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The focus - food security |
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From the outset, FAO's reform has been strongly rooted in the belief that, to be truly universal, the Organization must identify and respond to the diverse needs of Member Nations that are at different stages of economic and social development.
With the reform under way, it was soon evident that many developed countries were concerned about information and statistics, trade, standards and the negotiation and implementation of international agreements. Most developing countries, on the other hand, were more interested in concrete action taken by the Organization to: improve the productivity and security of agriculture; fight pests and animal and plant diseases; implement pilot projects for transferring technology; prepare feasibility studies of projects so as to attract investments; assist in providing early warning of problems and corresponding assistance; identify needs, mobilize support and undertake emergency operations in the event of natural or human-induced disasters; and undertake consultations and provide policy and technical advice.
FAO, therefore, had to ensure not only that its priorities reflected these different needs, within the limit of available resources, but also that they respected the principles of comparative advantage and partnership within the UN system and with the Bretton Woods institutions.
To enhance its responsiveness, FAO first had to sharpen its focus. It was guided in this task by views expressed by Member Nations in questionnaires and by its field and headquarters staff as well as through broad debates by its governing bodies. In the light of the most urgent needs identified, a careful examination was then made of FAO's comparative advantages and multidisciplinary strengths. The Director-General's ensuing proposal that food security should be the guiding theme of FAO's programmes was endorsed by the FAO Council, and it was further decided that the Organization should also target pest prevention and control, sustainable agriculture and the promotion of international standards as they relate to food security.
In the 1994 review of FAO's programmes, structure and policies, it was concluded that the Organization should concentrate on alleviating constraints to the production of, and access to, food in LIFDCs, i.e. those countries whose food supplies lag behind the increased demand of their growing populations. To ensure the best possible support to Member Nations and development partners, a substantive refocusing was applied to all of the Organization's activities, and in particular those of its Field Programme. As a basis for this sharpened approach, the Director-General defined the Five Guiding Principles of the FAO Field Programme:
In order to ensure that all new projects and programmes are in harmony with this new strategy, all those funded by TCP, SPFS and other extrabudgetary sources are now screened by the Programme and Project Review Committee (PPRC). Headed by the ADG of the Agriculture (AG) Department and including representatives from all divisions of FAO, the PPRC reflects a collaborative approach to technical assistance, ensuring better coordination between the needs of Member Nations and the Organization's wide-ranging expertise.
The same approach is embodied in the SPFS, a multidisciplinary programme focusing FAO's activities in its specific areas of competence and comparative advantage in agricultural and rural development, including the collection, analysis and dissemination of information as well as the provision of policy advice and planning and technical assistance. The SPFS provides a programmatic framework for many of these activities, directing FAO's wide-ranging expertise towards food security. It was launched in 1994 after obtaining the unanimous approval of the 106th session of the FAO Council, and its concept was further endorsed by world leaders at the World Food Summit in 1996. Indeed, it should contribute substantially to participating countries' efforts to achieve the Summit's objectives.
The objective of the SPFS is to assist LIFDCs in rapidly increasing agricultural production and in improving access to food, through a participatory approach and on an environmentally sustainable basis. In addition to production, productivity and stability of food supplies, the Programme addresses all aspects of agricultural and rural development related to food security, including farming systems, processing, trade and marketing, credit, extension and the elimination of poverty. A strong emphasis is placed on raising farmers' net incomes, generating rural employment and ensuring social equity as well as gender sensitivity. By mid-December 1999, more than 75 developing countries had applied to participate in the SPFS, which at the time was operational in 54 countries, including 32 in Africa, 13 in Asia and the Pacific, 7 in Latin America and 2 in Eastern Europe. The lessons learned since the Programme began have contributed to a phased and more structured approach to food security activities, which gain from interlinked objectives, strategies, components and institutional support.
Implementing the SPFSSPFS implementation takes place in two phases. The microeconomic phase, referred to as Phase I, lasts approximately three years and involves about 30 demonstration sites in each participating country.
The objective of the macroeconomic phase, referred to as Phase II, is to create an environment that is favourable to agricultural production, processing, marketing and access to food; that facilitates increased private and public investments in agricultural activities and services; and that helps raise farmers' incomes. Phase II has three main components:
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South-South Cooperation. One of the key factors in the success of the SPFS is the use of experts and technicians under the South-South Cooperation initiative, whereby a critical mass of field technicians and experts (about 100) from more advanced developing countries are assigned for at least two years to countries participating in the SPFS. There they work directly with crop producers, animal breeders, fishers and other farmers to increase their productivity and production and improve the community's access to food. This initiative is based on solidarity among the developing countries and thus requires modest financial support for implementation.
The low cost of the initiative is a welcome advantage in times of serious financial constraints. The costs of cooperation are shared by FAO, the host (recipient) government and the cooperating government. Under the terms of the agreement, until the scheme becomes operational, FAO provides the technicians with international air travel, an installation grant of US$300 and a monthly supplementary remuneration of US$300. After this initial period, FAO arranges for bilateral and multilateral contributions to continue the funding. The recipient government provides accommodation, local transport and an additional monthly payment of US$300, often financed by bilateral and multilateral institutions. The cooperating country retains responsibility for the continued payment of salaries and other entitlements of its nationals who have been sent abroad.
More than 20 advanced developing countries have already expressed their intention to participate in the initiative, which is currently operational in 12 countries. The 1996 Viet Nam/Senegal agreement was the first cooperation scheme to be launched under the SPFS. Agreements have also been signed between China and Ethiopia, India and Eritrea, Morocco and the Niger, Morocco and Burkina Faso, Viet Nam and Benin, China and Mauritania, Egypt and the United Republic of Tanzania, Bangladesh and the Gambia, Egypt and Djibouti, Viet Nam and Madagascar, and China and Bangladesh.
FAO has also mobilized further resources from different development partners and entities, including bilateral and multilateral donors, international and regional financing institutions and banks, NGOs and the private sector. At the multilateral level, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations Fund for International Partnerships (UNFIP) are funding SPFS-FAO activities in a number of countries. UNDP is supporting the implementation of the SPFS in Rwanda, Madagascar and Albania; IFAD is funding SPFS activities in Zambia; and WFP is interested in supporting Yemen and Rwanda. UNFIP is supporting the SPFS in Cambodia, Nepal and Zambia. In Angola, the SPFS is jointly executed by FAO, IFAD and WFP and funded by Italy.
The SPFS in operation |
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In a number of cases, activities planned within the SPFS framework are directly financed through trust fund arrangements between FAO and a donor - for example, France, Belgium, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain and the Republic of Korea. In other cases, host countries contribute directly to financially supporting the implementation of the SPFS, as in Nigeria, where the government has recently approved unilateral trust fund arrangements for a total amount of US$45 198 000, and in Senegal, where the government has allocated US$5 million for the implementation of the SPFS.
With regard to financing institutions and the regional development banks, in 1997 FAO signed memoranda of understanding with the World Bank, the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) for the promotion of rural development and food security within the SPFS framework. The three banks agreed to provide soft loans - and in some cases grants - for Phase I activities, at the request of the national governments concerned. Several projects have been submitted to these banks for consideration. By the end of 1999, the AfDB had agreed to make available US$8 million (US$1 million per country) to support the Programme in Cameroon, Cape Verde, Ghana, Guinea, Malawi, Mauritania, Mozambique and the United Republic of Tanzania. The IsDB has committed itself to supporting the SPFS in the Gambia, Djibouti, the Niger, Guinea and Comoros. The IsDB has already approved funding of US$994 155 for the Gambia and is in the process of approving US$3.2 million for Djibouti, while the financing of other countries mentioned above is in the approval process. Moreover, discussions are in an advanced stage with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for its involvement in the Programme.
A second FAO priority programme, the Emergency Prevention System for Transboundary Animal and Plant Pests and Diseases, referred to by its acronym EMPRES, was also launched in June 1994. The Animal Disease component of EMPRES aims at strengthening FAO's role in the prevention of and immediate response to emergencies caused by major epizootic diseases of transboundary importance. The initial thrust in this component has been against rinderpest, with an emphasis on activities carried out under the Global Rinderpest Eradication Programme (GREP).
Eradicating rinderpestGREP links rinderpest campaigns in Africa and Asia and collaborates with national, regional and other international organizations to provide a forum through which activities can be coordinated and technical support delivered. In the 1980s and early 1990s the incidence of rinderpest was widespread in many parts of tropical Africa and West and South Asia, whereas it is now reported to be restricted to just three foci - in the southern Sudan, southern Somalia and Pakistan. |
EMPRES also covers serious transboundary diseases and pests that constrain food security, adversely affect animal health or impede international trade in livestock and animal products. The activities undertaken within the framework of EMPRES - surveillance for causal agents, contingency planning, preventive action and veterinary intervention during disease emergencies - must be seen in the context of the system's primary elements, i.e. early warning, early reaction and the improvement of control and eradication methods through research networking.
Considerable progress has been made over the past few years in developing the early warning system operated under EMPRES. Efforts have been two-pronged, consisting of training - through manuals and workshops - and software development - through TADInfo, the Transboundary Animal Disease Information system for surveillance, data storage and analysis. TADInfo is a hierarchical system that assists surveillance at the national and regional levels and supports early warning at the national, regional and global levels. The related software is currently being deployed in several countries in Africa. Initially, TADInfo is intended to be the main template for supporting surveillance in tropical Africa, North Africa and the Near East in collaboration with projects funded by the European Community (EC), the United Kingdom's Department for International Development (DFID) and IFAD.
Desert locust controlThe desert locust is one of many transboundary plant pests that cause serious emergencies in agriculture. It is of economic importance for many countries in Africa, the Near East and Southwest Asia. It can multiply rapidly and move across borders in dense swarms, which frequently cover more than 100 km2. In 1988 alone, 24 countries reported desert locust swarms and had to initiate control operations, often over millions of hectares. Under the Desert Locust component of EMPRES, a donor-supported field programme has been developed in areas where outbreaks and plagues originate (i.e. the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden). In addition, pilot activities have been implemented in West Africa and Southwest Asia. As part of EMPRES early warning activities, desert locust surveillance operations and information exchange networks have been substantially improved and strengthened. Progress in early reaction has been reflected in the ability of affected countries to respond to outbreaks efficiently and quickly. In the Red Sea region during the winter of 1997/98, an outbreak that could have developed into a plague was brought under control as a result of early and effective control operations. Important advances have also been made in methods to reduce the use of chemical pesticides and in the early detection of locust infestations. A preliminary analysis of economic and policy issues in desert locust management has also been completed under EMPRES. |
While the FAO Council wishes EMPRES to develop a programme for major transboundary diseases and pests in general, it has also endorsed the principle of key priorities within EMPRES. Thus, in close collaboration with other international organizations, EMPRES is evolving into a forum for concerted action on six major epizootic diseases - rinderpest, foot-and-mouth disease, peste des petits ruminants, contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP), Rift Valley fever and lumpy skin disease.
Humanitarian assistance is an integral part of FAO's mandate to help raise levels of nutrition and standards of living, particularly in rural areas of the developing world. Emergencies are absorbing an increasing proportion of international aid, and FAO's emergency operations have, of necessity, increased since 1994. In the 1997-98 biennium, the Organization implemented 187 emergency projects, for a total value of US$157.3 million, to assist disaster-stricken populations in resuming food production and other life-sustaining activities in the immediate post-disaster phase. Today, working closely with other UN organizations, national governments and NGOs, FAO is delivering emergency assistance through more than 110 emergency projects in more than 50 countries - including Kosovo Province, Iraq, the Democratic Republic of Korea, countries throughout Africa and also in Central America.
Growth in FAO's emergency relief operations |
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The Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) was established as an integral part of FAO's Regular Programme in 1976 to respond to urgent and unforeseen requests from Member Governments. In Resolution 9/89, the FAO Conference noted that the resources available to TCP had fallen from 14.1 percent of the total budget in 1986-87 to 12.8 percent in 1988-89 and further to 11.8 percent in the allocation for 1990-91. To counter this trend, it invited the Director-General to make every effort to restore TCP resources to their former level of 14 percent of the total Regular Programme budget and, if possible, to raise them to 17 percent. As a result, TCP's proportional share in the Regular Programme appropriation increased from 12.5 percent in 1994-95 to 13.8 percent in 1998-99, in spite of an overall decline in the budget during the same period.
The guiding principles for the use of TCP resources continue to be the criteria initially approved for the Programme by the governing bodies. As a result of the changing environment in which FAO's Field Programme is carried out, i.e. with increased capacities on the part of national institutions and a greater availability of qualified expertise from developing countries, the use of national expertise and technical cooperation among developing countries (TCDC) has increased. At the same time, the share of international consultants employed declined from 43 percent in 1994-1995 to 10 percent in 1998-1999. In terms of person-months, two-thirds of the total expertise provided are now recruited within the recipient countries while the remaining expertise is recruited in approximately equal shares under TCDC or UN consultancy conditions. On the other hand, the provision of supplies and equipment increased from 19 to 31 percent during the same period.
TCP's budget growth since 1994-95 | |||
1994-95 |
1996-97 |
1998-99 | |
(US$ million) | |||
Technical Cooperation Programme |
82 287 |
85 497 |
87 259 |
TCP Unit |
1 803 |
2 116 |
2 188 |
Total |
84 090 |
87 613 |
89 447 |
Total Programme of Work and Budget |
673 114 |
650 000 |
650 000 |
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Many countries have requested TCP assistance for implementing their national SPFS projects |
International commitments made as a result of follow-up to the World Food Summit have prompted many developing countries to request TCP assistance in implementing their national SPFS projects. This assistance has been channelled towards selected SPFS activities in the recipient country, for example water control, and has been on the condition that it is integrated into national programmes approved by the government concerned. FAO has also drawn on TCP funding to supplement donors' support for urgent and unforeseen training requirements related to the Uruguay Round trade negotiations.
FAO, like all other UN agencies, has had to face a reduction in resources over the last six years. Regular Programme funds approved by the FAO Conference fell from US$673 million for 1994-95 to US$650 million for 1998-99. During the same period, however, two developments took place:
In the 1994 review of FAO's programmes, structure and policies, it was deemed important to clarify the distinction between normative and operational activities, both in organizational terms (i.e. so that previously dispersed units dealing with closely related issues could be consolidated) and in terms of identifying and specifying which resources should support the work. As a result of the clearer distinction, it is easier for staff to focus their energy and expertise on their specific tasks. At the same time, a particular effort has been made to reinforce the complementarity and synergy of the normative and the operational activities conducted by the Organization.
FAO Web site on agricultural tradeA multilingual Internet site on Agricultural Trade is available at www.fao.org/ur/. It features Uruguay Round-related pages including FAO studies on the impact of the Uruguay Round and information on FAO's technical assistance and activities concerning:
The site also offers a question-and-answer service to facilitate the discussion of issues as they arise as well as any relevant documentation made available on multilateral trade negotiations as they proceed. |
The value of FAO's dual role, and the positive interaction between its normative and operational functions, is illustrated in the assistance provided to Member Nations in relation to the Uruguay Round Agreements (referred to increasingly as the WTO Agreements). Incorporating agriculture for the first time under operationally effective rules and disciplines, these Agreements represent a milestone in the multilateral trading system. Yet, many countries require technical assistance in order to fulful their Uruguay Round commitments in agriculture, forestry and fisheries and to benefit from the results. Because of its unique specialist expertise in international agriculture, forestry and fisheries, FAO is well placed to provide that assistance.
Since the Agreements were signed in 1994, the Organization's trade-related assistance has been stepped up. In 1996, additional impetus to its technical assistance in Uruguay Round-related matters was provided by the Rome Declaration on World Food Security and World Food Summit Plan of Action: Objective 4.3 of the Plan of Action commits FAO and other organizations to continue assisting developing countries in preparing for future multilateral trade negotiations so that they become "well-informed" and equal partners in the negotiation process. Furthermore, in November 1997 the FAO Conference urged the Organization to intensify its assistance to developing countries in adjusting to the new trading environment, complying with commitments under the Marrakesh Agreement and preparing for future trade negotiations.
FAO responded with the following initiatives:
Strengthening of the FAO Liaison Office in Geneva. As the main interface between FAO and WTO, this Liaison Office has been strengthened with a new team of senior staff experienced in economic and trade matters. The team offers on-the-spot assistance to country delegations in Geneva.
Training programme. A new training programme on the existing Uruguay Round Agreements has been launched. Concentrating specifically on those Agreements that have a bearing on agriculture, forestry and fisheries, the programme is intended to enhance the national capacity of participating countries in preparing for future WTO trade negotiations. It includes: training in the effective implementation of Codex Alimentarius standards, guidelines and recommendations so that participating countries can meet the requirements of the SPS and TBT Agreements; and training in procedures to improve the quality and safety of foods in domestic and international trade. The programme is designed for all FAO member developing countries and countries in transition.
Since the conclusion of the Uruguay Round in December 1994, in parallel with the wider adoption and practical application of normative instruments, certain normative-operational synergies have been gaining importance - prime examples being the work of the joint FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission and the function of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC).
Codex standards, guidelines and other recommendations are internationally recognized points of reference under the Uruguay Round Agreements. Through the Codex Alimentarius Commission, FAO has strengthened its role as facilitator of international food trade to become the leading source of technical advice to developing countries on the introduction and application of Codex standards as well as on the establishment of efficient and effective food control structures. Short seminars and workshops have been staged to inform government officials, industry and consumers about the importance of the Codex Alimentarius and the Agreements. Longer-term development projects, funded through TCP or by external donors, have involved the revision of national regulations to comply with the Codex Alimentarius, technical training and the upgrading of physical facilities.
Codex Alimentarius CommissionThe twin objectives of the Codex Alimentarius Commission are to protect the health of consumers and ensure fair practices in the food trade by elaborating internationally acceptable food standards. The Codex Alimentarius currently comprises:
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The IPPC has rapidly evolved from an international treaty deposited with FAO into a dynamic body with, inter alia, standard-setting responsibilities directly linked to a multilateral trade agreement. This development marks a significant change in phytosanitary and trade policy, which supports provision for safe trade within the objectives of free and fair trade. In line with this expanded policy scope, FAO also recognizes the importance of trade in the achievement of food and economic security.
The IPPC has assumed a major role in trade regulation since being identified in the SPS Agreement as the body responsible for establishing the international standards for phytosanitary measures recognized by WTO members. In order to reflect the provisions of the SPS Agreement and other developments at WTO, the Convention underwent a second revision (it had previously been revised in 1979). FAO played a facilitating role in the relevant process of government consultations, which began in 1995 and resulted in the New Revised Text of the IPPC approved by the FAO Conference in 1997.
International Plant Protection ConventionInternational Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs) adopted since 1995:
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Another normative instrument in which the Organization has provided strong leadership is the FAO International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides. A large amount of work went into the formalization of the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure, designed to protect pesticide-importing countries.
PIC requires that countries are informed of, and that they officially sanction, the import of banned or severely restricted pesticides and chemicals before any shipment is made. Between 1994 and 1998, jointly with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), FAO participated in, and at times led, a number of interagency meetings and intergovernmental negotiations, which culminated in the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade, adopted on 10 September 1998.
Eighty countries signed the Final Act of the Conference of the Plenipotentiaries on the PIC Procedure and 72 countries and the European Union (EU) have since signed the Rotterdam Convention - which will enter into force when the 50th instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval, or accession has been deposited. Until such time, FAO and UNEP are providing the interim secretariat and support for the Convention's operation. A major new element in the PIC procedure is the oversight function, which includes the addition or removal of chemicals subject to the Convention and will be carried out by the Conference of the Parties.
Agricultural genetic resources, developed by farmers and farming communities over millennia, are the basis for sustaining and further developing food and agricultural production. Many of these resources are at great risk of loss, and action to ensure their conservation and sustainable use is a priority. FAO's intergovernmental Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA) is recognized as a major international forum for the development of policies and the negotiation of agreements on genetic resources for food and agriculture. In 1995, the FAO Conference broadened the mandate of the CGRFA (until then the Commission on Plant Genetic Resources - CPGR) to cover all components of genetic resources of relevance to food and agriculture, beginning with plant and farm animal genetic resources. The following year, the CGRFA convened the Leipzig International Technical Conference, at which 150 countries adopted the Global Plan of Action for the Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. The Leipzig Conference also received the first Report on the State of the World's Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. The governing bodies have underlined the significance of the International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources, which governments are currently revising through the CGRFA. In 1999, the 30th session of the FAO Conference stressed the importance of successfully completing negotiations for its revision as an international instrument for the conservation and sustainable utilization of plant genetic resources, and for access to these resources, in ensuring global food security and sustainable agriculture. The revised Undertaking is expected to be a binding instrument regulating access to, and the sharing of benefits from, plant genetic resources for food and agriculture. The Conference also endorsed genetic resources in general as a high-priority area.
Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture1993 1994 1995 1996 1999 |
The CGRFA considered animal genetic resources for the first time in 1999. To provide the necessary information base for establishing priority needs and actions, governments agreed that FAO should coordinate the country-driven Report on the State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, within the context of the Global Strategy for the Management of Farm Animal Genetic Resources. Covering both normative and operational activities, the Strategy is being developed by FAO as a framework for assisting governments in analysing the value of avian and mammalian breeds, and in planning the conservation of those at risk, as well as their use and development for sustainable intensification.
For the global forestry sector, this is a time of rapid and complex political, institutional and technological change. There is heightened international concern about continued forest degradation and loss, and yet there is unprecedented public commitment to forest conservation. Public involvement in forest management decisions is increasing, and a growing number of organizations and institutions from a wide range of social and scientific disciplines are becoming involved in global forestry issues.
Partnership and coordination. Since 1994, FAO has intensified activities and set clear priorities under its forestry mandate, including partnerships at the national, regional and global levels. The Organization was heavily involved in the Commission on Sustainable Development and its Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF) from 1995 to the completion of its work in 1997 and, since then, it has participated in the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF). This involvement and support entailed the outposting of an FAO staff member to the IPF/IFF secretariat, the production of technical background papers and participation in numerous technical meetings. Evolving from FAO's former Tropical Forests Action Plan, national forest programmes (NFPs) are now an internationally accepted means for helping countries develop the capacity to manage their forest resources. Significantly, FAO has decentralized staff involved in support to NFPs to each of the Regional Offices.
FAO has also taken the leadership of the informal Interagency Task Force on Forests (ITFF), a high-level group that has brought together UN agencies and other international bodies since 1995 to coordinate their inputs into the forest policy process.
Dialogue and cooperation. In addition, the role of the Committee on Forestry (COFO), FAO's neutral forestry forum for policy and technical dialogue among its Member Nations, has been strengthened. COFO sessions in 1995, 1997 and 1999 have increasingly given more opportunity for information and satellite meetings and for the review of global forestry issues. To provide an opportunity for the exchange of views on international arrangements and mechanisms, and to secure high-level political support to the ongoing discussions, ministerial meetings were organized in 1995 and 1999 in conjunction with COFO. Both meetings were attended by ministers responsible for forests or their representatives while, in 1995, separate meetings were also held for international NGOs and private sector representatives. The first ministerial meeting produced the Rome Statement on Forestry, recognizing the critical importance of forests to the welfare, livelihood and food security of all people and future generations and to the life support system of the entire planet. In 1999, the national and international challenges of the sustainability issues in forestry were considered. The outcome of this second meeting was the Rome Declaration on Forestry, which was unanimously adopted by participants who pledged to work more closely together, fostering international cooperation and promoting cross-sectoral policies and activities that support sustainable forest management.
Information management and analysis. Equally as important as the substantial changes in the content of the Forestry (FO) Department's work have been the changes in the way it is carried out - the use of powerful computer modelling capabilities and the development of the Web site being good examples. FAO has historically collected statistical information on forest products and resources. The emphasis is now on expanding the fields of data collected, carrying out fuller analyses and widening dissemination of the resulting information and knowledge. For example, the Global Forest Resources Assessment, which is a comprehensive and authoritative FAO report on the state and change of forest resources worldwide, has increased its publication frequency from every ten years to every five years. It has continued to improve the accuracy of its assessments of global forest cover and deforestation and has expanded its scope to include indicators of forest health and forest-based biodiversity.
The dissemination of information has been improved since 1995 through the biennial publication of State of the World's Forests, which provides the latest information on forest area, forest management and products, and policy and institutional developments worldwide. New statistical series have been or are in the process of being started, covering non-wood forest goods and services, forest fires, genetic resources and educational and research establishments.
In the face of decreasing financial resources, the FAO Fisheries (FI) Department has devised a series of innovative approaches to respond to the growing demands of Member Nations and other stakeholders. The department has developed a broad portfolio of normative activities while also supporting field operations to promote the development of sustainable fisheries and increase the contribution of fishing to food security. These normative activities include:
Transformation of FAO regional fishery bodies (RFBs). These bodies have been revitalized to reinforce regional cooperation and handle new responsibilities. Since 1995, the secretariats of all RFBs have been decentralized to their respective regions and the network of FAO bodies has been streamlined. Two bodies had became redundant and were abolished, while the remaining nine were strengthened technically, even though some of their subsidiary bodies were abolished. The remaining RFBs are undergoing progressive reform from being simple fora for consultation and the exchange of information into financially autonomous structures with the capacity to take regional action on fisheries conservation and management.
FAO regional fishery bodies
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Implementation of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. The aim of the Code, adopted by the FAO Conference in October 1995, is to promote sound fisheries management and development and to improve fisheries governance. An interregional programme to support implementation activities began in 1998, and activities are currently under way in Southeast Asia and the Western Central Atlantic. This programme also provides the FI Department with a unique, integrated framework for its overall activities.
Expansion of fisheries information networks. A major development over the last five years has been the use of new information technology, such as CD-ROMs and the Internet. Through these media, FAO has increased the coverage of fishery statistics and information available within the World Agricultural Information Centre (WAICENT). It has developed a large departmental Web site and produced a prototype FAO Fisheries Atlas on CD-ROM in parallel with the UN Atlas of the Oceans. Also under way is the development of the Fisheries Global Information System (FIGIS), which is designed to provide a comprehensive flow of information on fisheries and related issues, including policy, standards and improved practices.
Publication of The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture. Responding to the need for more careful monitoring and analysis of international development in fisheries, this biennial report first appeared in 1995. It documents trends in production, utilization and trade, reviews progress made in addressing major issues in sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, and discusses the global outlook for the fisheries sector.
The significant role of fisheries in achieving food security and generating employment led the Organization to raise related issues with Member Nations' competent ministers. In March 1995, a ministerial meeting was held at FAO headquarters to discuss policies for sustainable and responsible fisheries and aquaculture. This first ministerial meeting on fisheries adopted the Rome Consensus on World Fisheries, recommending that appropriate action be taken to:
In early 1999, a second ministerial meeting in Rome endorsed the International Plan of Action for Management of Fishing Capacity, developed within FAO. Participants also agreed to support an initiative for a plan of action to deal with illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing, including support to the adoption of vessel monitoring systems (VMS).
FAO's Legal Office has continued to provide legal advisory services to governments on land, water, fisheries, plants, animals, food, forestry, wildlife and national parks, the environment and biodiversity as well as general agricultural issues regarding institutions, trade and economic reform. Working closely with FAO's technical units, the Legal Office has assisted governments in the preparation and revision of laws, regulations, agreements and other legal texts while also advising on institutional structures and compliance with international law. For example, it has been involved in the preparation or revision of a number of instruments, in particular the revision of the IPPC, the revision of the Asia-Pacific Plant Protection Agreement and the revision of the Agreement for the GFCM, the Compliance Agreement and the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries as well as the preparation of a new Agreement for the establishment of the IOTC and the creation of RECOFI. It has also been advising on the revision of the International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources.
Capacity building through participatory training of national officials and consultants constitutes an important element in most legal advisory projects, which are currently under way in 70 countries, including all regions.
In 1998, to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Legal Office published The right to food: in theory and practice. Featuring articles by international experts, including both civil society and UN representatives, as well as by FAO operational and normative units, the publication discusses the right to food as one of the basic human rights included in the Universal Declaration. It examines the obligations that its fulfilment entails for governments, civil society and the international community, and summarizes specific measures that are being taken by the various sectors.
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Food security, including people's access to available |
