LE PRESIDENT: Nous poursuivons la discussion du point 7 de l'ordre du jour. Nous sommes donc saisis du document CL 102/6 dont il est question dans le document CL 102/17, qui est le rapport des deux comités. A la page 6 de la version française de ce document, il est fait état de la discussion qui a eu lieu au sujet des activités de la FAO relatives au développement durable et à l’environnement.
Je rappelle qu'en ce qui concerne la Déclaration de compétences, la CEE nous a fait savoir que cette matière était de compétence mixte et que le droit de vote était dans les mains des Etats Membres.
David H. SHERWOOD (Canada): Mr Chairman, the Canadian delegation would like to thank Dr Mahler and Dr Bommer for their introduction to this issue yesterday and to thank the Secretariat for producing this document which summarizes the FAO's work to date in sustainable development and the environment and gives a preliminary view of follow-up to UNCED.
Canada has consistently supported the efforts of the FAO to move toward integrating sustainable development and environmental concerns throughout its activities as embodied in Conference Resolutions 3/89 and 2/91. Canada played a leadership role in the two-year UNCED process and attaches the highest priority to following up the results of the UNCED Conference, both nationally and internationally.
At home, Canada is developing important expertise and knowledge with sustainable development in the areas of agriculture, forestry and fisheries through our national green plan and is currently in the process of consulting closely on UNCED follow-up with the broad spectrum of the Canadian stakeholder community, including provincial and territorial governments, aboriginal groups, environmental and developmental non-governmental organizations, labour, industry and many others. Canada has come to understand that in times of fiscal constraint, the roles of partnerships, cooperation and shared priorities are key to achieving our commitments under UNCED and our domestic environmental goals. We believe the same applies for international organizations.
Clearly the FAO is one element of a broad global system which must respond to the directions set at UNCED with follow-up action. By focusing its work and ensuring that its resources are used effectively, the FAO can make a significant contribution and, at the same time, ensure that our goals of
UNCED for sustainable agriculture, rural development, fisheries and forestry are met.
Canada is pleased to note that plans are being made to streamline Special Action Programmes and will follow with great interest action to give substance to these plans. These plans provide a mechanism to enable the FAO to focus on its priority areas, increasing the effectiveness of FAO's spending and providing for better accountability to FAO members.
The Special Action Programmes recommended as a result of the streamlining review appear to provide a good package consistent with the mandate of the Organization. It is important the FAO ensure that its UNCED follow-up priorities are reflected in these as much as possible to support implementation of the decisions from UNCED.
The list of programme areas of UNCED Agenda 21 of special relevance to FAO programmes in Annex I is a useful start to analysing the vast set of activities recommended by UNCED as they relate to FAO. Work must continue in the FAO as in other international organizations and within Member States to focus and refine these preliminary ideas further. We must remember however that, as elsewhere, resources are constrained and may be most effectively used by concentrating on areas where the FAO has the experience, the expertise and a comparative advantage.
Yesterday, the Indian delegation pointed out the importance of assigning priorities. The Canadian delegation suggests that the FAO priorize proposed activities in the paper by working with three criteria in mind. The first
(I) activities where FAO has a natural lead role and much value to add as aresult of its mandate and expertise. The chapters on sustainable agricultureand deforestation are examples of items that might fall in this category;
(II) activities where FAO has a significant interest and an important role toplay in the outcome of an issue which may be led by another organization. Climate change and biodiversity are examples which significantly affect areaswithin our mandate and may be issues for consideration in this category; and
(III) there are cross-sectoral issues where FAO has an interest but not asignificant role to play. There are the cases where the trade-off limitedresources and FAO's interest is not as clear as in the second category. Areassuch as environmental accounting and environmental education may fall in thislatter category.
From these categories we can then look at the Special Action Programmes in the context of the FAO mandate and limited resources and have a clearer sense for where to put FAO's common resources. These categories also apply to areas which Canada believes should be priorities for FAO's Regular Field Programmes, notably: (a) sustainable agriculture and rural development, including management and conservation of soils and water resources, plant genetic resources, livestock production and health, sustainable crop production and protection, and integrated pest management; (b) policy advice for the management, conservation and sustainable development of forest and fisheries resources in developing countries and (c) the strengthening of indicators for sustainable development in areas of the FAO's purview.
Canada also believes that, along with planning, reporting on efforts and activities undertaken to internalize Agenda 21 constitutes a key element for achieving progress towards sustainable development.
Among the items issuing from UNCED to which Canada attaches the highest priority are the biodiversity and climate change conventions signed at Rio de Janeiro, the undertaking to negotiate a desertification convention with priority on Africa as well as to hold a UN Conference on High Seas Fisheries relating to straddling stocks and highly migratory species as our delegation mentioned during our statement on the state of world food and agriculture yesterday.
As acknowledged in the document before us, efforts will need to be made to avoid duplication between international agencies and to work cooperatively. The Canadian delegation notes that this report was written relatively shortly after the conclusion of UNCED. In thanking Mr Mahler for his update, we would ask that the Secretariat elaborate further on mechanisms for inter-agency cooperation in the post-UNCED era within a revitalized UN system. In particular, how does the Secretariat view the results of the ACC process which the Director-General recently chaired?
Our delegation would also appreciate some clarification about how the Secretariat intends to integrate post-UNCED follow-up into the Programme of Work and Budget for 1994-95 and the Medium-Term Plan, as well as promote cross-sectoral integration of sustainable development and environmental considerations throughout the Organization. In this regard, the Canadian delegation would urge that UNCED follow-up, be a topic for discussion at the Programme Committee, as well as the technical committees of COFO, COFI and COAG.
Lastly, we support the Netherlands in their view on the need for environmental impact analyses for FAO projects. We would also like to add our general support to Sweden on behalf of the Nordic countries on the points made for forestry.
Do Hoon LEE (Korea, Republic of): My delegation would like to thank the Secretariat for undertaking the study and making available the excellent and informative document CL 102/6. At the outset, Mr Chairman, you may recall the decision of the Twenty-sixth Session of the Conference, that sustainable development and environment should be a major priority of the Organization, not only for the 1992-93 Programme of Work and Budget but for its Medium-Term Plan and the field programmes and projects.
My delegation recognizes that the most important areas in Chapter II of the document related to sustainable development and environment are covered by the Organization's activities of Special Action Programmes, SAP.
Considering the difficult tasks of the financial management of FAO activities, my delegation wishes to point out that more attention should be given to the arrangement of priorities among Special Action Programmes.
With regard to paragraph 48 of the paper "The Review of SAPs", my delegation would like to emphasize items (i), (ii), (v) and (vi).
My delegation believes that for a successful result of the SAP activities the recipient country's interest should be fully reflected in the preparation and implementation of the SAPs.
There are some differences in priority setting and interests which vary according to individual countries because of their different socio-political and cultural backgrounds.
In this regard my delegation is of the opinion that the specific interest of each country and each region should be reflected as much as possible in preparing the SAPs.
Finally, on the results of the UNCED meeting, I associate myself with the concern that the implications of the UNCED results should be thoroughly studied for the strategies of FAO's future activities.
At this stage I would also like to emphasize the importance of cooperation and the avoidance of duplication among related organizations.
Antonio BAYAS F. (Chile): Quiero en primer lugar agradecer al Sr. Mahler por su introducción clara y precisa, asi como al Sr. Bommer del Comité del Programa por su presentación.
Respecto al documento CL 102/6, Actividades de la FAO en relación con el desarrollo sostenible y el medio ambiente, la delegación de Chile encuentra muy apropiados los criterios y las actividades que ha programado la FAO en relación con el desarrollo sostenible, entendiéndose como tal la utilización racional del medio ambiente y de los recursos naturales, a la luz de los acuerdos adoptados en la Conferencia de Naciones Unidas para el Medio Ambiente y el Desarrollo, CNUMAD.
En relación a los criterios adoptados por la FAO en sus programas, concordamos en todos sus términos, que el desarrollo viable es el manejo y conservación de la base de recursos naturales y la orientación del cambio tecnológico institucional, de tal manera, que se asegure en forma eficiente las necesidades de la población presente y a las generaciones futuras.
En relación a la cooperación que debe tener la FAO con otros Organismos Internacionales, especialmente con el Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Medio Ambiente, sugerimos que ésta podria consultar, también, la relación eficiente con la Comisión de Desarrollo Sostenible, recomendada en la Conferencia de Naciones Unidas para el Medio Ambiente y el Desarrollo.
Respecto a las actividades que lleva a cabo la FAO sobre asesoramiento en políticas y planificación, estimamos que ésta debería reforzarse, particularmente en el campo del desarrollo agrícola sostenible.
Del mismo modo, consideramos necesario que la FAO continúe su estrecha cooperación con las actividades que desarrolle en el futuro la Convención sobre la Diversidad Biológica, adoptada en la CNUMAD, en junio del presente año, particularmente en el campo de la biotecnología.
En el campo de la integración de criterios relativos al medio ambiente y el desarrollo sostenible en los programas y proyectos de campo, sería conveniente conocer, en su debida oportunidad, las directrices elaboradas por el grupo especial, mencionadas en la página 8 del documento. Para la formulación de proyectos tendientes a aumentar la capacidad de producción agrícola, como actividades complementarias de los acuerdos adoptados por la CNUMAD, que están incluidos en la Agenda 21.
En la esfera de las cuestiones multisectoriales relativas al medio ambiente y el desarrollo sostenible, página 9 de nuestro documento, consideramos necesario conocer las actividades que ha realizado la FAO en el campo agricola, ganadero, pesquero y forestal, desde el punto de vista del cambio climático, su impacto en las actividades productivas; la biodiversidad, pérdida del recurso genético; la ordenación integrada de zonas costeras; la lucha contra la desertificación, sobre pastoreo, manejo irracional del recurso forestal, la energia y la silvicultura.
Sin perjuicio de lo anterior, apoyamos un reforzamiento de las actividades que la FAO desarrolla en estos campos.
En relación a los Programas Especiales de Acción, PEA, aun cuando las actividades de estas operaciones no han concluido, concordamos que éstas deben ir desarrollándose a la luz de los resultados de la CNUMAD. Creemos que las actividades detalladas en la página 15, N° 48, apartados 1 al 12, son aceptables para los países en desarrollo.
Concordamos, señor Presidente con las decisiones de la CNUMAD, de importancia para la FAO, páginas 19 y 20 del documento que estamos analizando, así como los principales de los preceptos contenidos en la página 22, relativos también a la CNUMAD, con lo cual, sobre este aspecto no tenemos mayores comentarios.
Finalmente, respecto al Anexo I del documento que estamos analizando, debe tomarse en cuenta todos los temas que comprenden los capítulos de la Agenda 21, que son importantes, pero de especial importancia para Chile son el Capítulo 9: Protección de la Atmósfera; Capítulo 11: Medidas contra la Deforestación; Capítulo 13: Gestión de los Ecosistemas Frágiles; Capítulo 14: Fomento del Desarrollo Agrícola y Rural Sostenible; Capítulo 15: Conservación de la Biodiversidad; Capítulo 16: Gestión Ecológicamente Racional de la Biotecnología; Capítulo 17: Protección de los Océanos; Capítulo 19: Gestión de Desechos Peligrosos; Capítulo 26: Papel de las Comunidades Indígenas; Capítulo 36: Fomento de la Educación hacia un Desarrollo Sostenible, y, finalmente, Capítulo 37: Mecanismos Nacionales y Cooperación Internacional para Aumentar la Capacidad Nacional en los Países en Desarrollo.
Kiyoshi SAWADA (Japan): First, my Government would like to thank Dr Mahler for his explanation. We also appreciate FAO's contribution to the UNCED process through its exercise on forestry, fisheries, biodiversity, etc. and the Den Bosch Declaration which provided the basic concept for Agenda Item 21.
Food and agricultural production have been recognized to be enhanced through the sustainable development process, taking into consideration global environmental issues. In this context, most of FAO's activities are automatically involved in the field of the environment.
Let me touch upon my country's attitude on this occasion. In Japan environmental issues stir up the consciousness of people, local communities and the private sector gradually. They are given high priority in national policy and programmes as well as in international cooperation.
In the agricultural sector we have been proud of the paddyfield system used on the majority of arable land in our country, as in other Asian countries, with our conditions of monsoons and a human climate, for the reason that this system conserves water effectively and protects the top soil from erosion
because of the function of the boundary surrounding each plot. Even in the paddyfield system, which we still believe is the best agricultural system for our Asian monsoon climate, we are trying to minimize environmental impacts such as a chemical input into the field, while endeavouring to increase productivity on a research and trial basis.
This is one of the components of "The Basic Direction of New Policies for Food, Agriculture and Rural Areas" in Japan, released in June this year, which is the basis of our agricultural policy towards the twenty-first century.
Recognizing the significance of the environment and sustainable development, my Government participated positively in UNCED and contributed to the formulation process of the international agreement. With regard to the financial contribution, the Japanese delegate announced at the Rio Conference that Japan will expand its bilateral and multilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) in the field of the environment to approximately 900 billion to one trillion yen, or approximately US$7-8 billion, during the five-year period starting from fiscal year 1992.
With regard to FAO's field project, we have given priority to the environmental issues.
My Government strongly expects FAO to contribute further to the follow-up of UNCED, taking into account good coordination, to avoid a duplication of activities among international agencies. In this sense, we hope that a priority area for FAO will be clear. We are waiting for the explanation of the linkage between the Biodiversity Convention and the International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources.
We are convinced that the ultimate identity of FAO is its capacity to monitor, analyse and disseminate agricultural information and its activities on policy guidance based on its expertise. In this sense my Government supports paragraph 46 which mentions the close relationship of field projects and feedback to the regular programme so as to refine FAO's expertise and initiative.
CHAIRMAN: I would like to congratulate Japan on its support at the Rio Conference and its announcement that it will increase substantially its efforts in the field of cooperation and development.
Benson C. MBOGOH (Kenya): My delegation takes this opportunity to congratulate the Director-General on the central role he has played in the preparation and subsequent participation in UNCED. We also commend him on his consistency of effort in giving practical meaning to the noble ideas of environmental conservation and protection and sustainable development. We commend the Secretariat on their report in document CL 102/6 and Mr Mahler and Dr Bommer on their further elaborating comments. Having said that, permit me to make just a few comments on the report.
The broad priority areas to which FAO has directed its activities are, in our view, well conceived and clearly defined: that is, integrating sustainability criteria in the Organization's programmes and activities, streamlining of the Special Action Programmes and follow-up of UNCED. Reading through the report, however, one gets the impression that within these clearly defined broad
programme areas the Secretariat is attempting to cover too much, with seemingly unclear prioritization of the separate activities.
In paragraph 7 the document states that some special cross-sectoral issues of critical importance to sustainability are being addressed. My delegation would be pleased to have a little further elaboration on how the issues of coastal areas and desertification are being addressed.
On assessment and perspective studies, my delegation applauds FAO's efforts in developing indicators and methodological tools to enable efficient qualitative assessment and projection of environmental changes. However, deliberate efforts should be made to collaborate meaningfully with other bodies, including UNEP and other UN agencies, member governments, intergovernmental groups and NGOs. This will ensure harmonization of the methodologies and avoidance of duplication of efforts, we believe.
Furthermore, methodologies developed should be suitable for efficient use in developing countries. In other words, these tools should be effective and accurate but simple to apply without the use of high-tech gadgetry, for which developing countries have no capacity.
Effective management of the environment for ensuring sustainability requires effective integrated planning and management of the resources within it. Effective planning itself requires reliable and timely data. The lack of an adequate resource database or capacity to generate the data needed is a serious handicap to the formulation of national environmental policies, resource planning and management in many developing countries. Kenya, for example, has embraced the ideals of environmental conservation in practical terms through the creation of public awareness, promotion of people's participation in environmental conservation and institution building to enhance environmental protection. The Resource Survey and Remote Sensing Department of the Ministry of Material Resources makes the use of satellite for aerial data collection possible. However, inadequate data and information in some crucial areas of the resource base is still a major constraint to our further resource planning and management effort. We still need increased capacity to assess and monitor resource data changes in some crucial areas, as I have already stated. We therefore consider FAO's efforts in providing advisory services on policy planning in this development area very essential and consider that they should be intensified.
I will not say much about UNCED as many delegates before me have already given a very good account of the role which FAO has played. We should like to see a successful follow-up of UNCED and hope that FAO will continue to take the leading role which it played during preparation for, and participation in, this meeting.
HUANG YONGNING (China) (Original language Chinese): I should like to commend the Secretariat for the preparation of document CL 102/6 and the presentations by Mr Mahler and Dr Bommer. I should now like to express our views on this agenda item.
Firstly, with the increasing population and deterioration of the environment and resources, a great challenge facing us in food and agricultural production the world over is to produce more and better food to meet the needs of mankind. The concept of sustainable development and agriculture enables us to
look from a new angle at the relationship between man and nature, between social development and environmental protection, and consider new and more significant agricultural development strategies.
We have noted that FAO has made considerable efforts in integrating sustainable agriculture into its various programmes as a guideline. Many activities have been carried out in this regard. We have also noted that FAO made its due contribution to UNCED by providing technical support. We are very pleased with this and hope that FAO will make further efforts along these lines.
Secondly, sustainable agriculture and rural development is not only the guideline for us in formulating plans and taking actions but also a strategic target for agriculture and rural development. In the process towards achieving these targets, there will surely be many concrete and technical problems to be tackled. In this regard, FAO should make use of its unique advantage to conduct and strengthen research and formulate relevant policies so as to ensure an integration of agricultural development and environmental conservation to foster coordinated and healthy development of agriculture.
Thirdly, when implementing the UNCED follow-up activities, we hope that FAO will not only strengthen the collaboration among various departments within the Organization but also enhance cooperation with other international agencies. FAO should put emphasis on action and spare no efforts in seeking the necessary funds to put forward a clear target and establish an efficient monitoring and evaluation system so that the International Cooperative Programme for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development and the Special Action Programmes can be fully implemented and tangible results can be achieved.
Finally, I wish to take this opportunity to inform the Council that on May 25 to 28 next year China will organize an International Symposium on Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development in its capital, Beijing. We shall warmly welcome experts and friends from all countries to this large-scale symposium.
Eduardo HERMANNY (Brasil): Gracias por darme la posibilidad de presentar una contribución de la delegación del Brasil sobre el punto 7 del orden del día.
Nosotros consideramos que el documento presentado por el Secretariado de la FAO y las explicaciones dadas por los representantes de la FAO son muy claras, completas y transparentes, muestran un cuadro constructivo sobre las actividades que la FAO viene ejecutando en el pasado y en el presente con la preocupación de aplicar y reforzar los principios del desarrollo sostenible.
En la Conferencia de las Naciones Unidas sobre el Medio Ambiente y el Desarrollo realizada en Río se hizo hincapié en el hecho de que las agencias especializadas de las Naciones Unidas tendrán un importante papel a jugar dentro de sus respectivas áreas de competencia en la ejecución de las partes relevantes del Programa 21 y de otras decisiones de aquella Conferencia. En ese sentido la FAO ya está apoyando los esfuerzos nacionales, regionales e internacionales para la integración de las cuestiones de medio ambiente y desarrollo en todo lo que se refiere a agricultura, pesca y silvicultura, con el objetivo de promover el desarrollo agrícola y rural sostenible, es decir, el aumento de la producción de alimentos de manera sostenible y una mejor seguridad alimentaria.
Se podría enfatizar que las acciones de la FAO deben siempre pautarse por el principio de que para que se alcance el desarrollo sostenible, la protección ambiental deberá constituir parte integral del proceso de desarrollo y no podrá ser considerada aisladamente de ese proceso. De manera más específica se puede resaltar la contribución de la FAO a los esfuerzos para que se alcance la seguridad alimentaria, a la ordenación de la utilización de la tierra, al manejo forestal sostenible, a los programas de combate a la sequía y la degradación de los suelos, a la difusión de técnicas de empleo de insumos agrícolas, de gestión integrada de pestes y de enfoques integrados de nutrientes vegetales, eficacia de productividad de suelos y su relación con el medio ambiente, contribución a la mejoría de la eficiencia de las actividades agrícolas, pesqueras y forestales, de forma que se alcancen aumentos de producción sin ejercer presión sobre los recursos naturales, contribución, igualmente, a la difusión de experiencias, de metodologías de planificación energética, a la elaboración y difusión de metodologías de evaluación de impacto ambiental, adaptadas a los imperativos del desarrollo agrícola sostenible.
Esos son ejemplos en que la FAO ya está dando una contribución muy valiosa a los países en desarrollo y a nuestro país también.
En resumen, nuestra delegación considera que la FAO ya está haciendo y debe continuar ayudando a los países en desarrollo en la búsqueda de los recursos financieros y de la tecnología necesarias para la ejecución de sus planes de desarrollo sostenible.
Gracias, Sr. Presidente, por dar a la delegación de Brasil la oportunidad de intentar presentar una contribución a los debates sobre este punto que es verdaderamente muy importante para todos los países en desarrollo y en general para el planeta tierra.
Joseph MHELLA (Tanzania): I wish to thank the Secretariat for their elaborate presentation of this agenda item and for the well-prepared and comprehensive document CL 102/6.
I should like to begin my intervention by reminding you, Mr Chairman, and all the delegates present here today, that we owe many thanks to our forefathers for the good job they did in the management and conservation of the natural resource base and the environment in which we now enjoy living. They may have done some damage to it in one way or another, but they did their best and played their part. This being the case, we of this generation also have a duty to fulfil for the sake of future generations. We are duty bound to lay a better foundation for the preservation of the natural resource base and for the prevention of negative environmental effects. Where the environment has unfortunately been degraded, it is our duty to take steps to improve it for the future well-being of humanity.
My delegation would like to congratulate the Director-General of FAO for initiating the proposal to integrate sustainable criteria in all FAO programmes and activities. My country supports this move and will do everything possible on our part to cooperate with FAO and other organizations which have an interest in environmental sustainability. We call upon FAO to strengthen its cooperation with other UN and non-UN bodies concerned with sustainable agricultural and rural development, and encourage it to continue to cooperate with UNCED so as to ensure the necessary support to sustainable
agriculture, forestry and fisheries activities in the context of the proposed UNCED Agenda 21.
We also appreciate the steps so far taken by FAO in starting to comply with FAO Conference Resolution 2/91 on the elaboration of strategies and guidelines for future international and national action. We hope these efforts will be continued and the results brought to the attention of this forum in the future and to the international community in general.
My delegation would again like to call upon FAO in all its periodic assessments and development studies to be undertaken, to take into account environmental sustainability and would advise the countries concerned accordingly. We support FAO in its efforts now being taken as stated in paragraph 8 of the document, to develop sustainable indicators and methodological tools for quantitative assessment and projection. As the delegate from Kenya has stated, we advise that these tools should be simple and easy to use by the people in the field. We believe that these will very much help us in our efforts to increase agricultural productivity, at the same time conserving the environment.
Lastly, for FAO's efforts to succeed we propose that FAO should retrain its field staff accordingly, to enable them to cope with these new developments, particularly in the field of policy formulation and analysis. We all know that they do advise our governments and, therefore, these people in the field should be trained; also in the field of extension services and in all the fields in which they are involved.
We also urge FAO field staff to follow closely the effects of prolonged fertilizer and agro-chemical applications on the environment in developing countries so that they can assist by advising the countries concerned in order to prevent degradation of the environment.
Finally, my delegation supports the follow-up action as given in paragraphs 69 and 70 of the document.
Mansur M. SEGHAYER (Libya) (Original language Arabic): In the name of God the Merciful and Compassionate, I would like to thank you, Mr Chairman, for giving me the floor. I would also like to thank Messrs Mahler and Bommer for their introductory comments to the document in front of us.
As Mr Mahler said, this document is the Fourth Progress Report presented by the Secretariat about its activities in sustainable development and agriculture. All the people who have been following the reports from the beginning can see for themselves that the Organization has already made a great deal of progress in applying this new principle, and observers can see that the Organization is following a very carefully balanced path in its search for solutions and frameworks for its new activities.
We are happy to see that the Organization has not acted alone, but has consulted other bodies, national, international and regional, and has cooperated with them. This confirms yet again the essential role played by FAO in this area. In fact, FAO is the only organization which can provide this sort of training and experience in all technical areas and coordinate international cooperation.
I should like to express my delegation's satisfaction with the document before us today and we appreciate the effort put into preparing it. We should like to express our appreciation to all those who took part. The report does, in fact, respond most effectively to the decisions taken by the Council in general conference, and provide these two bodies with very clear objectives and also a proper general framework for sustainable agricultural development.
I should now like to make one or two more specific comments. This report mentions a number of activities in various directions. I think that we should probably come to a global and integrated overview of all these activities. It is only natural that these activities be only in their early stages. That is why when we read the Report - and we did read it very carefully - it gave the impression that the Secretariat had, in fact, now achieved a global and integrated view of the whole subject.
The Earth Summit was completed not very long ago and the organizations concerned have not yet been able to decide on what follow-up activities should be implemented. We do hope that the next report we get will be more analytical and will give us the basis for the conceptual approach of the Organization.
The Report also concentrates, naturally enough at this time, on the activities undertaken under technical programmes. We hope that the next stage will be one of programmes being implemented at national level and that the Organization will be able to help the countries involved to increase their technical and human capacity.
Thirdly, a number of colleagues have already said that the Rio Conference, despite its success, has not provided the necessary financial resources to implement the decisions and recommendations that were adopted there. We feel that the Organization ought to play a specific role in attracting financing to developing countries.
Finally, this Report does not really clearly state the guidelines of the Organization in different geographical and climatic areas. We know that the different regions have urgent requirements which have to be met and problems which have to be resolved.
I am not exaggerating when I say that the Near East Region, which is very special from an ecological point of view, deserves careful and thorough study. We await with interest to see what activities the Organization propose to carry out there, especially since the Regional Office has opened again and is undertaking its work enthusiastically with a new team and a new head.
Like previous speakers, I support the decisions on the activities taken by the Organization, especially when it comes to integrating sustainability criteria and streamlining the SAPs.
I should like to congratulate the Organization on the role it played in helping prepare the Rio Conference, and also to thank the Director-General for the particular interest he showed in it.
I should also like to add that sustainable agriculture and rural development problems are very complicated and complex, and require the coordination of international and national efforts as well as the help and support of all sectors of society. We see that the Secretariat has shown that it is aware of
the magnitude of the problem and that it is determined to make a success of the activities it has undertaken.
I have a question that I should like to ask. Is the international community, in particular donor countries, able to shoulder this responsibility not only for this generation but for generations to come? I do hope so.
Morad Ali ARDESHIRI (Iran, Islamic Republic of): The delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran has noted very carefully document CL 102/6 on FAO activities related to Environment and Sustainable Development.
First, on behalf of my delegation I should like to thank and congratulate the Secretariat on the preparation of such a comprehensive and informative document. Their approaches for integrating sustainability criteria in FAO's programmes are to be commended. Secondly, regarding this issue, I should like to make the following remarks. But before I get into this subject I should like to express my appreciation to Mr Mahler, Special Adviser for Environment and Sustainable Development, for his well-organized and informative introduction of the subject.
First, sustainable development in turn hinges largely on the sustainable utilization of the natural environment the core component of which is natural resources.
Accordingly, the FAO, as the most competent agency in the field of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in the United Nations system, should concentrate on strategy, policy programme and action plans that encourage and help the developing countries, particularly the rural poor, to undertake their agricultural production without causing environmental disorders and land resources degradation, or at least to minimize these damages at an acceptable level.
In order to achieve this vital goal, the FAO should help developing countries. prepare their agriculture national plan on the basis of sustainable supporting capacity of natural resources and social, economical and environmentally sound technology as well.
Of course, it should be noted that some prerequisite measures, such as the promotion of training and education capacity and institutional strengthening of developing countries, need to be fulfilled, or at least to be performed parallel to the above-mentioned issues.
In this regard, the training, research and technical assistance of the FAO can effectively provide developing countries with the assured areas and means to meet basic needs in respect to skilled and specialized manpower and other prerequisite measures.
Since the majority of the populations of the least developed and developing countries is concentrated in Asia and Africa, particular attention should be given to the deprived people of these two continents.
In order to make the FAO's activities more efficient and effective, special attention should be given to the FAO's activities in respect to strengthening the institutional aspects of developing countries, and their national capacity building in relation to the sectors concerned.
The issue of national capacity building of developing countries, which has been adopted as one of the chapters of Agenda 21, is very general and it is not sector-oriented. For this reason, we believe that it cannot be efficient and effective in relation to the FAO's activities unless it becomes sector-oriented. Therefore, on behalf of the delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, I would like to emphasize the FAO's role in national capacity building in the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors.
Secondly, as you are well aware, Mr Chairman, our country is located in an arid and semi-arid region of the world; some 80 percent of its total land area of 165 million hectares is arid and semi-arid. Because of this land characteristic of our country, during the last 25 years, in the field of sand dune fixation and combating desertification, we have accomplished extensive and extraordinary measures in more than 3 million hectares of arid and desertified areas of Iran. This has led to extensive experience and expertise output; and also a high potential for scientific and technical assessment capacity of de-desertification methods has been achieved. Therefore, with regard to Chapter 12 of Agenda 21, Managing Fragile Eco-systems: combating desertification and drought, the achievements in the Islamic Republic of Iran could be taken as an example of what can be done for the implementation of the above-mentioned programme area. Also, we are ready to share our experience with and learn from other countries that have similar experience in the world. In this regard, I would like to request that the Islamic Republic of Iran be considered as a pilot country for the activities of Chapter 12 of Agenda 21.
Thirdly, concerning the Special Action Programmes, under the subject Discussion of Streamlining of Special Action Programmes of Item 7, we fully support the five areas of concentration which have been mentioned in the document concerned. In respect to the establishment of 12 Special Action Programmes as the result of its review, which are closely linked to UNCED and Agenda 21, I would like to point out that, regarding the Forestry Action Plan, it should encompass all types of forest within the framework of the National Forestry Action Programme, and Programme 10 of proposed SAPs, namely conservation and rehabilitation of land to be expanded for the Near East Region.
Finally, on behalf of the delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, I would like to express my appreciation to FAO for its remarkable assistance in preparing the sustainable agricultural development and institutional strengthening project as an international case study in Bakhtaran province which covers some 24 500 square kilometres of our country.
Ricardo VELASQUEZ HUERTA (México): En primer término, Sr. Presidente, queremos agradecer a la Secretaría por la elaboración del documento CL 102/6, toda vez que, a nuestro juicio, se trata de un documento muy bien estructurado que define con mucha precisión las actividades que la FAO ha venido realizando desde hace muchos años en relación con el desarrollo sostenible y el medio ambiente.
La delegación mexicana coincide con los propósitos de la Organización respecto de que el desarrollo sostenible y el medio ambiente deben ser objeto de prioridad e incorporarse cabalmente a las labores de la FAO, ello con la doble finalidad de dar cumplimiento a los acuerdos de la Conferencia de Naciones Unidas sobre Medio Ambiente y de continuar con el trabajo permanente que la FAO ha venido desarrollando en este rubro.
Sería innecesario en este momento enumerar cada una de las acciones que la FAO ha realizado en el pasado en favor del desarrollo sostenible y el medio ambiente. De ello ya queda constancia escrita en casi todas las actas de los Consejos y Conferencias de la Organización. Sin embargo, debemos hacer referencia a dos actividades recientes que la FAO ha ejecutado exitosamente:
- La Conferencia FAO/Países Bajos sobre Agricultura y Medio Ambiente, que tuvo lugar en abril de 1992, y
- La Reunión Latinoamericana sobre Desarrollo Sostenible y Medio Ambiente en los sectores de la Agricultura, los Montes y la Pesca, celebrada en Santiago de Chile en abril de este año.
Estos dos eventos bastarían para destacar la importancia que la FAO le da a este tema.
Por otra parte, esperamos con mucho interés la realización y los resultados de la Conferencia Internacional sobre Recursos Genéticos a celebrarse en 1993 que, sin duda, dará un énfasis especial a la parte relativa de utilización de los recursos genéticos con conservación que, indudablemente, son compatibles con el desarrollo y el medio ambiente.
Nos complace enormemente el contenido del párrafo 70 del documento, ya que en él textualmente se expresa "el grado aceptable de coherencia entre las áreas del Programa 21 y los Programas de la FAO". Pero, además, se precisa lo que es evidente en muchos aspectos relativos a la alimentación, la agricultura, la silvicultura y la pesca, el Programa 21 va mucho más allá del alcance y los medios de los programas actuales de la FAO. Será necesario, pues, tal como lo indica el documento, determinar prioridades y establecer acuerdos de cooperación con otras instituciones, incluidas las organizaciones no gubernamentales a fin de distribuir el trabajo de una manera apropiada.
De esta frase podemos desprender un sinnúmero de consideraciones, a las que la FAO ya se ha comprometido: racionalizar sus actividades y evitar duplicidad en sus funciones con las de otras instituciones internacionales, propiciando una mayor coordinación con todos los organismos de las Naciones Unidas.
La delegación de México desea señalar en este momento que las cuestiones de carácter ecológico no deben ser pretexto para aplicar barreras comerciales injustas e injustificadas que tienen un impacto adverso en las exportaciones de los países en desarrollo. Por ello, estimamos que es muy importante que la FAO mantenga su participación en las instancias multilaterales de comercio, como el GATT. Apoyaremos muy firmemente cualquier pronunciamiento que la Organización haga para propiciar la conclusión más pronta y efectiva de las negociaciones de la Ronda Uruguay.
En relación con los Programas Especiales de Acción, apreciamos los esfuerzos realizados hasta ahora por la FAO y le pedimos a nuestra Organización continuar con ellos a fin de garantizar la adecuada ejecución y el alcance de los objetivos de estos programas. Especialmente, respaldamos los propósitos de la FAO de instrumentar y estructurar programas especiales de acción específicos, vinculados con los objetivos de la CNUMAD y de la Agenda 21, de manera particular con los Programas de pesca responsable y sostenible.
Desde la perspectiva del sector agropecuario y forestal de México, el tema del desarrollo sostenible y medio ambiente se considera de particular interés para los trabajos de la FAO.
En relación con la agricultura sostenible, la situación actual de México, donde los productores requieren ya de modelos que les permitan producir en condiciones competitivas y sobre todo aumentar su productividad reduciendo costos y disminuyendo riesgos, las plagas, las enfermedades y los fenómenos metereológicos les obligan a usar constantemente agroquímicos cada vez en mayor medida. Es indispensable, pues, analizar y seguir de cerca los efectos de este modelo sobre la sostenibilidad de la agricultura.
Por otra parte, consideramos necesario que los países en desarrollo definan con precisión su ventaja comparativa en un contexto de libre mercado a nivel internacional, incluyendo el criterio de agricultura y desarrollo rural sostenibles.
Para lograr modelos competitivos de producción y reducir costos, es indispensable reorientar e incrementar el apoyo a los programas de investigación con el propósito de generar tecnologías para una Agricultura Sostenible. Es indispensable desarrollar programas de capacitación para los investigadores y el personal responsable de la transferencia de tecnología y la extensión e ir incorporando estos temas a los programas globales educativos de la sociedad.
En lo que a los asuntos pesqueros se refiere, hacemos patente, una vez más nuestro agradecimiento a la FAO por su eficaz auxilio para la realización de la Conferencia Internacional de Pesca Responsable celebrada en Cancún, cuyos resultados han merecido la consideración tanto en la Cumbre de Río como la de este foro.
Asimismo, en consonancia con el párrafo 35 del documento que nos ocupa, consideramos de fundamental importancia la posibilidad de un nuevo y separado Programa de Acción para la ordenación integral de las áreas costeras, dado los auxilios de estos ecosistemas que son base fundamental de las pesquerías y en las que concurren una gran variedad de actividades que de no ser correctamente armonizadas ponen en peligro la sostenibilidad. De ahí la importancia de que se le otorgue especial atención.
Señor Presidente, la delegación mexicana ha expuesto sus puntos de vista y felicita nuevamente a la FAO por el trabajo realizado hasta ahora.
R. ALLEN (United Kingdom): We would like to express our appreciation to the Secretariat for their preparation of this document. We have been presented with a clear analysis of the subject and a concise guide to FAO's view for the future. In particular we would like to applaud the sense of realism evident in document CL 102/6. The paper sets out clearly the progress made on implementation of Resolution 2/91, and shows appreciation that the Organization should focus on areas within its own mandate and accepts the need to prioritize. It accepts, and does not commit, the Organization to undertake the coordination post-UNCED of programmes which might be better coordinated elsewhere - whether within the UN system or outside.
The allotment of responsibilities for activities related to UNCED has yet to be decided, but we are nonetheless grateful to the Secretariat for providing
this brief description of the areas which FAO considers are relevant to its mandate and activities. We strongly endorse the Secretariat's view that since many Agenda 21 activities go far beyond the scope of FAO programmes there is a need for careful selection and prioritization of activities. In this respect the FAO will need to adapt its existing programmes to fit the Agenda 21 framework.
We agree that there must be a coordinated sharing of responsibilities and duties between the various parties involved in this very important work. Such practices are especially important since there is no indication that additional funds will be forthcoming and so redeployment of resources may be required.
We would like to express our support for the Secretariat's choice of priorities for the Special Action Programmes. These reflect the FAO's mandated role as a centre of technical excellence designed to disseminate information and expertise in the vital areas of agriculture and food production. They are also obviously an indication of the Secretariat's own views as to where the strengths of the Organization lie, and we look forward to seeing this emphasis carried forward in the prioritization of future work within the Regular Programme. The comments made by the Indian delegation, the Hungarian delegation and the Canadian delegation are particularly pertinent in this respect.
We welcome the emphasis given by FAO to the environment as a cross-cutting issue in its programmes and activities.
Paragraph 23 indicates that an ad hoc working group has been set up to produce guidelines on how to ensure that FAO field projects take due account of environmental and sustainability questions. We would be interested to know more about how this is working in practice. We also suggest that the awareness of all staff - both technical and administrative, including those in country offices - might be further enhanced by the production of an "Environment Manual". This would include a checklist of questions to be asked at the earliest stages of project identification which would indicate whether a full environmental impact assessment be required.
The paper mentions that an extensive review of sustainable development has taken place, and that criteria are currently being integrated into project appraisals. It would be helpful if we knew the criteria being used, not only as they are applied at the project and programme level but also at the policy and strategic planning level.
Finally, I would like to support the remarks made by the delegations of France and Germany about the need to consider population aspects, and while I have noted your comments made on the suggestion made by the Netherlands delegation regarding a Field Programme Committee, I nonetheless support their proposal.
LE PRESIDENT: En ce qui concerne la proposition des Pays-Bas, je crois avoir bien expliqué hier quelle était la procédure à suivre pour ajouter un point à l'ordre du jour. Elle est reprise explicitement dans le Verbatim de la séance d'hier.
Ms Melinda KIMBLE (United States of America): In Rio the world community gathered to forge a new global partnership for the protection of the environment and the sustainable use of its resources. Last week in opening the General Assembly debate on the follow-up to the UN Conference on Environment and Development, Secretary-General Boutros Ghali astutely pointed out that "the challenge after Rio is to maintain the momentum of commitment to sustainable development, to transform it into policies and practice, and to give it effective and coordinated organizational support".
As we consider FAO activities related to environment and development we need to determine how the FAO can best support national policies and programmes which implement this commitment to the environment and sustainable development, working within a renewed and integrated United Nations system.
The FAO clearly has a major role to play on issues of environment and development within its mandate. In line with the commitments of Hungary, India and Canada we note that in fulfilling that role FAO must set clear priorities in its areas of expertise that recognize and integrate the social, economic and environmental dimension of sustainability. In this connection we believe Canada's proposal for a three-tiered approach on priority setting in FAO has great merit. Concurrently we note that FAO must also measurably strengthen its cooperation and support for other UN system agencies, including UNDP and UNEP which also have major roles in Agenda 21 implementation.
The report we have before us demonstrates the broad range of activities already under way in the FAO which support the sustainable development goals of the Rio Conference but we question whether the report is sufficiently forward-looking. This effort to integrate sustainability criteria is commendable. The report also cites a much broader range of activities through which the FAO can contribute to the implementation of Agenda 21.
We cannot simply read through Agenda 21 searching for follow-up opportunities which may fall within the FAO's mandate. We need to take from the Rio Conference a broad sense of the areas in which FAO has clear priorities and see the forests, not just the trees.
FAO's core mandate, reinforced by the priorities established in Rio falls in three broad areas: agriculture, forestry and fisheries. These are the priority areas on which the FAO need to focus and where we need to apply our limited resources as I will explain more fully as we look at the implementation.
In considering these priority areas, however, I think we all recognize that the second area, forestry, has been comparatively neglected in recent years. FAO has unique competence and plays an extremely important role in assessment of forest resources worldwide, but FAO has neither deployed personnel and financial resources as effectively as possible in the forestry area, nor has it necessarily concentrated on areas where FAO has great comparative advantage.
The FAO Council could not reach a consensus on the Tropical Forest Action Plan last year. As a result, the FAO is becoming marginalized on forestry issues. The UNCED consensus, and in particular, the adoption of the "forest principles" compels us to recognize anew the importance of forests, and to reexamine FAO forestry activities. Given the experience with TFAP my Government believes that FAO should focus its attention on strengthening its data collection and information dissemination capability. FAO should also
concentrate on reinforcing its forestry related technical assistance activities.
Now that we have established the areas of concern for FAO in the follow-up to UNCED - agriculture, forestry and fisheries - we need to explore what FAO should do in these areas and how it can best be accomplished. If we ask ourselves hard questions, we will find ourselves returning to three basic principles: the need to support national policies and programmes, the effective application of scarce financial resources and the need to coordinate with other UN agencies in the implementation of Agenda 21.
The primary responsibility for implementing Agenda 21 rests with states, while intergovernmental
organizations play a supporting role designed to strengthen national capacity to deal with environment and development issues.
The FAO, as an intergovernmental organization with considerable expertise, is in a unique position to contribute through its most basic activities: the collection, analysis and timely dissemination of critical information concerning agriculture, forestry and fisheries. Programmes such as ARTEMIS, for example, should be expanded globally.
We also believe work on plant genetic resources, including the convening of an International Technical Conference on Plant Genetic Resources, is an area where FAO has a leading role. We believe FAO's Commission on Plant Genetic Resources will be instrumental in implementing UNCED recommendations in this area.
FAO's information and expertise can and should principally contribute to effective national policies and programmes. Where technical assistance is undertaken, this should not supplant national programmes, but should contribute to national capacity-building. The priorities established at UNCED, not the availability of external financial resources, should be the selection criteria for FAO activities, including technical assistance projects. Thus FAO should undertake priority activities which support national efforts to achieve sustainable development.
Second, how can we maximize the FAO's contribution to sustainable development within the limited resources available?
We must recognize that the global pool of resources available to intergovernmental organizations will not increase significantly in the near term. Efficiency is therefore at a premium, both because FAO cannot depend on additional resources to implement Agenda 21 and because donors will direct their resources where they will have the greatest effect. All the available resources, including assessed contributions, will have to be shifted to priority areas to achieve the greatest impact.
We welcome the proposed streamlining of FAO's Special Action Programme. We believe this will enable FAO to establish clear priorities and a more definitive course of action. The specific programmatic and financial consequences of this proposal should be elaborated in the 1994-95 Programme of Work and Budget. Given the severe budget constraints that impact many Member States, it is not realistic to assume significant new resources will be available to fund activities, as suggested in paragraph 69. We endorse, however, an active priority-setting effort that will lead to redeployment of resources for marginal activities which need to be eliminated and in this
context await the recommendation of the 1994-1995 Programme of Work and Budget on how resources will be apportioned.
Third, how should the FAO implement its programmes in a reformed, post-UNCED United Nations system?
Agenda 21 reflects the overlap in expertise and activities between the many agencies of the United Nations which have a role in the follow-up to UNCED. Only collaboration between these agencies will ensure effective and efficient implementation. Developing sustainability guidelines which address social, economic and environmental aspects of sustainability is a key activity which will require an interdisciplinary approach through collaboration with a wide range of agencies and organizations, including ITTO.
We join Portugal and Madagascar in urging FAO also to strengthen cooperation with UNEP and other agencies in monitoring natural resource conditions and changes.
Technical assistance activities should be coordinated with other UN programmes in the recipient countries through the UNDP Resident Representative.
The United Nations system is undergoing much needed reform to address the fragmentation and lack of coordination which have limited its effectiveness. Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali is appropriately leading the effort to reform the structure of the Secretariat. It is incumbent on us, the Member States, to reform the Governing Bodies to provide coherent policy guidance and managerial oversight.
The Commission on Sustainable Development will have a central, coordinating role in the follow-up to UNCED.
FAO will need to establish a system for collaboration with the Commission and it can be critical in supporting the Commission's Agenda 21 monitoring role. The FAO has a major contribution to make in support of national policies to promote sustainable development. We believe too that the Netherlands' suggestion should be placed on the next Council regarding a field programme coordinating committee because we think this will strengthen FAO's ability to implement Agenda Item 21. Effective implementation of this goal will require a sustained focus on FAO's strength and coordination with other UN agencies under the guidance of the Commission on Sustainable Development.
LE PRESIDENT: Je remercie le très honorable délégué des Etats-Unis de son intervention. Je voudrais faire remarquer que la FAO a pleinement collaboré avec l'ensemble de la famille des Nations Unies et qu'en ce qui concerne le PAFT il serait souhaitable que la discussion ait lieu demain après-midi, comme prévu à l'ordre du jour. Etant donné que la séance de demain après-midi - vendredi 13 - se prolongera dans la soirée, nous aurons tout le temps voulu pour discuter le plan d'action forestier tropical. Je crois que dans le domaine des forêts, la FAO ne se sent pas du tout marginalisée par rapport aux autres organisations. On a parlé de ressources complémentaires, on a parlé des priorités, on a parlé des activités marginales et je souhaiterais que lorsqu'on parle d'activités marginales, on puisse indiquer, dans la mesure du possible, de quelles activités il s'agit. Il en est de même quand on parle des priorités; il y a des choses qui sont plus prioritaires que d'autres, ce qui veut dire qu'il y a des choses qui sont moins prioritaires ou non
prioritaires. Encore faudrait-il que les instances politiques, en l'occurrence le Conseil, disent clairement ce qu'elles estiment ne pas être prioritaire.
En ce qui concerne la réforme de la famille des Nations Unies, le point suivant permettra d'aborder cette question de façon plus complète.
Abdesselem ARIFI (Maroc): Ma délégation tient tout d'abord à féliciter le Secrétariat pour la qualité des documents qui nous sont soumis pour examen et M. Mahler pour l'introduction de ce point de l'ordre du jour, de même que M. Bommer pour ses remarques pertinentes.
Au titre de ce point ma délégation se limitera à évoquer les quelques questions ci-après.
Ma délégation exprime sa satisfaction quant au fait que le Secrétariat a continué à approfondir ses travaux dans ce domaine, conformément aux Résolutions 3/89 et 2/91 de la Conférence de la FAO. L'Organisation a joué un rôle important lors de la Conférence des Nations Unies sur l'environnement et le développement durable, rôle qu'elle doit continuer à assumer.
Ma délégation accueille favorablement le processus d'examen et de rationalisation des Programmes d'action spéciaux visant à la mise au point d'un programme-cadre général de coopération internationale pour une agriculture et un développement durable, et de l'avis de ma délégation ce programme-cadre général permettra à l'Organisation de répondre de façon précise et plus coordonnée aux composantes de l'Action 21 de la CNUED.
Ma délégation appuie par ailleurs l'approche équilibrée adoptée par l'Organisation pour évaluer les besoins en matière de développement ainsi que les risques écologiques dans le secteur agricole.
S'agissant de moyens à mettre en oeuvre, et tout en notant avec satisfaction que dans ce domaine un certain degré de conformité entre Programme 21 et programme de la FAO a été atteint, et tout en remarquant aussi que la CNUED n'a pas encore permis de mobiliser des ressources nouvelles pour la mise en oeuvre du Programme 21, ma délégation estime qu'il faut examiner et évaluer avec beaucoup d'attention les conséquences de la CNUED pour l'Organisation tant au niveau du budget 1994-95, qu'en ce qui concerne la contribution que devrait apporter la FAO en collaboration avec d'autres institutions au renforcement des capacités nationales dans le cadre de la mise en oeuvre d'Action 21.
Sra. Ana María NAVARRO ARVE (Cuba): Nuestra delegación desea intervenir en este importante tema 7 "Actividades de la FAO relacionadas con el medio ambiente y el desarrollo sostenible y las informaciones referidas a la aplicación de la Resolución 2/91 de la 26° Conferencia de la FAO". En primer lugar deseamos destacar el magnífico documento preparado por la Secretaría que sintetiza los momentos fundamentales de la FAO y la comunidad internacional en torno a estas relevantes actividades y la competente introducción del Sr. Mahler. Agradecemos la presencia y los comentarios del Presidente del Comité del Programa de la FAO.
A nadie escapa la significación de la Conferencia de las Naciones Unidas sobre el Medio Ambiente y Desarrollo que tuvo lugar el pasado junio en la ciudad de Río de Janeiro, Brasil.
Dentro de toda una gama de actividades importantes que han caracterizado el acontecer internacional en el decursar del año 1992, no es posible dejarla de destacar, por su relieve e incidencia y por los futuros efectos que para la humanidad en su conjunto constituyen sus acuerdos y acciones.
En un balance preliminar, se puede considerar que la misma será punto de partida, aunque reconocemos que sus acuerdos y compromisos aún tendrán que transitar por un largo camino empedrado de dificultades.
Indudablemente en algunos aspectos se avanzó, en otros se puso de relieve una penosa realidad que no es más que los abismales intereses que conjugan por separado el norte y el sur. Salió con fuerza a la luz la reiteración de las enormes desigualdades que existen, imposibles de ocultar por evidentes, y la mayoría de nuestros países sentenciaron que sin la eliminación del subdesarrollo, la defensa del medio ambiente resulta difícil e inaplicable. Esta verdad sin duda alguna nos obliga a un sostenido esfuerzo de parte de todos, ya que la humanidad no podrá aspirar a un mañana seguro, si no tiene en cuenta que el elemento fundamental de la especie biológica, el hombre, está en riesgo de desaparecer por la rápida y progresiva liquidación de sus condiciones de vida. Ecología, hombre y desarrollo son indivisibles.
En la última década, el tema del Medio Ambiente y Desarrollo ha pasado de la periferia al centro mismo del debate y en el proceso de toma de decisiones en los países. En este sentido, Sr. Presidente, permítame informar a los participantes a este 102° período de sesiones del Consejo de la FAO, las nuevas disposiciones acordadas por el llΩ período de sesiones del Parlamento de Cuba, denominada Asamblea Nacional en nuestro país, el pasado mes de julio, al discutir las modificaciones propuestas a la Constitución vigente desde 1976. En el Capítulo uno, referida a los fundamentos políticos, sociales y económicos del Estado, la inclusión más relevante fue la reformulación hecha al artículo 11, que trata sobre el ejercicio de la soberanía. Se le agregó un nuevo inciso para subrayar más ampliamente la soberanía sobre el medio ambiente y los recursos naturales del país. El nuevo artículo actualizado dice así: "El Estado protege el medio ambiente y los recursos naturales del país, reconoce la estrecha vinculación de éstos y del desarrollo económico y social sostenido para hacer más racional la vida humana y asegurar la supervivencia, el bienestar y la seguridad de las actuales y futuras generaciones. Corresponde a los órganos competentes aplicar esta política. Es deber de los ciudadanos contribuir a la protección del agua, la atmósfera, la conservación del suelo, la flora, la fauna y todo el rico potencial de la naturaleza".
De esta forma, Cuba se ha convertido en uno de los primeros países en el mundo que contiene en su Constitución o Carta Magna uno de los objetivos de la reciente Cumbre Eco 92 efectuada en Río.
Nuestro país le confiere a estas actividades una prioridad fundamental, es por ello que una vez más apoyamos el Programa 21 de la Conferencia de Río que contiene el Plan de Acción aprobado en dicha Conferencia así como el Convenio Marco sobre los cambios climáticos y el Convenio sobre diversidad biológica, ambos firmados por el Presidente de la República de Cuba en el mismo escenario de la Cumbre.
Cuba en Río sugirió algunas propuestas para la acción y recalcó la necesidad de que los países del sur nos mantuviéramos en consulta permanente sobre la protección y conservación de la biodiversidad y sobre el acceso al desarrollo de las biotecnologías. Debemos mantenernos unidos para lograr el establecimiento de un sistema común de protección legal sobre los recursos genéticos, por la implantación de mecanismos comunes capaces de propiciar el acceso a las biotecnologías desarrolladas, por la creación de asesorías por parte de los países del tercer mundo que muestren mayores avances, por la elaboración de mecanismos comunes de protección contra la introducción en el medio ambiente de organismos modificados que resulten peligrosos y por mayores capacidades de investigación.
Hemos seguido con atención los pasos ulteriores que se han dado en Nueva York con vistas a la creación de la Comisión de Alto Nivel sobre Desarrollo Sostenible sugerida por la Conferencia de Río y confiamos que este mecanismo se encaje positivamente dentro del esquema previsto y que den soluciones viables y sobre todo que juegue su papel.
Nos parece interesante estudiar los planteamientos realizados por la delegación de Suecia con relación a los recursos fitogenéticos, ya que pueden ser importantes para el futuro de la agricultura y la alimentación. Vemos con interés esta Cuarta Conferencia Técnica Internacional. En este sentido conferimos una vez más un papel preponderante a la FAO.
No queremos desaprovechar esta oportunidad para saludar la intervención de Brasil y felicitar a su gobierno por el encomiable esfuerzo realizado para el éxito de la Conferencia de Río.
Finalmente, estamos convencidos de las enormes repercusiones que el Programa 21 tiene para la labor futura de la FAO, por lo que apoyamos cualquier acción de la Organización tendiente a acomodar adecuadamente estos principios y acciones dentro del Programa de Labores y Presupuesto para 1994-1995 y el Plan a Plazo Medio revisado por la FAO para 1994-95. Muchas gracias.
Adel EL-SARKI (Egypt) (Original language Arabic): My delegation has studied the document under consideration and expresses its full satisfaction with the activities undertaken, particularly the preparation of a thorough review of FAO's activities in the field of sustainable development and environment, paragraph 5, as well as FAO's interest in some special cross-sectoral issues, paragraph 7, and the close cooperation existing between FAO and UNEP in the Earthwatch Programme, paragraph 11. We should like in this instance to welcome the positive outcome of the said cooperation in Africa.
Paragraphs 35 to 47 review the streamlining of Special Action Programmes within the framework of international cooperation in the field of sustainable rural and agricultural development. My delegation would like first to see the completion of the review of SAPs. However, we welcome the programmes referred to in paragraph 48 of the said report.
My delegation commends FAO's efforts in the preparatory work for UNCED held in Rio in June 1992.
In conclusion, my delegation welcomes the references made in paragraph 70 to the relationship between FAO and its partners in the implementation of Agenda 21.
We should also like to thank Mr Mahler for his introductory statement and Dr Bommer for his contribution.
Sra. Mercedes FERMIN-GOMEZ (Venezuela): Nosotros seremos breves, como lo está solicitando el Presidente y como acostumbramos a hacer, porque pensamos que el documento que está en discusión y en estudio es tan completo, tan satisfactorio que no necesita un análisis específico por nuestra parte para declarar nuestro apoyo.
Queremos, sin embargo, hacer énfasis en la parte segunda, que contienen los párrafos 35 en adelante, refiriéndose a la racionalización de los Programas Especiales de Acción, porque consideramos que aquí está precisamente el centro fundamental de la acción de la FAO en relación con los países en vía de desarrollo. Son estos Programas Especiales de Acción, ajustados a cada una de nuestras realidades a través de los trabajos de campo y de la cooperación técnica la forma en que puede ser efectiva la acción de la FAO en sus fases especiales que son: cooperación y ayuda técnica.
No es necesario analizar ni insistir en la prioridad que tiene para los países en desarrollo esta ayuda en la capacitación de los campesinos, por ejemplo, que es el fallo fundamental de nuestros países, entre los cuales cito el mío en primer lugar. Este fallo consiste en que los verdaderos agricultores, esos que están directamente trabajando la tierra no son las personas con mayor capacitación para ejercer su trabajo, siguen haciéndolo como lo venían haciendo desde hace diez mil años los agricultores que crearon la agricultura en el mundo; esos agricultores a quienes todavía debemos el reconocimiento y que están esperando que allí en el programa de los recursos fitogenéticos, donde está concentrado este punto, declaremos el reconocimiento para esta gente.
Estos agricultores que existen en el mundo subdesarrollado y en el mundo en vías de desarrollo, son precisamente los que necesitan la capacitación técnica de la FAO, a este nivel que ha logrado establecer la FAO de agricultura sostenible y de desarrollo sostenible, porque las grandes empresas que tienen la técnica superior y la técnica más desarrollada ya tienen por sí mismas la capacidad, el financiamiento y todas las posibilidades de hacer una agricultura superdesarrollada, pero la alimentación de los pobres en los países que están siendo víctimas del hambre, de la necesidad, de la malnutrición, no van a ser resueltos sencillamente por la gran agricultura empresarial, necesitan ir al propio terreno en donde cada quien pueda llegar a plantar y producir su propia alimentación, a un nivel ínfimo.
Es aquí en donde la FAO cumple su verdadera función, su verdadera misión y esto solamente puede lograrlo mientras respaldemos su trabajo de campo y mientras hagamos más efectiva esta cooperación técnica a nivel de comunidades. Es por esto por lo que pienso que esta racionalización de los programas especiales de acción merece todo el apoyo de este Consejo para poder ser llevada a cabo. Mientras tanto, podremos seguir haciendo una gran inversión en alta tecnología, en biotecnología, en todo lo que podamos inventar en materia de alta tecnología agrícola o agroindustrial, pero tendremos millones y millones de comunidades en los continentes que habitualmente figuran en las
primeras páginas de los periódicos; en Africa, en Asia, en América Latina, con gente que muere de hambre porque no tiene a su inmediata disposición los alimentos más indispensables, y es para la producción de estos alimentos que no son específicos, pero que son sus alimentos, que tradicionalmente han usado, para lo que necesitamos la ayuda inmediata con esta asistencia técnica mínima, que se ha generalizado en el lenguaje técnico como desarrollo sostenible o como agricultura sostenible.
Por eso, es a este desarrollo sostenible, expresado en este documento al que queremos dar nuestro pleno respaldo.
Queríamos referirnos también a la intervención de la representación de Suecia que por su interés nos parece digna de que resaltemos algunos de los conceptos que emitió y, especialmente, lo referente a los recursos genéticos. Estamos completamente de acuerdo con lo expuesto por la delegación de Suecia sobre la necesidad de conservar estos recursos genéticos, de preservarlos y de utilizarlos racionalmente; pero como estos recursos genéticos no están precisamente en los países más desarrollados, están, por una circunstancia de la naturaleza, en la mayoría de los centros de países menos desarrollados, por eso necesitamos ayudarlos. Esa es la importancia de la Cuarta Conferencia Técnica que se prepara para 1995 a la cual queremos dar nuestro apoyo. En este sentido debemos insistir en que la disponibilidad de los recursos genéticos no puede ser abierta, sin control y con libre acceso.
Debemos reconocer que los países a quienes la naturaleza dotó y todavía preservan estos recursos genéticos, tienen una soberanía que respetar, y que sólo se pueden regir por normas que se establezcan para el uso de estos recursos genéticos. Asimismo, debemos dejar claro que al apoyar a Suecia en cuanto a esta protección de los recursos fitogenéticos, nosotros no sólo estamos de acuerdo con su conservación, sino también con su uso racional, sometido a estas normas que hemos referido.
En este sentido apoyamos una vez más al compromiso establecido por la FAO y al fondo que ese compromiso sugiere, ya que es la única manera en que los países sin recursos, pero con esta posesión de los recursos fitogenéticos pueden ponerlos a disposición de la humanidad para su uso racional. Dejamos así satisfecha nuestra mayor preocupación y ratificamos nuestro apoyo al excelente documento que estamos estudiando fijando nuestra posición en relación con los recursos fitogenéticos.
Waleed A. ELKHEREIJI (Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of) (Original language Arabic):
As this is the first time I take the floor, allow me to express my happiness at seeing you preside over our Council, Mr Chairman. Through you, I should like to express my congratulations to our three Vice-Chairmen.
I should like to thank Mr Mahler for his excellent introduction to the document under consideration. I should also like to commend the new information we have received, especially as far as the meeting of the various agencies for sustainable development is concerned.
I also wish to reiterate the fact that my country gives great importance to the issue of environment and sustainable development. We take the necessary steps to give the necessary priority to each subject, in order to keep sight of their real importance. Priorities may differ from one country to another. This is what we have noticed, as far as the SAPs are concerned.
The Kingdom has given water and soil resources great attention for the conservation and sustainability of these resources. Therefore, we have set up many desalination plants in order to provide drinking water from the sea to various cities at a cost almost equalling the price of the extraction of ground water. We have also built dams; we now have 200 dams which are directed towards alimenting underground water and increasing arable land. We have also set up plants for the purification of water.
As far as the document under consideration is concerned, we welcome its contents, especially the information on the integration of the criteria of sustainability in the Programme of Work of the Organization, particularly with regard to the gradual and balanced methodology of this integration process. In this context, we support paragraph 9 on the improvement of the model for assessing the population carrying capacity. It is expected that, at the completion of the study, we will have the necessary information for a practical and realistic study.
We should like to reiterate our satisfaction with the integration of the criteria on sustainable development and environment in field programmes and projects.
As far as streamlining SAPs is concerned, we welcome the thorough review and rationalization process which is taking place currently. We endorse the contents of paragraph 45.
Our attention was also drawn to paragraph 48, part 8, with regard to integrated pest management, especially biological control. We hope that developing countries will be able to benefit from this technology.
As far as financing is concerned, we think that being realistic is a very important element in this respect. Aspirations, of course, are great, but we look forward to the cooperation of all. We look for a leading role by FAO in this field, as we consider it the most competent authority. Yet we welcome the continued effort of streamlining in order to avoid duplication.
Daniel Yoman KONAN (Côte d'Ivoire): La Côte d'Ivoire accorde une importance toute spéciale aux questions liées à l'environnement. Mon pays a en effet participé, au plus haut niveau, au Sommet qui s'est tenu aux Pays-Bas, puis à la rencontre de Bois-le-Duc et enfin au récent Sommet planétaire à Rio.
Mon Gouvernement comprend en son sein un Ministère de l'environnement qui n'est pas du tout la manifestation d'une mode mais bien l'illustration d'une prise de conscience que le développement global de l'humanité ne peut ignorer la dimension écologique des problèmes auxquels nous sommes confrontés. C'est donc pour toutes ces raisons que nous avons accordé à l'examen de ce document toute l'attention requise.
Je voudrais d'abord dire que ma délégation partage l'essentiel des conclusions contenues dans le document CL 102/6, qui nous a été présenté hier par M. Mahler. Nous souhaiterions répondre aux deux principales questions posées par le Secrétariat: d'une part, au plan du suivi de la CNUED et, d'autre part, au plan de la rationalisation des programmes d'action spéciaux.
En ce qui concerne le suivi de la CNUED, ma délégation précise que les domaines prioritaires sont à ses yeux ceux relatifs à la lutte contre la sécheresse et la désertification et la foresterie, tel que précisé au paragraphe 69 du document qui nous est soumis. Il va sans dire que cela nécessitera de la part du Secrétariat un redéploiement de ses activités et surtout une augmentation de ses ressources en vue de répondre efficacement aux sollicitations de nos pays, qui ne vont pas manquer.
Mon pays se félicite de constater que le Programme "Action 21" de la CNUED et les programmes d'action spéciaux de la FAO revêtent beaucoup de similitudes. C'est ici le lieu de souligner, s'il en était encore besoin, la compétence reconnue des fonctionnaires de la FAO, notamment dans ce domaine particulier des forêts. Il appartiendra donc à nos gouvernements de prendre les initiatives pour renforcer l'appui de tous les partenaires à la FAO dans ce contexte.
Mon pays apprécie hautement les déclarations de la France, de l'Allemagne, du Japon et d'autres qui ont pris la décision de doubler, voire tripler, leurs efforts financiers pour répondre positivement aux engagements pris dans ce sens à Rio et qui, par ailleurs, ont également appuyé sans ambages le PAFT.
En entendant les conclusions du CAC, ma délégation a été encore une fois très sensible à l'intervention faite hier par l'Allemagne, qui n'a pas caché la coresponsabilité des pays développés dans la dégradation actuelle de l’environnement.
Je voudrais maintenant répondre à la seconde préoccupation du Secrétariat, à savoir la rationalisation des PAS. Sur ce chapitre, nous partageons pleinement les suggestions de mise en place des PAS conformément au Programme "Action 21", et en priorité quatre d'entre eux: le programme d'action forestier tropical modernisé, le programme en faveur des pêches responsables durables, le programme de lutte intégrée contre les ravageurs, et le programme de sécurité alimentaire incluant, bien sûr, les conclusions qui seront dégagées à l'issue de la toute prochaine conférence internationale sur la nutrition qui se tiendra, ici même, dans trois semaines.
Dans cet ordre d'idées, j'ai l'avantage de proposer au Secrétariat que des experts des pays en développement particulièrement intéressés par un PAS spécifique soient associés par la FAO non seulement à la supervision, comme le préconise le document, mais aussi à la préparation du PAS lui-même.
Monsieur le Président, permettez-moi de vous faire partager maintenant, ainsi qu'au Conseil, un autre sentiment de ma délégation. En effet, certains de nos collègues ont reproché au Secrétariat de n'avoir rien dit ou presque sur les liens qui existent entre l'environnement et la démographie. Cela n'est pas inexact. Loin de nous cette idée encore que, comme vous le savez, des pays parmi les plus peuplés ont su gérer et préserver leur environnement de manière satisfaisante en réussissant même leur politique en matière d'autosuffisance alimentaire dont peuvent s'inspirer bien d'autres pays en développement.
Ce que je voudrais vous faire partager, c'est qu'il y a aussi et avant tout un lien catégorique entre l'environnement et la pauvreté. Quelle réceptivité espérez-vous obtenir auprès du paysan africain démuni, souvent affamé, qui est obligé de couper du bois pour se loger, pour se nourrir et pour obtenir de maigres subsides lui permettant d'envoyer ses enfants à l'école? La destruction de l'environnement est également due aux conflits armés qui
éclatent ça et là, en Afrique, en Amérique latine, en Asie et maintenant en Europe de l'Est, conflits meurtriers et dévastateurs à la fois pour l'espèce humaine et pour la nature.
En même temps qu'il faut mettre en oeuvre, au plan national, des politiques de planification familiale que l'on nous conseille, il faut surtout prendre, selon nous, des mesures notamment de justice dans le commerce international des produits agricoles, outre les mesures indispensables pour que l'aide publique au développement atteigne les niveaux fixés par les Nations Unies. Je ne vous cache pas notre dépit très profond lorsque nous apprenons que des déchets toxiques produits sur d'autres continents sont déversés en Afrique, souvent à notre insu, parfois avec l'assentiment de certains responsables. C'est une attitude qui est de toute façon condamnable et que la communauté internationale doit combattre par des mesures et des décisions pratiques afin de sauvegarder l'environnement.
A l'occasion du débat du Conseil sur ce point, il nous est apparu opportun d'évoquer cette question en espérant que les uns et les autres auront bien situé leurs responsabilités et que, tous, nous sachions exactement ce que nous avons à faire pour réaliser l'objectif commun qui est, en définitive, celui de vivre dans un environnement sain - et cela non seulement pour nous-mêmes mais surtout pour les générations futures.
Amin ABDEL-MALEK (Liban) (Langue originale arabe): La délégation du Liban aimerait remercier M. Mahler pour sa présentation du document concernant les activités de la FAO relatives au développement durable et à l'environnement. Cette présentation a été très claire et satisfaisante. J'aimerais aussi le remercier pour les informations qu'il nous a fournies au sujet de la CNUED qui a eu lieu dernièrement à Rio et à laquelle la FAO a participé, au plus haut niveau, avec la délégation présidée par le Directeur général.
Je voudrais également féliciter M. Bommer, Président du Comité du Programme, pour les informations supplémentaires qu'il nous a fournies. Nous ne devons pas oublier non plus de remercier le Secrétariat pour le document qui nous a été soumis.
Il ne fait aucun doute que la FAO doit jouer un rôle très important dans le domaine du développement durable et de l'environnement. L'Organisation - et nous l'en remercions - a déjà fait beaucoup dans ce domaine et nous appuyons sans réserve toutes les activités qu'elle entreprendra à l'avenir ainsi que le suivi des décisions de la CNUED qui s'est tenue à Rio.
Dernièrement, le Gouvernement libanais a réaffirmé l'importance de l'environnement et de la protection de l'homme et de la nature. Nous avons ainsi créé récemment un Ministère de l'environnement et nous essayons actuellement de mettre sur pied une équipe technique pour que ce ministère puisse accomplir au mieux sa tâche. Nous sommes certains que la FAO fournira au Gouvernement libanais l'aide technique et les conseils nécessaires pour permettre à ce Ministère de l'environnement de commencer son travail.
Russell MULELE (Zambia): First, permit me to thank you, Mr Chairman, on behalf of my delegation, and the Secretariat for the quality and brevity of the document, and for the clarity of its introduction yesterday.
The Zambian delegation notes with satisfaction the steps taken so far by FAO to integrate sustainability criteria in its programmes and activities, and to streamline its Special Action Programmes within its field programmes. Accordingly, we applaud the Director-General's efforts in this regard.
Zambia, like several countries, regards environmental matters very seriously. It is for this reason that the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources was created, principally to formulate policies and to coordinate matters related to environmental pollution and natural resources utilization and management. The implementation activities are carried out through the National Environmental Council which has just been put in place. I need to state that for us to forge ahead in matters of environment, we require support in the form of finance, material and human resources, so as to be able to strengthen our capabilities. Special support is required in the development of a legal framework, the setting up of a natural resources databank, the strengthening of the capacity in natural resources monitoring, the building up of the capacity in environmental impact assessments and improvement of inter-sectoral coordination at policy level. Needless to say, at the grass-roots level people's active participation is crucial. It is important to note that, as we talk of sustainable agriculture and environment, it may be naive, or indeed too much, to expect a poor man or a hungry man to protect natural resources when he is more concerned about his immediate needs than about his future, let alone about the environment. This point was adequately addressed by the Brundtland Commission, and it cannot therefore be overstressed. The point we are making here is that it is important to develop and implement meaningful projects aimed at improving the quality of life of the rural poor.
Before concluding our brief intervention, we would like to state that we have taken special note of the support indicated by member countries to assist developing countries to enhance their institutional capacities to be able to deal with their management of natural resources. In particular, we have taken note of the offers and pledges made by Germany and the Scandinavian countries.
Finally, my delegation wishes to endorse in principle the proposed follow-up actions outlined in paragraphs 69 and 70.
Winston RUDDER (Trinidad and Tobago): Mr Chairman, I wish to assure you that this intervention will be as small as the size of my delegation and the size of my country.
Document CL 102/6 attests to the seriousness with which the FAO has been addressing and continues to address the challenges posed by this increasingly important issue of environmental development. It also indicates the responsiveness of the Organization to the mandates given by the Governing Bodies, for example Resolution 3/89 and 2/91. We must congratulate the Organization for the excellent document we have before us.
The issues that we address in the document are quite complex and complicated and call for action not only at the international level but at local, national and regional level, and in all of this within the area of its mandate, agriculture, forestry and fisheries, the Organization has to create a niche for itself in collaboration with nations and in collaboration with other organizations that have mandates that interact and interface.
In respect of the efforts being made in my own area and in my own country, which call for support at the international level, I wish to take this opportunity to raise but two initiatives for this forum. One, an exercise that is engaging the attention of the small island states within the CARICOM at which Ministers of Agriculture, at their recent meeting in June, endorsed the need to establish a technical cooperative network for biosystematics to support agricultural development, environmental protection and conservation of genetic resources in its sub-region. I submit that that is an initiative worthy of support and consonant with the continuing interest in the area of environmental sustainability and the management of natural resources. I appeal to the international community to hear this call coming from the Caribbean Region.
I should also like to draw to the attention of the Council an initiative that my country has been struggling with for over 60 years. It relates to the maintenance, conservation and preservation of the cocoa germplasm. We have an international cocoa gene bank in Trinidad and Tobago, and with modest financial resources out of its national budget my country has over recent years, assisted by the EEC, been struggling to maintain the integrity of this cocoa gene bank. I need not indicate to this gathering its importance to the overall development of the cocoa industry.
We support the approach that has been adopted by the Organization in terms of integrating sustainability criteria in its programmes and projects, and in its activities. On balance, we agree that much effort has to be spent in advising countries like ourselves in the area of policy and planning, and in the field programmes and projects which are needed for the advancement of agriculture in our several countries. However, in this regard I wish also to submit that my country is very much interested to be included among those who might be considered for policy and planning studies, to enlarge the framework of case studies that might assist in the development of methodologies and guidelines for action in this regard.
With respect to the field projects and programmes, I wish to submit that the broad strategy has to be one of prevention and rehabilitation in terms of broad strategy, so that while I agree that as a matter of urgency whatever we do from now on should reflect these criteria, these guidelines and concerns, we may well have to so some re-examination of some of those actions and activities we have in the field in the course of normal monitoring of programmes and activities. I wish to submit this for the consideration of the Organization.
My delegation also supports the coherent approach being adopted in terms of the SAPs. We see this as part of the strategic thinking that has been invested in the way the Organization is operating, and therefore it cannot be delinked from the Medium-Term Programme and the Programme of Work and Budget. In that regard, therefore, it has to be tied to resource availability, both the in-house capacity of the Organization and, of course, the financial resources; and the whole question of priority setting clearly comes into play. That is why in this regard we support the views that have been indicated by Hungary, India and Canada in terms of some kind of schema that will allow us to determine how we attach our priorities.
One of the matters that I feel we must look at in terms of the priorities - having determined that agriculture, forestry and fisheries is important, and having determined that in some schema certain areas are of greater interest
to the Organization, are of lesser interest and marginal interest, and so on -is the area in which, in all of this, there is likely to be the greatest impact in terms of any initiative this Organization can become involved in. I think that that has to be one of the guidelines and criteria that we must use in determining how the Organization must respond to the several calls that will be made upon it.
I have three final observations. One concerns the documentation coming out of UNCED, which is very voluminous and mind-boggling. It might well be necessary for the Organization to assist some of us with limited in-house capacity to, as it were, provide a map to take us through that documentation, to allow us to understand best how we may utilize it to guide further action at the national level.
Another observation relates to some of the commentary that might have been made in respect to the modernization of agriculture. I wish merely to indicate that there are traditional technologies that have been with our farmers for centuries, that have stood the test of time and met the criterion of sustainability. We may wish to look at these.
Finally, I have a comment in respect of the organizational change, merely to remind you that we have had a very in-depth examination of this Organization, culminating with the report to Conference in 1989 which was the source of tremendous debate and consensus. Notwithstanding what has taken place in related agencies of the United Nations system which may now find it necessary to do a similar exercise, I would merely wish to advise and suggest that perhaps it may not be necessary to expend excessive energy in that direction and focus more on getting on with what our act is all about, and perhaps fine-tuning what we do within the context of more recent information and more recent paradigms.
T.A. ANUMUDU (Observer for Nigeria): I thank you, Mr Chairman, for this opportunity to contribute to the discussion on this very important subject of integrating sustainability criteria in FAO's programmes and activities.
The paper CL 102/6, seeks the Council's approval of steps already taken by the Secretariat to give effect to the UNCED resolutions and also to seek guidance for follow-up action.
It is important to put in focus the normal role of the FAO in order not to lose bearing in the vortex of attractive but unrelated aspects of the new operational areas thrown up by the Rio Conference.
When the FAO argues that its main thrust would be directed at the basic activities, perspective studies, and advisory services on policy, one cannot but agree with them. It is clear beyond doubt that the technical issues encompassed in the Rio Declaration would require expertise of the most diverse kind. It should also be borne in mind that there are already UN organizations whose specific mandates relate to some of these matters. One such organization that comes to mind Mr Chairman, is the IMO, the International Maritime Organization.
You may recall that in our discussion yesterday on responsible fishing, Mr Chairman, reference was made in the Secretariat's summary of the discussion to the existing Maritime guidelines on safety at sea, and so on. These are
matters related to the IMO. It seems to me also that in many other areas, other UN agencies may have a vital role to play; in which case the contribution of the FAO would be complementary to such efforts in the hope that our Organization would concentrate on its primary objectives.
Let me refer to section 11 of the documents which deals with streamlining of the Special Action Programmes. The SAPs were priority areas of concern to many of our countries, and one of such SAPs projects is the TFAP. Our anxiety on the rationalization proposals stems from the premise that in any exercise on rationalization it is the weakest element that is either dropped, downgraded or merged with other programmes. As we have been informed, the TFAP does not appear to have made the necessary or expected impact. We fear that in any rationalization exercise the TFAP may well turn out to be the first casualty. This would be a disservice, for, to us, the TFAP is a programme that we very much look forward to and wish earnestly for its effective implementation.
It is our plea, therefore, that the TFAP be strengthened by a favourable infusion of resources in men, that is expertise, and finance to enable it to serve the needs of our economies.
My last point is on the relationship between FAO and other UN agencies in so far as the realization of the resolutions of UNCED and Rio are concerned. We believe this matter should be handled with great finesse, for if, as the paper seems to indicate in section IV, a follow-up action of a greater proportion of available resources is turned over to the UNDP or another of the agencies, one would wonder how your Organization could cope with the very many new programmes that are to be passed to it as a result of the Rio resolutions.
Clarification of this issue is very important to us who face serious ecological disabilities in the form of desertification, drought, erosion and toxic waste dumping on our terrain and who would hopefully turn to the FAO for assistance to tackle these problems.
We seek this opportunity to appeal to the international community, particularly the donor countries and the multilateral agencies, to recognize the increased responsibilities devolving on your Organization and fund it adequately so that it does not lose potency and effectiveness by spreading resources too thinly over an enlarged operational base.
LE PRESIDENT: Nous en arrivons maintenant à la clôture du débat général sur le point 7 de notre ordre du jour. Je demanderai au Dr Mahler de répondre à un certain nombre de questions en le priant instamment de ne pas aborder la question des pêches qui a été examinée de manière très complète au cours du très intéressant débat d'hier et peut-être de laisser à demain le thème concernant la forêt, c'est-à-dire le PAFT.
Nous tiendrons compte bien sûr des réflexions qui ont été faites mais en tout état de cause l'examen du Plan d'action forestier tropical, comme cela a été indiqué lundi matin, lors de la première session du Conseil, aura lieu demain après-midi.
Concernant la Conférence mondiale sur la réforme agraire et le développement rural, nous traiterons ce point après "les faits nouveaux survenus dans la famille des Nations Unies" en fin d'après-midi. Après l'intervention du Dr Mahler qui va s'efforcer de répondre aux très nombreuses questions qui ont
été posées, je me permettrai peut-être de demander au Dr Bommer, que je remercie tout particulièrement d'avoir bien voulu assister à cet intéressant débat, de nous faire part de ses considérations et avis toujours précieux.
P.J. MAHLER (Conseiller spécial du Directeur général, Sous-Directeur général pour l'environnement et le développement durable): Je vous remercie, Monsieur le Président, de me simplifier la tâche. Mes remerciements vont aussi aux nombreuses délégations qui ont bien voulu prendre la parole sur ce point de l'ordre du jour. Elles ont été presque quarante. Je crois que ces délégations ont exprimé leur satisfaction générale, et je me risquerais à dire unanime, quant aux mesures qui ont été prises par le Directeur général sur les trois plans qui sont traités dans les trois parties respectivement du rapport: introduction des critères de durabilité, rationalisation des Programmes d'action spéciaux et participation de la FAO à la CNUED et son suivi.
Je crois que ces délégations ont ainsi réaffirmé la priorité qui s'était déjà exprimée à la Conférence pour l'Organisation, en ce qui concerne l'environnement et le développement durable pour le moyen terme, et aussi pour les programmes de travail et budget futurs.
Il y a eu de très nombreuses remarques et suggestions, et nous essaierons de les résumer dans le projet de rapport. Ces orientations seront extrêmement utiles pour la continuation de nos activités en 1993 et pour la préparation du Programme de travail et budget 1994-95, et pour la coopération que nous allons poursuivre avec nos pays membres et avec les autres institutions du système des Nations Unies.
La première partie du document - c'est indiqué aux paragraphes 6 et 7 - n'a volontairement pas traité avec beaucoup de détails les aspects techniques, mais nous avons été heureux de recevoir des confirmations des priorités de l'Organisation dans un certain nombre de domaines techniques. Monsieur le Président, vous avez parlé des aspects de la foresterie, des pêches, je n'y reviendrai pas. Mais de nombreuses délégations ont appuyé nos activités aussi sur la fertilité des sols, les ressources génétiques animales et végétales, notamment l'appui à la préparation et à la tenue d'une grande Conférence sur les ressources phytogénétiques, l'appui à ARTEMIS, mais également l'appui à des activités plus fonctionnelles de l'Organisation: la recherche, la vulgarisation, la formation et en particulier la formation de notre personnel de terrain mais aussi du personnel des institutions nationales, sans oublier aussi, comme l'a dit Madame la Représentante du Venezuela, les petits agriculteurs qui sont au coeur de ces problèmes. Je pourrais mentionner aussi la lutte biologique, etc. Nous avons noté toutes ces confirmations.
Le délégué des Pays-Bas, soutenu par le représentant du Canada, nous a posé des questions sur les études d'impact des projets sur l'environnement. Le délégué des Pays-Bas a parlé de "stand-still" de nos activités.
Pour parler d'impact, je crois que nous avons là un impact des problèmes financiers que nous avons rencontrés durant cette année, et j'ai le regret de dire qu'il nous a fallu pendant quelque temps geler le poste qui s'occupait de cette question. Il a maintenant été rétabli, et nous sommes actuellement dans la phase de recrutement. Mais c'est un des impacts que nous avons eus de nos problèmes financiers. Toutefois, je pourrais signaler quand même que nous avons fait un test de ces méthodologies sur plus de 35 projets, 70 autres projets qui ont été jugés avoir eu un impact positif ont été analysés pour
voir quels étaient les critères de succès et nous en tirons maintenant des indicateurs de durabilité. Nous espérons distiller tout cela dans une note pour notre personnel de terrain, de façon à aider à la formulation de projets de développement durable. Le document parle aussi de la révision du CAPPA. Tout cela participe de la même activité.
Un certain nombre de délégations, notamment les délégations de la France et de la Côte d'Ivoire, ont parlé des questions de population. Vous savez que dans le système des Nations Unies il y a une Organisation qui est le Fonds mondial pour la population, qui est le point focal. Mais je suis heureux de confirmer que cette Organisation a une coopération étroite avec nous, qu'elle finance des postes à la FAO, et récemment un poste pour les études des relations entre la population et l'environnement dans le domaine de l'alimentation et de l'agriculture. Je rappellerai aussi que nous reprenons les études de capacités de charge démographique des terres avec l'Université d'Oxford. C'est là un exemple de coopération avec le PNUE, puisqu'il nous aide à financer ces activités. Ces aspects de la population ne sont donc absolument pas négligés.
J'en viens à la deuxième partie du document. Je crois que tous les intervenants ont soutenu l'effort du Directeur général de focaliser, de rationaliser, de rendre plus efficace notre programme de terrain dans certains domaines. Mais je voudrais quand même rappeler que les programmes d'action spéciaux ne constituent pas la totalité de nos programmes de terrain et je pense qu'ils ne le seront pas à l'avenir. Ils constituent peut-être 30 à 40 pour cent des programmes de terrain. Le programme de terrain doit répondre à des requêtes spécifiques des gouvernements, et il n'est pas question d'imposer un choix des réponses de l'Organisation à des requêtes d'assistance technique limitées uniquement à ces domaines des PAS. Mais un processus est lancé pour être plus sélectif, plus pointu, si je puis dire. C'est l'objet de cette rationalisation. J'ai noté d'ailleurs qu'il y a eu un appui général sur les cinq domaines de concentrations des PAS, qui ont été proposés par le Directeur général.
Est-ce qu'il faudrait plus de programmes d'action spéciaux que ceux qui sont actuellement proposés dans le document? J'ai indiqué que le Directeur général n'a pas terminé son examen. Nous attendons les résultats de la Conférence sur la nutrition. Le Représentant de la Hongrie a demandé quels sont les programmes qui vont être abolis. Je peux déjà vous dire à ce stade qu'un certain nombre des programmes d'action spéciaux qui existaient vont être abolis et d'autres fusionnés. Le document indique la fusion de certains d'entre eux. Mais nous n'avons pas jugé opportun de présenter les abolitions à ce stade, parce que nous aurions sans doute ouvert un débat sur la priorité de tel ou tel de ces programmes qui devraient être abolis ou qui ne devraient pas être abolis. Je vous demande de laisser le Secrétariat poursuivre ce processus. Nous tiendrons compte des avis donnés ici notamment pour l'aménagement des zones côtières et aussi les problèmes des petits Etats insulaires. Mais je voudrais rappeler qu'un programme d'action spécial est essentiellement une famille de projets qui doivent être suffisamment importants en nombre et en volume de financement pour justifier un traitement spécial quant à leur gestion et à leur appui technique. Cela a été un des critères principaux pour juger si, dans certains domaines, nous avions un grand nombre de projets qui nous permettraient d'avoir un programme d'action spécial ou de ne pas en avoir. Mais nous avons noté les interventions par le Bangladesh, les Pays nordiques, le Mexique, le Kenya et le Chili sur cette question.
J'en viens maintenant à la troisième partie qui concerne la CNUED et l'analyse de l'Agenda 21 et de ses retombées sur la FAO.
L'Agenda 21 est un volume de 500 pages. C'est un document qui a été préparé pendant deux ans et nous devons en faire l'analyse et l'exégèse. Comme l'a rappelé le distingué délégué de la Suède et d'autres délégués, c'est d'abord un document qui s'adresse aux gouvernements. Nous nous attendons à ce que la Commission du développement durable demande aux gouvernements de rendre compte des actions qu'ils prendront à ce sujet. D'ailleurs, un certain nombre de gouvernements sont déjà en train de mettre sur pied des Agenda 21 nationaux, et c'est peut-être là où certains programmes d'action spéciaux de la FAO, qui ont trait aux politiques et aux plans agricoles, le plan forestier tropical et d'autres, peuvent contribuer, si les pays en font la demande, à l'élaboration de ces plans d'action 21 nationaux. Nous sommes prêts à répondre à des requêtes de ce genre dans la mesure de nos moyens.
Au-dessus du niveau national il y a les aspects régionaux, comme l'a rappelé le délégué de la Libye qui a demandé s'il va y avoir aussi des occasions pour les gouvernements de traiter de ces questions au niveau régional. Je rappellerai, comme l'a fait le Mexique, que nous avons déjà tenu des réunions interministérielles régionales sur l'agriculture durable. Nous en avons tenu une pour les petits Etats insulaires, et si les moyens nous le permettent, nous envisageons d'en tenir une aussi pour le Proche-Orient, et pour d'autres régions. Ces réunions avaient été tenues grâce à des ressources extrabudgétaires fournies par l'Australie, la Norvège, la Hollande. Je tiens à les remercier ici. Nous chercherons à répondre aussi aux demandes d'autres régions de la même manière.
En ce qui concerne le niveau international et le rôle de la FAO, j'ai entendu que l'on nous demande d'être à la fois sélectif et holistique! Certaines délégations ont jugé que, dans notre analyse de l'Agenda 21, le nombre de rubriques concernant la FAO dépassait les quatre-vingts que nous avions annoncés. Je suis d'accord, mais il faut choisir. Je peux confirmer à la délégation du Canada que l'approche sélective qu'il nous a suggérée est en effet déjà mise en oeuvre. Le Directeur général a demandé à chaque unité de la FAO d'examiner le Programme d'action 21 et nous avons déjà des indications des domaines dans lesquels nous jugeons que nous avons un rôle de chef de file. D'ailleurs, de très nombreuses délégations ont confirmé que dans certains domaines de nos mandats nous avons un rôle de chef de file. Pour d'autres domaines, nous sommes simplement partenaires d'autres institutions, et pour certains domaines nous nous contentons de suivre ce qui se fait ailleurs et de garder un "watching brief".
Cette approche sélective à l'intérieur de notre secrétariat nous nous proposons de la suivre aussi sur le plan interinstitutions. A cette fin, l'équipe spéciale du CAC, présidée par le Directeur général, a établi des critères, des éléments d'analyse pour ce qu'on appelle l'avantage comparatif. On en parle depuis très longtemps dans de multiples enceintes. Ce groupe a fait un effort pour identifier ce que cela veut dire et a transmis dans son rapport au CAC des propositions pour faciliter la distribution du travail et le partage des responsabilités pour l'Agenda 21.
De nombreuses délégations ont indiqué que la FAO doit jouer un rôle de chef de file également pour la coordination et la coopération dans certains domaines avec d'autres institutions, c'est-à-dire dans les domaines de notre mandat. De même, le PNUE a un rôle de chef de file pour la coordination en
matière d'environnement. Le PNUD l'a pour la coordination des activités de développement du système des Nations Unies au niveau national. On s'oriente donc vers une sorte de distribution du travail également en matière de coordination en essayant d'identifier quelles sont les institutions chefs de file, ou points focaux, autour desquelles la coordination pour la mise en oeuvre de l'Agenda 21 devrait se faire. Nous avons franchi une première étape, mais le gros du travail reste à faire, par ce comité interagences pour le développement durable, qui vient d'être établi par le CAC, et qui devrait se réunir dans les mois qui viennent pour faire un premier rapport au CAC au mois d'avril prochain.
Un certain nombre de délégations ont abordé la question du financement du suivi de la CNUED. Ce débat a déjà eu lieu à la Conférence. Je me permettrai d'attirer l'attention sur ce qu'avait dit la Conférence, certaines délégations jugeant qu'il y aura des coûts supplémentaires, d'autres pensant qu'on pourrait absorber ces coûts. J'indiquerai que le CAC au mois d'octobre, lorsqu'il s'est réuni, a conclu qu'il fallait attirer l'attention de l'Assemblée générale sur les besoins supplémentaires de financement, tout en renouvelant sa disposition à essayer d'absorber le plus possible le coût de la mise en oeuvre de l'Agenda 21. Ils ont confirmé qu'il y aurait un certain besoin de ressources supplémentaires pour la mise en oeuvre de l'Agenda 21 par les pays eux-mêmes, mais aussi pour les institutions des Nations Unies.
A ce sujet, nous sommes heureux d'avoir reçu ici la confirmation de la part d'un certain nombre de pays, la France, le Japon, l'Allemagne notamment, de leur disponibilité à fournir des ressources supplémentaires comme ils l'avaient annoncé à Rio de Janeiro.
Je voudrais attirer aussi l'attention des délégations sur les nouvelles sources de financement, le Fonds pour l'environnement mondial et aussi le programme du PNUD appelé "Capacité 21" (c'est un programme de renforcement des capacités nationales pour l'exécution des projets pour l'Agenda 21). Ces deux nouvelles sources de fonds seront, je pense, pour les institutions nationales, les Ministères de l'agriculture, des forêts, des pêches, des sources additionnelles de financement et non pas seulement pour les Ministères de l'environnement. Ce sera le cas notamment pour la mise en oeuvre des deux grandes Conventions internationales qui viennent d'être signées à Rio, la Convention internationale pour la biodiversité et celle pour le changement de climat. L'agriculture est intéressée et concernée par ces deux questions. Je crois qu'il y a là une possibilité, pour les pays qui le souhaitent, d'obtenir des appuis du système des Nations Unies, y compris de la FAO, à travers ces sources additionnelles.
Il y a eu des questions posées sur ce qui va suivre après Rio au sujet de la désertification et en particulier de la négociation d'une convention internationale sur la désertification, et quelle pourrait être la position de la FAO dans ce domaine.
Je dirai d'abord que la désertification est parfois considérée comme un problème d'environnement, mais c'est d'abord, dans les pays qui en souffrent, un problème de pauvreté, de manque de développement. La réponse pour combattre la désertification est de promouvoir un développement rural intégré. C'est là notre approche. Il ne suffit pas de se battre contre l'avancée du désert, il faut développer des systèmes de développement durable dans ces régions. La FAO a depuis longtemps un grand nombre d'activités dans ce domaine. Si on nous le demande, nous ferons certainement profiter de notre expérience et de notre
expertise le Comité de négociation qui va être sans doute établi par l'Assemblée générale. Il est probable que nous serons sollicités pour aider le Secrétariat de ce Comité de négociation avec notre Bureau juridique et nos services techniques, comme nous l'avons fait pour la Convention internationale sur la diversité biologique.
Quant au suivi des efforts qui ont été conduits sous l'égide du Directeur général en matière de coordination au CAC, que va-t-il se passer dans les mois qui viennent? J'en ai déjà parlé. Je voudrais ajouter que ce Comité de coordination interagences pour le développement durable devra se réunir au niveau de sous-directeurs généraux et je m'attends à ce que mes collègues et partenaires d'autres institutions et moi-même nous nous réunissions pour continuer les efforts que nous avons amorcés cet été en matière de distribution du travail, de coordination et de partage des responsabilités. Monsieur le Président, je tiens à m'excuser à l'avance si après une longue réponse je n'ai pas éclairci toutes les questions. Le Secrétariat se tient à disposition des délégations qui voudraient poser des questions particulières après la séance.
Au nom du Directeur général, je souhaite exprimer toute la reconnaissance et la satisfaction du Secrétariat pour l'appui que le Conseil a bien voulu donner à nos activités et à nos propositions.
LE PRESIDENT: Je remercie particulièrement M. Mahler des réponses très complètes qu'il vient de donner aux nombreuses questions qui ont été posées. Bien sûr, il n'y a pas eu de réponse à toutes les questions, il s'agit là d'une impossibilité dans un domaine aussi vaste.
Avant de conclure, je vais donner la parole à M. Bommer, Président du Comité du Programme.
D. BOMMER (Chairman, Programme Committee): I am afraid I must disappoint you because I do not have any very wise thoughts to offer at the moment. I would simply assure the Council, on behalf of the Programme Committee, that the outcome of this debate will very much determine our work in the Programme Committee as to how we shall work with the Secretariat during the coming year in developing the new Programme of Work and Budget for 1994-95 on the aspect of integration of the follow-up of UNCED. It was very important for me to be with you all this time and to listen to the wide-ranging and very interesting debate.
LE PRESIDENT: Je ne vais pas faire une synthèse de l'ensemble de la discussion. Je crois qu'elle a été très complète, qu'elle a bien éclairé le Secrétariat sur les souhaits du Conseil et qu'elle a constitué un nouveau départ pour les activités du Comité du Programme, comme vient de le souligner le Président de ce Comité, que je remercie une fois de plus d'avoir bien voulu assister à l'ensemble du débat concernant ce point important de l'ordre du jour.
Il est clair, que si des questions restent en suspens, M. Mahler est à la disposition de tous les membres du Conseil pour leur fournir éventuellement un complément de réponses, ici ou ailleurs, à l'occasion des contacts qu'il a avec l'ensemble des membres du Conseil.
Je voudrais une fois de plus remercier spécialement le Japon pour l'ouverture que ce pays a annoncé en ce qui concerne le suivi de la Conférence de Rio.
S'il n'y a pas d'autres questions, je vais déclarer clos l'examen du point 7 de l'ordre du jour.
The meeting rose at 12.45 hours.
La séance est levée à 12 h 45.
Se levanta la sesión a las 12.45 horas.
