- Adoption of Resolution related to Item 6.1 on Critical Situation of Food and Agriculture in Africa (continued)
- Adoption d'une résolution relative au point 6.1 sur la situation critique de l'alimentation et de l'agriculture en Afrique (suite)
- Aprobación de la resolución relativa al tema 6.1 sobre la situación crítica de la agricultura y la alimentación en Africa (continuación)
EL PRESIDENTE: El Grupo de contacto está constituido por los siguientes países: Argentina, Australia, Camerún, Cabo Verde, Francia, Grecia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Somalia, Sudán, Estados Unidos de América, y se han agregado los siguientes cuatro países: Angola, Malí, Mauritania y Senegal. Los esperamos, repito, a las 16.30 horas en la Sala Alemania.
H. LAUBE (Austria) (original language German): It is a particular pleasure for me, as the first speaker, to congratulate you on the excellent and enthusiastic introduction by Mr. Moreno Rojas on the present point on the agenda. For us, this is one of the most important points of the whole agenda. The Austrian delegation has closely studied document C 83/9. As in many other countries, World Food Day has been celebrated in Austria in recent years. Activities have included the issuing of a special stamp from the Austrian Post Office, television discussions, and the provision of information by all the mass media with regard to the world food situation and the various conferences which were initiated. In particular, we would mention that in exhibitions which have lasted for several weeks, the activities of FAO in solving the world food problems were presented. In this connection, I would mention that information which is as topical as possible should be made more available to Member States. Measures taken by various individual Member States of FAO seem particularly effective in increasing the awareness of people with regard to world food problems. In particular, the Fortieth Anniversary of FAO seems to us to be an important occasion on which to prepare for World Food Day 1985. The proposed review of work done by FAO could be a valuable aid in this preparation.
M. A. CORREIA DE PINHO (Portugal): A la suite de la résolution prise en novembre 1982, la Commission portugaise de la FAO n'a pas seulement célébré le 16 octobre, ce qui aurait eu certainement peu ou pas d'effet sur la population, mais elle a décidé de réaliser régulièrement pendant toute l'année 1983 toute une série d'actions pour mettre en évidence l'importance de l'événement.
Parmi ces actions, on signale les plus importantes:
- Le Président de la République portugaise a adressé pour la première fois au Directeur général de la FAO, le Dr Edouard Saouma, un message pour la Journée mondiale de l'alimentation.
- Trois monnaies de 2,55 - 5, et 25 escudos, décorées avec des motifs relatifs à la Journée mondiale de l'alimentation, vont être mises en circulation d'ici la fin de l'année.
- Materiel de documentation: On a fait 5 000 posters qui ont été distribués aux entités publiques davantage en contact avec la population pour qu'ils soient affichés dans leurs départements; une série d'articles, traitant de divers problèmes alimentaires et aussi de lféducation alimentaire se rapportant à la Journée mondiale de l'alimentation ont été envoyés à la presse pour être publiés; toute la correspondance de la Commission portugaise de la FAO et du Centre d'études de nutrition de l'Institut national de santé a émis des timbres relatifs à la Journée mondiale de l'alimentation. Ces timbres nous ont été remis par la FAO; le quotidien de grand tirage "Diário Popular" a publié le 16 octobre 1983 une longue interview du président de la Commission portugaise de la FAO sur les nombreux problèmes de la politique alimentaire en signalant la Journée mondiale de l'alimentation. Des revues scientifiques et des journaux médicaux ont signalé l'événement en publiant des notes ou des articles sur ce sujet; à la radio nationale, des conférences sur des problèmes alimentaires ont été émises pour rappeler au public la Journée mondiale de l'alimentation; à la Société de géographie, à Lisbonne, on a fait une exposition bibliographique des publications de la FAO. On a aussi décoré avec des motifs faisant allusion à la Journée mondiale de l'alimentation deux vitrines du Palais Foz situé dans un endroit très fréquenté de Lisbonne. La propagande BIC a mis de nouveau en vente, comme l'année dernière, du matériel avec une légende relative à la Journée mondiale de l'alimentation. La radio nationale a transmis, dans son programme du 11 octobre 1983, une séance d'une durée d'une heure et demie sur la FAO, la Journée mondiale de l'alimentation et les problèmes alimentaires de notre pays. La radiotélévision a présenté, le 16 octobre 1983, un court métrage ainsi qu'un message du Dr Saouma envoyé par radio de notre ambassade à Rome, suivi d'une entrevue avec le président de la Commission portugaise de la FAO.
Je dois souligner qu'au Portugal il y a eu une grande adhésion de la part de la presse, de la radio et de la télévision aux problèmes liés à la Journée mondiale de l'alimentation. On compte par dizaines les articles et les notes que les journaux et les revues ont publiés pendant l'année.
Je voudrais encore faire l'éloge du Service de distribution de l'information de la FAO qui a fait parvenir aux plus importants journaux portugais les nouvelles considérées comme les plus importantes, lesquelles ont été publiées ou bien ont servi de base à de nombreuses interventions de ces journaux.
L.J. EAKIN (Australia): First of all, Mr Chairman, I support your words and those of the delegate from Austria in commending the able and enthusiastic presentation of this topic by Mr. Moreno Rojas. He is obviously very concerned about matters covered by World Food Day, and is enthusiastic in trying to ensure it reaches the widest possible field of observers.
World Food Day is an annual event, and celebrates the founding of FAO in 1945. As Mr Moreno Rojas said, and as document C 83/9 before us shows, World Food Day has a broad level of national participation. I think the document mentions that some 147 countries took part in the 1982 events. The document also notes that a high level colloquium presented the Rome Dećlaration on Hunger in 1982, and Mr Moreno Rojas referred to a similar activity at this year's observance of World Food Day, at which were present some very eminent speakers - including the Prime Minister of Sweden and the Italian Foreign Minister and former Prime Minister Mr Andreotti. The level of response from world leaders to the previous two World Food Days and also this year's, indicates that there is a very broad level of support for the concept of a World Food Day. I would think such a concept is very firmly embedded in the annual calendar of days on which the world notes particularly important matters.
Mr Moreno Rojas referred to a number of initiatives being taken already, or being contemplated, for future World Food Days as they are outlined in the document, and I think some of these have already occurred. For example, he referred to approaches to Ministers of Education jointly by FAO and UNESCO; this is a very good move, because it is in the schools, by the children, that these problems will have to be addressed in future. It is also noted in the document that it is proposed to improve contact with the media and non-governmental organizations. Again, Mr Moreno Rojas referred to the importance he attaches to non-governmental organizations, j will come to that in a minute.
The document also notes that it is proposed there be much greater use of FAO Regional Offices in producing World Food Day material. I think I should join with the preceding speaker in complimenting FAO on the material it puts out on World Food Days, and it should continue to do this.
The document further notes that the conceptual content of World Food Day could be broadened perhaps to include things like conservation and, if we look back at the item just completed on WCARRD, perhaps one might think about the role of women as well.
I think the document looks at assessing the nature and extent of FAO support for future World Food Day observances. This an important matter, too, because while we look forward to seeing the fruits of the proposals that FAO has put forward for taking new initiatives and perhaps concreting the broad support World Food Day already has, we should never lose sight of the fact that effort expended should be in proportion to the results one hopes to attain - the question of cost effectiveness, if you like.
Australia supported the inauguration of the World Food Day at the end of the Twentieth Conference and the Australian Government participates actively in observances throughout the country. I would just like to make a few brief comments on what has been done in Australia to promote World Food Day this Year. Australia cooperates very actively with the non-governmental organizations and this year the Commonwealth Government put forward a dollar-for-dollar subsidy to the Australian Council for Overseas Aid or ACFOA which is our main, peak non-governmental organization. ACFOA represents more than 50 non-governmental organizations working in the aid field, and it is our understanding that it was to use this subsidy to fund a range of Australia-wide World Food Day activities organized by its constituent bodies.
A main theme for ACFOA's World Food Day activities this year was child nutrition, and ACFOA this year sponsored a visit to Australia by an eminent Philippino nutritionist and breast-feeding authority, Dr Natividad Clavano.
Australia also participated in a media campaign using radio promotion. We had a song developed which gained fairly broad community support, and we had television and cinema promotions, as well as media kits and newspaper advertisements, all centering on the World Food Day Theme. In Australia this year we took up the "Food Comes First" theme which I think a number of countries used last year as well.
The activities were also taken up in Australia by independent commercial radio stations, the regional television stations, and the National Broadcasting Corporation the ABC.
In closing my remarks on this item, I think I would like to reiterate the importance of World Food Day in heightening the awareness or, if you like in making people more aware of the problems the world faces in the food area and the solutions to those problems. I think World Food Day is another mechanism for making people aware. Its significant contribution, I believe, is in its ability to bridge the gaps in understanding between developing and developed countries. Specifically, I think it can bridge these gaps from the highest professional and political levels to the level of children who will ultimately have to deal with these problems in the years ahead.
L. GRUNDBERG (Sweden): I cannot let this opportunity pass without mentioning how honoured my country felt by the invitation of the Director-General to the Prime Minister of Sweden, Mr. Olaf Palme, to give the Keynote Address at the observance of the World Food Day here in Rome one month ago.
I would also like to thank delegates for the positive references that have already been made by the Secretariat and other delegations to the speech by Prime Minister Palme. His message consisted of three parts: he urged concerted international action in the economic field, including the fulfillment of the 0.7 percent objective by industrialized countries and changing and refining pragmatically international financial institutions. Secondly, he urged disarmament and mentioned the scope for massive transfers of resources for development, once real reductions in spending for military purposes start. In that context, he also pointed out the tragic relationship between armed conflicts and hunger.
Thirdly, Mr. Palme underlined the need to struggle on two fronts in order to reach lasting solutions in the food and agriculture field, mainly, both to ensure adequate incomes for people to buy food and to ensure food supplies.
He also underlined the need for land reform, price policy reforms, people's participation and other political actions in developing as well as developed countries. He concluded that those important measures could not be left to the so-called "magic" of the market place. What is needed, and particularly in the dramatic emergency food situation which the world is facing today, is what Prime Minister called for, human compassion.
Once again I would like to thank the Director-General for the honour that was shown to my country by the invitation to Prime Minister Palme to the FAO Headquarters last October.
R.C. SERSALE DI CERISANO (Argentina): Queríamos felicitar a la FAO y al Sr. Moreno en particular por la intensa y entusiasta y cada vez más integrada actividad que se realiza en este Día Mundial de la Alimentación.
Paso ahora a lo que hace mi país. Queremos decir que cada vez en Argentina existe mayor preocupación en integrar los esfuerzos para su celebración a distintos niveles, esto es, a nivel de gobierno, de medios de difusión, de instituciones de carácter académico y en el medio rural.
Voy brevemente a contar las principales actividades que tuvieron lugar en la celebración del Día Mundial en este año. A nivel gubernamental hubo un mensaje de nuestra Secretaría de Agricultura, Sr. Santirso, que se publico en los distintos medios de prensa.
Por otra parte, se celebraron afiches en conmemoración de este día. Se celebraron exposiciones sobre actividades del Programa Nacional de Investigación de Alimentos. Hubo una reunion de trabajo sobre el tema "Alimentos no tradicionales y complementos alimenticios" en la Universidad Nacional de Salta. Por otra parte la Subsecretaría de Asuntos Agrarios en la provincia de Buenos Aires también publicó afiches alusivos al tema. Hubo un espacio radial también dedicado a difundir el mensaje del Director General de la FAO, el Dr. Eduardo Saouma, hubo actos alusivos en la escuela provincial de Buenos Aires y además el Ministro de Agricultura y Subsecretario también de la provincia de Buenos Aires mencionaron el tema del "Día Mundial de la Alimentación" y sus avances en el discurso que pronunciaron en diversas exposiciones rurales.
En lo que hace referencia a la radio y television en uno de los canales nacionales de la Argentina hubo un programa dedicado a difundir films, entrevistas relacionadas con el tema. La radio de las provincias de Santiago, Rosario y Capital difundieron también el mensaje del Director General de la FAO.
En lo que hace a actividades académicas en el auditorio de la Universidad de la capital se debatió sobre nutrición y ecología organizado por el Centro de Enlace para el Medio Ambiente (CEMA).
También otro tema de debate fue la situación alimentaria nacional y mundial en el aula magna de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales de Buenos Aires.
Por otra parte, en lo que hace referencia a organismos que tienen sede en Buenos Aires, el Sr. Arturo Goetz, Secretario del Comité de Acción para Seguridad Alimentaria del SELA, pronunció una conferencia sobre seguridad alimentaria en el Centro de Información de las Naciones Unidas. Por otra parte, ese mismo Centro de Información de las Naciones Unidas integrando esfuerzos del sector privado en la Argentina hizo entrega de bolsas de maíz a las poblaciones rurales en la provincia de Salta.
Por otra parte, este Centro de Información y el Programa de Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo, sobre el fondo proporcionado por la FAO, publicaron una doble página en el diario "Tiempo" argentino con más trabajos editados por la FAO.
A.M. QURESHI (Pakistan) : My delegation would first of all like to commend the Secretariat for the brief and elaborate progress Report on World Food Day activities contained in C 83/9. Equally commendable was the excellent exposition by Dr Moreno.
It was indeed a significant decision of the FAO Conference held in 1979 to establish the World Food Day, to be observed on 16 October every year, to coincide with the anniversary of the founding of the FAO in 1945.
The observance of the World Food Day goes a long way in highlighting the gravity of the problem of poverty, hunger and malnutrition still prevalent in many parts of the world. We believe that food is a basic human need. We also believe that all people in all parts of the world should have an equal physical and economic access to it. Unfortunately, instead of decreasing, the problem of hunger has been further accentuated over the period of time. The dependence of the developing countries on the developed countries for their food needs has increased, while their ability to pay for their food needs has been eroded, in view of their growing economic crisis. It is indeed a moral challenge to those who have enough to eat that 900 million people should be undernourished, and 500 million endemically hungry.
We appreciate in this context the bold and imaginative initiatives being taken by the Director -General, Dr Edouard Saouma, to develop an effective international system of food security aimed at eliminating hunger and malnutrition from the world.
We, in Pakistan, join most of the Member Nations of the FAO every year on World Food Day to lend our full support to the crusade against hunger and malnutrition.
In this context we also appreciate the close collaboration proposed between FAO and UNESCO, to be developed to support national initiatives in the observance of World Food Day.
In Pakistan every year we make elaborate arrangements, with the cooperation of educational institutions, non-governmental organizations and the information media, including the press, television and radio, to highlight the significance of the World Food Day. Special ceremonies are held to commemorate the Day and messages are issued by the president of Pakistan and the Minister for Food and Agriculture. Besides demonstrations on the importance of health and nutritions, religious leaders deliver sermons to spotlight the ethical concern related to the world food problem.
We believe that the observance of the World Food Day will help rouse the conscience of mankind to the grave problem of poverty, hunger and malnutrition. In this context, let the world be reminded of the message of the Holy Prophet Mohammad (Peace be upon Him) that a person cannot sleep in peace if his neighbour is lying awake because of hunger. That is the main raison d'être of the World Food Day, and it is to attain this goal that we must all strive.
Z. GROCHOWSKI (Poland): Poland actively supports the idea of a World Food Day celebration. This is a very important initiative which creates larger social bases for all great FAO undertakings, for better understanding of the actual world food situation and therefore contributes to development and modernisation of world agriculture.
The very important role which World Food Day could play is to involve young people in the problems of agriculture and the food situation in the different regions of the world.
For all peoples, the observance of World Food Day brings the realisation that food is produced by the whole of society and not only by farmers, and that the most important needs of society are not satisfied. Hence the world spends huge amounts of money on armaments-.
During the observance of World Food Day in Poland, different events were taking place, especially at schools, related to the subject. Also, special materials, information and posters were prepared.
The subjects relating to world food and agriculture situations will be introduced into the permanent secondary school programme in the near future.
On the occasion of World Food Day, meetings of agricultural scientists and students of the Universities and extension workers, took place. Also the press and media forecasted special educational and socio-political programmes with the participation of former FAO staff workers and experts.
Each year World Food Day is celebrated more actively and we shall expand this important and valuable initiative.
J. NGOULOU (Congo): C'est avec beaucoup d'attention que la délégation congolaise a suivi le brillant exposé de M. Moreno, sur la Journée mondiale de l'alimentation. Je saisis cette occasion pour le féliciter et à travers lui la FAO.
La célébration de la Journée mondiale de l'alimentation, le 16 octobre de chaque année, est rentrée dans la tradition de la plupart des pays membres de la famille de la FAO. Elle correspond fort heureusement à l'anniversaire de la création de notre Organisation, la FAO, et donne une fois de plus l'occasion aux différents pays de jeter un coup d'oeil sur ce qu'a été le passé, et d'envisager l'avenir avec de plus en plus de détermination, dans le but ultime de rayer la faim et la malnutrition, par l’accomplissement des objectifs fixés en vue de l'augmentation de la production alimentaire.
La République populaire du Congo oeuvre chaque jour et chaque année à la réalisation d'un tel objectif.
Au Congo il y a cette volonté politique de produire toujours davantage, de satisfaire de manière continue les besoins alimentaires de la population, besoins qui se font de plus en plus exigeants tant sur le plan de la quantité que de la qualité.
Je voudrais parler de la célébration de la Journée mondiale de l'alimentation; la République populaire du Congo l'a marquée, cette année, sur deux plans: le plan national et le plan régional.
- Au plan national, le Congo a, de connivence avec la représentation permanente de la FAO à Brazzaville, mis tous les moyens nécessaires pour sensibiliser la population congolaise des villes et des campagnes au problème de la faim, de la malnutrition, et sur la nécessité d'accroître la production alimentaire et agricole, et enfin sur l'aspect fondamental d'amélioration des revenus des paysans partant de leur niveau de vie.
La célébration, au Congo, de cette Journée en 1981, 1982 et 1983, a bénéficié d'un appui logistique appréciable de la part de la FAO, notamment de la mise à disposition des organisateurs et autres mass média d'un matériel varié de promotion et d'information. Je peux noter les affiches et pochettes de matériel graphique, films, spots à la télévision, etc.
- Au plan régional, nous saluons hautement l'ldée de la célébration régionale de la journée du 16 octobre en Tanzanie, à Arusha, petite ville située au pied du majestueux Kilimandjaro.
Permettez-moi, Monsieur le Président, de porter une mention spéciale au Directeur, M. Ibrahim Kaduma et à l'ensemble du personnel du Centre de développement rural intégré pour l'Afrique, pour le cadre combien agréable de travail qu'ils ont offert à tous les participants à cette manifestation.
Le Congo, qui a été représenté par son Ministre de l'agriculture, voudrait ici exhorter le Bureau régional de la FAO pour l'Afrique de tout mettre en oeuvre pour que les ministères de l'agriculture des Etats africains membres comprennent la nécessité d'une telle rencontre au niveau régional, car elle permet, entre autres à la région d'Afrique, de faire le bilan sur l'accomplissement des objectifs fixés dans les plans agricoles pour l'augmentation de la production alimentaire, et de bénéficier des expériences des autres pays de la région Afrique. Je vous remercie.
H. MENDS (Ghana): My delegation wishes to report that we have been celebrating World Food Day with strong enthusiasm in Ghana. I would like to seize this opportunity to express our sincere appreciation for the active support given to our country by FAO on this occasion, and would welcome FAO’s continued support for these activities. One observation we would like to make on World Food Day celebrations is, as we spread our net wide on this particular day to involve schools, churches and other nongovernmental organizations, we do not lose sight of the fact that in reality we, in Africa, have nothing really to celebrate on World Food Day.
We have facing us now, and in the near future, the climate of hunger, malnutrition and starvation as a result of the unprecedented changes in the weather that grow worse each year. We need to plan and adopt a strategy that can save us from this unpleasant expectation. My delegation's proposal, therefore, is that orientation on World Food Day, especially in Africa, should shift from the commemoration to the creation of public awareness of the food situation that looms ahead of us.
My delegation hopes that the world body will keep up the momentum of World Food Day activities but to reflect more the strategies we want to adopt to avoid a climate of world food shortages that lies ahead of us.
C. SUVIPAKIT (Thailand): My Government has a high commitment to commemorate the World Food Day. Annually an ad hoc committee comprising government and non-government representatives from policy making, academic and the private sectors, was established to organize the celebration. The Prime Minister of Thailand himself delivered a statement commemorating this annual event, which was broadcast throughout the national radio network.
As a special opportunity to gather the various thoughts on national food matters, a meeting at ministerial level with those ministries concerned with food production, nutrition and social welfare was held to exchange views on the subject of "Food and Quality of Life".
In addition, an exhibition on nutrition was arranged during the official event aimed at informing the people of the achievement in food processing, as well as ways of improving daily consumption. Children, viewed as the national strength in the future, were actively involved in this event. Their participation was shown in a nation-wide painting contest entitled "My lunch".
In cooperation with the FAO Regional Office the ad hoc Committee held a Seminar on Food Production and Distribution at the Regional Office. The seminar was well attended by interested persons from the Government agencies, academic and private sectors. The Seminar's recommendations made an impact on national policy makers.
In conclusion, my delegation believes that the observance of World Food Day has stimulated the people to recognize their role and to participate in the process of food and agricultural development and the effect on man's well being. Therefore, my delegation supports the World Food Day and believes that the World Food Day is useful for all.
G. Van Der GRIND (Netherlands): First of all I want to thank the FAO Secretariat for the report on the World Food Day activities.
It shows clearly that in the past two years there have been a lot of countries which gave attention to World Food Day and organized a lot of activities in this respect.
The aim of these activities is to make the public aware of the problem of hunger and malnutrition in the world.
The report gives an impression of the many ways this can be done and stresses among other things that schools and non-governmental organizations are indispensable in organizing activities on a large scale.
They can make an important contribution to reach the objectives of World Food Day. Whilst activities on a national level are more and more important, regional involvement is needed in order to reach a lot of people.
In my country we have good experience with these regional activities in the form of regional meetings of members of farmers' organizations and organizations for development cooperation. In particular, relationships between agriculture and food problems are discussed in these fora.
I hope that in the coming years the organization of activities on World Food Day will be intensified and that an increasing amount of people and organizations will be involved. Hopefully, this will lead to a greater concern of governments for the agriculture and food production of their countries, which can contribute to a solution of the world food problem.
N. MACDONNELL (Canada): Canada has been a strong supporter of World Food Day since it was first established. We recognize that efforts to inform and raise the level of debate on world food issues in all our countries are essential if we are to generate necessary political will for change. We talk a lot about political will, but unless there is popular understanding and support for overcoming the food problems throughout the world, unless the implications of our growing interdependency on space ship Earth are fully appreciated, Governments will continue to shy away from taking difficult decisions. In recognition of this, Canada has made strenuous efforts to promote world food activities. Our Department of Agriculture, especially the National Steering Committee with representatives from a broad cross-section of non-government and government organizations, set up the World Food Day secretariat in our Department of Agriculture to serve as a reserve group to national, regional and provincial World Food Day coordinating committees.
The Secretariat produced and distributed a number of promotional and informational materials. These included posters, brochures, newsletters, fact sheets, and various FAO information brochures, for which we are most grateful.
A wide variety of activities have been undertaken of the kind mentioned by Mr. Moreno in his statement this morning. These include seminars and workshops involving schoolteachers and students, displays and exhibits, open houses and tours at agricultural experimental farms and research stations, fasts where people's pledges are donated to voluntary non-profit organizations involved in alleviating hunger, television and radio broadcasts, media coverage, proclamations of World Food Day, new releases, school essay contests, benefit concerts and a speaker's bureau for meetings and gatherings.
In order to broaden World Food Day coverage and reach the widest possible sectors of the Canadian population, a World Food Day Association of Canada is being constituted this month to assume the responsibility for future planning and programming of activities. Our Minister of Agriculture, the Honourable Eugene Whelan, will be the patron of the World Food Day Association of Canada. The Secretariat role will be transferred from the Department of Agriculture to a non-governmental voluntary organization active in rural development and hunger alleviation work in developing countries. The Board of this Association will comprise representatives from 7 groups of Canadian society, namely, voluntary non-profit organizations, educational organizations, the food industry, the Federal Government, Provincial Governments, consumer groups and the media. We believe that this combination offers a unique opportunity for the private and public sectors in our country to cooperate in furthering the aims of World Food Day. We would commend this approach to others, and we believe that non-governmental organizations can and do play an important role in this regard.
With all this in mind, the Canadian delegation would like to offer its strong support for the continuation of FAO's activities in supporting and coordinating World Food Day activities throughout the world. We believe it important that all countries intensify their activities in this regard. In connection with this, we believe that this Conference should make a strong statement in this regard. I realise that it is quite late in the day to be proposing a resolution, but I have a text with me which with your permission I would like to propose to the Commission. It has the support of a number of delegations, including those of Kenya, Mexico and the United States of America, and I believe it will not prove contentious. I understand that there are precedents for such non-controversial resolutions to be considered directly by the Commission. With your permission I will read the text.
The title would read: "Encouraging the Continuing Support by FAO of the World Food Day Programme", and the text would read as follows: "The Conference, recalling that the Twenty-first Session of the FAO Conference strongly recommended that World Food Day efforts be intensified in future years, recognizing that global technical capacity to overcome hunger does not necessarily imply the existence of sufficient social development and political commitment;
"Recognizing that the support necessary to create this commitment will only be established when the realities of global economic interdependence are more fully understood by all:
"1. Acknowledges that World Food Day can strengthen citizen support for development assistance, particularly within developed countries, since World Food Day has and can help people move to a greater commitment towards development that is based upon enlightened self-interest;
"2. Further acknowledges that World Food Day provides an important source of support for the implementation of a country-by-country basis of the WCARRD Programme of Action;
"3.Urges member governments to foster the development and enhancement of national World Food Day committees comprising both government and non-government representatives;
"4.Requests that the Director-General continue the international coordination of World Food Day through the FAO Secretariat."
Thank you very much, Mr Chairman. I hope that it would be possible for the Commission to consider it.
EL PRESIDENTE: Efectivamente, como usted lo menciona, existen antecedentes para el tratamiento de cierto tipo de Resoluciones que no habiendo mayores complicaciones y debido a lo precipitado, vamos a llamarlo así, del tiempo se puede consultar directamente a la Comisión sin que pasen necesariamente por el Comité de Resoluciones. Esta Comisión está, por tanto, exhortada a hacer sus comentarios en torno a esta notificación de Proyecto de Resolución hecha por Canadá, con los siguientes comentarios de parte de la Presidencia. Sentimos que este Proyecto es perfectamente congruente con aquella Resolución que dio lugar al propio Día Mundial de la Alimentación, y que viene a fortalecer, a apoyar, los trabajos de la FAO, de los países, de las regiones y del mundo en torno a este Día Mundial de la Alimentación.
De manera que, si ustedes lo tienen a bien y así lo aceptan, podemos en este momento interrumpir por unos segundos el debate general, y verificar si existe consenso en torno a esta Resolución, a este Proyecto de Resolución, y actuar en consecuencia.
Me han solicitado la palabra la República Federal de Alemania, los Estados Unidos de América, y antes de darles la palabra a la delegación de la República Federal de Alemania, la Secretaría va ha hacer algún comentario en torno a esta propuesta de Proyecto de Resolución.
J.B. VAN AS (Secretary, Commission I): Not so much with regard to the resolution itself but to the procedure in this particular case: I was just informed that the Secretariat will try to have a meeting of the Resolutions Commettee tomorrow morning to deal with this subject. After review by the Resolutions Committee the text will be distributed as a LIM document for your consideration and adoption when we discuss the Draft Report on the World Food Day activities, on Monday next week. If there is now a general consensus here on the content of the proposed resolution there is no need for a Contact Group to be established of for the Committee to convene again to discuss the text. This legalises the procedure and means that we don't have to meet again with the Commission before Monday, 21 November.
W.A.F.GRABISCH (Germany, Federal Republic of) (original language German): First of all, my delegation is agreed with regard to the procedure proposed, namely that the text of the resolution should go first to the Resolutions Committee and then directly here to the Commission, when we discuss the draft Report of this Commission. That is the first point.
Secondly, my delegation completely supports the ideas and objectives which are in the proposed resolution which Canada has just presented. But we do have two remarks. First of all, on point 3, we do not think that it is necessary for each country to have a World Food Day Committee. Every country can have one if it wants. We do not have such a committee. We have cooperation between the Federal Government, the German Freedom from Hunger Campaign and each year with one of our Federal States. For that reason I would propose that in point 3 instead of saying "creation of World Food Day committees" we should say "promotion of world food day activities". Every country should be held free to do what it wants in that respect.
On point 4, yes, we agree, and we support the idea that the FAO should continue to be the interface and to pursue World Food Day activities, but we think that this should not become a sort of celebration. The significance of the day should be borne in mind. It should recall to all of us the importance of the task that is set. For that reason, we think, first of all, that we should also try in the future to choose a central theme. This year it was food security. Next year it can be water, soil, forestry, or any other theme.
Secondly, the Secretariat should try to get documents ready early for World Food Day and distribute them to all countries concerned in good time. Perhaps that could be done on the cheapest sort of paper, recycled paper. That would also be a contribution to World Food Day.
EL PRESIDENTE: Antes de reaccionar a sus comentarios, desearía escuchar a las otras delegaciones que tienen puntos que hacer en torno a esta cuestión.
M. FENWICK (United States of America): Mr Chairman, I shall be very brief. I am not going to speak again about the value of World Food Day in opening the ears, the hearts and the minds of the public in each of our cultures. Indeed it does that. I should like to speak for a moment, if I may, about a remarkable person in my own country, a volunteer, a woman who, without support, entirely on her own, with her heart and spirit, has arranged for a World Food Day nationwide in our country, lining up some 300 organizations - labor, business, private organizations, everything you can imagine. I am referring to Mrs. Patricia Young. I think it is proper. Certainly in our country the volunteer aspect is what has so appealed to the imagination of the people, because here is someone who is doing something because they care about it and not for any other reason; because they are concerned when they hear about hunger in the world. This is what is convincing.
Let us not espouse here, when we are dealing with the lives of human beings, theories that do not work. Let us look and see what kind of an economy has produced the best for the people, and I am not talking about the developed world, I am talking about the developing world, too. Where do people live and eat without fear? Let us espouse the kind of economy that produces that kind of life with opportunity for the hungry and most deprived.
I should like to support this resolution and the procedure by which it is going to be handled, and I congratulate the Chairman on those efforts.
F.H. JAWHAR HAYAT (Kuwait) (original language Arabic): When I decided to ask for the floor, I intended to give the delegates an idea of the preparations of the Kuwaiti national committee to celebrate World Food Day. But I felt you were only prepared to hear remarks concerning the draft resolution. I will not touch upon our activities in Kuwait, for in the last three years accounts of these activities were made before FAO.
Regarding this resolution, I hope priority will be given to point 4 if you decide to adopt it, i.e. I quote "requests that the Director-General continue the international coordination of World Food Day through our FAO Secretariat".
I agree to this point and would like to support it for the following reasons. In the last three years we have heavily depended on the Secretariat to send us communications which would have helped us immensely in our preparations to celebrate this Day. We now feel that our national committee could have completed preparations on its own.
Yet I believe it is in our general interest that this Secretariat should continue its activities to guide us especially that each year a particular theme is chosen. For example, Food for all or Food Security this year.
It was our main source of inspiration and my sole correspondent to which I sent our activity reports which were later distributed to other Member States.
Hence, if this Secretariat is dismantled I will not be able to inform the other 156 FAO Member States of our activities.
I'd like to stress that the Secretariat had carried out its role as a relay or post-office to distribute incoming and outgoing communications.
Therefore, I hope that the administration will duly take into account point 4 for its extreme importance. I also agree to the other points included in the draft resolution.
J.M. SCOULAR (United Kingdom): Mr Chairman, I have terrors of another drafting group or contact group meeting. I think we are all really agreed on the intent behind this resolution. I wonder whether we might adopt it by applause.
El PRESIDENTE: Bien, ese procedimiento es difícil de adaptar en nuestra Comisión, pero quizá podrá procederse de otra manera, escuchemos a todas las delegaciones que tienen algo que decir en torno al proyecto. Tiene la palabra Australia, Indonesia y Kenya. Solicito que si hubiera por parte de otras delegaciones consenso en torno al proyecto de resolución propuesto, que no hicieran uso de la palabra para confirmar, sino exclusivamente para manifestar los comentarios en contra o solicitar alguna modificación. Tiene pues la palabra, por este orden, Australia, Indonesia y Kenya.
L.J. EAKIN (Australia): Mr Chairman, I think I agree with your proposed handling of the matter, except perhaps that there have been a couple of amendments already proposed to the Canadian original draft. None of us has the text before us. I would probably also agree with the U.K. delegate that the resolution could be adopted unanimously eventually, but I think it would help delegates if we had a text before us, and your proposed handling of the matter seems to be in accordance with that idea.
I. MADE SANDI (Indonesia): Mr Chairman, to observe World Food Day is acceptable. We can accept
it. But, if I am not mistaken, to set up a special permanent national committee would not be
necessary at all.
M. MUKOLWE (Kenya): Mr Chairman, being supportive of this resolution which has been read to us, we feel that the ruling that you have made and the procedures being advised can be followed.
El PRESIDENTE: Por último, tiene la palabra la delegación de Francia. Esta Presidencia ha formado ya un criterio en torno a esta cuestión, les suplico que no se apunten más delegaciones, de otra manera estaremos aquí toda la tarde. La República Federal de Alemania me sugiere que desea hacer uso de la palabra porque ha sido una de las que ha propuesto modificaciones importantes al texto, se la daremos también después de que hable Francia.
P. ELMANOWSKY (France): J'interviens uniquement sur le point de la Résolution, tout d'abord pour dire que nous approuvons la procédure que vous avez suggérée, le renvoi du texte au Comité de résolution. Il convient en effet d'examiner si cette résolution est conforme en ce qui concerne les critères de l'Organisation et qui sont relatifs à l'élaboration des résolutions, c'est le premier point.
Le second point concerne le fonds, et plus particulièrement sur un des paragraphes de cette Résolution; création en quelque sorte presque obligatoire, par les Etats, d'un Comité national de journée de l'alimentation; nous sommes réservés bien que notre pays ait un tel comité. Nous pensons que ce sont les états eux-mêmes qui doivent apprécier sous quelle forme ceci doit être organisé. C'est tout ce que je dirai aujourd'hui.
W.A.F. GRABISCH (Germany, Federal Republic of)(original language German): I do not want to anticipate what you have to say, Mr Chairman, but you said you already have an idea about what should be done. I assume you are thinking of what my delegation proposed, which was supported by the delegations of Indonesia, France and others, and perhaps also incorporating a somewhat altered text. Through you, Mr Chairman, I would like to ask if the delegation of Canada would have any objection to the text being improved in this direction. Could Canada tell us?
El PRESIDENTE: Le agradezco mucho su propuesta, efectivamente estaré dispuesto a escuchar a Canadá nuevamente y posteriormente determinaremos el procedimiento.
N. MACDONNELL (Canada): When I introduced this text I truly hoped it would prove uncontentious, but I seem to have been not one hundred percent correct! I recognize the concern expressed about paragraph 3, and in the interest of reaching a speedy consensus on this, perhaps I can propose a slight modification to the text which might meet with the concern of delegations here. May I suggest that paragraph 3 should read: "Urges member governments to foster the development and enhancement of national World Food Day activities" - not commitments - "involving both government and non-government representatives". With that modification, I hope it will be possible to reach consensus.
EL PRESIDENTE: ¿Estarían de acuerdo con esta modificación? Si están de acuerdo con ella le voy a solicitar a Canadá que dé lectura a la totalidad de la Resolución para que la vuelvan a tener en cuenta y de esta manera podamos llegar a una conclusion y enviemos el proyecto de resolución al Comité de Resoluciones para salir directamente de ahí a su aprobación el día 21 de este mes.
Por favor Canadá, le solicito dé lectura otra vez al proyecto de resolución.
N. MACDONNELL (Canada): The resolution would be entitled "Encouraging the Continuing Support by FAO of the World Food Day Programme". The text would read:
"The Conference, recalling that the Twenty-first Session of the FAO Conference strongly recommended World Food Day efforts be intensified in future years, recognizing that global technical capacity to overcome hunger does not necessarily imply the existence of sufficient social development and political commitment, recognizing that the support necessary to create this commitment will only be established if the realities of global economic interdependence are more fully understood by all: (1) Acknowledges that World Food Day can strengthen citizen support for development assistance particularly within developed countries since World Food Day is helping and can help people to move to a greater commitment towards development that is based upon enlightened self-interest: (2) Further acknowledges that World Food Day provides an important source of support for the implementation on a country-by-country basis of the WCARRD Programme of Action: (3) Urges member governments to foster the development and enhancement of national World Food Day activities involving both government and non-government representatives: (4) Requests that the Director-General continue the international coordination of World Day through the FAO Secretariat."
EL PRESIDENTE: Muchas gracias, veo que algunas delegaciones asintieron cuando se dio lectura a este texto. Si ustedes pueden aceptar y admitir este proyecto de Resolución como ha sido leído, en ese caso, lo pasaremos inmediatamente al Comité de Resoluciones y del Comité de Resoluciones a su aprobación el día 21 cuando aprobemos también nuestro informe. En caso de que no estuvieran de acuerdo y manifestaran importantes cambios o dudas, constituiremos inmediatamente, sin abrir otra vez el debate, un grupo de contacto que se reuniría el día de mañana a las 16 horas. Les suplico que solamente hagan uso de la palabra si lo estiman verdaderamente importante.
P. ELMANOWSKY (France): Je voudrais être sûr d'avoir bien compris, parce que je me demande ce que vous avez dit, (ou en tout cas cela a été traduit), C'est-à-dire, que si on était d'accord, le texte pourrait être transmis tel quel pour étude au Comité de rédaction. Je crois que c'est au Comité de résolution. Si c'est ce Comité qui se réunit demain matin, alors je retire ma question.
EL PRESIDENTE: Muchas gracias, usted seguramente podrá el día de mañana ver este proyecto en sus términos de forma en el Comité de Resoluciones. Señores, si no hubiere ningún comentario, procederemos como hemos previsto, esta Comisión enviará este proyecto de Resolución para el cuidado respectivo de forma al Comité de Resoluciones, y de ahí lo pasaremos para su respectiva aprobación el lunes día 21.
La Secretaría tiene un anuncio para hacer en torno a este tema.
J. B.VAN AS (Secretary, Commission I): We have just been informed that the Resolutions Committee will meet tomorrow morning at 8.30 to considerer this proposed Resolution.
POINT OF ORDER
POINT D'ORDRE
PUNTO DE ORDEN
EL PRESIDENTE: Bien señores, Australia tiene la palabra para una cuestión de orden.
L. J. EAKIN (Australia): I do not want to hold up the proceedings, but I would like the Chairman to clarify what happens with the resolution after consideration by the Resolutions Committee. Does it come back to the Commission for consideration by the Commission tomorrow morning? Would you clarify this, please, Mr Chairman?
EL PRESIDENTE: Sí, cómo no, esta Comisión ha revisado el contenido y el fondo del proyecto de resolución que ha notificado la Delegación de Canadá a nombre de otras delegaciones. En tanto que esta Comisión está de acuerdo con su contenido, solamente deberán hacerse los ajustes de forma que el Comité de Resoluciones considere pertinentes, por lo cual esta Comisión no deberá reunirse otra vez para tratar específicamente este asunto, sino que se incluirá dentro del tema cuando examinemos el tema 10 de nuestro informe para su respectiva aprobación. Por supuesto, el lunes día 21 de noviembre.
La delegación de Francia tiene la palabra para otra cuestión de orden.
POINT OF ORDER
POINT D'ORDRE
PUNTO DE ORDEN
P. ELMANOWSKY (France) : Alors là, je suis un peu surpris de cette procédure. Je n'ai pas compris que lors du débat qui vient d'avoir lieu, on s'était prononcé pour l'adoption de la Résolution. Eneffet si on s'était prononcé pour l'adoption de la Résolution, véritablement, elle serait adoptée. Il n'y aurait donc plus besoin d'aller devant le Comité de résolution. Le Comité des résolutions est chargé de vérifier si les textes sont conformes aux critères définis pour la proposition et l'adoption éventuelle de projet de Résolution. Alors nous pouvons avoir un débat préalable sur l'idée contenue dans la Résolution, qui ensuite véritablement inspire le texte qui va au Comité de résolution. Celui-ci le renvoit en séance avec ses observations et à ce moment-là la Conférence doit adopter le texte ou refuser,mais il y a actuellement, et c'est pour cela que je ne me suis pas prononcé définitivement, la question que l'on peut se poser de savoir si la nature d'une telle Résolution correspond bien aux critères élaborés ? Et là, je pourrais relire ces critères mais ce serait réengager le débat. Je crois qu'il ne faut pas à ce stade dire que la Résolution est adoptée, qu'elle ne viendra pas devant nous. Ce n'est pas le Comité de rédaction qui peut engager un débat mais c'est d'abord le Comité des résolutions qui voit la justesse de la nécessité d'une Résolution sur un tel sujet et ensuite après, la Commission.
EL PRESIDENTE: No sé si me he explicado mal o hay algún problema de comunicación aquí; pero el procedimiento que hemos adoptado esta tarde ha sido el aprobar una posible discusión, posterior a que el Comité de Resoluciones examine la forma del Proyecto de Resolución.
De otra manera, esta Presidencia jamás hubiera solicitado que se pronunciaran los Sres. Delegados en torno al contenido del texto, porque hubiera sido totalmente inútil hacerlo.
Lo que hemos hecho en la tarde de hoy es verificar que la Comisión concordara con las cuestiones de fondo del Proyecto de Resolución presentado, a fin de enviarle al Comité de Resoluciones, con el conocimiento de parte de todos los Sres. Delegados de que el contenido, en el fondo de dicho Proyecto de Resolución estaba en principio aprobado como tal, no la Resolución; aprobado el contenido por parte de todos.
De ninguna manera estoy implicando el que esta Comisión va a aprobar la Resolución en estos momentos o que lo hará en el momento en que la adopte para su confirmación en la Conferencia.
Reitero que lo que estoy diciendo es que se considera aprobado el contenido, el fondo, y que, por lo tanto, estimo que no será necesaria el sábado una discusión sobre esta Resolución.
Eso es lo que yo intentaba decir. No sé si he sido poco claro. En todo caso, les agradezco su comprensión.
Y si no hay ninguna otra observación sobre este punto, les ruego nos permitan pasar al debate en torno al Tema 10 de nuestra Agenda.
Inmediatamente daré la palabra a la Delegación de Nigeria y posteriormente a las siguientes Delegaciones de las que voy a dar lectura: Camerún, Arabia Saudita, Egipto, Kenya, Nicaragua, Japón, Reino Unido, Estados Unidos, México, Grecia, Guinea y la Confederación Mundial del Trabajo.
Como he indicado, concedo la palabra a la Delegación de Nigeria y suplico a todas las Delegaciones que hagan uso de la palabra en forma breve y moderada. Muchas gracias.
A. O. NNODI (Nigeria): Nigeria has embraced the idea of celebrating a World Food Day with enthusiasm since its inception. We congratulate FAO on getting this idea going and we particularly congratulate Mr Moreno for the enthusiasm expressed in the delivery of the paper under discussion.
We have had a whole week's programme for World Food Day 1983. Our national television and radio networks each devoted at least one hour a day for the whole week to programmes connected with the 1983 World Food Day. There was an essay competition for secondary school children and also a competition for young farmers' clubs. There were separate radio and TV panel discussions by experts in different fields of agriculture. The message from the government was delivered by the Permanent Secretary for Agriculture, the keynote address was by a professor fron one of our Universities, Professor Ango Abdullahi, of A.B.U. His topic was "Food and World Politics".
Exhibitions were staged on Saturday 15 October and as we had no National Agricultural Show this year, the Ministry of Agriculture used the opportunity to show the public what is happening in the Ministry during the year with emphasis on food, its production, processing and preparation in tasty Nigerian dishes. The lady in charge of our Home Economics Division was the Chairman of the Committee for this year's national preparation for the World Food Day celebration and the Committee's emphasis was very much on the involvement of rural women in the preparation of tasty menus which people in the cities are neglecting.
We are working hard to improve the use of our food materials; although we have had access to the World Food Day celebrations this year, we are still anxious to see that the celebration is carried more effectively to the people who do not have radio and television. That is most of our rural dwellers. I must point out that shortly after our celebrations this year, we were hit by a severe drought which has ruined most of our late crops in the northern part of the country. The drought problem is still serious, it is working against optimum agricultural production and it deserves regular consideration by the FAO.
D. E. DANG MEKOULA (Cameroun): Monsieur le Président, la delegation du Cameroun appuie avec beaucoup d'attention la présentation, par M. Moreno, du document C 83/9 relatif au rapport d'activités sur la Journée mondiale de l'alimentation. Cette introduction claire nous a permis de mieux apprécier le contenu du rapport qui, de par sa forme condensée aussi, donne une image précise sur l'organisation et le déroulement des manifestations ayant marqué la célébration de la Journée mondiale de l'alimentation, tant au niveau du Siège de l'ONU et de la FAO, que dans les 147 pays qui ont pris part activement à ces manifestations en 1981, 1982 et même 1983.
Le Secrétariat, par cet effort de concision et de synthèse, mérite toutes nos félicitations.
Nous avons relevé qu'en 1982 par exemple, dans les activités des Journées mondiales de l'alimentation se rapportant, entre autres, aux séminaires et sessions d'étude, à la participation des jeunes élèves et étudiants à différents niveaux, à la participation des organisations non gouvernementales, les expositions agricoles ont pris une grande part sur l'ensemble des manifestations programmées dans la majorité des pays intéressés.
Nous ne pouvons que nous féliciter de cette ouverture qui a permis, comme on s'en doute, de sensibiliser les couches les plus actives de la population aux problèmes de la faim et de la malnutrition dans nos pays respectifs.
Au Cameroun, les manifestations retenues dans le cadre de la Journée mondiale de l'alimentation s'inscrivent dans le scénario que je viens d'évoquer.
Au titre de la première journée, de la seconde et de la troisième journée mondiale de l'alimentation, les activités programmées ont consisté principalement en l'organisation de concours de dissertation et de rédaction, de dessin, dans les écoles, sur les thèmes se rapportant aux problèmes alimentaires; en l'organisation de tables rondes radiodiffusées sur la base des thèmes choisis par province et au regard de la situation alimentaire spécifique qui prévaut; en la publication et la diffusion par la presse écrite et parlée des articles ayant trait aux thèmes de la Journée mondiale de l'alimentation ou de problèmes connexes.
En l'état actuel des choses il n'est certes pas facile de présenter une évaluation correcte de ces différentes manifestations quant à l'éveil de l'opinion publique sur les problèmes de la faim, mais nous avons noté que depuis deux ans, grâce à ce programme, les différentes couches sociales, surtout celles des zones urbaines notamment, se font de plus en plus une idée précise de l'importance de l'alimentation et du rôle que joue le secteur de la production alimentaire dans le processus du développement global.
C'est donc pour cette raison que pour la célébration de la Journée mondiale de l'alimentation, à l'avenir le gouvernement se veut plus dynamique. Des programmes spécifiques sont en cours de préparation à l'intention des producteurs et surtout des petits paysans dont la participation active et effective reste déterminante.
H. A. AL-GHAMDI (Saudi Arabia, kingdom of) ( original language Arabic): After having reviewed the. document on World Food Aid activities, I would like to thank the Chairman for providing me with this opportunity to speak on the subject. I would also like to thank all those who have participated in the preparation of this useful document which is a sincere reflection of all the creative initiatives and measures taken to organize World Food Day activities, to combat hunger in the world.
References in the document of FAO initiatives the preparation of documentary material such as posters, booklets, series of articles in various languages, as well as stamps, are of great importance, as such endeavours have a great impact on making public opinion more sensitive.
As is well known,food problems are complicated and are related to large aspects of scientific, economic and financial problems and considerations. The basic solution of any food problem in any country must be found within the country concerned. World Food Day is an opportunity for every country to realize that want in the world required it to reinforce and support all measures for agricultural production and the provision of food for its own nationals.
Hunger is a human tragedy and indignity for humanity. Efforts must be redoubled, and the impossible must be attempted to eradicate this phenomenon from the world.
World attention on agriculture is evident in the financial incentives provided to farmers, and the use of most modern technology that allows an increase in agricultural production and hence the provision of adequate food.
Humanity at present possesses,more than at any time in the past, the resources, the capital, the technology, the knowhow to increase agricultural and food production. My country, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has exerted efforts to ensure food security on the international level, through providing loans and increasing our participation in international projects, especially those aimed at the solution of problems of food for millions of citizens of the world.
The World Food Day is celebrated in my country in all the agricultural Directorates. Pamphlets are distributed to our citizens which contain information on food security in Saudi Arabia, as well as documentary material. We broadcast a daily radio programme on this matter. A number of posters and other printed material are also prepared; radio and television also take part in our activities through special programmes on World Food Day.
The Ministry of Information undertakes special campaigns in schools; pupils are invited to draw special posters to celebrate World Food Day. Exhibitions are also organized on food and home economics, especially in girls' schools. The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications has issued a special stamp to commemorate World Food Day. The press also reserve special pages in their daily publications for the celebration of World Food Day.
Finally, I would like to stress that the celebration of World Food Day and the combating of hunger are of vital importance and that all nations must give this subject the greatest attention, to overcome unemployment, poverty and hunger in the world.
A. EL SARKY (Egypt) (original language Arabic): In the name of Allah the Merciful and the Compassionate. Allow me first of all to commend the efforts exerted by the Director-General and his collaborators to eradicate hunger in the world. I would also like to thank them for their effort in coordinating action with governmental and non-governmental bodies to overcome the problem. Our thanks also go to FAO for having provided the resources to achieve this purpose. These efforts were especially evident in World Food Day celebrations where questions of world-wide importance were highlighted, especially that of the need to conserve the environment.
Since the 1979 Conference Resolution, Egypt has celebrated World Food Day. Extensive celebrations were planned for 1981 but due to the sad events that befell our country that year, these celebrations were not fully implemented.
In 1982 World Food Day celebrations involved the convening of a colloquium at national level under the chairmanship of the Minister of Agriculture. The colloquium was attended by high officials in charge of the various sectors responsible for policy planning in the field of agriculture and food production. During that colloquium questions- were discussed relating to food and agriculture. Gold medals were also distributed to agricultural officials and farmers' leaders who had achieved outstanding performance in food crop yields. A number of agricultural programmes were broadcast on radio and television. In 1983 an impressive celebration was held in the presence of officials from the Ministries of Planning, Irrigation Industries, Health, and Food Supply. Reports were also presented on the efforts of the various sectors to achieve food security and to increase production. Certificates were also awarded to agricultural engineers who particularly assisted in the transfer of modern technology and in the extension work for farmers, as well as in irrigation and pest and weed control projects.
Some farmers who have achieved particularly high yields in crops, were awarded financial and material prizes.
Egypt commends the Organisation for its effort and hopes that the necessary measures will be adopted to organize appropriate activities for World Food Day in 1985 as it coincides with the fortieth anniversary of the Organisation's establishment.
M. MUKOLWE (Kenya): I would like to compliment the efforts the Secretariat is putting into World Food Day. The World Food Day has come to stay so long as food is in demand. Its scarcity in some areas of the globe makes it even more imperative for every nation to be concerned since food is a human right.
The past three observations of the day have certainly drawn great attention to many groups especially youth and journalists. Their participation and support are a clear reflection of the future.
The dissemination of the word - emphasising food and its production - is our concern at the FAO as a lead agency in food production.
Communication in any form should be encouraged. For instance the composition of songs, as it is with many African traditions, and music in general, can go a long way in strengthening communication with the rural community, many of whom cannot read and write. Poems in local dialects or languages, in our case Kiswahili, are also composed and recited, making it possible to intensify our communication with the rural people.
When looking at various activities that we are already organizing particularly this year we have a secretariat which is located in the Ministry of Agriculture, then we have districts which are the focal points for our planning and implementation. Here we have to organise the activities. We cover quite a number of areas including TV coverage, and radio broadcasts, art and essay competitions for schools and primary schools. Then what we call "the common man's dinner", which takes in in a sample of local foodstuffs or dishes, was also organised for the 14th October 1983 before the World Food Day itself.
We have cultural performances which is entertainment from various groups who reside in Kenya. Traditional dancing is always a welcome activity where we can get in contact with the rural poor. There were poems and recitations as I mentioned. Prayers were said at churches of various denominations. Certificates and awards including cash, were made to the very best people who performed well. Women's groups, youth cooperatives and small farmers have been discussing the recommendations under WCARRD.
We are indeed pleased to note that the Director-General in collaboration with UNESCO have extended their joint letters to Ministers of Education proposing that WFD be established in their annual educational programmes and that food issues be given greater prominence in school curricula. We hope other inter-agency organizations could support the same course - I have in mind UNEP, HABITAT, UNIDO, etc.
We welcome the decentralization of future material production to regional level and hope our region will also be included later.
On NGOs - many are doing a commendable job. A case here is the statement from the representative of Asian Group at WCARRD, the discussions have just concluded. My country enjoys the same support and such organizations have effective communications with the rural poor or areas. The Kenya National Freedom From Hunger and Development Committee is well known and fully recognised by FAO and other NGOs internationally. They, together with many religious organizations, serve on the National WFD committee that organises activities each year.
My delegation supports the adoption of a theme each year so that efforts can be focused on a single problem or topic for emphasis. We have adopted the same at our National Agricultural Shows run by the Agricultural Society of Kenya, an organization that promotes agriculture supported by farmers themselves.
In order to organise all these activities and others not mentioned here, there is an element of resource commitment - personnel, time, funds. By expanding to include other inter-agency bodies as you rightly made the move, is fully supported. It will facilitate the pooling together of funds to further this worthy cause.
It is very gratifying to see that in a predominantly agricultural country such as ours, members of the private sector engaged in agro-industries have given our National, WFD Committee great support in kind. This has enabled us to run a pre-observation/celebration on the what we term "the common man's dinner". This, as I mentioned, is simply the sampling of local dishes which are made and consumed by various communities.
We support the idea of starting preparations for the 1985 World Food Day, since it will be depicting 40 years of FAO activities which calls for even more funds.
A few hours ago we concluded the discussions on WCARRD. Earlier on we stressed food production but all these hinge on applying all the resources at hand for increased food production. The World Food Day is such a vehicle in our intensive communication particularly to the rural poor.
If I may suggest that the Director-General's message that is read on World Food Day could be sent to us in time, we could have it read in many areas, where we can get in touch with the local people in particular districts and villages.
My delegation would like to appeal and urge member governments to foster and enhance the development of national World Food Day committees in the draft resolution that is before you and for the FAO Secretariat to continue to coordinate activities as they are.
R. TREMINIO (Nicaragua): Nuestra delegación felicita al Sr. Moreno por la excelente presentación del resumen-informe de las actividades en el Día Mundial de la Alimentación.
Mi intervención será breve ya que nos identificamos con los propósitos del informe de FAO y las inquietudes que han expresado los señores delegados en esta oportunidad.
En Nicaragua hemos institucionalizado el Programa Alimentario Nicaragüense, el cual ha iniciado esfuerzos desde junio de 1962, con el proposito de definir y desarrollar una estrategia nacional de seguridad alimentaria.
Este Programa ha sido o es el responsable institucional de coordinar.y ejecutar los actos y actividades de celebración del Día Mundial de la Alimentación.
Esta efemérides reviste mucho interés e importancia en nuestro país; porque ello permite también crear las condiciones de conocimiento y conciencia de la situación alimentaria nacional y mundial.
Las actividades desarrolladas en el Día Mundial de la Alimentación se centraron en exposiciones agrícolas, afiches, sellos, publicaciones, propagandas y anuncios por todos los medios de difusión; ello con el proposito de dar a conocer los esfuerzos que nuestro pueblo y su Gobierno revolucionario con la cooperación de la FAO, llevan a cabo para enfrentar la problemática nacional agroalimentaria. Así como también, todos aquellos esfuerzos que la FAO realiza en el campo de la alimentación mundial.
A pesar de los esfuerzos iniciados, estamos conscientes de que debemos estimular aún más, el interés y la participación popular a nivel urbano y rural.
Apoyamos los esfuerzos de la FAO para reforzar la celebración del Día Mundial de la Alimentación. Es importante que la niñez conozca y tome conciencia desde los primeros años de escolaridad de la trascendencia y prioridad de trabajar solidariamente por alcanzar una verdadera seguridad alimentaria y nutricional en el mundo.
A. NAGA (Japan): My delegation would like to associate itself with the previous speakers in congratulating the FAO on the celebration of the World Food Day in 1983. Please allow me to give you briefly the World Food Day activities which took place in Japan in 1983.
This year my Government appealed to the people on the importance of food security. Japan is one of the largest importers of food and agricultural commodities. Therefore, Japanese people are always concerned with the food problem in the implementation of World Food Day activities. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries planned and promoted these activities with the assistance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Prime Ministers office, the Japan Broadcasting Association and the Japan FAO Association. The Japan FAO Association which took the role of the national committee of the world today also implemented various activities including a symposium and the publication of pamphlets celebrating World Food Day.
My Government also utilized nation-wide, area-wide and local newspapers, television, radio and other media for the publicity activities.
A symposium entitled "The Food Problem in Asia and Japan" was held in Tokyo on 17 October.
Sophia University in Tokyo also held another symposium entitled "Hunger and Our Life Style".
My Government considered World Food Day to be a very good opportunity to make the people further aware of the food and agriculture problem and is planning to further strengthen the World Food Day activities for the future.
J.M. SCOULAR (United Kingdom): Many distinguished colleagues have given most interesting accounts of their activities on the occasion of the last World Food Day. Rather than follow them directly, however, I would like to turn to policy for the future in the light of FAO's most useful paper C 83/9,
First of all, let me say that we welcome the proposals in paragraphs 8 (ii) to 8(v) of the paper. We consider that closer liaison with the news media should be encouraged and feel that special briefing materials for the media in industrialised countries are probably needed. The needs of industrialised and developing countries are different particularly for materials aimed at schools and the media. We therefore also support the concept of decentralized materials production aimed at meeting the real needs of specific regions.
In the same spirit, we would encourage the setting up of national and regional World Food Day NGO committees, covering the rural/agricultural sector as well as the well-known development-orientated NGOs. I agree here with Canada about their importance.
We support the increasing involvement of religious leaders of all faiths. The major churches are well represented in the UK group for World Food Day, and at the local level, "One World Week" is observed in the churches in October each year and used to promote World Food Day activities.
As to paragraph 9, we support a widening of the concept of World Food Day. The narrow concept has been difficult to get across to the media in particular. A wider idea involving long-term development issues and other concerns, such as conservation, might make its relevance and importance clearer in industrialized countries. It would also, we think, gain greater acceptance in the formal education sector. We also support inter-agency collaboration, of course, and FAO might next consider collaboration with the ILO to involve the trade union sector.
Pakistan reminded us at the very outset of this debate that 16 October 1985 is the fortieth anniversary of the founding of FAO, and this is surely an occasion to bear very much in mind. In Europe, we think there is scope for a major media event, perhaps a television series involving the cooperation of national broadcasting networks coordinated by the European Broadcasting Union. A useful spinoff from such a venture would also be the provision of films or video for secondary educational and NGO use.
A. GAYOSO (United States of America): I will be very brief, because our Ambassador has already said the few things we have to say. I think that we have here a concept that works. For the United States, the major value of the World Food Day celebration is sensitisation and awareness. Effective action in a truly democratic society must be preceded by the people having the knowledge to take and support such actions.
Both the Government and the people of the United States have joined in celebrating World Food Day. Tens of thousands of volunteers and full participation by Government, both at the federal level, including the President, and at the state level in all 50 states of the Union, have assisted in the preparation of the many activities organized in the United States. Volunteers have played a leading role, as the US Ambassador highlighted earlier, in all of its activities which have ranged from school education material to public symposia with a whole variety in between. Volunteers in non-governmental organizations, I may recall, also played a leading role in fostering assistance and cooperation with developing countries in fighting hunger, and this is indeed the link we cannot lose sight of as we discuss World Food Day, for its end ultimate objective remains the fight against hunger and malnutrition. Thus, increased awareness that leads to effective action is the goal. The WCARRD follow-up recently discussed provides in this context or, in my view, a framework for FAO to continue its own efforts.
M. RUIZ ZAPATA (Mèxico ): Antes que nada, deseamos felicitar al Sr. Moreno por la clara y brillante presentación. La Delegación de México considera que la institución y celebración del Día Mundial de la Alimentación ha sido muy útil y responde plenamente a la idea y el espíritu que lleva-roa a la Conferencia a instaurarlo. Deseamos felicitar al Sr. Director General de la FAO por el impacto que este ha tenido para la concientización sobre el problema del hambre, especialmente, sobre la posibilidad real de solucionarlo, si todas las capas de la población de las naciones, presionan a sus gobiernos para que sean obligados a actuar políticamente en este sentido.
Es por eso, que se debe continuar haciendo énfasis en la participación de los niños y los jóvenes en el Día Mundial de la Alimentación, para que el efecto del mismo sea de largo plazo. La participación de la mujer no debe tampoco menospreciarse.
Nuestra delegación considera que las futuras celebraciones de este Día deberán vincularse aún más, con el concepto ampliado de Seguridad Alimentaria Mundial, con las orientaciones relativas al Reajuste Agrícola Internacional, y con el cumplimiento del Programa de Acción de la Conferencia Mundial sobre Reforma Agraria y Desarrollo Rural.
En nuestro país, se ha dado gran importancia al Día Mundial de la Alimentación, y transmitiremos si usted lo tiene a bien, a la Secretaría, una información detallada sobre los diversos eventos que se han llevadoa cabo, en especial, lo relativo al Plan Nacional de Alimentos que fue dado a conocer, con este motivo, en el curso del presente año.
Por último, queremos dejar constancia que la Delegación de México apoya plenamente el contenido del documento C 83/9 y el Proyecto de Resolución presentado por Canadá.
C. PAPADOPOULOS (Greece): For the third successive year our country participated in the celebrations for World Food Day. The responsibilities were undertaken jointly by the Ministries for Agriculture, Health and Social Security, Education and Trade. These activities covered the following: lectures with the main subject being the concept of world food security and exhibitions with photographs and other printed matter and brochures. These exhibitions will cover the whole country during 1983 and will continue also in 1984; posters; articles in newspapers and journals; broadcast discussions in radio and television.
The main aims of these activities were to remind the people of the problem of malnutrition and hunger in the world, incorporate the concept of elimination of hunger to the nutritional aspects of foodstuffs, thus emphasizing that the problem is not only "enough food" but also "better food quality"; combine the problem of hunger and malnutrition with the problem of waste of huge amounts of money for nuclear and other sophisticated weapons, thus underlining that the fight against armaments is at the same time a fight against hunger and underdevelopment.
A.T. KEITA (Guinée): En Guinée, à l'instar de tous les pays appartenant à la grande famille de la FAO, la Journée mondiale de l'alimentâtion a été célébrée avec un éclat non des moindres, attendu que le problème de la faim intéresse au premier chef les enfants, devenir de toute la nation. Cette année mieux que l'année précédente, la Journée mondiale de l'alimentation a été célébrée avec la participation quantitative et qualitative de tous les jeunes du pays.
Elle a été l'occasion de faire une profonde réflexion sur les problèmes nutritionnels dans le monde en général, en Afrique et en Guinée de façon singulière. Elle a connu à cet effet la mobilisation de tous les jeunes depuis les écoles élémentaires jusqu'aux universités en passant par les facultés. Des conférences, qui ont eu pour thème fondamental la nutrition, ont été organisées, conférences suivies de larges débats.
Sous l'égide du Ministère de l'agriculture, le Ministère de l'éducation a procédé au classement des oeuvres artistiques réalisées par les jeunes élèves. Des soirées artistiques et théâtrales sur la vertu de l'agriculture ont été organisées dans les universités et les médias ont consacré de longues colonnes à cet événement.
A la télévision guinéenne, des films illustrant les expériences acquises par les pays amis ont été projetés; des timbres philatéliques commémorant cette journée ont été émis.
Très prochainement, à la clôture du douzième Congrès qu'abrite en ce moment-même notre pays, il sera procédé à la distribution de médailles, de coupes et de symboles aux meilleurs agriculteurs et artisans.
Concernant le rapport d'activité qui nous a été soumis sous la cote C 83/9 notre délégation lui donne son plein appui et se prononce en sa faveur.
Pour conclure, la délégation de la République populaire de Guinée voudrait saisir cette opportunité pour remercier la FAO, son Directeur général, M. Edouard Saouma, pour toutes les inestimables assistances que l'Organisation a bien voulu accorder à notre pays jusqu'à ce jour.
T. KITLELI (Lesotho): My delegation would like to make only one comment, as per your request that we should be brief. My delegation wishes to commend you for having led this Commission well up to the present time.
Having listened to the deliberations, my delegation wishes to add only one essential element in the interventions already made by delegations: this is youth in agriculture. There were little if any mention of youth activities in WCARRD. Without formulating challenging programmes for youth, the world is likely to be faced with irrecoverable losses unless programmes are diversified. The focus here and the priorities should be for the rural community. This will alleviate the problem of youth drifting into towns where life is more comfortable because of the available amenities like better schools, health facilities and maybe other numerous social activities.
Rural youth constitutes the farmers of tomorrow, and it is the responsability of farmers and administrators of to-day to ensure continuity in food production and rural development. Thus, activities of youth should be fully promoted in WFD.
M.E. JIMENEZ ZEPEDA (El Salvador): Quisiera, en primer lugar, felicitar a la FAO por la realización de esta importante actividad. Nos complació muchísimo escuchar el informe que de estas actividades nos hiciera esta mañana el Dr. Rafael Moreno, en forma brillante y con un entusiasmo tan vivo que merece nuestra más sincera felicitación.
No detallaré, señor Presidente, las actividades llevadas a cabo en mi país por este motivo, ya que son similares a las mencionadas por otros delegados; harè más bien unos pocos comentarios generales.
Señor Presidente, en nuestro país se celebra con mucho entusiasmo el Día Mundial de la Alimentación, ya que consideramos que representa una excelente ocasión para llamar la atención del mundo en la búsqueda común de soluciones que nos permitan eliminar el hambre y la malnutrición.
Hemos establecido un Comité que se encarga de la organización de esta celebración, el cual recibe todo el apoyo del Gobierno.
La delegación de El Salvador considera que la participación de las escuelas en esta actividad permitirá, como bien lo expreso esta mañana el Dr. Moreno, formar las conciencias de los que en el futuro deberán tomar las decisiones sobre el destino de nuestros pueblos. Por ello, nos parece muy acertada que se amplíe la colaboración entre organizaciones, principalmente la iniciativa escolar de FAO/Unesco, mencionada en el párrafo 9 del documento C 83/9.
Apoyamos todos los conceptos contemplados en este párrafo e instamos a la FAO a continuar con la celebración del Día Mundial de la Alimentación, principalmente la motivamos a iniciar los preparativos para que se realicen en forma muy especial el de 1985, en ocasión de cumplirse los 40 años de vida de la Organización. Apoyamos asimismo, los esfuerzos que está llevando a cabo la Organización, mencionados en el párrafo 8 del documento que permitirá darle aún más realce a esta celebración tan importante. Muchas gracias.
A.H.M. ABDUL HYE (Bangladesh): Mr Chairman, I should like to congratulate Mr Moreno for his very interesting, lucid and effective presentation of the paper. I should also like to thank the staff of the Secretariat for preparing a very brief but helpful and useful document.
Like other members of FAO, Bangladesh is also observing World Food Day with due solemnity and enthusiasm. This year World Food Day was observed through the holding of seminars at different levels, the publication of special supplements in the newspapers, the organization of exhibitions, several programmes on television and radio, and publication and distribution of posters. In keeping with the general line of activity as laid down by FAO, programmes were also organized for school students.
Bangladesh hopes to observe World Food Day in similar manner, with great enthusiasm, in future years also.
But, lest the observance of World Food Day degenerates into a lifeless ritual, it is very important that innovative ideas and new programmes are thought of. These innovative ideas and new programmes should be invited from member countries. They can also be thought about by the FAO Secretariat and passed on to member countries for consideration and adoption in the observance of World Food Day.
When we search for these innovative ideas and programmes and adopt them in the observance of World Food Day, we must guard against extravagance and expenditure in terms of time and resources. Not infrequently food conferences and events like World Food Day have come to be ridiculed by the common man for the extravagance in terms of resources spent and not least the amount of food consumed after the observance of the day or the event. It would be fitting that we should aim at a very modest but very effective programme to bring home the message of the day to the largest possible number of people. Resources are scarce, and we must realize that the time, energy and money that is spent on the observance of World Food Day could also be utilized for the direct production of food.
A. CAVERO MONCANUT (España): Voy a ser muy breve. Queria felicitar al Dr. Moreno por su brillante informe y al Director General de la FAO por el impacto que ha tenido la celebración del Día Mundial de la Alimentación.
En España se ha dado gran importancia a esta celebración y se ha hecho especial difusión entre los escolares.
Esta delegación ha facilitado los datos escritos y el informe sobre todo cuanto se ha celebrado en mi país en esa fecha.
Para terminar quiero apoyar lo dicho en el documento C 83/9 y el proyecto de resolución presentado por Canadá.
Muchas gracias señor Presidente.
H.S. BAR-SHAI (Israel): Mr Chairman, I should like, first of all, to commend the Secretariat for its efforts to strengthen the consciousness and the importance of the idea that food should come first and the message of World Food Day. We share the recognition by the Secretariat of the leading role of young people in World Food Day observances. The little exhibition in the entrance to the Conference building with which we have all been impressed so much, and for which we thank the Secretariat, gives ample proof of how well African children, like children in other places in the world, understand and express so well the various aspects and facets of food production. In fact, they are also those who will carry in the future the burden of supplying food for the benefit of the future generation.
Without elaborating too much, I will just mention that World Food Day was marked in Israel by various activities, meetings, on television, and so forth, stressing the importance of interventional cooperation in enlarging food production. We plan for next year a more extended programme, together with the issuing of a special World Food Day postage stamp.
I think that one of the FAO bodies, whether it be the Council, or regional commissions such as suggested by colleagues of mine, should decide upon a certain annual motto or theme around which the World Food Day celebration should centre. Every year should have such a motto, and such a subject or theme - for example, the fortieth anniversary of FAO in 1985 - should be decided long enough beforehand to enable preparations to be made early enough.
I should also like to see more pictorial and graphic material, photographs, movies, and so forth, sent out by the Organization itself; material that can be used by the television, newspapers and schools. There is some material, but I think it is not enough.
All this should assist in giving a more uniform character in which World Food Day is celebrated all over the world.
NGUYEN VAN TANHN (Observateur pour la Confédération mondiale du travail): Mon Organisation, la Confédération mondiale du travail, Organisation non-gouvernementale, a toujours soutenu l'effort très louable de la FAO en créant cette Journée mondiale de l'alimentation afin de mettre en lumière les aspects moraux du Programme de l'alimentation mondiale et nous nous associons à tous les efforts dans ce sens.
Nous avons entendu avec beaucoup d'intérêt et d'enthousiasme les diverses réalisations entreprises dans les différents pays à travers le monde, mais nous sommes restés sur notre faim en ce qui concerne la célébration de cette Journée mondiale de l'alimentation. Les activités ne manquent pas d'imagination et ne s'arrêtent pas à la liste reproduite dans le document C 83/9 soumis à cette Conférence,
Au nom des millions d'êtres humains qui souffrent de la faim, mon Organisation voudrait demander à tous les pays qui ont à faire face à ce problème de la faim, combien de vies ont pu être sauvées et combien d'affamés ont pu accéder concrètement à un repas traditionnel convenable en célébrant cette Journée mondiale de l'alimentation? Avons-nous des chiffres statistiques disponibles?
Dans son discours d'ouverture, le Directeur général a rapporté que "800 000 millions de dollars sont consacrés pour les dépenses militaires". Nous déplorons profondément et nous condamnons énergique-ment un tel gaspillage. A ce propos nous voulons inviter tous ceux qui détiennent le pouvoir à penser aux moyens matériels qui doivent être mis à disposition pour la célébration efficace et utile de cette Journée mondiale de l'alimentation. Nous voulons poser concrètement à tous les gouvernements des pays industrialisés et des pays du Tiers monde une action concrète, à savoir : cesser pendant cette Journée mondiale de l'alimentation de produire ou d'en faire usage, des armes et des munitions qui suppriment inutilement des vies humaines et que l'argent ainsi économisé soit utilisé à préparer et à servir gratuitement des repas convenables aux affamés du monde.
Notre intention est de proposer à la Communauté internationale, à travers l'action de la FAO, de changer les missiles, les rocquettes, les obus, les balles, les avions bombardiers, les sous-marins, les chars d'assaut, bref, en un mot toutes les armes stratégiques et conventionnelles afin de donner du pain à ceux qui ont faim et de libérer le monde de la faim.
EL PRESIDENTE: Señores Delegados, observo que la India está pidiendo la palabra y se la voy a dar en este riomento como ultimo orador.
Les informo que las Delegaciones de Cuba y China han presentado sus declaraciones por escrito para ser tomadas en cuenta en el verbatim y también para los efectos del informe de nuestra Comisión.
Ahora tiene la palabra la Delegación de la India y posteriormente se la daremos al Sr. Moreno (PAUSA).
Como parece que la India no va a hacer uso de la palabra ahora, se la pasaremos al Sr. Moreno.
R. MORENO-ROJAS (Director de la Dirección de Recursos Humanos, Instituciones y Reforma Agraria): Procuraré ser lo más breve posible, Sr. Presidente, en este resumen final.
En primer término, en nombre de la Organización quisiéramos agradecer las palabras con que nos han testimoniado su reconocimiento por el esfuerzo que nuestra Organización viene realizando en el curso de estos tres años para trabajar conjuntamente con los Gobiernos, las Organizaciones Gubernamentales y otras entidades, a fin de realzar este tipo de evento que se genera en torno al Día Mundial de la Alimentación.
Es precisamente ésta la terminología que quisiéramos emplear resumiendo algunas de las proposiciones que se han hecho en el curso del debate.
Como muy bien ha sido planteado, este día no debe ser considerado como una festividad; no es una ocasión para celebraciones, sino que, de acuerdo con el texto, el espíritu y la orientación que fueron dados desde la primera vez que se discutió el tema en la Conferencia de 1979, el propósito del Día Mundial de la Alimentación es crear una conciencia pública nacional e internacional acerca de los problemas que enfrenta la humanidad en torno a la situación del hambre, la pobreza y la malnutrición.
Por ello es por lo que recogemos con mucho agrado y entusiasmo las sugerencias que hemos escuchado esta tarde, en particular aquellas que algunos países africanos han formulado en el sentido de que es necesario reiterar el carácter de este evento y no perder de vista cuáles son los parámetros y el marco en que debe ser desarrollado.
Recogemos igualmente, Sr. Presidente, las sugerencias en el sentido de intensificar las actividades en los medios escolares y estudiantiles, y en particular los esfuerzos para acoger en nuestras actividades de tipo nacional e internacional a la juventud rural como un estamento importante de la población que normalmente no recibe la instrucción que debiera.
Asimismo recogemos las sugerencias aquí formuladas para fortalecer los contactos con otras Organizaciones Internacionales, como es el caso de la Organización Internacional del Trabajo, que, unidos a los esfuerzos ya en marcha con la Unesco y otras Agencias del Sistema, puede dar probablemente una cobertura más profunda en torno a lo que son los objetivos de esta actividad.
Finalmente, Sr. Presidente, quisiera también recoger la recomendación en el sentido de que todas las Delegaciones que aquí se han expresado han reiterado que el año 1985, que coincide con el 40° Aniversario de la fundación de nuestra Organización, debiera tener una característica especial respecto a la forma que en tal fecha tenga el Día Mundial de la Alimentación.
Hemos de hacer lo posible porque en el año 1985, el Día Mundial de la Alimentación, tome nuevos rumbos, adquiera mayor relieve y eficacia.
Lo consultaremos con el Director General, y estamos ciertos de que se tomarán las providencias necesarias para que inmediatamente comience a prepararse en su debida forma la celebración del Día Mundial de la Alimentación con motivo de la cuarta década de nuestra Organización, que estamos seguros tendrá lugar de una forma especial.
EL PRESIDENTE: En nombre de la Comisión, le doy las gracias, Sr. Moreno y le agradezco sus comentarios.
A continuación, voy a intentar hacer un resumen de las deliberaciones que han tenido lugar en esta Comisión en torno a este Tema 10 de nuestra Agenda.
La Comisión destacó la importancia de este tema y constató la utilidad del Documento C 83/9.
Agradeció asimismo la excelente y eficaz presentación hecha por parte del Secretario.
La Comisión felicitó al Director General de la FAO por su iniciativa en torno al Día Mundial de la Alimentación y por la forma eficaz con que ha cumplido con sus postulados.
Se confirmó y cumplimento la evaluación general sobre los resultados de la celebración del Día Mundial de la Alimentación en 1982 y en 1983, presentada en buena parte en el Documento C 83/9.
Muchas Delegaciones hicieron amplios comentarios sobre el interés y el desarrollo de este evento a nivel nacional y aun local.
Se hizo también referencia a ciertas actividades desarrolladas a nivel regional.
A nivel internacional, varios países expresaron su reconocimiento por la labor desempeñada por el Director General y la Secretaría de la FAO, y a la trascendencia de las últimas dos celebraciones por el impacto que tuvieron sobre la conciencia universal en torno a la importancia de la lucha con el hambre y en pro de la seguridad alimentaria.
Se hizo referencia a la importante declaración del Primer Ministro de Suecia Olaf Palmer en la pasada celebración hecha en este ano, y la transcendencia que los conceptos por él vertidos han tenido a los efectos de la celebración de este Día.
Se expreso también la importancia y transcendencia del discurso pronunciado por el Director General de la FAO, y se sugirió que debiera distribuirse lo más extensamente posible.
Sobre los objetivos futuros de este evento, se hicieron las siguientes consideraciones:
Se subrayo que el Día Mundial de la Alimentación es momento culminante de reflexión o acto de toma de conciencia en torno a los avances y situación relativos al hambre, a la malnutriciòn y al esfuerzo productivo y distributivo de alimentos.
Se enfatizo que no debiera ser solo una celebración, sino una lucha permanente por hacer participar a toda la población en la concepción y en el diseño de estrategias en pro de la lucha contra el hambre y la malnutrición.
Se solicitó avanzar hacia objetivos más amplios, a temas e ideas nuevas para no convertir este Díaen un evento ritual, y menos en una irrisoria celebración con posibles derroches o excesos criticables y también contraproducentes.
Se hizo hincapié en vincular más el evento a la problemática de la seguridad alimentaria, al balance entre armamentos y alimentos, a las implicaciones y logros en torno a las orientaciones del reajuste agrícola internacional, y a los logros y retos relativos al Programa de Acción de la Conferencia Mundial de Reforma Agraria y Desarrollo Rural.
Y también se enfatizo sobre los temas relativos a la mayor incorporación de la mujer en el desarrollo en términos de igualdad.
También se pidió información más detallada de los eventos realizados a nivel nacional, para que la FAO pudiera incorporar en su futuro informe estos datos concretos y una discusión minuciosa de sus actividades a todos los niveles.
Se solicitó la inclusión de temas tales como el deterioro ecologico y la necesidad de conservación del medio ambiente, temas que podrían y deberían incorporarse en estas celebraciones del Día Mundial de la Salud.
Se reconoció la importancia de hacer extensivo el acto de conciencia que implica el Día Mundial de la Alimentación a todos los seres humanos del planeta, por lo cual se coincidió en que la FAO debería continuar con sus exhortaciones y su colaboración, no sólo para estimular la voluntad política de los Gobiernos, sino para lograr una participación mayor de sectores específicos de la sociedad, tales como Organizaciones Religiosas, Organizaciones no Gubernamentales, y especialmente la juventud y los niños de todos los países.
Se comento sobre la utilización y la necesidad de mayor apoyo de todos los medios de comunicación masivos para hacer llegar mensajes más claros e inteligibles a toda la población en función de su condición cultural y educativa.
Se describió cómo se llevaron a cabo y deberían continuarse realizando medidas precisas en cuanto al tipo y cantidad de materiales impresos o de otra índole para ser distribuidos entre los distintos grupos y círculos sociales. Se puntualizó sobre el cuidado que debiera tenerse en los mensajes que debe contener este material.
Se subrayó la conveniencia de introducir este tema en los programas escolares, y educar a los niños y a los jóvenes sobre la prioridad que nos debe merecer a todos la lucha contra el hambre y la mal-nutrición.
Se instó a FAO a que estableciera un contacto y colaboración mayor con otras Organizaciones del Sistema de Naciones Unidas, particularmente con la UNESCO, y también con la OIT.
Se solicitó que la FAO exhortase a los Gobiernos para que crearan mecanismos de contacto con la FAO para la organización de este evento de manera más eficaz.
Se presentó un proyecto de resolución que, conforme a antecedentes, fue puesto en conocimiento de la Comisión, revisado, debatido y aceptado su contenido -lo subrayo: solo su contenido- para pasarlo a su vez al Comité de Resoluciones, sin que esta Comisión tuviera que reunirse previamente a la discusión de nuestro Informe, para su revision final este lunes 21 de noviembre.
Hasta aquí, Sres. Delegados, mi resumen sobre los debates habidos en torno a este tema 10 de nuestra Agenda, y paso a hacerles algunos anuncios.
En primer lugar, que, como ya he manifestado anteriormente, las Delegaciones de China y de Cuba han enviado a la Secretaría, por escrito, sus declaraciones con proposito de que sean incluidas en el verbatim sobre este punto y contempladas para la Redacción del Informe de nuestra Comisión.
En segundo lugar, deseo comunicarles que el Comité de Redacción se reunirá mañana a las 14.30 horas en la Sala de Alemania para revisar el borrador del informe sobre los últimos dos temas de nuestra Agenda; es decir, el noveno relativo al seguimiento del Programa de Acción de la Conferencia Mundial de Reforma Agraria y Desarrollo Rural, y el 10, relativo a la información de las actividades sobre el Día Mundial de la Alimentación.
Y en tercero y último lugar, manifestarles que esta Comisión se reunirá de nuevo el lunes 21 de noviembre a las 09.30 para revisar y adoptar su informe. Este estará a disposición de los Sres. Delegados a partir de mañana a medio día, y conforme el Comité de Redacción vaya trabajando y facilitando material, a lo largo de la tarde se irán entregando copias.
Si no hay comentarios u observaciones que hacer, esta Presidencia da por terminados los trabajos de esta Cuarta Sesión.
GONG SHAOWEN (China): Three years have passed since the launching of commemorating activités of the World Food Day in the world over. FAO has made a timely assessment on these activities and put forward suggestions for expanding these activites in the future so as to make more people aware of the current world food problems and mobilize them to participate actively in the fight against hunger. We welcome and commend the initiative taken by FAO.
The Chinese Government and people have always attached great importance to solving food problems. Our Government has taken a series of integrated measures ranging from developing production to rational distribution of food. Thus, the problem of ensuring food and clothing for more than one billion people has been basically tackled. But hard work still has to be done to improve the people's living standards. At the same time, we are also concerned about the hundreds of millions of people who are suffering from hunger and malnutrition in the other parts of the world. Therefore, we feel obliged to educate our people to display the spirit of internationalism, be concerned with world affairs and take actions to support the struggle of "eliminating hunger and malnutrition in the world". It is proceeding from this background that we have arranged the commemorating activities of the World Food Day.
In 1981, our Government leaders personally organized the World Food Day activities in our country. Necessary publicity was carried out on a considerable scale. Since then, efforts have been made to further the activities in amore thorough and meaningful way. We adopted a two-pronged approach: on the one hand, we spread the activities to the grass-root level, and on the other hand we see to it that these activities result in concrete actions. For instance, this year, apart from mobilizing all means of mass media to further strengthen publicity, we shifted the emphasis of the activities to young students. In Beijing, the Capital, we launched an essay competition with "food problems" as its themes. This is one of our positive responses to the appeal jointly issued by the Director-Generals of FAO and UNESCO.
We believe that the significance to observe the World Food Day not only lies in its publicity, but more in its impetus to inspire actions and generate real impact. Different countries face different food problems, and so every country should unfold activities in the light of its prevailing conditions and urgent needs. In addition to publicity, emphasis should be laid on actions; activities should be simple and plain with tangible results; and their forms should be diversified without any fixed pattern. Only by so doing, can the commemorating activities of the World Food Day be conducted in a vivid and vigorous manner 1 /.
1/Statement inserted in the verbatim records on request.
G. SOTO CARRERO (CUBA): Quisiera ante todo, a nombre de la delegación de Cuba agradecer al Sr. Rafael Moreno por la presentación del tema sugerido a las actividades en conmemoración del Día Mundial de la Alimentación, mediante la cual nos ha actualizado perfectamente sobre el alcance de las mismas.
En mi país, se conmemoro esa fecha con gran entusiasmo. Se presentaron programas radiales, y televisivos; se gestionaron entrevistas en la prensa escrita y televisada al Representante de la FAO con el objetivo de dar difusión a la labor de la FAO en favor de los hambrientos y desnutridos del mundo.
Se difundió también el mensaje del Director General de la FAO.
Se publicaron artículos en los cuales se difundió la cooperación de la FAO al desarrollo de nuestro país.
Se efectuó un simposio auspiciado por el Ministerio de Salud Pública en el cual calificados especialistas en nutrición hicieron importantes aportes.
Se celebró una exposición de los productos pesqueros y la ayuda de la FAO a ese sector con la participación de altos dirigentes de ese organismo incluyendo el propio Ministro.
El acto central del país que organizado por el Ministerio de la Agricultura en una provincia en el centro del país que cuenta con un gran desarrollo agropecuario, efectuándose un acto de masas, la inauguración de una feria agropecuaria así como la inauguración de un puesto con cerca de cien viviendas entregadas en forma gratuita a trabajadores agropecuarios y sus familias.
También se efectuó un concurso entre los centros de investigación agropecuaria con un premio al mejor trabajo presentado.
Mi país, Sr. Presidente, apoyó la instauración del Día Mundial de la Alimentación y seguirá realizando estas jornadas que consideramos razones de estímulo para seguir luchando contra la erradicacióndel hambre en el mundo. 1/
The meeting rose at 17.45 hours
La séance est levée à 17 h 45
Se levanta la sesión a las 17.45 horas
_______________
1/.Texto incluido a petición expresa.
