Second Report of the General Committee
Deuxième rapport du Bureau
Segundo informe del Comité General

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

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

Ellia C. KATOLA PHIRI (Malawi): Mr Chairman, Honourable Ministers and Heads of Delegations, distinguished delegates and observers, excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations for inviting Malawi to participate in the Twenty-fourth Session of the FAO Conference. Let me also take this opportunity to thank the Italian Government for the warm and friendly reception and hospitality accorded to my delegation.

Further, I wish to congratulate you, Mr Chairman, and your Vice-Chairmen, for your election and the excellent manner in which this Conference is being conducted. On behalf of the Government of Malawi, and on my own behalf as well, I join hands with other delegations in congratulating Dr Edouard Saouma for his deserved re-election as Director-General of the FAO. This bears testimony to the confidence most member countries have in his able leadership of this world body.

May I now turn to the major issues, my statement to this august assembly.

Dealing first with the food situation in Malawi, Malawi has always been self-sufficient in food, and even exported significant quantities of surplus maize. However, due to a number of factors the situation has been adversely affected.

Drought hit a few districts last season, two districts in the southern region, one in the central region, and two in the northern regions. Secondly, Malawi is hosting a very large influx of displaced persons from a strife-stricken neighbouring country. And finally, cassava mealybug has attacked cassava in one district in the northern region.

These three factors, drought, displaced persons, and crop pest have threatened Malawi's food self-sufficiency situation.

I now refer to World Food Day. Malawi joined other member countries throughout the World in observing the World Food Day both at the national level and in the districts. Key events of the day comprised speeches, prize presentation to leading smallholder farmers drawn from all over the country and food displays. Smallholder farmers were praised for their achievements and encouraged to work even harder in the fields in order to eliminate rural poverty and hunger. There was a general appeal made for partnership between policy makers, the international community and the farmers to work together in food production.

I now turn to the subject of conservation for sustainable development: a study of the scope for Commonwealth action on soil erosion, desertification and related drought problems in Commonwealth Africa.

The third workshop of the Southern African Subregional Environment Group (SASREG), organized by the regional office for Africa of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) was recently held in Malawi. Two issues that were discussed included the Southern Africa Development Coordination Conference (SADCC) Natural Resources Policy and Development Strategy and the Zambezi Action Plan. Both the Strategy and the Action Plan were adopted by Member Governments and the implementation of the plan will go a long way in achieving conservation for sustainable development in the Southern Africa region. This approach complements national projects being implemented by the environmental unit in the Ministry of Forestry and Natural Resources.

On the follow-up to the Tropical Forestry Action Plan, the Tropical Forestry Action Plan is a welcome concept to Malawi as it enforces local efforts in conservation and management of tropical forests at the national and regional levels. This is being done through the Second Wood Energy which comprises four components: firstly, forestry protection for indigenous woodland; secondly, wood production component will establish 16 000 hectares of exotic tree plantations near the main cities; thirdly, wood conservation component by introducing efficient charcoal making techniques and fuel efficient cook stoves for urban and rural households; and lastly, institutional development through departmental reorganization, strengthening and manpower training.

Malawi is coordinating Forestry in the Southern African Coordination Conference with financial and technical assistance from donor agencies. It continues to assist other SADCC member development efforts.

We come now to the campaign against locusts and grasshoppers. Malawi has continued to be an active member of the International Red Locust Control Organization of Central and Southern Africa (IRLCO-CSA). There are three types of locusts present in this region, namely the Red Locust, the Brown Locust and the Desert Locust. Last season, the red locust seriously threatened us in Malawi.

The International Red Locust Control Organization succeeded in controlling the sporadic outbreaks with the help of Plant Protection Services of the countries affected.

I wish to extend Malawi's gratitude to FAO for past, present and continuing support given in the just cause of food production and food aid. We are a small country and are making every effort to adjust our policies. This is a sacrifice and we urge that developed countries should make proportionate sacrifices in giving FAO the support it requires. The formation of additional committees to review policies, work programmes and budgets of FAO, in the view of the Malawi delegation, is not necessary. It would certainly deny the FAO machinery, the flexibility and speed required to implement programmes that respond to changing needs and circumstances. In the final analysis, this would render FAO less effective.

Lawrenca GATT (Malta): In the first place I would like to congratulate you on your appointment as Chairman of this Conference during which the election of the Director-General of our Organization was held. Secondly, I wish to congratulate Dr Saouma on his re-election as Director-General. I am sure that under his leadership our Organiiation shall continue to move forward for the benefit of the poor, the hungry and the small.

The contributions of many speakers before me have depicted the problematic state of food and agriculture in its global dimensions. It is natural that I, as the Minister responsible for agriculture in Malta, should draw the attention of the Conference to the perplexing and vulnerable position in which the present world situation has put small countries like ours. I shall dwell on one or two aspects which are particularly apt to bring out the general effects of the actions of the international community on the performance of the economies and livelihood of small peripheral nations like Malta.

Because of these effects, we are extremely interested in all initiatives of FAO. The main point I wish to stress is that providing assistance for agricultural and fisheries development to small countries like Malta is not sufficient; it is even more necessary to bring about adequate trading conditions and open access to more extensive and less volatile markets.

The case of Malta is symptomatic. It has no natural resources to speak of. Land area is too limited to be used for the production of extensive crops such as grain. Therefore, improvement in food production can only be envisaged in the case of fruits and vegetables, livestock and fisheries. We depend on tourism as a main source of foreign exchange earnings; moreover, a big share of tourist expenditure is on food. This market is more important for agriculture and fisheries to improve their performance, especially in the sectors in which improvement is plausible.

In other sectors in which we have an export potential, such as flowers and out-of-season vegetables, our natural advantages are often eroded by the excessive protectionism of potential importers.

This is one of the reasons why we are seeking entry under the right conditions into European Communities, our main trading partners.

On the other hand crop and livestock yields cannot be raised on a sustained basis without the more sustained use of imported inputs. Small countries like Malta are unable to produce any of these inputs to meet their needs. Therefore, I submit that the provision of agricultural inputs as aid-in-kind, should also be considered in the case of small countries like Malta. Without these inputs and other forms of input assistance, farmers in countries with limited land resources are forced to over-exploit their land in an effort to increase production. Short-term increases are being achieved at the cost of high environmental risks in terms of soil degradation and in-breeding in livestock. The acquisition of surplus agricultural inputs and technologies developed in food surplus countries would greatly benefit the small farmers in our countries. Such aid-in—kind would complement the development of an efficient and timely extension service which our farmers and fishermen so badly need and want, and which we are eager and anxious to be able to offer. In this respect, I must thank the Director-General who has agreed to provide technical assistance to my country under the Technical Co-operation Programme. The provision of suitable farm inputs as aid-in-kind would greatly enhance the success of the Technical Co-operation Project. I, therefore, fully support the conclusions arrived at in the feasibility study on expanding the provision of agricultural inputs as aid-in-kind submitted for consideration by this Conference.

Besides the difficulties in increasing agricultural production, the supply of fish from the sea - a vital source of food - has been severely depleted by gross over-fishing and pollution. My Government is very much concerned about the situation in the Mediterranean. In this respect Malta has been very active in the international arena, and hosts the Mediterranean Oil Pollution Combatting Centre. However, as regards fisheries management, very little has been done in the international field. I, therefore, more than welcome the proposal of the General Fisheries Council for the Mediterranean to initiate as early as possible the project entitled "Fisheries Resources Evaluation and Management in the Mediterranean". We are confident that donor countries and organizations will follow Italy's example in providing funds for this project and its proper unfolding. The Mediterranean Sea, with an annual catch of less than a million tons, is usually reckoned to be poor in fishery resources. But since the catch is almost all consumed directly, it fetches high prices. In terms of its landed value, the Mediterranean catch is important, being worth more than, say, the productive fisheries of the Northwest Atlantic, or even the famous Peruvian anchovy fishery before its collapse. We would not like to see a similar collapse of Mediterranean fisheries! We, therefore, wholeheartedly support the proposed project of the General Fisheries Council for the Mediterranean.

An important step towards overall marine management in the Mediterranean could be taken by more effective organization of aquaculture development.

A great deal has been done in this direction in recent years. In a sense, this is seeking refuge elsewhere in despair of ever getting effective international action to manage the open sea fisheries. Earlier attempts to "improve" wild stocks - for example of plaice in the North Sea, by breeding and transplanting - failed because of the absence of enforcible controls over harvesting and fry collection. The proposed project of the GFCM envisages co-operation and complementarity with MEDRAP, the FAO/UNDP Mediterranean aquaculture project. MEDRAP was influential and actively involved in the

setting up of various pilot projects in the Mediterranean as well as in organizing training sessions and the establishment of a training centre. It is a pity that MEDRAP had to be wound up and its activities terminated at this embryonic stage of aquaculture development in the region. MEDRAP is still needed to follow up this development. Again we are confident that funds shall be forthcoming for the re-establishment of MEDRAP activities. Here again Malta deserves special assistance and attention in view of its small size and position in the Mediterranean.

It is important to emphasize that the products of marine aquaculture go direct to human nutrition, they are usually of a high unit value and the techniques require considerable labour. The existence of the necessary conditions for aquaculture development - availability of labour, the relatively unpolluted water and the possibility of complementing the tourist trade - indicate that Malta should pursue this matter further.

In the fisheries field Malta is also interested in pursuing further other initiatives. I have two points in mind which I would like to put forward to FAO and to the distinguished delegates of this Conference.

In the first place, since Mediterranean countries consume a rather important proportion - about 10% by weight - of world fish production and since Malta has developed a new transhipment centre, we are interested in our island functioning as a clearing house for fish and fish products, and serve as a Regional Fish Marketing Information Service for the Mediterranean as envisaged by the Programme of Action approved at the World Fisheries Conference.

Secondly, we still do not know how many fishing vessels are available to ensure a sustainable harvest, under conditions of rational management. For future international policy determination, such statistics will be as necessary as data about catches and fish resource assessments. Moreover, examples of over heavily exploited stocks and excessive capacity of fleets can be found in the Mediterranean. Therefore we wish to propose that there be established in Malta a Mediterranean regional registration centre for fishing craft. Malta has an established merchant vessel registra­tion system, and competent staff for the setting up of a regional register for fishing vessels are available. The World Conference on Fisheries defined a forward-looking strategy for the fisheries sector, taking into account the far-reaching changes that have been made in the legal regime of the Ocean. These changes occured following Malta's initiative, 20 years ago, in its infancy as an independent nation, when in the General Assembly of the United Nations, a New Law of the Sea was proposed. This proposal led to the longest United Nations conference and to the convention regula­ting the peaceful. uses of the seabed. This introduced a new concept in international law - The Common Heritage of Mankind - with notable effects on a sector of our Organization's responsibilities in the domain of fisheries.

In the continuing unfolding of the application of this concept, Malta is eager to participate more actively and my Government is proposing the setting up of a pilot regional centre in Malta for marine technological research as envisaged in the convention. Included in this sphere of activity are fishing technologies and aquaculture methods. Here I would like to officially request FAO's support for the setting up of this centre which would be the first of a network of such regional centres. The support of member states would enchance the possibility of extending the concept of common heritage through its wider application - in the areas of culture and technology in addition to those of nature and space.

I have today chosen to speak briefly on two main topics of particular interest to my country, because I feel that by doing so I have illustrated two main needs of future international co-operation in the field of food production. I have first emphasized the need for the transfer of technology from the developed countries to the developing countries particularly to small nations such as my own. In the second place through my reference to the development of the Fisheries Sector I underlined the need for more regional co-operation.

M.E. MAHACHI M.P. (Zimbabwe): Mr Chairman, first of all, I must congratulate you, for being elected to be our Chairman for this important meeting, and also to congratulate Dr Edouard Saouma upon his re-election to the position of Director-General of FAO.

As a delegation we have high regard and all confidence in him, and we have always been very appreciative of his efforts to focus on agricultural problems in Africa.

We hâve no doubt that he will continue to fight for the necessary reforms in international trade to give a chance to developing countries dependent on agricultural export. He will also ensure the continuation of the Technical Cooperation Programmes that are so vital for the survival of the fragile economies of developing countries.

It is with, great pleasure that I speak on behalf of the Government and people of the Republic of Zimbabwe at this Twenty-fourth session of the Food and Agriculture Organization- Conference.

Please permit me to straightaway point out that the recovery that we had anticipated in my country in the agricultural sector following a good harvest in 1985/86, was short lived because we experienced yet another severe drought in 1986/87, illustrating the vulnerability of our sub-region to adverse weather conditions. As a result of this, purchases of maize from farmers by the government have fallen by about one quarter from 1,6 million tonnes during the year ending March 1987, to slightly in excess of 400 000 tonnes, expected in March 1988.

Maize forms the basis of our national staple diet and is generally grown with the objective of achieving self-sufficiency, with a marketable surplus only when the season is better than expected.

It is important to note that variations in seasonal rainfall cause significant fluctuations in agricultural production from year to year and is the single most critical constraint in terms of successfully administering agricultural policies in our sub-region.

In the case of Zimbabwe, the major instrument available to Government to induce the required changes in areas planted to various crops is the producer price mechanism, but because of the rainfall factor, the volume and pattern of grain production, and indeed domestic and export sales made by government can hardly be expected to conform to targets set by the price mechanism.

The priority of Government policy in regard to agricultural production is the achievement of food security through the sustained production of sufficient quantities of basic food, together with-the provision of income generating activities which ensure adequate nutrition and a high standard of living for both rural and urban communities. To achieve this goal it is necessary among other things to encourage intensification and diversification of productive activities, especially in the poorer areas of the country, and introduce new farming techniques. This is what we have been attempting to do, notwithstanding the effects of drought. In addition to drought, environmental degradâtion is now recognized as a principal hazard to human welfare over my country.

To this end, sound arable land management including appropriate tillage practices, proper crop rotation irrigation and the selection of crops suitable to the soils, climate and topography within the different natural regions, will be encouraged.

Programmes for promoting land use planning, establishment of grazing schemes, veld and pasture management, and the coordinated development of irrigation potential where this is feasible, will be vigorously pursued to-ensure the optimum use of our natural resources.

Instruments which will be deployed to support these measures include agricultural extension and research, land use planning, provision of credit and farm inputs, marketing services and the diligent use of pricing policy as a means of influencing our farmers' decisions.

From our experience, it seems clear that small farmers have been highly responsive to the expansion of agricultural supportive services within their sector because output from this sector has increased by more than ten times since 1980. This suggests that we would continue to give small farmers the support they require.

In accepting that small farmers must be the principal target group for our development efforts, an important related issue is how to simultaneously recognize the role of women within this target group. Women head many rural households and constitute a fairly large percentage of the rural labour force. Unfortunately, they are often not adequately accommodated in many agricultural programmes.

The role played by women, as agricultural producers will in future receive the special recognition that it deserves for small scale agriculture to expand.

In addition to domestic commitments, Mr Chairman, Zimbabwe is heavily involved in coordinating on behalf of other states the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC) food security programme whose main objective is to increase agricultural production so that the region can be self-sufficient in its basic food needs.

It is felt that through regional cooperation lumber States can better assist each other to increase food availability through improved domestic production, reduction in post harvest losses and expanded grain storage. This strategy aims to increase household, national and regional food security by encouraging those activities that enhance the ability of all people to acquire adequate diets.

The current food security programme is being implemented through thirteen interlinked regional projects which, though national in character, when taken together contribute significantly to the achievement of SADCC's overall food security objectives.

Mr Chairman, the Food and Agriculture Organization is funding one of the projects involving the development of national and regional early warning systems for food security.

Finally, in regard to the international agricultural scene, I would like to place on record my Government's immense satisfaction on the assistance that Zimbabwe has received and has been able to fully utilize in developing its agriculture.

On the question of agricultural exports, we greatly welcome the initiatives that are being contemplated by some major producers in developed countries to prevent further increases in excess supply of traded agricultural products, as we believe that this will help to stimulate demand for exports from developing countries and strengthen their agricultural industries. This, would in fact represent a significant contribution by developed countries to food security and an improved allocation of global agricultural resources.

In the same vein, those developing countries which are predominantly importers of agricultural produce would be encouraged to strengthen their own farm sectors and become self-sufficient in food.

Manuel de Jesús AMEZQUITA C. (República Dominicana): Señor Presidente, distinguidos Ministros Delegados de esta honorable Asamblea, señoras y señores:

Es un alto honor para mí y mi país- esta oportunidad que se nos brinda en esta magna Asamblea de dirigirnos a ustedes con la finalidad de compartir algunas ideas y experiencias vividas por mi país, la República Dominicana.

Aprovecho esta oportunidad para transmitirles un caluroso saludo del Presidente de la República Dominicana, el Dr. Joaquín Balaguer, quien también me ha encarecido felicitar de manera especial al Dr. Edouard Saouma por su elección en la Dirección General de la FAO, desde la cual, en el período recién concluido, realizó una excelente labor en beneficio de la agropecuaria y la alimentación de nuestras naciones.

Señores, me referiré fundamentalmente al gran dilema que se presenta en nuestros países: por un lado la necesidad de ser eficiente la economía, de manera que los factores de producción reciban equitativamente el valor de su aporte al producto nacional y, con ello, contribuir a su mejor uso desde la racionalidad económica; y, por otro lado, la necesidad de alimentación y nutrición de más de la mitad de la población, cuya capacidad de ingresos esta por debajo del mínimo requerido para obtener a precio de mercado los bienes de consumo que le permitan una existencia aceptable desde la racionalidad social y humanista.

Me referiré también a la forma en que mi Gobierno lo está enfrentando, dentro de un ambiente de libertad y democracia, a pesar de los ingentes problemas que se han creado por la situación desfavorable de la economía mundial y la pesada deuda externa de nuestros países.

Durante las últimas dos décadas, los países subdesarrollados han hecho grandes esfuerzos para aumentar la producción de alimentos. Debido a este esfuerzo, nuestros países han logrado un notable aumento de la disponibilidad de alimentos básicos. La producción local de granos se ha incrementado en un 78 por ciento, que es similar a la alcanzada por ios países desarrollados. Sin embargo, todavía hay hambre y pobreza generalizada en nuestros pueblos.

Las estadísticas mundiales reportan que estamos produciendo los alimentos necesarios para satisfacer los requerimientos mínimos nutricionales. Sin embargo, en los países subdesarrollados, debido al crecimiento poblacional, el aumento en la producción de alimentos apenas compensa la tasa de aumento de la población. En el caso dominicano, alrededor del 20 por ciento de la producción de alimentos tiene que ser exportada para cubrir las necesidades de divisas de otros sectores de la economía y de la misma agricultura.

En nuestra región de Latinoamérica, en 1985, el sector agropecuario creció a una tasa de 4,2 por ciento, medida por el incremento en su contribución del Producto Bruto Interno (PBI) de la región a precios constantes. Esta tasa de crecimiento representa una mejoría con relación a los resultados de comienzo de la década.

Sin embargo, los resultados preliminares para 1986 indican una disminución del 2,4 por ciento en el Producto Bruto Interno agropecuario de la región con respecto al ano anterior, que es atribui-ble no sólo a condiciones climatológicas, sino también a condiciones adversas en los mercados internacionales.

El proteccionismo exagerado que han venido poniendo en práctica las potencias industriales en las últimas décadas han afectado sensiblemente a Las economías de los países subdesarrollados. La reducción de la cuota azucarera dominicana junto a la caída de los precios de nuestras materias primas, han afectado medulármente a la economía dominicana, a lo que se han agregado, como espada de Damocles, los compromisos del pago de la deuda externa, que para el caso dominicano es el 34 por ciento de nuestras exportaciones del año 1986.

Señores Delegados, el sector agropecuario dominicano, por su importancia en la economía, cumple un papel de gran trascendencia en el desarrollo económico y social del país,ya que contribuye con el 63 por ciento del valor FOB de las exportaciones, provee alrededor del 80 por ciento de ios alimentos de consumo interno, genera el 45 por ciento del empleo total, concentra el 36 por ciento de la población económicamente activa y el 48 por ciento de la población total. Entre el año 1980 y 1986, el sector agropecuario registró un progresivo descenso de su participación en el Producto Bruto Interno, pasando de 19,5 por cierto en el 80 a 17,0 por ciento en 1986. En los dos últimos años, 1985/86, la tasa de crecimiento de. PBI agropecuario disminuyó en 2,8 por ciento acumulativo anual.

Para el período 1980/85 la producción de algunos rubros agropecuarios creció a una tasa de 0,3 por ciento. La mayor proporción de crecimiento correspondió a los cereales, con una tasa de 5,7 por ciento, debido a una política de precios favorable.

La pecuaria creció, en ese período, en 2,6 por ciento, destacándose la carne vacuna. Los otros productos tuvieron tasas negativas de crecimiento, entre los que se destacan las leguminosas, las oleaginosas y cultivos de exportación tradicionales, como café, tabaco y caña de azúcar.

El Gobierno dominicano ha identificado los problemas alimenticios de inmediato y de largo plazo que enfrenta el país en el porvenir. La estrategia de corto plazo ha sido a aumentar el consumo diario "per capita" de calorías de 1 424 a 1 906, y el consumo de proteínas, de 28,3 a 43,24 gramos por persona y día, a base de creación de empleos productivos en el área de la construcción, la rehabilitación de las plantaciones de café, cacao, cocoteros y forestales, la aceleración del incremento del turismo y las zonas francas.

La estrategia a largo plazo consiste en maximizar el uso de los recursos naturales, humanos, tecnológicos, financieros e institucionales disponibles en el país, con el objetivo de mejorar los niveles nutricionales de la población, especialmente de los grupos de más bajos ingresos;

aumentar los niveles de producción; mejorar la distribución del ingreso entre los diferentes grupos sociales y reducir la importación de productos agrícolas e incrementar las exportaciones de origen agropecuario como una forma de poder hacer frente a la deuda externa.

La política económica implementada por la presente Administración está orientada ai logro de estos objetivos.

Los esfuerzos que realiza el Gobierno para la reorganización de la economía han revitalizado la importancia del sector agropecuario como eje de nuestro desarrollo. Los controles de precios en la agricultura se han ido removiendo. Ya se ha completado la liberalización de la comercialización del arroz, se eliminaron los altos impuestos a las exportaciones agrícolas tradicionales, se han eliminado varios subsidios indiscriminados a costa del productor rural, se han iniciado proyectos concretos de inversión en la rehabilitación y fomento de cultivos tradicionales de exportación, tales como café y cacao, así como en la conservación de los recursos naturales e infraestructura para la irrigación. La reactivación de los cultivos tradicionales de consumo interno ha ido acompañado de un vasto plan de reforma agraria, orientado a lograr la autosuficiencia alimentaria, preservar nuestros recursos naturales y mejorar la distribución del ingreso nacional.

Là estrategia de desarrollo económico y social del país se ha visto limitada en el pasado reciente por políticas internas inapropiadas, por la crisis internacional y los programas de ajustes estructurales, que, en vez de corregir distorsiones, más bien las profundizan, con una clara tendencia negativa y penalización al sector agropecuario, vía la sobrevaluación del peso dominicano, que incentiva las importaciones y penaliza las exportaciones.

El Gobierno que preside su excelencia el Dr. Joaquin Balaguer ha reorganizado la economía dominicana, ha orientado sus ejecutorias hacia el campo como la única garantía para alcanzar una paz justa y duradera. Más aún, pienso que todo este esfuerzo podría multiplicarse si nuestro país logra mejorar su situación externa.

Actualmente tenemos un saldo neto de préstamos externos negativo Es decir, mi país está pagando más de lo que recibe por concepto de préstamos. En el ano 1986 recibió desembolsos de préstamos por valor de 220 millones de dólares e hizo pagos de capital e intereses por un valor de 39.4 millones de dólares, para un saldo negativo de 174 millones de dólares. En este año, se estima un saldo neto negativo aún mayor, que alcanzará la suma de 258 millones de dólares.

Tenemos una balanza comercial altamente deficitaria. Nuestras importaciones sobrepasan los 1 300 millones de dólares, mientras que nuestras exportaciones apenas alcanzan los 800 millones de dólares. Exceptuando las dos grandes naciones de Norteamérica - Estados Unidos y Canadá -, mantenemos relaciones comerciales deficitarias con el resto de los continentes: con Latinoamérica tenemos una balanza comercial negativa que sobrepasa los 400 millones de dólares, debido a que de ella adquirimos todos nuestros combustibles importados; con el continente asiático, nuestro déficit comercial sobrepasa los 60 millones de dólares, debido fundamentalmente a nuestro déficit con Japón, Corea y Taiwàn; y con el-continente europeo tenemos un déficit de más de 50 mellones, debido a nuestro mercado deficitario con la Comunidad Económica Europea.

Para este último caso, hemos tomado la iniciativa de solicitar el ingresar a la convención de LOME, que nos permitirá un trato comercial preferencial. Esto creemos que lo vamos a lograr en un futuro cercano, y de seguro será de gran ayuda para nuestra agricultura.

En consecuencia, la situación de balanza desfavorable que tiene la República Dominicana con varios países y continentes - y que seguramente no es una característica exclusiva de la República -sugeriría a esta reunión analizar las posibilidades de que la FAO ayude a los países en vía de desarrollo a obtener tratos más humanos y preferenciales en las instituciones internacionales que tratan con el comercio internacional.

Porque es de común conocimiento que no es suficiente modernizar nuestra agricultura - en ia que la FAO, sin duda, nos ayuda -, si simultáneamente no logramos mejorar nuestro poder de negociación en los niveles internacionales.

No quiero concluir mi intervención sin hacer público el agradecimiento de nuestro Gobierno y del pueblo dominicano por la ayuda recibida de la FAO para la recuperación de las zonas afectadas por el paso del ciclón Emily, el cual causó pérdidas a nuestra agricultura por un valor de 116 millones de pesos y que, gracias a esta ayuda, el proceso de recuperación se viene realizando de manera exitosa.

Finalmente, me gustaría resaltar que para el mundo en vía de desarrollo es importante poder resolver sus problemas en forma democrática y coordinada. Creo que podemos y tenemos que luchar unidos, y la unión más fuerte que tienen los países en vías de desarrollo en esta lucha sin cuartel es esta Asamblea, esta reunión, a la que la República Dominicana pertenece en su espíritu y acción.

Nuestra nación, la República Dominicana, donde reina la democracia y la libertad, quiere darle a cada uno de ustedes, por mi conducto, un abrazo de afecto y cariño y ofrecerles nuestra hospitalidad en aquella región del Caribe, patria de Duarte, a las órdenes de todos ustedes. Muchas gracias.

Hamad Abdulla AL MUTTAWA (United Arab Emirates) (original Language Arabic): In the name of Allah, the merciful and compassionate: Mr Chairman, Ministers,ladies and gentlemen:. I have the honour to extend all congratulations to Faisal Abdul-Razzak al-Khaled, Minister of Trade of Kuwait - and in a way, that implies congratulating ourselves, because Dr al Khaled is also a member of the Council of Cooperation of the Gulf States. So we congratulate him, and ourselves, on his election to chair this Conference. I ask God to crown with success the work of this present session.

I would like also to extend my congratulations to Mr Edouard Saouma on his re-election to the post of Director-General of FAO, This re-election proves how relevant, and how wise, Mr Saouma's policy has been over his past mandate.

The United Arab Emirate would like to emphasize very strongly the prime role played by FAO within the United Nations system, in the area of food and agriculture. We would like also to thank the Director-General for the new strategic trend set for FAO, such as the centralisation which has given a new target and purpose to programmes, and also enhances the impact on national programmes, and spells out more clearly the very objectives of technical assistance. I also want to thank him for the programme of technical cooperation, the network of FAO general representatives, and the overall integrated concept of the relationship between food security and food production.

I would like here to remind ourselves of the great reform, the WCARRD meeting which was held in 1979. At this conference, much focus was given to rural development and the integration of women in this whole process. The conference linked development to social justice in rural regions, and recommended that more importance and focus be given to small fishermen and small landowners, and furthermore support was given to regional and subregional programmes in forestry and in the fight against desertification. We would like to greatly praise this, here.

World Food Day was seen as a service to mankind as a whole by individuals and by governments. Everyone was mobilized, so to speak, in order to focus upon the millions of people throughout this world who are suffering from hardship and hunger, and to encourage the world to find a solution to this inhuman drama. Malthus' population theories have not come true, because God, who created the world, by His goodness does provide for the creatures He has made: He gave man intelligence and strength, enabling man himself to invent those technologies which make it possible for him to step up food production so that it may go hand in hand with population growth.

There is an abundance of production, but this abundance is badly distributed. We are not unaware of the methods that some countries have devised in order to get rid of their food surpluses and to protect international prices of food, rather than channel such surpluses towards needy countries which have not been able to increase their own food production.

In this way, food production internationally speaking is in a surplus situation, but is badly distributed. We would have hoped for this plenty to help the world situation, as set out by the FAO in the early 1980s, "to ensure basic food to each human being according to his needs and at ail times". "Food security" in the wide sense of the phrase, which includes trading and production, has not really been brought about despite the efforts of FAO itself and in spite of the principles propagated by FAO at the beginning of this decade; for instance, increased food production, stable markets and stable supplies, and free access to food. These three policies have not been brought about and have not responded to our expectations.

Just as a reminder, Sir, the first target is one of stepping up production in food deficit areas by reactivating international agriculture so as to arrive at maximum food production. Priority was given to grain. After that, came the new concept of root crops, animal production and other food and animal products including grain legumes; stressing the role of the small farmers in developing countries, and improving economic advantages for small farmers. Yesterday, as today, FAO does much towards these various targets. We welcome this and would like to see such targets put into effect.

The second target is stable markets. Now, to obtain these one must be able to cut down the seasonal fluctuations in supply and demand on international markets. The international community has not yet given the necessary emphasis to this particular and important target.

Thirdly, there is the target of free access to food. To achieve this, one must liberalize international trade, enabling developing countries then to obtain the foreign currency in order to import the necessary food. That is a highly important issue for developing countries, particularly if we know that agricultural commodities constitute one-third of the exports of producing and developing countries - sometimes it could even be 100 percent.

My country is expecting to work towards the development and adoption of an ambitious programme aimed at self-sufficiency and diversification so as to be part and parcel of all the coordination and integration programmes, both regional and international. Also, the United Arab Emirates has participated in international trade and commercial activities by aiding economic development funds, the Abdu Dhabi investments, the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, the Arab Fund for Technical Assistance to Arab and African Countries , and has also participated, for instance, in the Islamic Bank for Development. We have participated in the funding of a number of projects together with Arab and developing countries, projects such as bilateral investment companies, agricultural development companies and in the improvement of animal resources.

We have cooperated with Arab countries in order to impove our agricultural and fisheries production. The United Arab Emirates have allocated a great percentage to all these operations. We feel that this is one of the greatest contributions we can make, and we are happy with the results.

Recently, we have celebrated the Seventh World Food Day, when emphasis was placed on smallholders. There are millions of smallholders in developing countries. They form the majority of the Third World populations. At the celebration of the World Food Day the United Arab Emirates played its part because we all recognize the great merit due to small farmers and smallholders. My Government gives much aid by way of inputs such as pesticides and fertilizers, which are given at half price. We also encourage smallholders to learn new technologies, glasshouse culture, soil treatment, the sinking of wells, pesticide treatment. We also participated in the building of dams, in water purification systems and have fòcussed on supplying the necessary pesticides and equipment to the small farmers.

This support has borne a fruit. We have reached self-sufficiency in many vegetable, animal and fishery products. We are also trying to improve storage facilities, always aiming at self-sufficiency and the achievement of food reserves. World Food Day was an opportunity for both rich and poor countries to renew their pledges towards the common cause of eradicating poverty and malnutrition. Here, the role played by FAO in order to reactivate production in the developing countries has proved to be a worthy effort because it has improved growing systems and rationalized the utilization of resources with regard to production and consumer levels. We have given stress to the pragmatic solutions so as to benefit from the transfer of technology to developing countries.

We know that many countries are threatened by drought. Many Asian countries, particularly those which could have reached food self-sufficiency, are threatened by hurricanes and floods. We must help them so that there is a better possibility for them to use weather forecasting and other early warning systems either to prevent or prepare for disaster, and to benefit more from rainfall in countries subject to drought. The efforts deployed by FAO in this area certainly deserve our full praise. Furthermore, we can say that FAO policy in assessment was the outcome of in-depth and highly relevant analysies and studies. This is very important in order to be able to assess the quality of our programmes and to assess the impact on the international community of activities undertaken by FAO.

Mr Chairman, so that we may learn from the 1960s and the 1970s we must support agriculture and give it priority. Promoting agriculture means overcoming the scourge of poverty and malnutrition and developing economic and industrial growth. We must focus on the environment, and make it possible in each country to strike a balance between each of these factors. Man is capable of taking up any challenge providing he really concentrates on international cooperation. We must take up this challenge.

In this session we are brought face to face with our responsibilities, which are increasing. In taking decisions we must never forget that the next generation will judge us as we judged the preceding generation, those who held power to take decisions and to decide on the fate of mankind as a whole.

In conclusion, I thank you, Mr Chairman, for the wisdom and know-how with which you have been guiding our work and for the confidence which makes it possible to go more deeply into the documents we have in front of us. May God grant our wish that we may have greater well-being for the entire world and all mankind. May peace be with you all.

The meeting rose at 10.45 hours
Le séance est levée à 10 h 45
Se levanta la sesión a las 10.45 horas