Representation of the region on the consultative group on international agricultural research (CGIAR)
Any other business
Date and place of the twentieth FAO regional conference for Africa
Adoption of the report of the conference (including the technical committee report)
Closure of the conference
24. The Chairman presented the recommendation of the Technical Committee to the Conference for confirmation of the nomination of a country to represent the region on the CGIAR.25. The Conference accepted the election of Burkina Faso to succeed Ghana as the region's representative to the CGIAR for the four-year term, commencing 1997.
26. The Conference recalled two areas on procedures in which FAO guidance was necessary, namely: (i) how to obtain assistance for locust control, (ii) ratification of the convention on desertification. The Conference:a. was intimated of FAO's activities in connection with the EMPRES programme under which assistance for locust control was available;b. acknowledged that the convention on desertification had been approved by ministers from member states in the region and appealed especially to FAO member states to ratify the convention so as to ensure the release of necessary funding for the programme.
27. The delegation of Ethiopia offered to host the Twentieth FAO Regional Conference for Africa. The Conference:a. accepted by acclamation, this offer which would be conveyed to the Director-General of FAO who would decide on the date and place of the Conference in consultation with Member Governments.
28. The Conference considered and approved the Technical Committee Report unanimously as given in Appendix E.29. The Conference then considered and, after some amendments, adopted its report by acclamation.
30. The closing ceremony was performed by the Prime Minister of Burkina Faso, His Excellency, Mr. Kadré Désiré Ouedraogo, during which a closing statement was delivered on behalf of the Director-General of FAO by Mr. B. F. Dada, the FAO Assistant Director-General/Regional Representative for Africa, and a vote of thanks moved by Mr. Abraham Iyambo, Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources of the Republic of Namibia. In his closing statement, Mr. Dada recalled that the major part of the work of the Conference had been to review the various documents submitted by the Secretariat and other organizations in preparation for the World Food Summit. He pointed out that, in this regard, issues of particular relevance to Africa had been adequately addressed with a view to arriving at a common position and expressed his satisfaction that from the deliberations of the Conference, a report had emerged which would be forwarded to the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) as the Common Position of the Africa Region for the World Food Summit.31. Mr. Dada highlighted some of the key areas which the Conference had identified for specific action to enrich and sharpen the focus of the Policy Statement and Plan of Action for the World Food Summit and recalled that this resulted from the highly-spirited debates on issues of primary concern to the region. He underlined that this demonstrated the commitment of the participants to the implementation of policies that would ensure the availability of adequate food and access to it by all concerned. The Conference had closely examined the relationship between food security and nutrition and had recommended that it be more explicitly indicated in the report. The important role of women in contributing to household food security also needed to be given more recognition in the report.
32. In conclusion the Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative assured the Conference participants of the continued commitment of the FAO and its Regional and Sub-Regional Offices to assist countries of the region in their quest to achieve food security through increased self-reliance. He then expressed the sincere gratitude of FAO and all the distinguished delegates and observers to His Excellency the Prime Minister, Government and people of Burkina Faso for their kind invitation to host the Nineteenth Session of the FAO Regional Conference and for the excellent facilities provided as well as for the warm reception accorded the participants.
33. In moving the vote of thanks, Mr. Abraham Iyambo, Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources of the Republic of Namibia expressed, on behalf of all the delegates, deep appreciation and gratitude to the President of Burkina Faso for his kind words of wisdom at the opening of. the Conference and for the warm reception accorded participants during the period of their stay as well as for the excellent Conference facilities provided to ensure that the Nineteenth FAO Regional Conference was successfully organized in Ouagadougou.
34. He thanked the Prime Minister most sincerely for sparing the time to give audience to Heads of Delegations and for his kind words of wisdom and presence at the closing ceremony of the Conference. He also congratulated and thanked Mr. Michel Koutaba, Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources of Burkina Faso, for his patience and understanding in guiding the proceedings of the Conference as its Chairman. Similarly he expressed thanks to the FAO Director-General for his wise leadership and initiative to convene the World Food Summit and to the FAO Assistant Director-General/Regional Representative for Africa and his staff for all the arrangements and guidance in organizing the Conference.
35. In his closing remarks, the Prime Minister of Burkina Faso, Mr. Ouedraogo, on behalf of the President of Burkina Faso, congratulated all the participants to the Conference for their achievements in bringing the Conference to a successful ending. He remarked that the fact that they had produced such a good report after three days of intense deliberations was a testimony of their determination to solve the seemingly intractable problem of food insecurity in the countries of the region and to their untiring efforts to achieve equity, justice and solidarity. Recalling the wise words of the President of Burkina Faso during the opening ceremony, he said:
"We remain firmly convinced that only the unswerving determination of the Africans to do more and better, relying overwhelmingly on themselves and their own ability to shape their destiny, will release this continent from hunger, malnutrition and under-development".In this regard the Prime Minister expressed his appreciation for the good work being done by African countries to solve the problems of hunger and malnutrition.
36. Finally, he congratulated FAO, in general, and the Director-General, in particular, for the assistance in ensuring the successful outcome of the Conference and for the perseverance, determination and faith in assisting countries of the region to combat the problem of hunger. He thanked all those who had in various ways helped to make the Nineteenth FAO Regional Conference successful and wished delegates and others travelling, a safe journey back to their respective countries.
37. He then declared the Nineteenth FAO Regional Conference for Africa closed.
