialismo político y economico, a la pobreza, y a la guerra.

Todos estos elementos han originado, a su vez, una falta àe igualdad a la hora de establecer un diálogo entre las naciones, creando una situación de ventaja a favor de algunos países, en la cual éstos fijan las reglas del juego; y los resultados no son siempre positivos cuando se establece un diálogo entre desiguales, porque no es dialogo, sino monologo. Estas consideraciones nos indican que ahora más que nunca y con urgencia, el problema del hambre y el desarrollo de la agricultura deben estar entre las prioridades de cada nación.

Los problemas del subdesarrollo se retardan en su solución a causa de la ignorancia de nuestros pueblos, que viven en un mundo periférico dentro de un contexto de dominación bipolar, sometidos a la interacción de fuerzas e intereses diversos, que agotan muchas veces sus escasos recursos en gastos supérfluos, en guerras intestinas-, y en otras formas de despilfarro de sus recursos humanos y económicos.

El porvenir está condicionado a que se le garantice a todos los hombres el derecho que tienen a recibir una alimentación cónsona con su dignidad, y a vivir en una sociedad más justa y feliz. A la luz de la realidad actual, que muy inteligentemente ha sido expuesta por todos los que han intervenido en este foro, debemos encontrar nuevos caminos.

Estamos persuadidos de que es fundamental la integración y la cooperación entre los países en desarrollo para su fortalecimiento, para mejorar su posición negociadora y para hacer que el diálogo con los países desarrollados sea equilibrado y llegue a ser fructífero.

Pensamos que dicha cooperación debe basarse en el más amplio aprovechamiento de los recursos y experiencias ya existentes a nivel nacional, subregional, regional y mundial.

Debemos reforzar los organismos subregionales y regionales ya creados, como por ejemplo, en el caso de América Latina, el B.I.D., el SELA con su Comité de Acción sobre Seguridad Alimentaria Regio‐nal (CASAR), recientemente creado; el Instituto Interamericano de Cooperación para la Agricultura (IICA), el Convenio José Celestino Mutis sobre Agricultura, Seguridad Alimentaria y Conservación de Ambiente, firmado en Caracas en julio de este año e integrado por los países del Grupo Andino.

Por otra parte queremos reafirmar lo que dijo en la IX Reunión Ministerial del Consejo Mundial de la Alimentación, celebrado en junio de este año en Nueva York, la Ministro de Agricultura de Venezuela, Nydia Villegas: "que no estamos al borde del caos, que existen los caminos, allí están los recursos, contamos con el talento del recurso humano, es cuestión de que apartemos lo que nos separa y aprovechemos lo que nos une."

Para finalizar y como lo expuso el Dr. Rafael Caldera al presidir la Conferencia Mundial de Reforma Agraria y Desarrollo Rural, celebrada en Roma en 1979, nos queda señalar que "la justicia social internacional está esperando su recepción plena e inmediata en las relaciones entre los países que integran la comunidad internacional para realizar el bien común universal."

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