V. FISER (Czechoslovakia): The Czechoslovak Socialist Republic evaluates very positively the conclusions of the Conference on Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries and especially so the adopted Plan of Action and its elaboration into specific tasks. In our opinion, the tasks which will ensue from the Conference conclusions for our Organization will be a significant asset to the economic progress of developing countries especially in their agriculture, the condition of which is still often unsatisfactory.
The Czechoslovak delegation appreciates the effort to transform technological cooperation among developing countries into an instrument for the gradual introduction of a New International Economic Order which is quite in keeping with the conclusions of the Sixth and Seventh Extraordinary Sessions of the United Nations General Assembly and other adopted documents.
Czechoslovakia helps the developing countries in their realization on a multilateral and bilateral basis and is ready to help in the development of technical cooperation among developing countries in the sphere of agriculture and nutrition. We are ready further to develop our cooperation with developing countries both on a bilateral and multilateral basis. We would like to state that besides the conventional and established forms of our cooperation we still have extensive and so far not yet fully exploited possibilities of study for young agricultural specialists from developing countries in our agricultural, veterinary, food industry technology and other universities where all the conditions for mastering the given subjects, including language preparation, already exist. We can also offer possibilities of cooperation in joint solving selected research tasks for the need of developing countries and many theoretically prepared papers are already available to some scientific places of work. The same applies to the information sphere where we participate in the publication of the journal FAO/Agrindex.
As already stated in the introduction, the tasks for FAO ensuing from the Buenos Aires Conference are surely going to lead to an intensification of mutual cooperation within both developing countries alone and to greater cooperation of the developing countries with the developed countries, and Czechoslovakia is prepared to materialize its share in the activity.
B. DE AZEVEDO BRITO (Brazil): For the sake of brevity, I will not make detailed comments on the developments with regard to UNDP, the World Food Conference and IFAD. My delegation feels that the relevant questions pertaining to the relationship of FAO with those organizations have been clearly identified by the Programme Committee. While it should suffice, in our view, for the Council to endorse the observations and conclusions advanced by the Programme Committee, my delegation would like nonetheless to underline its concern for the declining share of the agricultural sector in UNDP-financed activities. Such a declining share is not in our opinion the result of a lack of interest on the part of the recipient countries. The priority of agricultural development within the overall development efforts of the developing countries would normally have led exactly in the opposite direction. The explanation for the increasing figures both in terms of percentage and absolute amounts could perhaps be found in the difficulty of carrying out project identification and project formulation for the agricultural sector within the rigid arrangements of country programming.
If present trends persist, our Council might well wish to undertake a more in-depth examination of the subject so as to devise appropriate corrective measures. The question is sufficiently important, in our view, since there is usually a direct relationship between the level of principal investment work and bankable projects ready for investment financing. It will be meaningful to press for additional resources for investment if we discover in the process that the absorption capacity has been seriously curtailed.
On the question of TCDC, my remarks will be equally brief. In different fora my government has consistently supported technical cooperation among developing countries. Within the agricultural sector, TCDC would appear to us an even more interesting and appealing proposition, for conditions of climate and soil, not to speak of levels of development would normally suggest that cooperation would be more efficient and fruitful if developed among countries and regions within the same latitudes sharing the same ecological conditions. This is certainly valid for agricultural research and is equally valid for specific development activities in terms of choice of crops, of cultivation methods, of seeds, of equipment, etcetera. My delegation is not at all surprised therefore to see that FAO has in fact pioneered in TCDC activities.
We are happy to register the information provided in document CL 74/23 to the effect that the Director-General will take further measures to orient the work of FAO both under its regular programme and extra-budgetary programmes more strongly in support of TCDC. The preparation of the Programme of Work and Budget for 1980-81 provides additional opportunity for an effective utilization of TCDC as an invigorating perspective of practically each Programme and Sub-programme carried out by the Organization.
It is also important that bilateral donors fully realize the benefit that can be derived from their support of TCDC in agricultural development for their financial resources can make viable a new kind of triangular operation of particular significance for increasing full availability in the world. While there is already ample scope for promoting effectively TCDC in the field of agriculture, my delegation would agree with those who observe that the strengthening of national institutions can in many cases well be an essential work condition for TCDC. This is an additional reason for our Council to support the declared intention of the Director-General to ensure that in the biennium 1980-81 FAO activities will be even more strongly focused on assistance to member countries in developing and strengthening their own capabilities.
My delegation would also like to suggest that FAO representatives can play in their countries of responsibilities a very useful and fruitful rule in identifying areas of cooperation with other developing countries and in stimulating specific joint ventures within the context of the TCDC. Specific guidelines should in our view be developed if they do not already exist to orient and inspire the work of FAO representatives with regard to TCDC. My delegation would like finally to conclude its remarks by agreeing with the suggestion of Argentina that TCDC become an item for continuous review of FAO Council. Perhaps, I would add, the Programme Committee could give suggestions on the manner this proposal could best be implemented.
I. OZARAI (Hungary): My delegation particularly appreciates Mr. Yriart's introduction which was a great help in having a clearer picture of TCDC. The Plan of Action adopted at the UN Conference on Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries strung together some recommendations with which my delegation is in full agreement. To promote each developing country's making better use of her own capabilities and skill is a high-priority objective indeed of all UN agencies and thus of FAO. I would only like to make some practical comments in the impact TCDC may have on FAO's work.
Reading carefully the document before us - CL 74/23 - we were unable to find a direct indication of the increase in identified development investment needs and proposals which will no doubt constitute a strong part of what has been referred to in paragraph 4 as "TCDC solutions or TCDC contributions to solutions for specific development problems". My delegation does not have any hesitation in foreseeing a development investment activity under the TCDC umbrella, which may be supplementing present UN activities without prejudice to existing programmes.
At any rate, and that is the point I would like to make, I wonder whether the setting up of an interdisciplinary working group inside FAO might prove efficient to gather, record and analyse information on would-be investment-oriented projects identified by the various units in FAO, whether they are bankable or not. The two reports of the Programme Committee submitted to this Session of the Council have mentioned the usefulness of some inter-departmental working groups within FAO. I trust this would be useful all the same. This working group, of course, may not only have an eye on the investments generated under TCDC but may also help in better coordination of development investments in general and may at the same time strengthen the leading role FAO has to play in agricultural and food development.
I have to admit that a reference to the FAO Advisory Committee on Investment so far escaped my attention. I found reference to it in the footnote in CL 74/OD/6, in other words, the Order of the Day, issued this morning. This Committee may very well be what my delegation has in mind.
In concluding, let me say that we are satisfied with the Director-General's approach to TCDC. We ourselves feel that - and I quote - "It is not surprising that most of the activities proposed in the Plan of Action for the attention in the UN Development System already have been receiving careful attention within FAO."
LI CHEN-HLIAN (China) (Interpretation from Chinese): I would like to express our views on the,cooperation between countries in the agricultural field. The plan of action adopted by the United Nations Conference on Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries held in Buenos Aires this year reflects the just and reasonable demand of the developing countries. Therefore, the implementation of this plan of action will play a positive role in the promotion of technical cooperation among the developing countries with economic and technical exchange between developed and developing countries, based on equality and mutual benefit and the establishment of a new international economic order.
As a matter of course, it is no easy task to put into effect the correct principles set out in the Plan of Action in various fields. We are glad to know that, with a view to promoting TCDC, FAO has taken a number of steps in its policies and procedures. In other words, the Director-General is preparing to adopt more measures to deal with the problems still in existence. For all this we wish to express our appreciation.
China attaches great importance to TCDC. We have established very good economic and technical cooperation with many developing countries. We hold that the achievements in science and technology are the common property of all mankind, and all countries have their own strongpoints irrespective of their size. They could progress together more speedily through learning from each other.
Over the years we have introduced from the Third World and other friendly countries a numbar of improved crop varieties, fine grades of domestic animals, and other domestic expertise, some of which have already been applied and extended considerably in China, and through bilateral or multi-lateral channels we have also offered some technology to other developing countries which we think suitable to their circumstances.
In recent years we have also enhanced our technical exchange with developing countries through FAO. We are ready to learn the advanced scientific and technical "know-how from all countries to further strengthen cooperation in agriculture among developing countries.in various ways, and make our share of contribution within our capabilities.
Sra. G. RIVERA MARIN DE ITURBE (Mexico): Me permito felicitar, en primer término, al Sr. Yriart por su presentación en los asuntos tan importantes como son la cooperación recíproca entre agencias especializadas del Sistema de las Naciones Unidas y la cooperación técnica entre países en desarrollo. Realmente su informe nos permitió apreciar la amplia gama de programas en los cuales la FAO está ahora cooperando y cómo lo que en un principio fue un programa auspiciado por el Director General en una forma pequeña y limitada, está cobrando más importancia dentro de las formas de actuación de nuestra Organización.
Asimismo me complace felicitar al Sr. Morris Williams, por su designación como Director Ejecutivo del Consejo Mundial de la Alimentación, organismo con el cual México ha colaborado expresamente y con quien, además, hemos afianzado nuestra forma de trabajo después de la reunión celebrada en mi país, donde tuvimos el gusto y el honor de recibir a varios de los representantes permanentes de la FAO que son además representantes ante el Consejo Mundial de la Alimentación, y de atender a nuestros colegas con el afecto y aprecio que México brinda siempre a quienes nos honran con su presencia en eventos de carácter internacional.
A continuación deseo referirme al tema 21.1(b) y respecto a ello hemos escuchado del distinguido representante del PNUD su informe relativo al traslado de los 3 millones de dolares a favor de la FAO para su empleo en programas dirigidos a evitar pérdidas post-cosechas.
Mi delegación desea expresar su complacencia en esta materia por este apoyo ofrecido en asuntos de tanta importancia para los países en desarrollo, y concretamente para mi país resulta sumamente importante porque en países como los nuestros requerimos asistencia técnica que deberá ser recibida por las vías adecuadas que procedan de la FAO o de otras agencias que nos puedan ayudar en esta materia; porque es importantísimo para nosotros calificar técnicos en el manejo de las cosechas y en la preservación de los alimentos, sobre todo de los productos vegetales perecederos y de las frutas. En estos dos renglones es donde México pierde más dinero cada año debido a que no se sabe aprovechar el fruto de las cosechas, no tenemos los elementos necesarios de refrigeración ni las formas adecuadas modernas para el transporte de los elementos de los productos alimenticios y su conservación; entonces, sufrimos anualmente pérdidas por varios millones de pesos al descomponerse estos productos que, de otra forma, podrían ser aprovechados si supiéramos conservarlos adecuadamente.
De la misma manera es muy importante para mi país el requerir la presencia de expertos en el establecimiento de agroindustrias de pequeña y mediana inversión, que se destinen a la producción de productos frutales enlatados. Esto a nivel de comunidades pequeñas donde se podría ayudar a implementar unos programas de establecimiento de agroindustrias que pudieran ser manejadas en forma de trabajo remunerado por las mujeres campesinas que al aceptar los programas de planificación familiar quedaban liberadas del cuidado de la familia por varios años y entonces sería muy conveniente que este ocio, este tiempo libre, con el que van a contar las mujeres campesinas sea ocupado en forma productiva y que les dé a ellas otra imagen de sí mismas que además les permitiría colaborar activamente con dinero en el sostenimiento de su familia.
Es uno de los cuellos de botella con que se ha encontrado el Programa de Control de la Natalidad en las Areas Rurales, el saber en qué se van a ocupar las horas libres de las mujeres que han aceptado participar en este tipo de Programas; así que nosotros debemos duplicar y redoblar todos nuestros esfuerzos, y por ello, estamos muy de acuerdo en que se extiendan los programas de cooperación técnica entre países en desarrollo porque necesitamos redoblar los esfuerzos para abrir este tipo de industrias pequeñas, de tipo de economía familiar, pero que sean remunerativas, programas en los cuales la FAO también está poniendo un esfuerzo muy importante para aumentar.
De esta manera, consideramos que la cooperación técnica de la FAO que se aumentará gracias al apoyo del PNUD puede ser un inicio de una nueva etapa de ampliación de programas de beneficio a la producción agrícola de pequeña y mediana escala; por esto estamos sumamente complacidos.
Además, por lo que se refiere a la situación entre la FAO y el Consejo Mundial de la Alimentación nos complace también la colaboración que ha ofrecido el señor Williams ya que esto garantizará un entendimiento mucho mayor, más amplio entre las dos organizaciones cuyas metas y objetivos consideramos que en última instancia son los mismos, o sea, ayudar a mejorar las condiciones de alimentación y nutrición en el mundo.
Pero además de eso, deseo reiterar la colaboración ilimitada de nuestro país a fin de que la Declaración de México sea implementada a la brevedad posible por lo que respecta al tema 21.1(c), me permito reiterar la posición de mi país en el sentido de que México apoya las medidas que favorezcan la CTPD, pero también en mi país deseamos poner énfasis en que la cooperación horizontal entre países en igual nivel de desarrollo es muy conveniente, y que en los acuerdos bilaterales deben de dárseles la misma importancia a aquellos acuerdos que procedan de las organizaciones internacionales hacia las naciones y entre las cuales destacan lógicamente la cooperación técnica que procede de FAO en sus programas de CTPD.
Asimismo, la delegación de México, por mi conducto, opina en el sentido de que debe buscarse la forma para lograr hacer operativa la propuesta del distinguido representante de la Argentina, en el sentido de hacer permanente la búsqueda de conductos que nos lleven a conocer mejor los programas de Cooperación Técnica para el Desarrollo y de que FAO también busque las formas de que la evaluación de sus programas sea más accesible y sea permanente.
N.M. MAPELA (Zaïre): Tout d'abord, ma delegation voudrait appuyer la proposition qui a été faite l'autre jour par le délégué de l'Argentine, à savoir, d'une part la nécessité à l'avenir d'inscrire, à l'ordre du jour des sessions de notre Conseil, des questions ayant trait à la coopération technique entre pays en développement; et d'autre part, examiner la possibilité de créer un Comité permanent du Conseil qui serait chargé d'examiner les questions ayant trait à la coopération technique entre pays en développement.
Pour terminer, ma délégation estime que toute modification éventuelle du taux actuel de remboursement à la FAO des frais d'exécution de projets financés par le PNUD, devrait faire l'objet d'une concertation entre les deux institutions.
W.A.F. GRABISCH (Germany, Federal Republic of): With regard to the World Food Council, 1 would be grateful to the Secretariat if it could give us some additional information about the Director-General's analysis of the implications for FAO of the recommendations of the World Food Council, as set out in the Mexico Declaration.
With regard to Recommendation 2 of the World Food Council I should like to ask whether it can now be stated how the competent organization will identify the shortcomings, difficulties and bottlenecks which they have encountered so far in supporting the efforts of developing countries in the agricultural sector. When and where, we should like to ask, will FAO and the other organizations consider these questions and make their findings known.
Recommendations 3, 4 and 10 of the World Food Council deal with the drawing up and implementation of food and nutrition plans and the continuation of the activities initiated by CGFPI. The Secretariat could perhaps inform us whether measures have already been taken for the implementation of the four plans already available and whether other governments have asked for assistance in developing such plans and strategies.
Let me add two remarks. Recommendation 6 of thè World Food Council requests its secretariat to report to the Fifth Session on the supply of developing countries with agricultural inputs. In this respect the Director-General fears duplication with the work of FAO. It should be possible to avoid this danger if the envisaged close cooperation with the competent organizations, in particular with FAO, is realized in the preparation of the report.
With regard to Recommendation 7, I associate myself with the Director-General that the development of fisheries is a subject which also particularly concerns FAO. As in the case of other reports, it can also be assumed here that the World Food Council secretariat will fully invite the cooperation of competent agencies, even though it is not explicitly expressed in the text.
I come now to my second point.
(Continues in Spanish)
En cuanto a la Conferencia del CTPD que mi Gobierno favorece , quisiera agradecer al doctor Yriart per su excelente introducción del tema bajo consideración. El ha señalado, a nuestro juicio en forma muy acertada, las áreas de los sectores agrícolas, ganaderos, pesca y forestal que se prestan para una colaboración mutua más estrecha entre países en vías de desarrollo.
Tal colaboración entre países con las mismas o similares condiciones generales ecológicas y económicas en los sectores de la producción de alimentos es de especial importancia, sea en forma bilateral, a nivel regional o subregional o mundial.
Abrigamos la esperanza de que los resultados de la Conferencia de Buenos Aires contribuyan a fortalecer aun más esta colaboración. Con respecto a la sugerencia de incluir este tema permanentemente en las Agendas de las Sesiones Ordinarias del Consejo, se me ocurre que quizás sea aún más importante de tomar en cuenta la cooperación técnica entre los países en vías de desarrollo y sus vastas posibilidades continuamente en cuenta cuando se discuten los salientes problemas del agro y del desarrollo rural a nivel de las Conferencias Regionales como también en las sesiones de los Comités Competentes para Agricultura, Pesca, Silvicultura, Seguridad Alimenticia, etc.
No en forma aislada sino al enfrentar los problemas técnicos, es ahí donde, a nuestro juicio, a nuestro entender, se abren las perspectivas para el trabajo en común entre los países en vías de desarrollo para una estrecha colaboración en forma práctica.
B. de la KETHULLE de RYHOVE (Belgique): Monsieur le Président, mon propos a trait à la CTPED.
Je voudrais tout d'abord féliciter M. Yriart pour la qualité du document qu'il nous a soumis à ce propos.
Le Belgique a participé activement à la Conférence de Buenos Aires sur la coopération technique entre pays en voie de développement. Lorsque l'idée en avait été lancée il y a quelques années, mon pays avait déjà soutenu cette option et dans certains projets mon pays avait appliqué ces idées.
Cette coopération s'inscrit dans l'Histoire. Il est en effet logique que la solidariété entre pays en voie de développement se traduise en relations concrètes. Cela peut être très enrichissant. On pourrait qualifier cette coopération de troisième dimension.
Cette coopération jusqu'ici n'a été approchée que de façon sporadique. On pourrait agir de façon plus méthodique.
La détermination des pays en voie de développement d'entreprendre cette coopération est un premier signe favorable.
Beaucoup d'efforts devront être déployés, et il est indispensable que les participants, pays et organisations internationales, notamment la FAO, orientent directement leur action vers les objectifs de coopération entre les pays en voie de développement.
Comme il a déjà été proposé dans cette enceinte, la FAO peut stimuler, suivre, évaluer suivant des procédures appropriées, l'avancement et la réalisation de l'idée lancée lors de la Conférence de Buenos Aires.
Cette troisième dimension de la coopération peut apporter une impulsion extraordinaire au développement dans le monde.
S. SAITO (Japan): I would like to make some comments concerning the sub-agenda of TCDC. First of all, my delegation supports the FAO's approach to promote TCDC in the field of food and agriculture and we share our view with the secretariat, which stresses the necessity of assistance from donor countries and international agencies in order to supplement the activities of TCDC by developing countries efficiently.
TCDC is still at an early stage, and each developing country has its own natural, economic and social conditions. Therefore, it is essentially important to strengthen the exchange of information, knowledge, experience and technologies between developing countries and to establish mutual confidence in utilizing those inputs of developing countries.
In this context my delegation expects FAO to support self-help efforts of developing countries in cooperation with donor countries and international agencies.
At the same time my delegation would like to emphasize the necessity of a realistic and effective approach concerning how to promote TCDC of developing countries with limited budgets.
My delegation thinks that the objective of TCDC in the field of food and agriculture is to increase food production and to meet the basic needs of small farmers, which occupy a large share of population in developing countries. Therefore, in order to achieve this purpose it is needed that those small farmers, as beneficiaries, should participate fully in the process of making decisions on policies for planning and implementation of TCDC.
At the same time, my delegation feels that various institutional changes for making a fair distribution of benefit to small farmers should be made by developing countries themselves.
P. MASUD (Pakistan): We realize that we are taking the floor at a late stage of the debate and will therefore endeavour to be as brief as possible and I will restrict myself to the subject of TCDC.
Insofar as the proposed intergovernmental arrangements are concerned we feel after examining the document in question that since responsibility for overall intergovernmental review has been assigned to the Administrator of the UNDP, who will convene meetings for this purpose, there should be no duplication of these functions by other UN bodies". We would particularly caution against the creation of new committees or bodies with the same or similar terms of reference. Of course, if an existing body in FAO could keep the subject under constant review at no additional expense we would gladly support the idea.
As regards the financial arrangements outlined in paragraph 7, we have a suggestion that the Council may like to consider. We feel that the Programme of Technical Cooperation amongst Developing Countries should be more flexible so as to include triangular cooperation by involving a third developing country which would provide financial means for such cooperation. Whilst the financial arrangements for TCDC do envisage such assistance through multilateral financing, the possibility of doing so through triangular cooperation should also be explored. Perhaps the creation of a trust fund for this specific purpose may act as a catalyst.
Secondly, on the exchange of experts among developing countries, we feel that these should not necessarily be covered by the same salary structure as is applicable to the developed countries. Our proposal would be to evolve a new system which would be just, equitable and rewarding to the experts from the developing countries.
Lastly, there are two questions that we would like to flag, not necessarily for consideration now but at some future date. These are the questions of attitudinal barriers to the implementation of TCDC and the strengthening of national institutions.
A.J. PECKHAM (United Kingdom): I wish to make four very brief points, if I may, on TCDC. The first is that the United Kingdom welcomes the consensus achieved at the conference in Buenos Aires and believes that the recommendations on a plan of action should give added impetus to the promotion of this particular aspect of international cooperation.
Secondly, we agree that FAO should of course help foster the objectives of TCDC and we think that this can be done within the existing framework of FAO.
Thirdly, we support the objectives of TCDC as the plan brings out, provided the choice of inputs -I hope that is not too obscure - remain with the recipient countries, and that the concept is not promoted as a sort of theoretical end in itself.
The last point is the important one: that the requirements of the recipient country obviously take priority. And lastly, we agree with those delegations who have expressed concern about the expense of holding another FAO sponsored special conference when alternative arrangements - and I refer here specifically to the periodic reviews at intergovernmental level - already seem to be available.
P.L. SALES (United States of America): My delegation has read with interest the report Role of the United Nations Development System in Promoting TCDC as Envisaged in the Buenos Aires Plan of Action. In the view of my Government, TCDC is essentially a concept to encourage further participation of developing countries in the development process and consequently affects the operational mood of the United Nations organizations. FAO should therefore, within the confines of its budgetary resources, explore further opportunities for TCDC and accordingly use national and regional institutions, identify specific areas in the respective regions, and make full use of information to overcome the obstacles that are impeding the effective utilization of the knowledge and experience of developing countries. As evidence of my Government's support for the TCDC concept, the United States Agency for International Development is reviewing its policies and procedures in order to enlarge the opportunities of using the institutions and facilities of the developing world in the execution of its programmes. An inter-agency committee has been established to consider fully a broad range of possible actions.
My delegation has taken note that consideration is being given at this Council on means by which stock can be taken of the Buenos Aires conference in the field of agriculture, forestry and fisheries. We would urge the Director-General to include the subject matter as an item of the agenda of appropriate FAO fora.
My delegation concurs with the remarks of the Pakistani delegation that we should avoid duplication of intergovernmental mechanisms.
E. DOUEK (Observer for Israel): The item to which I wish to refer is technical cooperation among developing countries. First of all, I wish to express my appreciation for the excellent introduction of the subject by Mr. Yriart. Secondly, I wish to express our satisfaction over the steps taken by the Director-General in a responding to the recommendations made by the Buenos Aires conference to constitute a plan of action for promoting and implementing technical cooperation among developing countries. It is in the field of food and agriculture that this kind of cooperation is most urgently needed. It is also in this field that Israel can boast a long tradition of cooperative action, thereby sharing its own experience as a developing country with other countries facing similar problems.
Israel therefore heartily welcomes the inclusion of the TCDC concept into the FAO and declares itself and its experience available for any form of cooperation with any other developing country. As we all know, food crises are the fear of the world as a whole. Shortages of production, failure of supply, lack of adequate reserves, are menacing the world's population and above all that of developing countries. More sinister still is the number of undernourished people who, according to the statement by the President of the World Bank, will reach 600 million this year. No one will deny the urgent need for considerably larger contributions by the industrialized countries and international organizations within the framework of a coordinated international food aid strategy to match the growing needs of developing countries, and above all those of the least developed countries. But, just as according to a famous proverb, the Lord helps those who help themselves, developing countries need to cooperate and help one another, and other kinds of factors paving their way to self-reliance in food and to a constant improvement of their agriculture. This task, although difficult and still largely dependent on economic support by the industrialized world, is certainly not impossible. Some developing countries have undergone a "green revolution" and are on the verge of independence in food. It is their moral obligation to make available their experience, experts and material to those lagging behind for whatever reason, and to extend a friendly hand to them.
Consequently, we should like to suggest that urgent cooperation action be taken in the following fields in which Israel has been working for nearly 30 years now, in cooperation with other developing countries. First, development of new food sources emanating from techniques such as aquaculture which in Israel has produced amazingly high yields. Secondly, development of seed production and the supply of an adequate share of improved seeds for developing countries. Third, agricultural development of arid and semi-arid zones making habitable areas out of deserts through techniques developed in Israel but applicable also in Africa, Asia, Latin America and, above all, the rest of the Middle-East. Israel is willing to expand this cooperation in the future. The Government of Israel appreciates very much the efforts made by the United Nations and its agencies for the encouragement of exchange of know-how among developing countries as a part of their common striving towards development.
My Government particularly welcomes the results of the TCDC Conference in Buenos Aires. I wish to recall that my country put forward in that Conference a proposal for a voluntary agreement for the exchange of technical assistance among developing countries aimed at reducing the high rate of dependence of developing countries on the industrialized world as well as promoting a meaningful exchange of assistance among developing countries. We consider such an arrangement to be an adequate framework through which cooperation among developing countries in food and agriculture can take place and contribute to render this world available to the people of unfavoured areas as it is to the rest of the world.
CHAIRMAN: This concludes the discussion on this complex subject and I should now like to call on the various ADG's to respond to the important points made by members.
D.J. WALTON (Director, Office for Inter-Agency Affairs): I should like to reply to just one specific question on World Food Council matters, the question from the delegate of the Federal Republic of Germany. The delegate of the Federal Republic asked how and when FAO would be called on to analyse and explain its own shortcomings, difficulties and bottlenecks. I thought he asked the question with a certain relish and I am sorry to have to disappoint him because it is not the shortcomings, difficulties and bottlenecks of FAO that are supposed to be dissected but the difficulties in increasing the flow of official development assistance, together with, on the other side, constraints within developing countries on increasing food and agricultural production including constraints on giving a higher priority to food and agriculture in general development plans. The procedure for implementing this paragraph of the Mexico declaration was explained by the President of the World Food Council in his address to the Plenary of the Council at its second meeting. He stated there that there would be a series of meetings organized by OECD in respect of donor countries, organized by regional development banks for countries in the different regions; and organized by the World Bank for the international financial institutions. These meetings will lead into an inter-agency meeting in Bellagio in April of next year from which will come the documentation for the next session of the World Food Council.
There is very little complementary information that I can convey, but the Director-General would certainly hope to be associated rather more closely with this exercise as it unrolls. By the way, I should add that this also answers the more specific question on Friday from the delegate of Lebanon about the Bellagio meeting. There was a second question from the delegate of the Federal Republic of Germany addressed to the Secretariat, and that was about food plans. The four food plans that were completed and submitted to the Consultative Group on Food Production and Investment, the CGFPI, have now been so to speak a sort of regular process of development aid and are being crystallized out into specific projects, planning assistance etc., and to these, FAO, the World Bank, UNDP are responding in the normal way through the normal channels to requests from the governments concerned.
We have not received a specific request for assistance in preparing any other food plans, although we know that some governments have been interested in them, but experience with the food plans so far drawn up has certainly not been encouraging and as, indeed, FAO had predicted from the beginning, they have not served as a suitable vehicle for taking investment or technical cooperation decisions.
Y. F. YRIART (Assistant Director-General, Development Department): May I take up first the discussion on relations with UNDP. I shall be very brief because I think the debate has been very illuminating and there are very few points on which the Secretariat has anything to add to the presentation. It is indeed the delegates themselves who have given us guidance. I should like to refer to the first intervention, that of the delegate of France, where he discussed the question of support costs briefly, saying that he felt the matter was now for discussion by the Intergovernmental Committee that will report to the UNDP Governing Council, and we should rest at that for the time being. May I say that my colleague Mr. West, when we come to item 21.1 (d), (v), which is the JIU Report on the Expanded Preliminary Note on a New System for Agency Support Costs, will, however, update the information that you have on what is going on in the intergovernmental committee, but I would like to take the opportunity to recall to the Council that the FAO Conference, at its Nineteenth Session, decided that the Council be involved in consultations before the UNDP Governing Council takes any action on the Report, on the intergovernmental report on support costs. This indeed is in paragraph 248 of the Nineteenth Conference Session.
May I now refer to something which was mentioned by the representative of Brazil and which is indeed a crucial matter. He referred to the difficulties that sometimes governments experience in project identification and preparation and the result being afterwards that in the country programme there may be problems with regards to the share allotted to agriculture. This was in respect to the concern expressed by the Director-General as to the falling share of FAO in the UNDP Programme. Indeed, this question of project identification and preparation is one that concerns us very greatly. It is one of the issues behind the insistence of the Director-General for a better participation of the agencies in country programming. It is certainly one of the main tasks visualized for the FAO representative and on this score I would say that I begin to find already good signs of the effects of the FAO representatives being able to work closely with the governments and I have already identified several countries where the results are a clear, better presentation of the agricultural part of the country programme, better definition of projects and indeed a larger share for FAO. So while indubitably we have to keep a very close watch whether the question of a smaller share in the UNDP Programme is a question of falling priority on the part of the governments, in which case we have immediately to report this to you because it would be up to the Council and Conference to bring this to the attention of governments. However, we follow closely the mechanical aspects of the problem as identified by the representative of Brazil and we do our utmost to extend assistance to the governments in improving their programming.
I would like also to say a very brief word with regard to the evaluation programme that UNDP follows with the agencies and to which the representative of the UNDP referred, and as I have told the Council at other sessions, evidently we concur with the importance that it will have with regard to certain issues, this evaluation, which will provide us with knowledge to improve our effective work afterwards. As you know, the Director-General's priority, supported by you, is really in fields of action, of direct action, keeping a proper balance for stock taking for learning from our own actions and on this question of the evaluation programmes we have always told UNDP that the way it is being shaped, it is something that we have to plan jointly, to plan ahead of time because the resources necessary are resources that we cannot provide ad hoc, but should certainly be included in our normal programmes of work and budget. This is, for example, what happens with the evaluation on agricultural training where the main resources are being put by FAO with the participation of UNDP, so if we drag our feet sometimes, it is to keep a proper balance between action and stock taking, though we realize also the importance on certain occasions of stock taking.
(Continues in Spanish)
Permítame ahora, Sr. Presidente, pasar a la discusión sobre el CTPD. En este debate, que fue muy grato para mí oír ya que estamos todavía en una etapa en que vamos acumulando experiencia, la guía que se nos da es muy útil. Se han presentado algunos puntos que, por su importancia, quisiera mencionar.
En general, los señores delegados se han referido a una debilidad que afrontamos en todo el Sistema y que afrontan, también, los países; así lo reconocemos en el documento que todos ustedes tienen delante y, claramente, en el párrafo 11, que es el problema de dar difusión de información y de conocimientos sobre las capacidades de las instituciones nacionales en los países en desarrollo en varias ocasiones, no solo en nuestros propios cuerpos rectores sino también en otros órganos de las Naciones Unidas al tratarse del CPTD.
Hemos insistido mucho sobre la necesidad de buscar que el Sistema de Información sobre Referencias, que le llaman SIR, que está siendo desarrollado por el PNUD como un adjunto de la CTPD, tenga calidad. Hasta el momento, los registros que se hacen de instituciones nacionales carecen de una valoración de la competencia técnica de esas instituciones.
Quiero decir también que somos muy conscientes de la necesidad de trabajar en la materia de mayor información y difusión de esa información sobre las capacidades de las organizaciones, de las instituciones nacionales; y otra vez repito que en ese aspecto el Director General asigna mucha importancia a la labor que tendrán que realizar las oficinas regionales y los representantes de la FAO, que se convertirán en un instrumento de acción en las oficinas regionales para la promoción de la CTPD.
En el debate hubo también alguna mención a un problema que tiene mucha importancia para nosotros, que es el aumento del uso de insumos, equipos, expertos, consultores, etc., de los países en desarrollo. Quiero asegurarle, Sr. Presidente, que la FAO está comprometida en un aumento del uso de insumos de los países en desarrollo; sigue una política constante para favorecerlo y en la actualidad hemos establecido un sistema de supervisión de monitores del uso de insumos como una de las maneras de alcanzar niveles mayores.
Hemos progresado bastante en cuanto, al uso de expertos de países en desarrollo; hemos progresado algo, pero menos que en esta materia, en el uso de equipos, pero debo mencionar que en este sentido me alegra que el representante del Reino Unido indirectamente lo haya mencionado; uno de los problemas principales es que, en efecto, sea el país beneficiario el que determine de dónde van a provenir los insumos en forma de equipamiento, y entonces es dentro del espíritu del CTPD que tiene que ser compacto, no sólo entre las agencias de cambiar sus actitudes, pero también los países deben cambiar sus actitudes, los países desarrollados y los países en desarrollo que tienen que buscar ellos el uso, a veces, de insumos de otros países en desarrollo.
En este sentido, nuestra posición es que al discutirse los proyectos sobre los documentos que van a regular los proyectos de cooperación técnica, en ese memento es cuando los países en desarrollo deben hacer un esfuerzo consciente y nosotros debemos ayudarles para identificar insumos de países en desarrollo que pueden utilizar.
El Sr. representante de Hungría hizo una interesante referencia al problema de la inversión en relación con el CTPD y quiero decirle que en el problema general de la inversión, como manifesté al introducir el tema sobre el PNUD y lo han visto también en nuestros documentos, está habiendo en los últimos tiempos un esfuerzo constante por parte de todo el sistema para aumentar o mejorar la labor que hacemos en cuanto a identificación en los proyectos de cooperación técnica de posibilidades de inversiones futuras.
En este sentido les mencioné al hablar del PNUD que éste en su Consejo de Administración se ha ocupado de ello y la FAO por su experiencia en materia de inversiones está haciendo el principal asesoramiento dentro del sistema y estamos tomando medidas prácticas para ver si se puede, en los proyectos financiados por el PNUD, manejar mejor la posibilidad de un seguimiento con inversiones.
No sé, pero tomamos muy seriamente la indicación del Sr. representante de Hungría, no sé hasta qué punto las medidas que estamos tomando para mejorar el seguimiento en materia de inversión de los proyectos del PNUD pueden ser extensibles a los proyectos del CTPD, pero es evidente que allí tenemos un asunto que tratar y que espero en el futuro podamos darles información a ustedes.
Quisiera, sin embargo, indicar, Sr. Presidente, por su intermedio al Sr. representante de Hungría, que la mención que ha visto en la agenda sobre el Comité de inversiones es sobre otro tema, es el Comité que asesora al Director General sobre la inversion de los recursos en manos de la Organización.
Finalmente, quiero referirme al problema de la atención que seguiremos solicitando de los señores representantes para el tema de la CTPD, al que muchos señores representantes se han referido, y dentro de este tema quiero hacer mención a la consulta que les ha formulado el Director General sobre la necesidad o no de celebrar una reunión intergubernamental especial. En este sentido, no miro al distinguido representante de Venezuela porque me lee el pensamiento, y en efecto estoy contento de que me lo haya leído, porque es evidente que el Consejo ha estado de acuerdo con esa idea que teníamos nosotros de que a esta altura no es necesaria otra Conferencia especial organizada por la FAO para tratar el problema de la CTPD. Es evidente que los señores representantes tienen muchos deseos de que se mantenga siempre a la vista y latente este tema, ya sea, como un número de señores representantes ha sugerido, teniendo siempre el tema en la agenda del Consejo o, como 1o han sugerido otros, que esté en las agendas de las Conferencias Regionales o de los Comités Técnicos, como son el de la Agricultura, Pesca y Montes.
En este sentido, salvo una indicación más clara del Consejo, estoy seguro que el Director General tiene la intención de mantener el tema latente tanto en los organismos rectores como en los Comités Técnicos, también en el Comité del Programa y, en lo que competa, en el Comité de Finanzas, pues este momento es una etapa de comienzo en forma más formalizada de actividades del CTPD, una etapa para aumentar la participación de los países en desarrollo como suministradores de insumos en toda la cooperación técnica, y en esta etapa nos es necesaria orientación y guía de los órganos; así que, Sr. Presidente, haremos propuestas en los órganos a quienes les competa, técnicos o rectores, en los momentos oportunos para mantener siempre el tema latente.
Creo, Sr. Presidente, que no tengo otras observaciones que hacer excepto una y es también la satisfacción con que he escuchado en el dábate el interés tanto de los señores representantes de los países en desarrollo como de los señores representantes de los países desarrollados, porque es evidentemente cierto que si vamos a prosperar en el desarrollo consciente del CTPD será por los esfuerzos de ambas partes del mundo, desarrollado y en desarrollo, ya que con la una pero sin la otra no podrá llevarse adelante. Yo creo que los acuerdos triangulares que se han mencionado verdaderamente serán los que más vamos a ver en el desarrollo de la CTPD, sobre todo en los primeros años; será evidentemente muy necesario que haya insumos externos a los países en desarrollo, ya sea en tecnología o financiamiento para permitirles desarrollar actividades del CTPD.
CHAIRMAN: There is one other item which Mr. Yriart referred to, that is, Agency Support Costs. I would like to call on Mr. West to speak on it now rather than wait for the next sub-item, because this may clear up some questions that may be put by members if he did not intervene now, and. I would therefore like to call on Mr. West.
E. M. WEST (Director, Office of Programme, Budget and Evaluation): Mr. Chairman, as you have indicated, the item under the next stage of discussion on Support Costs has been overtaken by events under the heading of relations with the UNDP. The JIU Report was issued some months ago and was followed by intensive interagency discussions and the meeting of the UNDP/Intergovernmental Working Group on the subject and finally by a meeting of the ACC. As a result of this, the Administrator has prepared some proposals of his own to submit to the next meeting of the Intergovernmental Working Group to be held in New York in January. These were discussed by the ACC. They are fairly short proposals dealing with only two aspects of the matters discussed at great length and great complexity by the JIU. However, there is no agreement between the various members of the ACC on the subject.
United Nations maintains the strongest opposition to any consideration of any change in the present system of support costs. The FAO also has reservations of principle about any change in the system of agency support costs and certainly about any change before the governing bodies of FAO have had an opportunity to consider the question. The Administrator is presently preparing his proposals to the intergovernmental working group. We do not have a text. It will be considered in January and then presumably by the UNDP Governing Council at its next session in the summer of 1979. That will be the stage at which the UNDP will wish to come to conclusions, but we will not be able, of course, to come to conclusions ourselves until you and the Conference have considered the matter. That is where we stand.
W. A. F GRABISCH (Germany, Federal Republic of): To the point just mentioned by Mr. West, I think you wish us rather to give our views at Stage B, as stated in the document.
Before you conclude the section on our last agenda item 21 which is called Stage A, I should like to thank Mr. Walton for his answers, fromwhich I conclude that FAO is ready to join the major international financial institutions in order to identify ways and means by which they can support more effectively the efforts of developing countries as proposed by the World Food Council.
Y. P. CHESTNOY (Observer for Economic Commission for Europe): Listening to those addressing this Council's session, I did find that the joint efforts of ECE and FAO, which go far beyond normal cooperation and the work of ECE itself, while contributing a great deal to the problems directly connected with many items of the agenda of this meeting, are not properly reflected in this discussion.
Today, when you are considering the programme of work, it would be appropriate to give you a brief account of what is going on in the ECE and what is relevant to your agenda items, and of ECE/FAO's joint efforts.
The work of ECE is solidly founded on more than thirty years of economic co-operation in the region, which have created a fund of mutual confidence between member countries as well as tried and tested organizational structures and methods of work. In recent years, however, new dimensions have been added to the Commission's work. At the thirty-third session of the Commission last April, the Executive Secretary, Mr. Stanovnik, said:
"The role and authority of the Economic Commission for Europe in providing a unique forum for cooperation in economic and related fields among countries with different economic and social systems has continued to strengthen since the thirty-second session last year. The Commission has received a major impulse from the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe and has become the main instrument for multilateral implementation of the relevant provisions of the Final Act."
The programme of ECE shows an ever greater degree of co-operation and interdependence between the different sectors. Some aspects, such as energy, environment, transport and trade have an impact on almost all the sectors covered by ECE.
The Commission's activities have taken on a new tempo in recent years, as a response to the pressing economic problems of our region and because of the consequences of the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe, which specifically endorsed some of the Commission activities and included certain provisions which have led to a modified and stronger work programme for the Commission.
In addition, the Final Act laid the foundations for new work in several sectors and gave rise to several new and important initiatives. In particular the Commission is considering the convening of high-level meeting on the protection of the environment, as a result of the proposition by the Government of the USSR. Although a final decision has not yet been taken on the convening of such a meeting, the Senior Advisers to ECE Governments on Environmental Problems have been requested to prepare recommendations and concrete proposals for important decisions to be submitted to a high-level meeting on long-range transboundary air pollution; low and non-waste technology and reutilization and recycling of wastes as well as on water pollution, control of toxic wastes and protection of flora and fauna. Needless to say, all these problems are of direct concern to the agriculture and forestry sectors, which are in the agenda of this Seventy-Fourth Session of the FAO Council.
While it should never be forgotten that ECE is a regional organization for East-West co-operation and remains as such, the general trend towards interdependence in the world requires more and more that the broader global aspects be taken into account in regional work. Experience has already shown that this aspect is particularly important in the discussion of an Overall Economic Perspective for the region, in the field of development of trade, in individual industrial branches and resource co-operation such as steel, timber, chemicals and so on. ECE has also co-operated in the preparation of the UN Conference on Science and Technology for Development with UNIDO, UNCTAD and a number of specialized agencies.
Through the very close working relations through the Joint ECE/FAO Agriculture and Timber Division as well as the joint implementation of projects, we have the possibility of making a substantial impact on the agricultural and forestry situation in the region and the world.
The relations between the ECE and the FAO have during the past thirty years been marked by a perfect and smooth co-operation. This co-operation makes it possible to avoid any duplication of effort in the actions undertaken by the two organizations and to ensure that both organizations receive the optimum benefit from this co-operation. This history of thirty years' successful co-operation is probably unique in the annals of the UN family. The ECE is in a position to contribute, through the mechanisms of the FAO world-wide organization, to the development efforts of the less developed world and regions;
FAO, on its part, is able to draw on the experience in the ECE region, and on information which might be beneficial to developing countries. The problem for these countries has been and continues to be how to make the best use of this information by extracting, adopting, presenting and disseminating the most appropriate parts to those for whom it could be the most useful.
There are a number of projects in the programmes of work of the ECE Committees on Agricultural Problems and Timber which should be of direct interest to many of the developing countries. In the field of forestry and forest products the work done by the ECE Timber Committee on forest products' market intelligence in general, and in the tropical hardwood sector in particular, would be important for tropical countries whose development programmes foresee an expansion of their trade in tropical hardwoods with the countries of the ECE region. The same applies to the efforts made by the ECE to study and to improve the techniques of utilizing tropical hardwoods, both from the technological and economic points of view, efforts which should have a direct bearing on the efforts to further develop trade in these products. The very intensive work that is going on in the field of forest working techniques contains many aspects of direct interest and applicability for the developing countries in the tropical regions. The work carried out in this field may be considered as of a pioneering nature.
I would like to mention the many seminars, symposia and technical meetings dealing with economic and technological aspects of forest and wood, whether oriented towards production processes or towards the techniques of final utilization of the many different types of forest products. Subjects to be covered by the technical meetings, seminars and symposia organized by the ECE Timber Committee include production technologies in the wood working industries, for instance, the furniture industry and the wood-based panels industry, the handling and transport of forest products, harvesting methods, waste-saving processes in both harvesting and industrial transformation of wood raw material, and most recently the energy aspects of forestry, forest operations and forest industries. Many of these subjects are of global interest and correspond to present or future preoccupations also in the developing world outside the ECE region.
In the field of agriculture, the present programme of work of the ECE Committee on Agricultural Problems and its joint FAO/ECE subsidiary bodies contains many components which should be of considerable interest also to the developing countries outside thé ECE region. In addition to the annual market and trade reviews on agricultural products, giving information on the most important aspects of international trades in these products, and particularly the present studies of market outlook for meat, milk and feeding stuff until 1985, and the special market studies for products of particular interest to southern Europe and other regions, e.g. on fruit, tobacco and flowers, the ECE has undertaken or is undertaking specific actions on problems or problem areas whose importance goes very much beyond the ECE region.
Last May there was a symposium on Problems of the Agricultural Development of Less Favoured Areas. Next January there will be a symposium on the Prospects of the Use of Fertilizers with a View to Raising Soil Fertility and Yields, and of Protecting the Human Environment.
Symposia on sugar beet and maize are planned, as well as one on the role of co-operation (in all its forms) in marketing. Technical reports such as on combating erosion, recultivating land and improving soil quality should certainly have an audience beyond the ECE region. A wide-ranging study is being prepared on large-scale animal husbandry, which would probably be of great value to the developing countries outside the ECE region.
In the field of environment, the work of the ECE with regard to a number of problems of pollution of vegetation by intensive industrialization, or of pollution of the environment by certain industrialized techniques of agriculture or animal husbandry, could probably save the developing countries from making the same mistakes, which cannot be remedied except at enormous extra expense.
I would like to suggest that a fairly small investment by the agencies primarily responsible for passing on information to the developing countries to increase the use of available sources of information, to strengthen contacts with countries in the ECE region, and to tap the goodwill which undoubtedly exists in these countries, would be useful to the agencies themselves and the developing countries they serve, at considerably lower cost than if they undertook such actions in isolation. 1/
CHAIRMAN: This concludes Stage A or those aspects of our discussion on agenda item 21.1, and we shall move on to the next stage, which consists of a whole lot of Joint Inspection Unit Reports. Now, these reports relate to the UN system in general and therefore affect not only FAO but the governing bodies of all the UN agencies. I have discussed with the Secretariat as to whether they have sufficient information to give so that the papers can be introduced, but apart from what Mr. West just said,there are no additions to what is in the documents. Now, the documents contain comments of the Director-General, comments by inter-agency meetings and so on, on the recommendations and proposals and so on made by the inspectors. What we will do now, I will give the floor to anybody who wants to speak, and, as we have just done, all the Assistant Directors-General and officials of the Secretariat who are concerned with the various aspects will then come back and reply to points made by delegates on those parts of the JIU Reports which concern them. Therefore, you are free to speak, but do so clearly on each item so that the Secretariat is not confused.
(i) Tenth Report on the Activities of the JIU
(i) Dixième rapport sur les activités du Corps commun d'inspection
(i) Décimo informe sobre las actividades de la Dependencia Común de Inspección
(ii) Implications of Additional Languages in the UN System
(ii) Incidences de l'emploi de nouvelles langues dans les organismes des Nations Unies
(ii) Consecuencia de la utilización de idiomas adicionales en el sistema de las Naciones Unidas
(iii) Some Aspects of Backstopping of Technical Cooperation Activities in the UN System, and Joint Comments Thereon
(iii) Quelques aspects du soutien aux activités de cooperation technique dans le système des Nations Unies, et observations collectives à ce sujet
(iii) Algunos aspectos del apoyo a las actividades de cooperación técnica en el sistema de las Naciones Unidas, y comentarios conjuntos al respecto
(iv) Professional Women in the UN System
(iv) Les femmes dans les organismes des Nations Unies: catégorie des administrateurs et grades supérieurs
(iv) Personal femenino de categoría profesional en el sistema de las Naciones Unidas
(v) Expanded Preliminary Note on a New System for Agency Support Costs
(v) Note préliminaire développée concernant un nouveau système de remboursement .des dépenses d'appui
(v) Nota preliminar ampliada sobre un nuevo sistema para los gastos de organismo de ejecución
(vi) The Role of Experts in Development Cooperation
(vi) Role des experts dans la coopération pour le développement
(vi) La Función de los expertos en la cooperación para el desarrollo
P. ELMANOVSKY (France): J'interviendrai donc d'abord sur le point 2): l'emploi des nouvelles langues; sur le point 3): quelques aspects du soutien aux activités de coopération technique; sur le point 4): les femmes dans les organisations des Nations Unies, et sur le point 5): note préliminaire pour un système de remboursement. D'autre part, en ce qui concerne le point 6), je vous demanderais de donner la parole à mon collègue, M. Halimi.
Je commence par le point 2).
En ce qui concerne l'emploi des nouvelles langues et l'examen de la politique de l'Organisation en matière linguistique, nous partageons assez sensiblement l'opinion du Comité financier qui est exprimée, si mes souvenirs sont exacts, dans le document CL 74/4.
Certaines des remarques qui ont été faites à l'égard d'une suggestion d'un corns commun d'inspection nous paraissent pour le moins irréalisables. Par exemple, l'institution de services communs d'interprétation ou de traduction nous paraît difficilement réalisable, étant donné la spécialisation qui intervient bien souvent dans chaque organisation. Si on veut avoir de bonnes interprétations et de bonnes traductions, il faut avoir des spécialistes. Celui qui s'occupe de la météorologie n'est pas celui qui s'occupe du commerce, et celui qui s'occupe des engrais et de la nutrition n'est pas celui qui va s'occuper de questions relatives à la santé.
Il y a aussi une remarque formulée dans le document du Comité financier et également dans les remarques que nous trouvons dans les commentaires du document CL 74/12 que nous approuvons; il est certain que le maintien de la parité entre les langues est nécessaire. Mais il y a une remarque du paragraphe 10 du document CL 74/11 qui nous surprend quelque peu.
Il s'agit en effet d'une remarque qui ne touche pas mon pays mais qui a malgré tout un caractère général.
On nous dit, pour expliquer certaines réductions de services d'interprétation ou de traduction, qu'il y a par exemple plus d'Etats arabophones que d'Etats hispanophones, et que par conséquent il est surprenant que leurs effectifs soient inférieurs à celui des traducteurs espagnols.
Je crois qu'il s'agit d'une remarque qui n'est pas pertinente. Ce n'est pas au nombre des pays que peut se juger véritablement l'utilité de telle ou telle langue. Actuellement, dans le système des Nations Unies, l'espagnol est une des langues officielles. L'arabe ne l'est pas. C'est pourquoi le nombre de traducteurs ou d'interprètes vis-à-vis de l'espagnol est plus important que celui de l'arabe, et cela se rencontre non seulement chez nous mais dans toutes les organisations dea Nations Unies.
On nous dit aussi, au sujet de la Recommandation 4 qui est reprise avec les observations du Secrétaire général au paragraphe 12 (CL 74/11) que toutes les langues de l'Organisation sont "d'emploi limité".
J'avoue qu'une telle expression nous a surprisi parce qu'en fait l'interprétation et la traduction des documents sont sur un niveau de parité et doivent être faites dans toutes les langues. Alors que veut-on dire exactement en disant que toutes les langues de l'Organisation sont d'emploi limité? Nous ne voudrions pas que par la suite on soit amené à réduire l'usage de telle ou telle langue officielle du Conseil et de la Conférence.
Nous avons ensuite le rapport sur "quelques aspects du soutien aux activités de coopération technique" (CL 74/12).
Dans les premiers paragraphes de ce rapport, c'est-à-dire les paragraphes 1 à 6, et tout particulièrement dans le paragraphe 2, il nous semble que le jugement porté par le Directeur général sur ce document est quelque peu sévère. On semble dire qu'il est trop général et qu'il n'a qu'une utilité relative.
Nous ne partageons pas ce sentiment, et après tout nous pensons que le Directeur général lui-même a un peu la même opinion, car il y a une différence entre le ton donné dans les généralités, paragraphes
1 à 6, et ensuite l'approbation de la plupart des recommandations qui figurent dans les pages suivantes, c'est-à-dire les paragraphes 7 à 19.
En définitive, Monsieur le Président, la plupart de ces recommandations nous paraissent avoir leur valeur. Et bien évidemment, puisque c'est un document assez général fait par le corps commun d'inspection, il ne pouvait pas rentrer dans une étude extrêmement précise de la méthode et de la personnalité de chaque institution. Mais en fait, la plupart de ces indications sont justes.
Je reviens maintenant au rapport sur le rôle des femmes dans le système des Nations Unies et, en particulier, pour la catégorie des administrateurs des grades supérieurs.
Evidemment, c'est un point qui, depuis longtemps, est à l'étude par le corps commun d'inspection. En fait, nous pouvons approuver les conclusions de ce rapport, ainsi que les remarques du Directeur général.
II est évidemment certain que les femmes sont moins attirées par les sciences agricoles que les hommes, et tout au moins c'est ce que nous avons pu constater jusqu'à présent, et que sur le terrain il peut y avoir certaines difficultés pratiques. C'est une constatation. Mais nous espérons que cela changera et nous pensons que dans l'Organisation elle-même, dans les postes administratifs au siège, ceux-ci pourraient être tenus par des femmes aussi bien que par des hommes. Nous ne sommes pas certains que jusqu'ici un effort de recrutement suffisant ait été accompli dans ce sens.
Le quatrième point est le rapport sur le système de remboursement des frais de soutien aux agences d'exécution (CL 74/15). Ceci se relie aux relations avec le PNUD. Nous sommes déjà intervenus précédemment et nous avons entendu des réponses et les explications du Secrétariat. Je n'insisterai donc pas.
Le dernier point est le rôle des experts dans la coopération pour le développement et je désirerais, à ce sujet, que la parole soit donnée à mon collègue M. Halimi.
P. HALIMI (France): Mon intervention portera donc sur le document intitulé: "Rôle des experts dans la coopération pour le développement" (CL 74/17).
L'évolution des concepts de développement et de coopération techniques, ainsi que la demande de services d'experts dans le cadre de la coopération technique, posent certaines questions fondamentales en ce qui concerne les travaux du PNUD.
Dans ce contexte, l'étude établie par le corps commun d'inspection propose certaines recommandations fondées sur le principe de la gestion des projets par les gouvernements et visant à réduire le coût des services d'experts.
Le principe de la gestion des projets par les gouvernements (partie 1 du document) nous paraît être une garantie effective pour une meilleure prise en compte et pour une plus profonde intégration des projets dans les programmes nationaux.
Il paraît difficile toutefois que la gestion des projets puisse être assurée entièrement par les gouvernements dans la mesure où l'exécution des projets nécessite l'appel d'experts étrangers. Il nous apparaît en effet important que la FAO ait non seulement une certaine maîtrise des experts et qu'elle les fournisse sous forme de mois/experts et non d'équivalent monétaire, mais aussi qu'elle continue à en contrôler le contenu technique et ne se transforme pas en simple bailleur de fonds.
Nous nous attacherons à examiner les différents points de la partie de ce rapport réservée aux experts.
Fonctions des experts: les fonctions des experts, telles qu'elles sont définies dans cette partie du rapport, ne soulèvent aucune objection de notre part. (J'en viens au statut des experts, traité dans la partie II A2).
Dans le cadre de la gestion des projets par les gouvernements, il semble logique que ceux-ci puissent remettre des instructions aux experts. Mais il serait peut-être utile que soient définies les limites quant au type d'instructions qui pourront être données par les gouvernements. Il se pose ici un problème de déontologie quant au rôle des experts qui doivent garder une certaine indépendance vis-à-vis des gouvernements et ne pas y être totalement assujettis. La recommandation NO 9 qui dit que le statut des experts dépend de qui les recrute et les rénumère paraît à cet égard contenir beaucoup d'ambiguïté.
J'en viens aux conseillers techniques des organisations, dont il est question dans la partie II A7.
Il me semble que les conseillers techniques, dans le cadre proposé, doivent avoir un rôle déterminant, et nous agréons cette recommandation.
Pour ce qui concerne le recrutement des ressortissants des pays en qualité d'experts (partie II A9), on ne peut que s'étonner de cette proposition, parce que l'assistance d'experts nationaux devrait normalement être considérée comme partie du gouvernement. S'il s'avérait toutefois nécessaire que des nationaux soient pris en charge financièrement par le PNUD, il faudrait veiller à ce que leur rémunération corresponde à des normes nationales. Il serait utile également de s'assurer que ces nationaux pouvant retrouver localement un emploi à la fin du projet, n'utilisent pas cette procédure comme voie de recrutement de fonctionnaires internationaux.
Pour ce qui concerne les experts associés (partie II A10), la formule du parrainage de candidats autres que les propres ressortissants des pays donateurs n'appelle pas d'opposition de notre part. Il semble difficile, dans les circonstantces économiques actuelles, que mon pays pour sa part envisage dans un proche avenir, d'assurer le parrainage de candidats étrangers. Il convient également de souligner que le statut et les conditions d'emploi des experts associés ne nous paraissent pas devoir être dissociés de ceux des experts. Il ne nous semble pas souhaitable de les rattacher localement de façon plus étroite que les experts, étant entendu que,s'il s'agit de mettre des experts à la disposition des gouvernements, ceux-ci entrent déjà dans le cadre de la coopération bilatérale.
Pour ce qui concerne le nouveau système de rémunération des experts (partie II B) il est fondamental qu'au niveau de qualification exigée des experts, la rémunération s'inscrive dans la moyenne mondiale. Réduire cette rémunération à un niveau inférieur du barème mondial risque de n'attirer que des experts de pays où sévit un chômage intellectuel important, de plus il pourrait s'ajouter le risque d'une sous-qualification des experts.
Par ailleurs, le recrutement à durée déterminée, sans garantie d'un emploi ultérieur, présente des dangers liés à l'instabilité de l'emploi, et on assisterait beaucoup plus à la recherche d'une situation qu'à la réalisation de projets.
Les deux recommandations visant à réduire, l'une la durée des contrats, et l'autre les rémunérations, peuvent d'ailleurs paraître contradictoires. Si on souhaite recruter des experts qualifiés pour des contrats de courte durée, il semble difficile de vouloir réduire simultanément les rémunérations. Le Comité du Programme a émis sur ce point deux réserves, qui figurent aux points 1.43 et 1.45 de son rapport (page 7 du texte français) et qui sont partagées par la délégation française.
Pour ce qui concerne la description du système de rémunération des experts, fondé sur le paiement d'une somme forfaitaire (partie II B2)s le nouveau système proposé tend à accentuer la précarité de la situation des experts. Le recrutement devient analogue à celui des consultants. Or les experts n'assurent pas le même rôle que les consultants.
Dans les projets, l'appel différencié à des experts ou à des consultants est lié aux caractéristiques des projets et ne peut s'inscrire simplement dans le cadre d'un choix sporadique. Un emploi plus large de consultants ne peut être développé que dans les pays bénéficiant de nationaux suffisamment qualifiés pour assurer l'exécution des projets. Par contre, l'utilisation de consultants à titre individuel, ou par le système de groupes consultatifs, évoquée dans la Recommandation 27, pourrait être développée à titre de conseil ou de supervision des opérations.
J'en viens à la Recommandation 28 pour dire que nous sommes particulièrement favorables à cette prise en considération.
Pour ce qui concerne la contribution à la coopération entre pays en voie de développement, la Recommandation 29 souligne l'importance que la CTPD peut avoir au niveau régional pour la coordination des projets. L'échange de spécialistes nationaux paraît possible dans la mesure où les gouvernements acceptent de financer des experts associés et par ailleurs que cet échange ne se traduira pas par un appauvrissement en compétences des structures nationales d'interventions. Cet échange pourrait être envisagé en termes de formation et non pas sous l'angle d'une simple prestation d'experts, car on peut se demander si les spécialistes expérimentés ne sont pas plus nécessaires en priorité dans leurs propres pays.
Nous émettons un avis très favorable sur la proposition de la participation des pays en développement aux projets régionaux.
La partie de la Recommandation 29 mérite des éclaircissements sur sa signification. Nous espérons en recevoir du Secrétariat.
Pour ce qui concerne la partie e), cette recommandation est effectivement importante dans le cadre des moyens de mise en oeuvre de la CTPD pour son rôle de concertation.
Pour ce qui concerne les institutions-conseils locales, la création et le renforcement de ces institutions paraissent un objectif important.
J'en viens actuellement au service d'informations techniques et scientifiques traité dans la partie II H du document. Mon pays a eu rôle important dans ce domaine en participant activement à la création, à la mise en place et au financement du système AGRIS. Nous avons confiance dans l'importance de ce genre d'action et dans la nécessité de la mise en place de réseaux d'information internationaux.
Pour ce qui concerne les avis techniques par correspondance dans le cadre de l'élargissement de ces réseaux d'information, notre groupement de recherche et d'études technologiques, qui existe au plan bilatéral français, pourrait, nous semble-t-il, être éventuellement ouvert aux organismes des Nations Unies.
J'en viens à la Recommandation 34 pour dire qu'à notre avis le point ii) nous semble devoir être supprimé, dans le cadre d'apport, par le gouvernement-hôte, de l'intégralité des éléments financés par le PNUD. Ceci tendrait à prouver qu'en dehors des moyens financiers, le pays peut conduire toute l'exécution du projet. Dans ce cas, on peut se poser la question de savoir si le PNUD devrait limiter son intervention à celle d'un simple bailleur de fonds. Nous estimons que non.
Par ailleurs, dès qu'il y a partage des responsabilités, on se retrouve dans la situation du point iii).
En conclusion, il ressort des propositions de ce rapport que la partie réservée aux experts tend à restreindre la représentation des experts européens dans l'ensemble des experts utilisés par les Nations Unies au profit d'experts de quelques pays en développement en fort chômage intellectuel. Nous pouvons considérer que ces propositions sont de nature à nous inquiéter pour les raisons que j'ai évoquées précédemment.
Il convient toutefois de souligner des éléments positifs visant à une plus grande implication des gouvernements dans les projets. De plus, les modalités de coopération régionale entre les pays en développement définis dans ce rapport nous paraissent très constructives car elles peuvent s'appuyer sur des aspects complémentaires de certains pays en développement et notamment dans le domaine de la formation.
B. DE AZEVEDO BRITO (Brazil): I know we have quite a number of JIU reports and I will try to find my way through them. My delegation would like first to offer a few remarks on the subject of Implication of Additional Languages in the UN system, with particular reference, of course, to our own Organization. This subject is dealt with extensively in document CL 74/11, where the relevant report of the JIU is reproduced, together with very interesting introductory comments by the Director-General. A number of specific recommendations are advanced in the JIU report. It is stated: "While the Programme Committee generally considered that most of the JIU recomendations were sound ..." I would like to stress the words 'generally' and 'most'. The Programme Committee's assessment of the suggestions of the Inspectors' were surely cautious. In an obvious qualification of the general thrust of the JIU report, the Programme Committee agreed with the Director-General's comments concerning the value of linguistic and cultural diversity as a positive factor in international thinking and action. While recognizing the need for economy and while supporting some of the recomendations of the Inspectors, my delegation would like to take exception to at least two of the recommendations of the report.
My reservations go first to recommendation 3, which suggests that additions to existing language services should be avoided, and then to recommendation 5, which proposes that Member States requesting new language services should pay for such services. My delegation feels that those recommendations are made with a somewhat utilitarian approach, which the Director-General correctly identified in his introductory comments to the report. To the adjective utilitarian I would add the epithets of short-sighted and discriminatory. With your permission I will substantiate my point. The recommendations in question are short-sighted in as much as they do not take into account the advantage for all parties of permitting a better communication to be established with those countries and peoples that do not yet have the benefit of an official language within the UN system and with our organization in particular. The benefit, may I underline, is not only to those who speak another language but also to those who could be enabled to communicate better with their colleagues who do not have as their mother tongue one of the present official languages. You probably realize that my immediate concern relates to the possible introduction of Portuguese- as an official language. My own native language is presently spoken by seven Member Nations of this Organization located in three continents. The Portuguese-speaking Member Nations have an aggregate population that will soon reach the 200 million mark, which is quite a number of people. In each case agriculture is the dominant activity. In practically all cases they have an export-oriented economy, which constitutes an added requirement for effective communication with the external world. While not asking for any specific decision to be taken at this stage, my delegation feels that sooner or later language services will have to be extended to Portuguese, at least for interpretation facilities, on an equal basis with other already accepted languages. We are confident that all of us will benefit from such a measure and that it will produce clear and positive results for an enriched international cooperation in the agricultural field. Earlier, in my statement I qualified the proposals of the JIU as discriminatory. They are discriminatory in the sense that they are necessarily negative towards additional languages. They are also discriminatory when they suggest in recommendation 5 that Member Nations requesting additional language services defray their cost. Our contribution to the Regular Programme is presently utilized to pay for language services for the current official languages of the Organization. I cannot possibly agree that when Portuguese, or any other additional language, Swahili for instance, is introduced the cost will not be shared in the same universal manner. I very much hope that any action that our Council may take in relation to the report of the JIU on additional languages will take fully into account the views just expressed by my delegation.
I would like to address briefly a couple of other reports. I would like to offer a few brief comments on the JIU report on Professional Women in the UN System. The report makes a painstaking effort to represent all points of view fairly, so much so that it cites both arguments, both the pros and cons, for the issues covered without any evaluation of their merits. This can be misleading. For example, the large concentration of women in professional posts at a lower level in the UN system is explained by the fact that many women have been promoted to those grades from the general service category. This begs the question of why so many women and so few men of professional calibre should have been recruited into the general service in the first place, but the report does not take note of this. Moreover, it fails to suggest the obvious in analysis by disaggregating the professionals from general service and those recruited directly when studying promotions and grade levels by sex. The report provides useful but limited information on women in the UN system including FAO, chiefly by giving data on professional staff by sex, grade and country. Meaningful data on recruitment, applications, promotions, length of service, with grade level, job responsibilities, etc. by sex are largely missing. Unfortunately, the report makes poor use of its already scanty data base. Thus it reports in Table 1 percentage changes in staff by sex and year. This is certainly of interest, but it would be more useful to give the proportionate change in the sex distribution.
To conclude my remarks on this specific point, my delegation would like specifically to endorse the recommendation of the Inspectors in favour of the adoption and fulfilment of specific targets for the number of professional women in each unit of the Organization and all its grades. The suggested targets for FAO are not excessive. The proposed target of 17 percent of women in FAO professional staff by Î980, if achieved, would put FAO still below the 1976 average for the five larger UN Organizations. The fact that FAO stands out through its excellent top level commitment and support for improving the role of women in the Organization makes us confident that there will be encouraging progress in the near future in the Organization with regard to this subject that we are dealing with.
I would like now to make two points on two other reports. First, on the new system of agency support costs, we have just been informed by Mr. West that the Administrator of UNDP will present in 1979 new proposals on this question. First I would like at this stage to register our point of view that any change in the support costs arrangements between UNDP and agencies in the case of our specific Organization will have to be approved by our legislative bodies before coming into force.
The second point is the concern with the fact that at present from the regular programme from our budget FAO is already subsidizing UNDP-financed projects. We understand that the proposal made by the JIU in its preliminary note suggests what will result in further subsidization of UNDP-financed projects by the regular budget. We are concerned with this development since we feel that we have already quite a strain on the regular budget.
The other point on which we would like to comment briefly is the role of experts in developing cooperation. We see in the JIU report, document CL 74/17, a very innovative approach to technical development cooperation. I do not want to make detailed comments on the recommendations given because the Governing Council of UNDP is still going to analyse those recommendations more in depth.
However, we would like to put on record our support for the basic thrust of the report when it places emphasis on what it calls the broader concept of government management of projects.
We feel that the concept of government management of projects in which the control of projects by the governments of the recipient countries is in hand, is the right approach for the future. We feel that this is the way we should move into it. We understand that a number of recommendations on the role of experts are linked to this basic concept. I do not want to analyse or pass judgement on those specific recommendations but we do want to indicate quite clearly that the general thrust of the report in terms of government management of projects is a correct thrust.
J. OLIVEIRA (Guinée-Bissau): Je saisis cette occasion, puisque c'est la première fois que je prends ici la parole, pour saluer le Président, les Vice-Présidents élus et tous les membres du Secrétariat. Je désire aussi saluer tous les membres du Conseil et remercier le Directeur général pour les documents qui nous sont présentés et qui sont d'excellents documents de travail.
Mon intervention se limitera au point 21 ii) concernant le problème des incidences de l'emploi des nouvelles langues dans l'Organisation des Nations Unies. Mon pays, comme ceux de l'Angola, du Mozambique, du Cap-Vert et de Sao Tomé-et-Principe, au nom desquels je parle aussi, a adopté le portugais comme langue officielle depuis l'Indépendance. Ayant écouté le délégué du Brésil - qui parle la même langue que nous - je soutiens pleinement les considérations qu'il a présentées.
La Délégation Guinée-Bissau fait remarquer au Conseil et au Directeur général qu'il ne s'agit pas d'introduire une langue de plus dans l'Organisation, mais le problème se pose surtout pour les interventions et les débats. En ce qui concerne les documents écrits, on pense qu'une quelconque des trois langues officielles adoptées peut nous servir. On rappelle aussi, comme le délégué du Brésil l'a déjà fait au Conseil, que les pays membres de la FAO, qui ont comme langue officielle le portugais, sont déjà au nombre de sept: le. Portugal, le Brésil, l'Angola, le Mozambique, la Guinée-Bissau, le Cap-Vert et Sao Tomé-et-Principe qui font partie de trois continents.
Je rappelle aussi que l'OMS vient d'adopter cette langue comme langue de travail.
Notre délégation ne demande pas une action inmédiate, mais désirerait que cette question soit examinée plus attentivement par l'Organisation en vue d'améliorer notre participation aux débats.
RAMADHAR (India): May I take this opportunity to congratulate the JIU for an excellent report, a report which is of a very high order, even though this report was promoted by the concern expressed by the UNDP Council over the rising costs it has concentrated on a very wide spectrum of development cooperation. We had considered this report in the Programme Committee, and I would not like to go into details of the report, but may I highlight some of the important points.
We are aware that it is rather .too early to react with any degree of precision to some of these recomendations, as they are to be examined in greater depth. The joint comments on the United Nations agencies aré therefore appropriately of a provisional nature. We also note that the report will be considered in depth by the UNDP Governing Council in its June 1979 session.
There are a number of very important recommendations in the report which furnish much food for thought, as has been pointed out in the joint comments; and we think that these recommendations should be considered further in depth. We agree that the central recommendation of the report is that in future the programme should be based on the principle of government management of projects, meaning that those governments should exercise authority over other activities, regardless of whether they are financed nationally or by international agencies. I do not think there could be any problem in this concept, at least for the new projects, depending of course on the wishes of the countries concerned. Other things such as lump sum payments, we agree, are a matter to be examined further in depth.
Coming to the other recomendations, we agree that the correct functioning of the international experts is to provide technical information and skills to national project management staff who are responsible for applying their advice and techniques in the course of project implementation. Projects requiring the development of permanent institutions and the training of national personnel for continuing programmes should be given priority. Other things such as recruitment of experts, outpostings of agency headquarters personnel to field projects, employment of expatriate nationals in projects, further improvements in the utilization of associate experts and United Nations volunteers and technical backstopping of experts will no doubt need further examination.
On the Associate Experts Scheme, may I point to one specific recommendation in paragraph 154.3 which says that donor countries may wish to support candidates other than their own national and associate experts; I think this is a very sound recommendation which should be considered.
These are some of the primary comments which my delegation wishes to make at this stage. We are aware that the UNDP Administrator is still examining these recommendations in collaboration with agencies and we hope that this Council will have an opportunity to discuss these matters in greater depth for further examination in the next inter-agency consultation.
P.L. SALES (United States of America): The review of Joint Inspection Unit Reports has become a regular feature in all of the governing bodies of the organization of the UN Development System. This attests to the growing and recognized importance of external evaluations and, in particular, the growing stature of the JIU. This body has demonstrated in recent years its capacity to oversee a wide range of technical subject matter, and to produce reports of a high quality. The fact that there are six reports before this Council is proof in itself of the impact that the JIU is having not only on the UN System at large, but the FAO, as well.
The Director-General is to be commended for the actions he has taken in following up many of the JIU recommendations. He has urgently argued those cases where FAO has either taken exception to such recommendations or has been unable to carry them out.
I do not intend to comment separately and in detail on each of the JIU reports as these have already been discussed at the May and October meetings of the Programme Committee.
I believe FAO should endorse the document entitled "Joint Comments on the Report on Certain Aspects of Backstopping of Technical Cooperation Activities in the United Nations System". It is particularly gratifying to note that UNDP and all of the Specialized Agencies collaborated to produce a document outlining their common views.
On the subject of "A New System for Agency Support Costs", my Government is most interested in achieving maximun economies in any formula which will be acceptable to the agencies of the UN System. We note that further deliberations will be held in other fora and that the subject matter will be reviewed again in FAO governing bodies.
The "Report on the Role of Experts in Development Cooperation" also deals with a subject which will continue to be under further study in inter-agency, as well as inter-governmental, bodies. My delegation continues to urge FAO, as it did in the last Programme Committee Session, to play an active role in the inter-agency reviews and follow-up tasks. The implications of some of the JIU's recommendations, such as the impact which a reduction in salaries of experts would have, on the quality of the corps of experts who are available to the UN System, clearly bear detailed scrutiny. My Government believes that the principle of "new diversions" and Government examination of projects should be advanced with care, bearing in mind the capacities of recipient governments. I would also like to reiterate a particularly important point made by the Programme Committee, namely the importance of organizations to have the latest technical information and to ensure that fresh talent is made available through their recruitment process.
The JIU report on "Women in the Professional Category and in the United Nations System" itemizes the numerous measures which the Director-General has taken to integrate women more fully in the Secretariat as well as the field staff. My Government lays great stress in this process and wishes to congratulate the forthright steps already taken by the Director-General. Since the latest figures presented in the JIU report are for 1976, it is unfortunately not possible for my delegation to note the progress effected in the past two years.
Mr. West may wish to give us a brief status report.
Attaining the 17 percent target established by the JIU would require an annual addition of 13 women to FAO's professional staff, including the replacement of any women already on board who may be separated. The measures taken by the World Food Programme also show a positive attitude which would enable it to meet its target.
H. PUURUNEN (Finland): I should like to make some brief comments on document CL 74/13 concerning the JIU report on women in the professional category in the United Nations system. The JIU report provides a comprehensive and at the same time detailed analysis of this matter which is of interest to us. We strongly feel that the efforts aimed at improving the status of women in general should be strengthened by the corresponding action within the United Nations system. In our view the report and its conclusions and recommendations form a realistic basis and orientation to the efforts aimed at improving the status of women in the United Nations system. They should be implemented as soon as feasible. We have noted with satisfaction the assurance given by the Director-General to follow within the framework he described in his comments to the report.
It is evident that the Director-General cannot succeed in this task without the full cooperation of Member States and we urge all countries to assist him in the implementation of the recommendations of the JIU report.
S.A. PERVEZ (Pakistan): I shall be dealing with all the documents listed under Stage B of document CL 74/OD/6, together. The Tenth Report of the Activities of the JIU is a detailed and comprehensive document and we have no comments to offer on it. As regards the implications of additional languages on the United Nations system, we agree with the Director-General's view that linguistic and cultural diversity contributes positively to international thinking and action. The problem of including additional language services should therefore not be viewed from the point of view of costs only but also in the light of the interests of the Organization as a whole, as well as of the country or countries directly concerned.
Caution should, however, continue to be exercised in this field since, when a certain number of languages is exceeded, communication tends to become too cumbersome for efficient operation and so costly as to become counter productive. We concur with the substance of the Director-General's comments on the JIU recommendations about the common language service on an interagency basis.
As regards document CL 74/12 on some Aspects of Backstopping on Technical Cooperation Activities in the UN System, we note that the JIU report covers fairly well-known ground on its comments on a number of aspects of work in support of projects and programmes. Nevertheless we feel it is a useful document which comprehensively analyses the difficulties to be overcome in the area.
We have one brief comment here relating to the reported difficulties of administration support at the project level in developing countries and suggest that rather than burden individually the field projects with administrative support costs, this function may be assumed by the FAO country offices when established. We would also like to stress upon the need for post-project follow-ups, as also the need to overcome delays in this connexion. Terminal and technical reports on executed projects should be sent to the concerned governments expeditiously since these form the basis of post-project follow-up.
As regards professional women in the United Nations system, document CL 74/13 we note that the relatively low number of women in professional categories was largely due to the specific nature of FAO's activities but we are confident that with women showing more interest in the agricultural discipline this problem can be overcome. As regards the 17 percent target proposed by the JIU report for professional women in FAO by 1980, we feel that this may be ambitious under the present circumstances but nevertheless this can serve as a target which must be borne in mind. We would take this opportunity of encouraging the Director-General to continue with this policy of recruiting more women in FAO so as to achieve the target. On our part we would be willing to assist FAO in improving recruitment of professional women to the organization. In this connexion we would suggest a drive, not only to governments but also to other possible sources of candidates in indvidual countries. We would, however, stress that in the final selection of candidates, the prescribed government selection procedures must invariably be followed and no unilateral selection should be undertaken by FAO.
As regards document CL 74/17 on the Role of Experts in Development Cooperation, we can only say that judging from both its size and its bulk it could perhaps be deferred to the next Council meeting to give us more time to examine it.
In conclusion, we agree with the view expressed by several delegates that we would have to revert to some aspects covered in Stage B in a subsequent session of the Council when their consideration would be more opportune as by that time they would also have been examined by other international agencies concerned.
V. FISER (Czechoslovakia): I have only a few comments on the very well prepared document CL 74/17. When discussing this point of the programme, I would like to emphasize the importance and significance that the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic attributes to the function and role of the FAO and the UNDP in the system of cooperation. With full justification it can be said that this significance will grow still more because at the stage of reconstruction of international economic relations, equal and just relations will be set in mutual aid and cooperation. After study of the appropriate document, it is possible to state that under conditions of cooperation between FAO and the UNDP the main activity should be concentrated on the effort to overcome starvation, malnutrition and the overall economic backwardness as fast and efficiently as possible.
Another field in cooperation is creating conditions for equal international economic relations, hence to accelerate maximum overall economic development in countries of the Third World. Naturally Czechoslovakia wishes to take an active part in this cooperation and besides the established forms we present our new proposals. Next year we intend, in cooperation with FAO, to organize three training seminars for experts from developing countries. They would include mainly problems connected with biological nitrogen fixation in soil, and the utilization of recycled organic matter as fertilizers and finally, the utilization and economy of the wealth of forests. We expect these to be four week seminars each attended by about 25 experts. In this area we have good experience from cooperation with the Economic Commission for Europe.
The further subject is one of complex monothematic study trips for more countries, where especially workers for developing countries would be able to familiarize themselves with modern agriculture and; food,industrial enterprises.. In working through this topic we arrived at the conclusion, that in the interests of a systematic elaboration of findings acquired in this way during study tours it would be expedient to establish training centres different' in some FAO Member Countries,at which the qualification growth of young experts, mainly from developing countries, would be ensured in the form of intensive theoretical instruction and to subsequent programmes in practice. Of course, the establishment of such training centres would be connected with investments and the cost of running the centres and it would be necessary for the eventual materialization of this idea to include it in the financial budget considerations in future years.
M. PANJSHERI (Afghanistan): My delegation's comments are related to document CL 74/12 and CL 74/17 and the relevant portion of the reports of the Programme Committee.
We consider the report of the Joint Inspection Unit of the UN on Some Aspects of Backstopping of Technical Cooperation Activities an extremely useful and informative document. It's usefulness is not reduced by the fact that study of projects was not made random. A more scientifically selected study is more likely to confirm the findings and justify major recommendations.
The backstopping could be anatomized into three categories, nanely, purely technical, purely administrative, and mixed, appears to us a fair categorization. Any attempt at more refined definition can only obscure the basic problems which need solution.
In paragraphs 44 and 45 of their report, the JIU have referred to technical backstopping. It would do the organization credit to take further measures for improving the quality of technical guidance. It has to be realized that the categorization of good, excellent and poor by the project managers themselves may have an exaggerated estimate. The response from governments might provide a more balanced view.
The results of the survey mentioned in paragraphs 58-68 point to certain inadequacies which must cause all UN agencies to sit up and think. Particularly disturbing is the information that appointment of project personnel is unconsciously delayed, briefing is superficial and that administrative supervision left so much to be desired.
In paragraph 69, among other things, the JIU has rightly emphasized the need for integrated input from all organizations of the UN in the preparation of country programmes. The Director-General has, on the other hand, pointed out that this input was not sought and adequate cooperation not desired by UNDP in the preparation of country programmes. There has been a visible tendency to ignore or supplant the contributions which specialized agencies can and should make. This leads to considerable duplication of expertise and competitive efforts at project implementation. This is not a happy development.
In paragraph 74 there is a recommendation which seems to us of dubious use, if followed in every case. Firstly this may mean appointment of Chief Technical Adviser months and maybe years before the project can hope to get implemented. Secondly, the qualifications for a satisfactory supervised implementation are not necessarily the same as project planning.
We are pleased that FAO stands out, among major international agencies, in comparatively more prompt recruitment of international staff - well ahead of the UN itself which is increasingly looking for execution of projects than the system had even envisaged.
But there is one related subject which has caused us some worry. In paragraph 130 of document CL 74/3, we are informed that FAO followed the practice of submitting one candidate's name for each post. This practice is fine where technical expertise required is so specific that more than one candidate is not available. In paragraph 131 it has been suggested that FAO have improved on maintenance of rosters of experts. Other agencies have no difficulty in submitting several names. Why should FAO find the problem so insurmountable? This system is causing so much wastage and loss of time that, we would counsel, FAO should have aiother look at it. We would also suggest that in forwarding names, invariably more than one region should be kept in view and the representation of developing countries must also figure.
Similarly, we are not sure if the statements made in paragraphs 10 and 11 of document CL 74/12 are correct.
W.A.F. GRABISCH (Germany, Federal Republic of): I should like to limit the comments of my delegation on Section B at this stage to (v) . My Government realizes that the issue of overhead costs is of great concern to FAO and other specialized organizations. We recognize that the financial implications of the project execution on behalf of third parties can have impact on the regular Programmes which have to be handled in accordance with the financial rules of the Organization. We are of the opinion, however, that the United Nations as a whole have a responsibility of permanently looking into the overall cost implications of the growing technical assistance volume charged through the system. We therefore welcome the documents before us as a first step of a thorough review as well as the various comments made on the document. We feel that we are in the middle of a system-wide discussion, and we look forward as to what the ACC will have to tell us about the revised version of the document on cost elements prepared by the UNDP Working Group on overhead questions.
We wish to encourage the Director-General to give all necessary detailed information required in order to contribute to a solution of this problem. We are in this context not in agreement with what is stated in Paragraph 2.86 of the document CL 74/5. The Governing Council of UNDP had invited the Special Agency to provide more information. The pertinent decision taken reads as follows, and I quote: "Invites the executing agencies to provide information on the Working Group at its next session in January 1979 on possible measures which could be taken to strengthen their procedures so that the actual level of support cost components can be more clearly identified".
We welcome the intention of' the Director-General to report further on the matter and to keep the Programme and Finance Committees as well as the Council up to date about the ongoing discussions. We would recommend that the Council respects the situation as it stands and without prejudicing future development takes note of the information as given in document CL 74/15 before us.
E. HRAOUI (Liban) (Interprétation de l'arabe): Nous avons beaucoup de rapports devant nous, et je ne vais pas les discuter en détail car cela a déjà été fait par plusieurs délégations. Je veux simplement parler de deux'questions: d'abord le document CL 74/11 sur l'utilisation de langues supplémentaires dans le système dès Nations Unies, et ensuite le document CL 74/13 sur les femmes dans les organisations des Nations Unies.
En ce qui concerne le premier sujet, les recommandations qui sont contenues dans le document CL 74/11 sont basées dans une large mesure sur la réalité. La FAO, pour sa part, essaie de prendre ces recommandations en,considération lorsqu'elle décide de limiter le coût de l'interprétation et de la traduction dans différentes .réunions.
Nous sommes en complet accord avec le Directeur général lorsqu'il parle des différentes cultures, des langues différentes qui s'y rattachent et de l'importance de l'utilisation de ces langues. Pour cette raison, je suis tout à fait d'accord avec les délégués qui m'ont précédé: il ne faut pas s'attacher simplement au coût de ces langues supplémentaires, mais il faut comprendre aussi l'utilité de l'utilisation de ces langues vivantes. L'adjonction de nouvelles langues à celles déjà utilisées dans l'Organisation peut être extrêmement utile pour certains pays qui en bénéficieraient et ceci contribuerait à enrichir les débats au sein de notre Organisation.
Ma délégation est tout à fait satisfaite dies efforts que le Directeur général a déployés dans ce domaine tendant à adopter la langue arabe comme langue officielle au sein de notre Organisation, et ma délégation voudrait remercier le Koweït, l'Irak, le Qatar, les Emirats arabes unis et les autres Etats qui ont contribué à l'utilisation de la langue arabe. Sur le plan financier, ils ont proposé un crédit de 300 000 dollars pour développer l'utilisation de la langue arabe dans notre Organisation. Nous espérons que les autres Etats arabes feront de même pour que la langue arabe soit employée de façon plus large.
Ceci pour répondre à certaines délégations qui ont exprimé leurs craintes au sujet des implications financières sur le budget de l'utilisation de nouvelles langues. Nous sommes tout à fait conscients de l'importance de cette question, et c'est pourquoi nous demandons aux Etats arabes de donner une contribution dans ce domaine.
En ce qui concerne les femmes dans les organismes des Nations Unies, nous sommes conscients du fait que les femmes ont un role à jouer extrêmement important dans le combat contre la faim, la malnutrition, les maladies, etc. La femme ne peut pas avoir un rôle inférieur à celui de l'homme dans ces domaines. C'est pourquoi nous sommes tout à fait d'accord avec les décisions qui ont été prises par la FAO et avec les mesures qu'elle a appliquées pour essayer de définir le rôle de la femme d'une façon plus large et lui donner une place plus importante aussi bien au sein de la FAO que dans le travail qu'elle peut fournir sur le terrain.
J. IÑURRIETA RIGORES (Cuba): Mi delegación desea referirse al documento CL 74/13 de trabajo sobre la Mujer en la Categoría del Cuadro Orgánico y categorías superiores del Sistema de las Naciones Unidas.
Primero que todo, debemos reconocer el esfuerzo realizado por la Secretaria con vistas a ofrecer una visión general de cómo está la situación de la contratación de la mujer además de hacernos proposiciones concretas.
Nuestra delegación en general coincide en sus análisis con los aspectos que al respecto señala el documento y tiene a bien que se incremente la participación de la mujer en el Cuadro Orgánico del Sistema de las Naciones Unidas. Indudablemente, constituye un factor importante de análisis el papel de la mujer en el Cuadro Orgánico ya que el promedio de las cinco Organizaciones más grandes de las Naciones Unidas está comportando a un nivel por debajo del que se aspira con independencia de que en general se catalogue como positivo la participación de la mujer, por demostrar una evolución social. No debe verse esto aislado de la representación de los países como tal; no se debe ver la represen-tatividad de los organismos como un problema de feminismo, lo cual constituye una distorsión del problema esencial.
La mayor incorporación de la mujer en el Cuadro Orgánico del Sistema de las Naciones Unidas no debe ir en detrimento de la representatividad de los países en desarrollo.
Por otra parte, queremos referirnos a la proposición del distinguido delegado del Brasil sobre la incorporación del idioma portugués. Mi delegación brevemente quiere expresar que no tendríamos inconveniente en que se entrara a considerar en otra ocasión la posibilidad de utilizar el portugués como idioma de trabajo.
M.S. ZEHNI (Libya) (Interpretation from Arabic): In regard to the new languages, one of the speakers who took the floor before me said that the Arabic language was not an official language of the United Nations, and I think here there has been a slight misunderstanding. This is, of course, not intended, but we felt it was our duty to correct this misunderstanding.
It would also be useful to mention here the constructive role that has been played by the Arab States in regard to the use of the Arabic language in the UN and the specialised agencies so that this language could be used in a flexible way without it having any or at least not too heavy a financial effect on the work of the Organization.
I have asked for the floor at this time to say that we would agree that what has been said by the Director-General concerning the use of new languages, particularly in regard to Recommendation 12, where he said that the use of different languages has a positive aspect and is one of the types of positive exchanges that can take place between countries. We would agree with what was said by Lebanon with regard to document CL 74/13 on the role of women and on the need for increasing the contribution of women and the recruitment of women in the organization-. We feel that when we say this could be done by stages or steps, we should try to make these stages as short as possible.
A.V. MARTINS MONTEIRO (Observateur pour le Portugal): Monsieur le Président, ma delegation désire manifester son plus chaleureux appui à la proposition de la délégation brésilienne concernant l'éventuelle introduction du portugais comme langue officielle de la FAO.
L'appui, déjà exprimé par le délégué de la Guinée-Bissau également au nom des autres pays africains d'expression portugaise, témoigne l'intérêt commun et l'espoir de voir cette proposition bien accueillie au sein de l'organisation.
Dans ces dernières années, les millions de personnes qui dans le monde parlent le portugais ont pu ici être représentées, en dehors du Brésil et du Portugal, par de nouveaux Etats qui regardent l'action de la FAO avec enthousiasme et détermination. Les pays lusophones prônent une coopération active et efficace avec l'organisation et sont conscients du rôle important qu'ils peuvent jouer pour le renforcement de ses activités.
La diversité et la distribution géographiques de ces pays, l'importance des positions qu'ils occupent en Amérique du Sud, en Afrique et en Europe, les nombreuses communautés qui parlent le portugais et qui contribuent par leur travail au développement d'autres pays et d'autres continents, la contribution à l'union entre les peuples apportée par une langue si répandue dans le monde sont, me semble-t-il, des raisons importantes et valables. Nous croyons qu'elles justifieront le soutien du Conseil à la proposition de l'honorable délégation du Brésil, comme cela a déjà été fait par l'honorable délégué de Cuba. Je vous remercie, Monsieur le Président.
CHAIRMAN: This brings us to the end of our discussion on the JIU reports which forms the stage B or stage 2 of our discussion of item 21 on our Agenda. These are all developing subjects and not really very many new suggestions have been made-I would like to call on the Secretariat to round off the subject.
E.M. WEST (Director, Office of Programme Budget and Evaluation): Only three delegations referred to the subject of support costs, and I think they did not wish to do more than record their comments at this stage.
CHAIRMAN: I will now give the floor to the Secretary-General who is responsible for languages.
SECRETAIRE GENERAL: Je voudrais tout de suite exprimer notre gratitude à toutes les délégations qui ont reconnu et salué les efforts que déploie le Directeur général pour établir et renforcer l'équilibre linguistique dans les langues officielles de l'organisation.
Nous avons pris note des observations qui ont été présentées, en particulier celles du distingué représentant du Brésil et du distingué représentant de la Guinée-Bissau tendant à demander au Secrétariat de tenir ce problème en mémoire et d'analyser la situation pour un examen éventuel et une décision possible des organes politiques de l'organisation.
Nous avons enregistré le fait que tous les orateurs qui ont parlé sur ce sujet sont d'accord avec le Directeur général pour considérer que l'utilisation de langues nouvelles ne pourrait être qu'un facteur d'enrichissement des discussions, un facteur positif pour développer les communications entre les différentes cultures. Ce sont là des considérations essentielles que le Directeur général a toujours eu à l'esprit.
Je conclurai cette brève intervention en répondant à deux questions précises qui ont été posées par le délégué de la France, à savoir ce que voulaient dire exactement les termes: "toutes les langues étaient limitées". Nous voulons simplement dire par là que toutes les langues ne sont pas toujours utilisées de la même manière. Il y a des réunions qui sont tenues dans une seule langue et, par conséquent, les documents sont produits dans cette seule langue. Il y a des séminaires, des réunions techniques qui se tiennent dans l'une ou l'autre des langues officielles de l'Organisation. C'est la signification que vous devez donner à ces deux mots "emploi limité".
Un autre point a été soulevé par le délégué de la France, à savoir la spécialisation des interprètes et des services de traduction. Je crois que c'est un élément qu'il faut avoir à l'esprit, mais je pense que la spécialisation des interprètes, dès lors qu'on a recours au marché des interprètes pour le recrutement des interprètes Free lance, permet difficilement de parler de spécialisation. Au contraire, on peut parler davantage de familiarisation avec les problèmes et les responsabilités de l'Organisation en question mais pas de spécialisation, la spécialisation découlant de l'emploi permanent, continu d'un personnel spécialisé dans l'utilisation d'une langue déterminée. Je crois que, dans le cas qui nous préoccupe, ce n'est pas la question. La familiarisation, nous en tenons le plus grand compte dans le recrutement de nos interprètes sur le marché des interprètes en faisant appel le plus possible à ceux qui ont l'habitude de travailler avec nous, car ce facteur de familiarisation nous paraît effectivement essentiel pour rendre l'interprétation beaucoup plus efficace en faveur de nos débats.
J.F. YRIART (Subdirector General del Departamento de Desarrollo): Voy a limitarme a responder a tres preguntas que se han hecho; pero debo asegurarle, Sr. Presidente, que especialmente en cuanto al Informe sobre la función de los expertos en la cooperación para el desarrollo, hemos tomado nota de las nuevas sugerencias y comentarios que se han hecho, ya que este Informe permanecerá bajo consideración de los Organismos Rectores, de las Comisiones Técnicas del Sistema durante bastante tiempo en el futuro; así que vamos a seguir aumentando nuestro acervo de comentarios sobre el Informe.
Sobre este Informe, sin embargo, el Sr. Representante de Francia manifesto que la Recomendación 29(d) era confusa en cuanto a que hablaba de las instituciones asociadas en un acuerdo de cooperación y la CTPD. Creo que, en efecto, el párrafo es confuso y la única explicación que nosotros tenemos para este párrafo es que este Informe fue redactado mucho antes de que la Conferencia de Buenos Aires sobre
CTPD tuviera lugar y aun también en un proceso muy inicial de la Conferencia de Buenos Aires. En el tiempo en que este párrafo fue redactado se hablaba, principalmente en al documentación preparatoria de la Conferencia de Buenos Aires, de insumos en materia de expertos y equipos y que esos insumos calificarían si eran de países en desarrollo a los proyectos como de CTPD; pero desde entonces en el plan de acción se contempla también a asociación de instituciones nacionales. Yo creo que en este párrafo del Informe se quiso prever, como así fue, que al utilizar instituciones nacionales, eso calificase ya las actividades como de CTPD y se pudieran beneficiar del finaneiamiento especial para CTPD.
Las otras dos preguntas son del representante de Afganistán, mejor dicho, una de ellas es una observación respecto a la práctica normal de la Organización de someter sólo un candidato por vez para ocupar cargos de expertos en los proyectos de campo. En efecto, esa es la práctica de la Organización, aunque hay algunas veces, excepcionales y a solicitud de los gobiernos, a quienes en tales casos se les pide que tomen compromisos generales. Normalmente presentamos un experto a la vez porque tenemos gran carencia de ellos y nos es muy difícil mantener en principio a disposición de un gobierno tres expertos, sobre todo cuando los gobiernos suelen tardar mucho tiempo en darnos una respuesta. Entonces lo que hacemos es mantener uno a disposición del gobierno, en principio, aunque supongo que las excepciones las podemos hacer cuando los gobiernos adquieran un compromiso especial de respondernos con rapidez y, sobre todo, si tenemos más de un experto para ofrecer.
La segunda pregunta del representante de Afganistán es sobre los párrafos 10 y 11 de los comentarios del Director General sobre el Informe de algunos aspectos del apoyo a las actividades de cooperación técnica. Estos párrafos son correctos. Esa creo que es la pregunta del representante de Afganistán y esta es la forma como actuamos. Lo unico que puedo agregar al párrafo 10 es que desde que se consideró este Informe en forma detallada en el Comité del Programa hemos hecho grandes adelantos en cuanto a la preparación y computerización de listas de posibles expertos.
P. SKOUFIS (Assistant Director-General, Administration and Finance Department): With regard to the JIU report on profesional women in the United Nations system, I can be very brief. Perhaps I can answer the concern expressed by the delegation from France on the level of recruitment effort being made to improve the participation of women in the Secretariat by providing the delegate from the United States with a progress report since the issue of the JIU report.
I am pleased to report that as a result of the Director-General's programmes and intensification of his efforts to improve the participation of women in the Secretariat, we are currently reflecting a total of 197 professional women among our staff as opposed to 173 reported in the JIU report. This increase of 24 reflects a percentage increase of 14.3 per cent as opposed to the 12.7 per cent reflected in the JIU report.
It is also gratifying to note that many of the new employees and staff members were put into higher grades. We have now four senior professional staff women'at the D-l level, whereas at the time of the JIU report we had two.
Most recently the Director-General appointed a woman national staff member from Turkey to serve as a Deputy-Director of the Field Programme Development Division in Mr. Yriart's Department. She is the first woman Deputy-Director of an FAO Division.
Efforts to continue along these lines will be made. The Director-General has formalized a programme calling attention to the need to increase participation both at Headquarters and in the field.
The second query related to the target figures. As the report reflects, in the Director-General's comments the Director-General has not accepted a target figure as expressed by the JIU report. Both the Programme and Finance Committees commented on this, and these are certainly considered as negative figures, but for the reasons expressed in the Programme and Finance Committees' reports to the Council the figures were not considered to be realistic as a result of our analysis. There are no significant numbers to be increased in the overall staffing of the Organization, therefore opportunities for the employment of women must come about through Nutrition. It is important to keep in mind also that women do leave the service, and it is necessary to replace them as well, therefore we must approach target figures with caution.
Moreover, the emphasis appears to be more on qualification rather than just numbers. The qualification criteria is the one the Organization must keep in the forefront as it goes about its recruitment programme. Certainly when women graduates are qualifying for the position being recruited for, we must be assured their qualifications and equipment will be acceptable.
That sums up our comments on the JIU report on women in the Secretariat.
CHAIRMAN This afternoon's session will be chaired by Mrs. Florence A. Chenoweth, First Vice-Chairman.
The meeting rose at 12.45 hours
La séance est levée à 12 h 45
Se levanta la sesión a las 12.45 horas
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1/ Statement inserted in the verbatim records on request.
