LE SECRETAIRE GENERAL; J'ai maintenant la liste des membres du Comité de rédaction dont je vais vousdonner lecture.
Président: M. Ramadhar de l'Inde.
Membres:Pour l'Afrique: Cameroun, Zambie.
Pour l'Asie: Bangladesh
Europe: France. Je crois qu'à cet égard le représentant de la .Yougoslavie souhaite demander au Président de prendre la parole sur la représentation de l'Europe.
Amérique latine: Brésil.
Proche-Orient: Liban.
Amérique du Nord: Etats-Unis d'Amérique.
Pacifique du Sud-Ouest: Australie.
Voilà la composition du Comité de rédaction.
M. TRKULJA (Yugoslavia): I am very sorry, I think there must have been some sort of misunderstanding, I did not ask for the floor. If France is the general feeling of the European countries, of course we are quite prepared to go along. What I said privately was perhaps we could even consider electing France forever into the drafting committee!
J. JASIOROWSKI ( Poland ): During informal discussions with the European countries, we discussed the possibilities of having two delegated on the drafting committee, which means France and Yugoslavia. Are there any formal obstructions to such a solution?
CHAIRMAN: This is rather unusual. Is it not better to keep to our Rules because once we make exceptions to the rules then there is always going to be an exception, but if the European group does not agree still and needs more time, then we will not take France for the candidate, to allow more time for discussion. In any case, there are no disputes about the other regions and I take it that they are acceptable and in the case of the European region tomorrow morning we will have another announcement.
CHAIRMAN: The Chairman of the Committee is unfortunately not here and therefore I will ask Professor Islam to introduce the subject.
N. ISLAM ( Assistant Director-General, Economic and Social Policy Department ): I have great pleasure in reporting to the Council on the Sixth Session of the FAO Committee on World Food Security. The Session was held from the 8th to the 15th of April this year. The Committee reviewed the world food security situation, considered a number of issues and made important recommendations to strengthen world food security.
The Committee expressed its concern that the world food security situation remained precarious. For the first time since the world food crisis of 1973/74, world cereal production as a whole had been below trend for two consecutive years, in 1979 and 1980. The food security in 1981/1982 will therefore depend more than any other year since the world food crisis on the outcome of 1981 harvests. The Committee agreed that it was vital to increase wherever appropriate the areas sown to food crops in 1981 and also to improve yields.
The Committee also expressed concern at the slow growth in cereal output in the developing countries as a group and at the fall in the production in many low income countries, in particular in Africa, where 28 countries in the sub-Sahelian region had abnormally heavy food deficits. In the view of the Committee, a lasting solution to the security problem lies in increasing food production, particularly in low income food-deficit countries.
In this connexion, it underlined the importance of giving greater priority to food and agriculture in development plans and of providing increased external assistance to support the efforts of developing countries in this field.
The Committee reviewed the progress made in implementing the Plan of Action on World Food Security. It evaluated recent actions at national, regional, and international levels on food stock policies, on a system to meet the import and emergency meeds of low-income countries and on collective self reliance.
At the national level, a growing number of countries have now adopted food stock policies and set up food reserves. However, the efforts of several developing countries to implement their food stock policies are handicapped by insufficient domestic food production or the lack of storage facilities.
The Committee welcomed the increasing efforts being made by developing countries to foster their collective self-reliance in food security. It agreed to pay special attention at its next session to ways of facilitating the regional and sub-regional schemes on food security in line with the request of the FAO Council.
The Committee made a number of recommendations aimed at improving food security at national and international levels. These relate to actions aimed at maximizing food production, particularly in developing countries and supportive measures by developed countries and other countries in a position to do so. Strengthening of arrangements for national preparedness to cope with acute and large-scale food shortages and provide additional food supplies as well as assistance to set up production to the countries experiencing food shortages, especially in Africa.
The Committee called for all the steps to implement on a voluntary basis the Plan of Action on World Food Security, especially points (i) and (ii). It also called for assistance to developing countries in building national sub-regional and eventually regional food reserves, as well as including related infrastructure, as well as the reduction of food losses.
The Committee considered at length the ways of improving preparedness to meet acute and large-scale food shortages. It examined this subject in face of the report of the Ad Hoc Working Party on the basis of preparedness for acute and large-scale food shortages. The Committee made a number of recommendations on this important subject. I will highlight only a few of the important conclusions. The Committee considered that the improvement of national preparedness was the core of international effort to deal with food shortage situations, recognizing that there could be no uniform pattern of national prepared-ness. It recommended a broad approach covering four main elements, namely maintenance of reserve stocks; strengthening of national monitoring and early-warning systems; creation of special standby units to deal with food emergencies both in countries at risk and in donor countries, and finally a manual of food relief activities to enter into force in the event of acute and large-scale food shortages.
The Committee agreed that many developing countries would require technical assistance in strengthening national preparedness to meet acute and large-scale shortages.
The Committee further examined the various factors that could lead to logistical and transportational bottlenecks in large-scale food shortages and stressed that serious transportation and logistical problems existed in many importing developing countries.
The Committee made a number of suggestions for improving the situation. The Committee also suggested ways of improving surveillance to selected logistical and transportational bottlenecks.
The Committee identified a number of indicators which can help in the early recognition of national or global shortages. In selecting global indicatos, it stressed that these should complement each other and should be considered in combination with other information as part of a detailed analysis of the food situation. The Committee agreed that the indicators need to be used cautiously and should not imply any automatic action by governments or by FAO.
The Committee considered at length arrangements for consultation and coordination to tackle food shortage situations when they arose. It agreed that in order to get the best results out of the consultative mechanism in any food emergency when the speed of response was essential it would be desirable to identify discussion items and possible preventive and remedial measures which might be taken on a voluntary basis.
It was stressed that such an agenda would provide a coherent and compact framework within which consultations could consider systematically the various elements of the problems and actions required. Such an agenda would not be exhaustive, nor would it imply that all the possible measures would necessarily be considered in every shortage situation. The special characteristics of any particular food shortage situation would determine what items required consideration and what type of action would be required. Further, the remedial measures would need to be in conformity with legislation and criteria at a national level. Bearing this in mind the Committee adopted an agenda for consultations and possible action to deal with acute and large-scale food shortages.
The agenda covered subjects of both national and international preparations. Under international preparadness it provides consideration of a number of points for discussion and action which may be considered necessary for consultations convened by the Director-General. These include, inter alia, food aid, other forms of aid, both bilateral and multilateral, to developing countries facing acute and large-scale food shortages, stocks or directions to augment food supplies, logistical problems and coordination.
Finally I would like to refer briefly to the review undertaken by the Committee on Food Security of the activities of FAO Food Security Assistance Scheme. The Committee supported activities being carried out at national and international levels by the Food Security Assistance Scheme. It invited all countries to participate in the provision of information and resources to this Scheme and other development assistance activities of a food security nature. It noted the Secretariat estimate that the current shortfall in capital investment for grain storage capacity for food reserves in developing countries, excluding China, may be as large as US $2.6 billion and that additional grain storage investment needs over the next ten years were an estimated US$ 10.5 billion, of which US$2 billion would be for reserves.
I would like to conclude by reiterating that there is a need to keep a close and careful vigilance over the world food security situation. The discussions in the past two days confirms this conclusion. The Director-General considers that the Committee's work in suggesting ways of strengthening preparedness for coping with acute and large-scale food shortages is an important step forward in enhancing arrange-ments for improving world food security.
CHAIRMAN: Thank you for that comprehensive introduction, Professor Islam. You will note that this subject is very much related to the one we had under Item 4, Current World Food Situation. A lot of the arguments which members have advanced have also been covered by the Committee. Therefore I hope that in your debates you will not repeat what you have said or what the Committee has said and you will concentrate on issues that are of a policy nature.
G. BULA HOYOS (Colombia): La delegación de Colombia opina que el documento CL 79/10 contiene uno de los más tristes y deprimentes recuerdos de reuniones en la FAO. Este documento es la más clara demostración de absoluta carencia de voluntad política por parte de los países desarrollados. Son 167 párrafos en 281 , casi a dos por párrafos, donde se encuentran las expresiones "algunos delegados", "varios delegados" "el Comité tomo nota", etc. 0 sea, que el informe carece de recomendaciones.
En esa forma no habría valido la pena celebrar esa reunión; hubiera sido suficiente que los estados miembros enviaran por correspondencia sus opiniones y la Secretaría las reflejara de esa manera. Todo este documento fue la culminación de una sesión ilegal, sin quorum, como lo anotó un distinguido colega que ahora toma también asiento en él Consejo. Trasnochados, después de las 10 de la noche, 25 delegaciones, 20 de países desarrollados y cinco de países en desarrollo asistimos a ese espectáculo que una delegación calificó públicamente de ridículo. Se consumó ese exabrupto bajo la dirección de un presidente débil, parcializado, entregado a los países desarrollados. El cuadro fue completado por el Presidente del Comité de Redacción, quien en todo momento representólos intereses de su país y de los demás estados de su agrupación regional. Los representantes de las secretarías, los señores Islam y Leeks mudos, estáticos, silenciosos. En medio de todo ello, sobresale el párrafo 158, repito, el párrafo 158. La nota a pie de la página recoge la oposición del delegado de Colombia que dice que el delegado de Colombia se opuso a que se aprobara ese párrafo. Por lo tanto, nosotros debemos explicar al Consejo por qué hicimos esa reserva.
En esa reunión hubo una carga cerrada de los países desarrollados como pocas veces antes yo lo recuerde en consultas permanentes entre ellos. Se empeñaron en que no constara ningún compromiso concreto, en que no apareciera en el Informe la menor referencia a nada que los comprometiera, ni siquiera mínimamente, y la víctima contra la cual se encarnizó esa cruzada fue el proyecto de Memorandum preparado por la Secretaría, preparado por la Secretaría, repito, que figura como anexo 2 del documento 4, que fue sometido a la consideración del Comité.
Todo por que en ese Proyecto de Memorandum se decía, por ejemplo, los Gobiernos acordarán, los Gobiernos se consultarán, los Gobiernos examinarán. Eso era todo. El contenido inocuo e ingenio de un documento de la Secretaría elaborado con la intención que apoyamos del Director General de sugerir siquiera
mínimas actitudes concretas frente a las serias amenazas contra la seguridad alimentaria mundial.
Pues bien, ese Memorandum debía desaparecer. Fue una confabulación increíble. Se reunían por la mañana y retardaban nuestras reuniones. Una vez por caso pasé cerca de ese grupo de representantes y oi que uno decía: "We have to kill the memorandum". Y todos en coro repetían: "Yes, yes". Una dulce voz femenina francesa decía: "Nous devons le tuer"; y como contraste de fondo la voz del alemán que decía: "Wir müssen es verschwinden lassen".
La delegación de Colombia sigue apoyando la actitud del Director General de la FAO al elaborar este Proyecto de Memorandum que no aparece en este documento CL 79/10 por las razones expuestas. Pero nosotros hemos tenido la gentileza de hacer llegar fotocopias de ese memorandum a los Miembros del Consejo y a usted, señor Presidente, con la esperanza de que nos ayuden a que sobreviva ese Memorandum. Y tenemos otras fotocopias para distribuirlas en la Conferencia porque creemos que bien vale la pena que los representantes de Gobiernos de todo el mundo conozcan este caso insólito. No podemos conectar actitudes como esas. Nos pareció recordar el pasaje bíblico del Rey Herodes cuando persiguió a todos los recién nacidos, en busca del Niño Jesús. Pues bien, la delegación de Colombia trata de salvar a ese inocente recién nacido, y se propone seguir difundiendo ese proyecto de Memorandum. Proponemos formalmente que el contenido del Proyecto de ese Memorandum que aparece citado en el párrafo 158, sea discutido por el Consejo y pido al Presidente y a los Miembros del Comité de Redacción que se incluyan los puntos esenciales de ese Memorandum en la parte pertinente de nuestro Informe.
Sobre este punto vamos a limitar nuestra observación a sólo otro párrafo igualmente casi curioso, e párrafo 159. Sobre este párrafo 159 aparece a pie de página la nota que lo condena a la supervivencia eterna, permanente, integral sin evolución ni escape. Esa nota dice: "Se convino en que al utilizar el Programa para las consultas y las posibles medidas para hacer frente a toda escasez aguda y de gran escala, se pondría cuidado en remitirse al párrafo 159 en su totalidad". .Qué idiotez, señor Presidente y señores Miembros del Consejo! Para lograr esa redacción, el Comité empleó cerca de tres horas. Habría sido más práctico que se hubiera procedido como en nuestro caso, se hubieran sacado fotocopias del párrafo 159 y nos hubieran metido una de las copias en los bolsillos a los Miembros del Comité y Miembros de la Secretaría. Podríamos hacer miles de observaciones, pero basta. Somos conscientes del carácter sarcàstico y un poco amargo de esta intervención nuestra, pero hemos procedido así porque consideramos que hechos como éstos no deben, no pueden quedar impunes. Hay que señalarlos, para evitar que se repitan en el futuro y se sigan sentando precendentes funestos. Con paciencia, confiamos en que vendrán tiempos mejores. El Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria Mundial, en el 82 elegirá un nuevo y digno Presidente y así podremos apoyar la política acertada del Director General en materia de seguridad alimentaria mundial.
CHAIRMAN: Thank you, Colombia. Of course, you are my predecessor on this seat, and I don't know if during your term of office there has ever been a member of a Committee who wanted to bring all the problems of a Committee to the Council. I don't think that has happened before and I don't think it should happen now. The purpose of having committees is to make sure that all the problems are thrashed out in a smaller group and with more time, and therefore the only way open to us is to take the report of the Committee as it is presented in the document before us, and if there are any things that are unresolved, we should say to the Committee, "Go back and resolve it and then bring it back". So my own suggestion to the members is that we should not reopen things in detail which have been discussed at the Committee level.
Now, if this suggestion is agreeable, then we can note what Colombia has said, but also appeal to him and to other members to go back to the Committee and resolve their problems there.
G. BULA HOYOS (Colombia) : Durante los tres años y medio que usted ha ocupado el sitio en el cual yo me senté durante los cuatro años anteriores, he admirado muy profunda y sinceramente la atención particular que usted me dirige, y puedo corresponderle a usted diciendo que lo tengo en igual buena consideración. No me inclino a provocar polémicas, pero debo responder a su afirmación. Durante los cuatro años que yo fui Presidente del Consejo, cada delegado tuvo la mayor libertad, la más amplia oportunidad para referirse a cada tema de la manera como lo considerara más conveniente.
El Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria Mundial es un órgano asesor del Consejo y quienes asistimos a esa reunión del Comité, no sólo podemos sino que tenemos la obligación de decir aquí lo que pensamos sobre esa reunión.
A.H. SENEVIRATNE (Sri Lanka): The report of the Sixth Session of the Committee on World Food Security, CL 79/10, is a very important document. The delegation of Sri Lanka wishes to commend the Secretariat for the lucid manner of its presentation covering the analysis of key issues.
We have been discussing the world food crisis and the attainment of world food security ever since the World Food Conference held in Rome in 1974. Although there have been favourable trends in food production in certain countries, by and large the situation remains precarious, as is evident from the Director-General's opening remarks at the meeting with the Committee on World Food Security and what was discussed last morning.
The international strategies and policy approaches which include reliance on the international grain reserve system, consumption and production adjustments in developed countries, food aid, financial measures to alleviate foreign exhange constraints particularly on the less developed countries, are some of the measures which have been advocated so far. The failure to reach agreement on the Wheat Trade Convention and the indefinite postponement of negotiations for the creation of an international coordinated system of wheat reserves once more reaffirm the need for alternate measures. The proposal by the Director-General of a Five Point Plan of Action is the only rational plan proposed so far to meet the current situation and eventually make the international undertaking proposed by the FAO in 1973 a reality.
My delegation fully supports the recommendations made by the Committee on World Food Security and in this regard we wish to reaffirm our commitment to the Plan of Action. However, at the risk of repetition, we wish to state that food insecurity is closely associated not only with fluctuations in food production and food prices but also with fluctuations in the non-food sector which lead directly to variations in incomes within the community.
G.M. .RIMANI (Kenya): I would first of all like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Director-General of FAO for his elaborate statement which dealt with a number of issues which we shall be discussing. It is clear that the world situation is uncertain and critical, and unless something is done to reverse the trend, the world will be going backwards in the fight against hunger and malnutrition. My delegation is in agreement with the Director-General's analysis of the problem and with the support measures he undertakes to tackle it. For the world to be secure in food, efforts by all in the international community are required. Combined efforts by governments, private and international organizations are needed to achieve the goal of eliminating hunger and malnutrition as soon as possible and certainly by the year 2000.
The growth of food production in developing countries and especially in the low-income food-deficit countries has been far below 4 percent per annum. The situation in Africa has been even worse. It is generally agreed that developing countries have the primary responsibility of feeding their people. However, in their efforts to do so they encounter numerous constraints, and it is in the area of lessening the constraints that developing countries need support. I would quote an instance, for example in various countries like Kenya, where these countries obtain their foreign exchange earnings from agricultural products sold at unstable world market prices, thus bringing minimal foreign exchange earnings. These earnings are shared amongst several sectors of these countries. No analysis is required to see that there are not enough resources to enable these countries to step up food production. Our efforts in this direction therefore require assistance besides increased investment. My delegation therefore supports a call for a rise in the official development assistance beyond the agreed target of 0.7 percent of GNP. Food production in low-income food-deficit countries, as many delegates have already mentioned, has been seriously affected by high fertilizer prices. This concern was expressed by the FAO Committee on Fertilizers last year. It was also reiterated by the FAO Council in November of the same year. My delegation once again would call for stepped-up assistance to the FAO International Fertilizer Supply Scheme. I wish to further note that the agreed target of 1 million tons of nutrients have not so far been achieved.
The Committee on Food Security has made reference to the development of national food infrastructure. We would like to note that this is another area where developing countries need increased external assistance. I would like to quote a few instances in my country, Kenya, where some steps are being taken in the area of food security. The current National Grain Storage Capacity is 7.5 million 90 kg. bags while the actual requirement is at present in the order of 11.5 million bags. The government has accordingly embarked on a programme to expand the grain storage capacity, but the resources to do so are grossly limited. Kenya's strategic grain reserves are 2 million bags, but it is planned to increase this reserve to 4 million bags by 1985. The storage capacity mentioned so far is central national storage and does not include storage at the farm level. It is realized that considerable amount of grain is lost after harvest due to poor and inadequate storage at the farm level. It is considered useful for a farmer to store some grain on the farm for his family's subsistence so he does not have to resort to the country's national stores soon after he has sold his grain. To this end Kenya has embarked on a project to improve storage structures at the farm level but owing to the limited resources the project may not have as big an impact as would be desired. Resources are needed to support the extension of efforts, and also to provide credit facilities to the farmers for the storage construction. Transportation of grain within the country is also under study with a view to effecting some improvements. The Government is also planning to introduce bulk handling of grain at Mombasa Port to ensure faster movement of grain in cases of import or export.
During the discussion on the current world food situation references were constantly made to wheat, maize and rice. In Kenya there are large areas where these grains cannot grow and development of alternative crops becomes essential. In semi-arid areas of Kenya various varieties of sorghum and millet can be grown and ease pressure on maize and wheat. Accordingly, Kenya is involved in a programme of breeding high-yielding draught-escaping varieties of sorghum and millet suitable for such areas. The impact of the programme would be felt earlier if the programme were expanded in scope, but once again the resources tend to be limited. Other crops that have received attention are tubers, i.e. cassava and potatoes. Multiplication of disease-free cassava planting material is a most worthwhile project but again this is limited in scope for the same reasons.
The various endeavours that Kenya is making are aimed at self-sufficiency in food, but it is evident that external assistance would make it possible for Kenya to reach this goal sooner.
Developing countries need to be assisted in all ways in their efforts to step up food production. Where regional efforts are made such as the Lagos Food Plan, technical and material resources need to be made available so that the Plan could be fully implemented.
As regards international trade in agricultural commodities, my delegation wishes to single out pro-tectionism as having negative effects on the ability of developing countries to expand their food ex-ports and obtain funds to finance their development. Measures are required to establish world food security. Multilateral emergency food aid is an important element of food security. In this connec-tion, my delegation would call for increased contribution to the International Emergency Food Reserve to obtain the minimum of 500,000 tons, and also to support the Director-General of FAO in transforming this into a legally binding arrangement to ensure safe levels of food aid. I also call for the strengthening of resources of the World Food Programme, noting with regret that only 75 percent of the target for 1980-81 biennium has so far been met. The resources of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) also need to be replenished as quickly as possible. I call for the implementation of FAO's Five Point Plan of Action on World Food Security.
CHAIRMAN: I would still appeal to members to speak to the Report rather than to go back on issues which are not covered or have already been discussed earlier.
Mrs. M. AKHTAR (Pakistan): The Committee on World Food Security has performed a useful task in firstly assessing the current world food security situation, and secondly in dealing with an area of major concern to a large number of developing countries, i.e. a state of preparedness to meet acute and large-scale food shortages.
The Pakistan delegation has already spoken and expressed concern over the current unsatisfactory world food security situation, but nonetheless we take this opportunity of stressing that for the first time since the world food crisis of 1973/74 world cereals production as a whole has been below trend for two consecutive years; the reserve stocks have also dropped to 30 million tons by the end of the season as compared to the estimated requirements of 75 million tons. We, therefore, agree with the Secretariat estimate that cereal production in 1981 would need to increase by approximately 4 percent in order to meet rising consumption needs and by 8 percent in order to replenish stocks to a safe level.
In an earlier intervention we had described the efforts that we have made in Pakistan to increase food production, so I will not take up the time of the meeting to narrate those once again. However, I would like to repeat our conviction that the ultimate solution to world food security lies in increasing food production in developing countries. Sustained growth in output could be obtained only if producers were given adequate incentives, including stable and remunerative prices.
On the subject of building up food security reserves, we are of the opinion that at least 20 percent of the annual consumption requirements of the country should be kept as food security reserve. However, the keeping of such a reserve requires adequate storage facilities and related infrastructure in order to preserve food reserves and to reduce post-harvest losses. At present Pakistan has covered godowns for 2.4 million tons capacity. Storage to the extent of 0.7 million tons is under construction, but much more is needed for which local resources need to be replenished from outside to make up the deficiency.
On the subject off special measures to assist low-income food deficit countries to meet current import requirements and emergency food needs, we note with satisfaction the positive decision by the IMF to enlarge the facility for providing specific assistance for countries which may suffer unavoidable increases in current costs and low excess to improve compensatory financial facilities for countries facing balance of payment difficulties.
On the state of preparedness to meet acute and large-scale food shortages, we recognize that there are a number of existing international mechanisms to deal with acute and large-scale food shortages. Un-fortunately, these mechanisms have not always worked satisfactorily, and there is an urgent need to strengthen and streamline these arrangements and mechanisms.
We agree that no uniform pattern of national preparedness could be valid for all countries or for all regions.
The Pakistan delegation welcomes the suggestion made by the Committee on World Food Security in para. 63 of it s report in document CL 79/10 regarding preparation of plans for national preparedness, organi-zation of regional workshops, and evaluation of emergency relief mechanisms.
The Pakistan delegation also agrees with the Committee that serious transportation and logistics problems exist in many importing developing countries. However, we feel that the position insofar as it relates to developed countries has been presented in far too optimistic a manner.
We have noted with satisfaction that the Committee has recognized that the IEFR was an important link in the food security network, and we endorse the need to achieve the 500,000 tons target through increased contributions from the present and new donors, and to increase the predictability of avail-able resources to enable more effective planning.
The Pakistan delegation appreciates the commendable efforts made by the Committee on World Food Security in providing measures for consultation and for calling a special session of the Committe under the Plan of Action on World Food Security, or urgent consultations under Article VI of the Constitu-tion, or informal meetings of the type called on the African food emergency situation. We hope that the objectives as laid down in para 157 will be helpful in focusing attention on serious food shortages and devising possible remedial action. We have, however, noted with regret that due to the absence of a consensus the Committee did not pursue the proposals of the draft Memorandum of Understanding.
We have noted, as observed in para 161 of the Committee Report, that the lack of storage capacity, especially in a year of particularly good harvest, has immediate negative effects such as: market surpluses and crop losses leading to lack of economic incentives to production during the next season, difficulties in the government purchasing programmes, and inability to build reserves against future bad crops.
We have also noted with concern the Secretariat estimate that the current shortfall in capital investment for grain storage capacity for reserves in developimg countries (excluding China) may be as large as $2.6 billion, and that the additional grain storage investment needs over the next ten years were an estimated $10.5 billion, of which $2 billion would be for reserves. It may be added that grain storage is only one of the many important components in food security programmes, each of which gives rise to financing requirements.
The Pakistan delegation fully endorses the feeling of the Committee expressed in para 163 of its report that all countries, including OPEC and countries with centrally planned economies, should be invited to participate in the provision of information and resources to the FSAS and other development assistance activities of a food security nature.
May I conclude by stating that we have noted with appreciation the contributions made by several countries, as mentioned in para 164 of the report (document CL 79/10, and we welcome the Director-General's proposal to include economic and social incentives to basic food production as one of the Scheme's objectives.
M. W. MOORE-WILTON (Australia): As I indicated in my statement yesterday, Australia would have some further comments under this item on this important question of world food security. Australia is committed to the view that world food security is one of the basic issues which bave to be addressed in international economic relations in order to ensure the future well-being of mankind.
Further progress in this complex area is only to be achieved if there is a recognition by all parties of mutual interest and mutual concern, and I commend this view to our distinguished friend from Colombia.
The Australian Prime Minister has indicated the determination of my country to play a constructive role in efforts to achieve progress in this important area of food security. In this context the Australian delegation agrees with the need for individual countries and the international community to adopt an integrated approach to the problems of hunger and malnutrition. An effective World Food Security programme requires complementary action by both developed and developing countries and includes adoption of appropriate domestic policies by food-deficit countries, external developmental assistance including food aid and other action such as reduction of protectionism. We agree that emphasis must be given to international initiatives which will help improve world food security in the short term. One of the more important aspects in this regard are the ongoing negotiations to establish a new International Wheat Agreement. Australia is making positive efforts to obtain a balanced agreement with economic provisions which would safeguard the commercial interests of both exporting and Importing countries whilst, of course, recognizing the special needs of developing countries. While recognizing the difficulties in the negotiations, my country is prepared to explore all approaches which would strengthen the present agreement at the International Wheat Council meeting to be held in Madrid next week.
In our own development cooperation programme we continue to give the highest priority to activities which strengthen agricultural production and rural development. For example, some 30 percent of our rural project aid is devoted to agriculture with a further 40 percent going on projects such as electricity, water and transport infrastructure that largely assist rural areas in developing countries.
In the present world food environment, food aid has to remain an important element in world food security. We share the concern that the level of food aid provided worldwide has been stagnant over the last two years. We strongly support the 10 million target and urge more countries to join the Food Aid Convention as donors, including the Socialist countries. For its part, Australia, under the 1980 Convention, increased its contribution by approximately 78 percent to 400 000 tons. Much of this increase in Australia's food aid is going to Africa whose needs have been so graphically outlined by the. Director-General and by other speakers. We also recognise the growing importance and need for emergency food aid and our commitment to the International Emergency Food Reserve was recently increased from 10 000 to 30 000 tons.
Australia strongly supports the annual replenishment of the Reserve at 500 000 tons and calls on new donors to come forward to enable early achievement of this target. Currently we are supplying some $13 million for emergency food aid, an increase of 55 percent over the last year. We have also recently supplied FAO with $500 000 for fertilizer to Kampuchea together with a further $250 000 to meet uncovered needs in that country.
Australia supports the 1981-82 target of US$1 billion for the World Food Programme but the realization of that target depends heavily on new donors coming forward. Furthermore, as a major producer of grain, we believe that non-food exporting countries are the appropriate source for providing cash contributions to that Programme, although we continue to provide at least one-third of our pledge in cash. We have also called several times for new donors to assist with solving various aspects of the world food situation. We realize that the OPEC countries have been generous in meeting calls in this regard but we would hope that, given their generally favourable balance of payments position, they would provide further much needed finance in this important area. Again, we believe that the time has come for the Socialist countries to play a more realistic role in providing aid to Third World countries in the food and agriculture sector.
Australia recognises that domestic food shortfalls and rising food import prices can cause balance of payments problems for food deficit developing countries. We therefore fully support the scheme agreed by the IMF in May this year for an extension of its Compensatory Financing Facility to assist with the financing of food imports by such countries.
It will therefore be apparent that the Australian delegation supports the thrust of the recommendations of the Committee on World Food Security contained in paragraph 45 of document CL 79/10. This includes our endorsement of the Director-General's Five Point Plan of Action on World Food Security which we consider that we are meeting, subject to our present institutional and constitutional requirements.
With regard to the proposed Agenda for Consultations and Possible Action to Deal with Acute and Large-Scale Food Shortages, the Australian delegation has no objection to its adoption by the Council and we confirm our understanding that the use and usefulness of the Agenda must be considered within the context outlined in preambular paragraph 159.
P. ELMANOWSKY (France): En prenant la parole sur le sujet de la sécurité alimentaire mondiale, je me limiterai uniquement à trois ou quatre points faisant l'objet d'un rapport de ce Comité, et je ne reviendrai pas sur l'ensemble de la situation alimentaire mondiale, qui est d'ailleurs étroitement liée à la sécurité alimentaire, et sur laquelle nous avons entendu précédemment de nombreux exposés.
S'agissant donc du corps de ce document, je soulignerai tout d'abord qu'en ce qui concerne la mise en oeuvre du plan d'action pour la sécurité alimentaire, il y a toute une section relative à la convention sur le commerce du blé. Il n'est pas besoin de rappeler que la France a toujours été en faveur des accords de produits et le nouveau gouvernement français entend, dans cette voie particulièrement, persévérer et développer les accords de produits, des accords de produits efficaces, et pouvant véritablement donner à la Communauté internationale des moyens d'action réel.
C'est ainsi que s'il doit y avoir un accord sur le blé, ce que nous espérons très vivement, il doit s'agir d'un accord comportant un dispositif de stockage, accompagné d'un mécanisme de prix, et ce dispositif de stockage doit bien évidemment se baser sur des stocks nationaux répartis équitablement entre les pays, mais coordonnés internationalement afin d'assurer le déblocage ou la constitution des stocks. Enfin, un accord de ce genre, tel que d'ailleurs il avait été proposé il y a de cela plusieurs années, doit comporter des dispositions en faveur des pays en développement, dispositions qui sont à approfondir.
Voici un des points importants pour nous en ce qui concerne la sécurité alimentaire.
Il y a maintenant dans le corps du rapport qui nous est soumis par le Comité de la sécurité alimentaire, et auquel nous tenons à rendre hommage, il y a dans ce document, contrairement à ce qui arrive souvent, trois éléments véritablement constructifs.
Il y a d'abord le paragraphe 45, qui s'intitule "Recommandations", relatif à ce qui a été souhaité pour assurer la mise en oeuvre du plan d'action. Les recommandations du paragraphe 45 sont en quelque sorte des perfectionnements de l'engagement pour la sécurité alimentaire, engagement déjà ancien qui avait été complété par le plan d'action en cinq points pour la sécurité alimentaire. Les dispositions contenues dans ce paragraphe 45, nous les appuyons et nous leur donnons toute la signification qu'il faut y attacher.
Le troisième point qui nous paraît essentiel porte sur les moyens de pater aux pénuries alimentaires aiguës et de grande ampleur. La discussion fut longue. Il nous fut d'abord nécessaire de travailler dans un groupe de travail restreint pour préparer la tâche du Comité de la sécurité alimentaire, puis au Comité de la sécurité alimentaire lui-même, et je dois dire que dans ces deux instances il y a eu véritablement, de la part de tous, un esprit de conciliation, un esprit de compromis, une volonté de se rendre compte des choses qui étaient possibles et des choses qui ne l'étaient pas. Ma délégation, en particulier, avait constaté que dans les premières réunions du groupe ad hoc qui avait été créé, tout un groupe s'élevait au départ contre les idées que l'on soulevait, mais que beaucoup de choses pouvaient être reprises si on voulait avoir un esprit moins contraignant et moins normatif et qu'ainsi on arriverait à des résultats avec de la bonne volonté.
C'est ainsi qu'après avoir examiné les dispositifs actuels qui permettaient de faire face à des pénuries alimentaires aiguës et de grande ampleur, on a été amené à constater que ce n'étaient pas les dispositifs, les enceintes et les organes, où l'on traitait de cette question, qui faisaient défaut.
Nous avons ensuite été amenés, sur une suggestion du secrétariat è examiner si on pouvait déterminer des indicateurs, soit nationaux, soit mondiaux, capables de nous aviser des risques de pénuries, des risques de crise. Cet examen a été très approfondi, et si certains indicateurs avaient une priorité absolue, il y en avait d'autres qui étaient secondaires pour déterminer véritablement la crise. Et tout le monde, pays en développement et pays développés, s'est rendu compte que ces indicateurs étaient utiles, mais qu'on ne pouvait pas tellement considérer que le chiffre ou l'indice donné par ces indi-cateurs avaient en soi une valeur absolue. Tous ont reconnu que c'était plutôt l'ensemble des clignotants, comme celui qui peut fonctionner dans une centrale électrique ou dans une centrale ato-mique, qui indique un danger, une tendance. C'est à la suite de cette discussion que nous avons précisé comment on devait utiliser ces indicateurs.
Finalement, nous en sommes arrivés à établir que non seulement le Directeur général avait le droit, mais aussi le devoir de convoquer, soit le Comité de la sécurité alimentaire en session extraordinaire, soit toute autre réunion ad hoc nécessaire dans le cas de crise, sans compter qu'il existait trois organismes plus ou moins spécialisés mais toujours concernés par la sécurité alimentaire et qui devraient dans des cas de ce genre être consultés, que ce soit le Conseil du blé, ou le Comité de l'aide alimentaire qui siège aussi à Londres et dont une disposition particulière de la convention prévoit qu'en cas de crise le Comité de l'aide alimentaire doit se réunir éventuellement pour rechercher les moyens d'augmenter les contributions de chacun des membres à la convention de l'aide alimentaire.
Je serais navré que l'on remette maintenant en question le travail très positif qui a été fait au cours de ces réunions.
Pour notre part, nous proposons que l'on accepte à la fois les recommandations du paragraphe 45 et que l'on accepte aussi les procédures, les mécanismes et autres mesures correctifs décrits au paragraphe 159 qui prévoient, chaque fois que cela serait nécessaire, une consultation sur la sécurité alimentaire pour répondre aux pénuries alimentaires aigües de grande ampleur qui sont le sujet des discussions.
Bien entendu, les pénuries alimentaires, les situations de crise n'étant jamais les mêmes, pouvant varier en fonction de la région, en fonction de l'importance des insuffisances alimentaires et des causes d'insuffisance alimentaire, il est bien évident que toutes les questions et tous les points qui sont indiqués dans l'ordre du jour ne devraient pas être automatiquement repris lorsqu'une réunion serait convoquée mais seulement ceux qui seraient pertinents pour la situation en question.
Voilà, Monsieur le Président, ce que je voulais très succinctement dire sur le rapport.
Et maintenant, puisque l'on parle de la sécurité alimentaire, je dirai très rapidement deux choses:
De la part du gouvernement français, nous espérons - tout au moins ceci entre dans le cadre général des déclarations faites soit par notre Président, soit par notre Ministre des relations extérieures -intensifier notre aide alimentaire dans le cadre des dispositifs existants. C'est ainsi que nous espé-rons très certainement pouvoir accroître notre participation, par exemple dans le cadre multilatéral offert par le PAM pour aider ainsi la Réserve alimentaire internationale d'urgence.
Enfin, pour conclure, Monsieur le Président, je dirai que la sécurité alimentaire n'intéresse pas seu-lement ceux qui sont ici présents, pays développés ou pays en développement, elle intéresse tous les membres de la communauté internationale. Une fois de plus, je voudrais lancer un appel très pres-sant à des pays qui ne sont pas membres de la FAO, qui sont membres du Conseil du blé, mais qui mal-heureusement ne participent pas à la convention d'aide alimentaire et qui ne participent pas aux efforts que nous déployons tous pour la sécurité alimentaire. Ceci est une affaire mondiale. C'est l'affaire de tous les pays, présents ou absents.
Ms. F.H. JAWHAR HAYAT (Kuwait)(interpretation from Arabic): I should like first of all to refer to paragraph 53 of the document now before us, but before that to 45 which gives us the recommendations of the Committee and I would like to tell you to what extent my own country is following those recommendations. 1 hope that this may act as an encouragement to other countries.
Many of you have heard that the six countries in the Gulf, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the Emirates, Bahrain,Qatar and Oman, and you have heard that these six countries have been trying to establish a Gulf StatesCouncil, thus showing their ability to take various initiatives in many different fields and in manyvarying circumstances. In this way they have been able to adopt an effective strategy to deal with allproblems. In fact, the Gulf States Development Council is a new development in the Arab world whichmay well be followed in other areas in order to ensure economic coordination. Our Council has startedby concentrating, of course, on measures to help the welfare and stability in the area. These are twoimportant aspects of the strategy we are following, because a community cannot enjoy security unless aminimum of welfare and wellbeing of the citizens and food security is ensured. This means we need security as the basic background for prosperity and security, and economic security means you do not
pursue profits in your investments simply for the sake of making profits and having ever greater production and profits, but you are trying to ensure simply social benefits. Basic security, however, is a matter of food, because obviously you must have food security before you can enjoy any other kind of security, food comes first, and we must ensure the minimum needs on food in every region. I give you an example, in one region we are trying to ensure in our own area there are enough stocks available to ensure the food needs of our population at all times, whatever the circumstances, so that there may be no danger of there being sudden hunger situations or sever malnutrition, even if an economic block were to occur, such as the closing of the Straits of Hormuz. If this were to happen, shipping would be stopped there and the Gulf would be isolated from contacts with the outside world because it is through commercial shipping through those Straits that we in fact get our supplies. This is our life-line. This means we must have sufficient reserves on the spot to be able to meet such a situation if it should arise temporarily. This is what our Council is trying to do, develop production and develop industrialization in our own countries and in this manner we can then move forward after this to other areas of cooperation, and cooperation with other countries other than Sudan and Somalia, which have traditional links with our countries in the Gulf and which have fairly direct connexions, both by sea and also in some cases by land.
The planning of our food security strategies is based on the establishment of silos and other storage facilities so as to increase the capacity of the whole region, also to develop the infrastructure of roads and other facilities necessary not only for the storage but also for the movement of existing stores, and one would say that our industrialization such as it is developing now, bears in mind this need for food security, is done in areas relevant to food security, and we are directing investment in that direction, including, for instance, the development of the fishery industries which is an essential thing which must be developed to improve our situation and also land reclamation schemes are being undertaken and being developed and we are also prospecting for water resources, which as eveyone knows are a very essential need in the area; also the procurement of inputs, insecticides, pesticides, and fertilizers, and the local production of these inputs.
These are all various aspects of our activities all aimed at improving food security, taking into account industry and trade, and on this basis we find really that food security and in fact really too a vast area of possible investment and possible technological and other efforts, and cover a vast range of development activities, including scientific development, scientific research, technological development, and this strategy is achieved for the benefit of agriculturalists, for farmers, as well as the consumer, who thus find that more abundant food is being produced locally.
Now, the six countries on the Gulf, as everybody knows, have quite a lot of arable land and vast areas which could be brought under cultivation with proper reclamation measures, and this can be a substantial contribution to the increasing food and agricultural production and on that basis we can then develop other aspects of development. Success in this region or in any other region can be an encouragement to everyone else and we bear this in mind. We must not concentrate all our efforts only on investment to achieve encouraging results. We must rather concentrate on long-term projects. In this manner we will be able to use our improved and developed local production to help towards food security and the stability of food supplies and in this manner we will be able to contribute to political security and stability, not only for our region but for the whole world.
S.G. LODWICK (United States of America): The United States would like to extend its appreciation to the Committee on World Food Security for its thorough and constructive work and believes that the Council should endorse the Report without amendment or reservation.
The Committee on World Food Security reached several important conclusions. In its assessment of the world food security situation it balanced its concern for the existing situation with the encouraging outlook for the 1981 harvest.
I believe we all concur with the conclusion of the Committee on the World Food Security that the only lasting solution to food security is increasing food production levels, particularly in low income food deficit countries. The Committee also stressed that sustained growth in output could be obtained only if producers were given adequate incentives, including stable and remunerative prices.
The Committee's review of progress in implementing the Plan of Action on Food Security underlined the fact that some countries had not yet implemented national stock policies. The United States supports the Plan of Action and believes that all countries, particularly the exporters and developed importers, should take early action to establish and implement national stock policies.
Furthermore, Section 4 of the Report contains a number of pertinent conclusions and recommendations. Paragraph 159 represents a useful outline around which consultations on acute and large-scale food shortages might be structured.
In short, we believe that the Committee on World Food Security provided useful directions for the international community in the search for world food security. We believe that the Council should endorse the Committee's Report in its entirety and without amendment.
Before closing I think it would be remiss not to respond to comments made yesterday alluding to the United States Secretary of Agriculture Block's statement at the World Food Council Session in Novi Sad. The statement has been recast by some and misinterpreted by others. For the sake of clarity I quote directly: "Individual country reserve systems which operate in response to price signals from the world wheat market are preferable to internationally coordinated programmes presently under discussion. The United States wants the International Wheat Council to explore alternative approaches." The Secretary went on to say that other nations should: "begin now to establish their own reserve programmes instead of waiting for a new wheat trade agreement for actions by other international organizations".
The United States has rejected the particular approach which was being explored by the IWC Secretariat. In doing this we are accepting the reality, the reality that a break-through on negotiation of a binding international system of food reserves is not imminent. We should not let lack of progress toward a possible new wheat agreement serve as an excuse by countries not to take actions unilaterally to do what they can to contribute to world food security. We must avoid the illusion that world food security will come about primarily through global schemes devised by intergovernmental committees. World food security can only be achieved as the result of wise national policies encouraging production, trade reserves, prices infrastructure, and so on and in the final analysis through the individual decisions of hundreds of millions of farmers around the world. In line with this conviction and consistent with the recommendations of FAO's Plan of Action the United States has adopted a national reserves policy. Our food security reserve of 4 million tons of wheat backs up our food aid commitments under the Food Aid Convention. Additionally the farmer-owned reserve contributes in a very important way to world market stability and supply assurance. Through bilateral and multilateral programmes we provide food aid and encourage increased production in deficit countries, both financially and through sharing our expertise.
These are not concepts or grand designs that elude fruition but these are tangible actions that we have taken and we hope others will follow. Therefore we must stress that the United States is fully committed to finding ways of enhancing world food security. Let us not allow devisive rhetoric and irrelevant arguments to detract us from our fundamental mission of assisting the world's farmers to produce more food.
G. J. ALARCON MARTINEZ (México): Nuestra delegación considera que el análisis de la situación alimentaria en este momento concede particular importancia a las acciones relacionadas con la seguridad alimentaria mundial. Aunque se estima que en términos generales, las existencias globales de cereales actualmente está en mejores condiciones que a mediados del decenio pasado, resulta de preocupación saber que las reservas mundiales para 80-81 alcanzarán un porcentaje del consumo inferior al mínimo recomendable. Esta preocupación se valida también en el reconocimiento de que la tasa de crecimiento en la producción mundial para sostener tan sólo la tendencia del consumo, resulta actualmente superior a la tasa alcanzada en los períodos recientes. Más allá de estos indicadores para el corto plazo, la perspectiva para el largo plazo no indica, en este momento, que las condiciones para un sustancial avance en materia de abastecimiento y seguridad alimentaria estén planteados.
Dadas estas circunstancias, la evaluación de medidas tendientes a mejorar la situación de la seguridad alimentaria adquiere su adecuada dimensión si se refiere al contexto de lo que define el futuro de la seguridad alimentaria. Creemos que el futuro de la seguridad alimentaria mundial debe estar fincado en lo fundamental en tres ámbitos de acción, por demás ínterconectados.
Un primer ámbito que está representado por el conjunto de medidas vinculada al plan de acción para la seguridad alimentaria, las cuales para ser eficaces deben traducirse en acciones favorables a que los países y las regiones poco desarrolladas dispongan en el futuro de reservas adecuadas o de una participación estable en los mercados internacionales de alimentos básicos.
Un segundo aspecto fundamental es la disposición que los países receptores de la ayuda tengan para enmarcar los apoyos de emergencia y los proyectos de ayuda en el contexto de políticas y programas de desarrollo. El hacer esto permitirá a los países receptores asegurar en largo plazo una estrategia de desarrollo que permita, el establecimiento de requerimientos mínimos de seguridad alimentaria nacional .
Un tercer ámbito corresponde al área de acuerdos internacionales sobre productos agrícolas básicos para la alimentación, el trigo, en particular. La experiencia en los últimos años ha revelado que sólo en el contexto de acuerdos internacionales de productos básicos podría ser posible concebir en lo fundamental la estabilidad de los mercados de compra-venta de productos agrícolas básicos, y el establecimiento de compromisos que permitan la coordinación internacional de reservas, lo que resulta indispensable para conseguir en el futuro la integración de una red adecuada de seguridad alimentaria mundial.
Es claro que en los tres ámbitos mencionados, hay trabajo por realizar, y que el futuro de la seguridad depende del avance que conjuntamente se obtenga en esas tres áreas. Por ahora, y dadas las características de esta reunión, convendría referirse en particular al reto que enfrentan los países de bajos ingresos por capitalizar adecuadamente la ayuda internacional y las medidas que apoyan el plan de acción sobre seguridad alimentaria mundial.
Desde una perspectiva de largo plazo, la consecución de un nivel adecuado de seguridad alimentaria mundial está estrechamente vinculada a las acciones que los diferentes países tomen con el fin de in-crementar la producción agraria interna y crear un sistema adecuado de reservas.
A este respecto, la experiencia de nuestro país ha mostrado que el establecimiento de políticas y programas para la producción agropecuaria que se traduzcan en incentivos para los productores es un elemento indispensable para alcanzar un objetivo de mayor producción.
Sobre la base de esta experiencia, creemos que las acciones de apoyo a la seguridad alimentaria mundial, no obstante que estén dirigidos a la solución de problemas en el corto plazo, sólo serán eficientes en el largo plazo si los países receptores enmarcan el apoyo internacional en un contexto de expansión de la producción interna y de búsqueda de un proyecto de desarrollo nacional.
Aquí queremos destacar la importancia que en los proyectos de desarrollo nacional podría tener la cooperación entre países. En palabras del Presidente del Consejo Mundial de Alimentación, en su mensaje a este Consejo, nuestra delegación ratifica la convicción así como la necesidad de impulsar la cooperación entre países en desarrollo. "Este es un recurso de intercambio todavía escasamente explorado pero con potencial para rendir importantes beneficios a nivel nacional y regional". Fin de la cita.
En un plano de corto plazo, las carencias que enfrentan los países de bajos ingresos derivan necesariamente de la exigencia de recursos externos de apoyo superiores a los disponibles. Esto plantea la necesidad de ampliar los canales de la cooperación internacional con el fin de apoyar las necesidades de los países de bajos ingresos, no sólo por razones humanitarias sino con el próposito reconocido a nivel internacional, de ofrecer a los países de bajos ingresos, suficientes recursos financieros y técnicos para que puedan romper el círculo vicioso de la pobreza, e instalarse en una vía de modernización y de desarrollo.
En este contexto, los avances en las medidas tendientes a mejorar la situación de la seguridad alimentaria cobran particular importancia pues manifiestan el interés de la comunidad internacional por los problemas asociados al desarrollo y a la seguridad alimentaria mundial. Del conjunto de medidas que en particular se han adoptado para ejecutar el Plan de Acción para la Seguridad Alimentaria, destacan, en primer término, las adoptadas por el Fondo Monetario Internacional en lo tocante a la ampliación de la ayuda financiera para balanza de pagos a fin de que los países de bajos ingresos que enfrentan aumentos de costos de las importaciones puedan resolver sus problemas inmediatos de divisas. Obser-vamos la conveniencia de que dichos financiamientos, que son de gran ayuda para países deficitarios, puedan ser concedidos en condiciones favorables y volúmenes suficientes.
En lo que respecta a los casos más urgentes de ayuda alimentaria, el apoyo que puede prestar la Reserva Alimentaria Internacional de Emergencia, es particularmente importante. De aquí la necesidad de que este Programa alcance a la brevedad las metas que se ha planteado y esté en la posibilidad de planear, de una manera eficaz, el uso de los recursos disponibles, sobre la base de obtener notificaciones oportunas de las donaciones. Asimismo, conviene subrayar la importancia de que el Programa tenga la mayor flexibilidad posible al realizar sus operaciones, lo cual sería posible si contara con mayores donaciones en efectivo que complementen las donaciones en especie.
Sin negar lo positivo de la prórroga al Convenio sobre Ayuda Alimentaria, conviene destacar una vez más que la meta convenida en 1974, no está plenamente satisfecha varios años después, cuando se estima que las necesidades de ayuda han continuado creciendo. Hay que recordar que uno de los objetivos más importantes de la Ayuda Alimentaria es la de apoyar la generación de actividades productivas en los países de bajos ingresos. De acuerdo con esto conviene apuntar que una mayor ayuda en los próximos años, vinculada a planes de expansión en la infraestructura y la producción agrícola de los países receptores, podría traducirse en la liberación de recursos de ayuda en el largo plazo.
La posibilidad de enfrentar los problemas de carencia o falta de disponibilidad de alimentos en el corto plazo, está estrechamente relacionada a la disposición de recursos para llevar a cabo proyectos en las áreas en las que las urgencias son mayores. De acuerdo con las apreciaciones del Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria, los países de bajos ingresos con problemas de suministros de alimentos, presentan problemas de falta de capacidad y de servicios de descarga en los puertos, escasez de almacenes portuarios e insuficiencia en las redes de transportación interna. Coincidimos con esta apreciación y consideramos que debe destacarse la prioridad de una mayor asistencia financiera y técnica a proyectos relacionados con dichas áreas.
El examen de las necesidades de capacidad de almacenamiento, revela, por otra parte, la existencia de un cuantioso déficit corriente en inversiones de capital para incrementar la capacidad de almacena-miento de cereales. En esta área, en particular, es notable la necesidad de financiamientos. Esta necesidad es de hecho claramente destacada por el Plan de Ayuda para la Seguridad Alimentaria, el cual tiene detectados proyectos concretos en espera de financiamientos.
La necesidad de resolver problemas de transporte y almacenamiento en países en desarrollo a través de proyectos que requieran el concurso de financiamiento provenientes de fondos fiduciarios, otras donaciones, organismos financieros internacionales y organismos privados, pareciera ser, hoy por hoy, una forma concreta en que la comunidad Internacional podría ayudar a crear un clima favorable a la seguridad alimentaria. En este contexto, quisiéramos terminar subrayando la importancia de expandir las posibilidades de acción del Plan de Ayuda de la FAO para la Seguridad Alimentaria, el cual creemos es un instrumento de gran utilidad para impulsat la asistencia técnica y promover la realización de proyectos que mejoren la situación de la seguridad alimentaria mundial.
W.A.F. GRABISCH (Germany, Federal Republic of): With regard to the item before us, I should like to limit myself to the following points. First, my delegation welcomes the Committee on World Food Security's statement, which is important to us, that a lasting solution to the food security problem is only possible through a higher production in particular in low-income food-deficit developing countries. We find ourselves in this respect in full agreement with the Delegate of Senegal when he stressed under agenda item 4 the close relationship between increase of food production and food security, as well as with the high lighting of this point by the Delegate of Pakistan, who has just spoken before me.
The measures suggested in the FAO Plan of Action on World Food Security are, in our view, complementary measures. They grasp at thin air if the basis of an adequate food production is lacking. In this respect, we consider among the recommendations - and I repeat recommendations - spelled out in paragraph 45, those relating to production, namely (ii) and (iv) , as fundamental. As a whole, we welcome the whole package of recommendations, and it is gratifying that recommendation X has already been fulfill-ed through the recent decision of the IMF to grant an import facility for cereals to developing countries. The implementation of this measure in particular will make a decisive contribution to carrying out the Plan of Action.
Second, as regards the consultation and coordination procedures as well as possible preventive measures to deal with acute and large-scale food shortages, my delegation agrees to the solution found by the CFS as described in paragraph 159 of the Report. The suggested programme of work for consultations and the package of measures are flexible and thus guarantee that an adequate response is possible to acute and large scale food shortages. A codification in the form of a memorandum of understanding would have contributed nothing to the efficiency of the consultation procedure and the programme of work, as the political will of all participants is of decisive importance. Moreover, we feel that the envisaged New International Wheat Agreement, the core of the world food security system, should neither be approached formally nor materially. My country assists bilaterally developing countries in strengthening their food security. To this end, the Federal Republic of Germany supports projects designed to improve the food security of developing countries including the establishment of national reserves based as far as possible on domestic production and the expansion of storage and distribution capacity. The expenditure for this programme will be DM 35 million in 1981.
M. ADZIB bin MOHD ISA (Malaysia): I assure you, Mr. Chairman, that I shall be very brief in presenting my sentiments in connexion with world food security. I must take this opportunity to compliment the Secretariat for preparing a comprehensive report on this subject as contained in document CL 79/10. Malaysia agreed with the recommendations put forward by the Committee on World Food Security and on the steps taken by FAO, in particular the Director-General, for his efforts to formulate and develop a series of standby plans which can be used to increase food reserves and which can be quickly brought into action when emergencies arise. We are happy to note that the World Food Programme, sharing the increased concern with the food supply situation of the developing countries, had increased its efforts to link food aid programmes with food security schemes, in particular by emphasizing the development programmes in their food relief programmes. This is a more rational way of coping with world food problems. The development programmes should include investment in irrigation and water management projects and the development of storage facilities, and highlighted in the report. In accepting these projects, care must be taken to ensure that there is no duplication of effort with other agencies.
The importance of the World Food Programme in the development of food security is recognized, butfurther improvement is necessary to ensure effective and timely delivery of food commodities to thetarget groups. While pledges are made to the World Food Programme, the target has never been reached.We would support increasing contribution from existing donors and those potential donors so as to ensurethat these programmes could be implemented without much difficulty and to cater for a greater numberof people requiring food aid.
It is heartening to note that actions are being taken by the international community to implement the Plan of Action on world food security. Its existence had already brought about programmes at national, regional and international levels to enhance world food security. We support the implementation of the Plan of Action giving priority to the aspect of collective self-reliance in food security at regional levels. This is done through ASEAN emergency rice reserve. It is to be recognized also that one of the major constraints in the successful implementation of the Plan of Action is the availability of capital and expertise to provide physical infrastructure for storage and warehousing. FAO could play an important role in mobilizing the necessary capital resources and expertise to assist developing countries in this respect.
Finally, my delegation supports the continuing efforts of FAO to coordinate all the activity to increase food security, like the Food Security Assistance Scheme, the Action Programme for the Prevention of Post Harvest Losses and other special action programmes that are related to food security is mentioned in the document.
CHAIRMAN: I have four speakers on my list, and I suggest to you that we work through until 5.30 so that we could conclude this item today. This will give us a little more time tomorrow and also when we go on the very important items of the budget.
RAMADHAR (India) : Since we have dealt with this matter in the previous item, I will be very brief and confine myself only to the two issues which have been listed in this document, namely the implementation of the Five Point Plan of Action, and secondly the state of preparedness for acute and large-scale food shortages.
Regarding the first point my delegation notes with satisfaction that the steps taken to implement the Plan of Action of world food security are on the right lines, and as a matter of fact the present stage of the international grains negotiations make it amply clear that in the given circumstances the Five Point Plan of Action is the only stable base for world food security.
With this background my delegation fully supports the recommendations in para 45 of the document.
Coming to the second point regarding the state of preparedness for acute and large-scale food shortages, the Ad hoc working party did useful work, and we were fully associated with it. The report was considered by the Committee on World Food Security, but unfortunately as has been pointed out by various delegates there could be no agreement on Memorandum of Understanding. What must come out from the World Food Security is the Agenda for Consultation and Possible Action.
Finally, I would only say I am not so much concerned with the nomenclature, the Memorandum of Understanding or the Agenda for Consultation and Possible Action. What matters most is the extent of our sincerity to achieve the objectives of world food security. Although efforts have been made in this direction they have been halting and unproductive. We note that objectives and targets of the 1974 World Food Conference on World Food Security remain unfulfilled after a lapse of five years. Therefore, even at the cost of being repetitive, we could once more call for further efforts on the part of all concerned to strive to achieve the objectives to which the entire world community agreed as the minimum necessary for a stable world food security, whether in the field of national stock policies or of food aid, international energy food reserves, development assistance, etc.
There is no doubt that national effort and self-reliance is the basis of a sound and stable food security but we should always remember that the developing countries, particularly those which are food-deficit, they have to be supported by the international community. This is a common responsibility of the entire international community, and we must constantly remind ourselves of this.
S. DE MARE (Sweden): As we did not take the floor when item 4 was discussed, would Council allow me just as an introduction to say the Swedish delegation shares in general the overall assessment of the current world food situation as presented by the Secretariat in document CL 79/2 and supplement. In this connection we would like to underline that even if larger crops of grains are expected in 1981, which removes some of the uncertainties and earlier anxieties concerning food supplies in 1981/82, several great problems remain in the longer term,This implies that the world food security situation which is a long-term problem is still serious.
On what concerns the document in front of us on the agenda (document CL 79/10), the report of the Sixth Session of the Committee on World Food Security, I have two comments to make on Chapter II which deals with steps taken to implement the Plan of Action on World Food Security.
The first concerns the lack of progress towards the establishment of what has been called the core of world food security, namely, a new International Wheat Agreement. We wish to repeat our regret that so
far it has not been possible to reach agreement on the resumption of the negotiating conference, and we are not very optimistic concerning the outcome of the meeting of the International Wheat Council in Madrid next week.
From the very beginning Sweden has supported the ideas in the Wheat Council concerning an alternative approach to the draft agreement discussed at the Wheat Conference in Geneva. We do not expect a result from a negotiating conference that in each and every respect coincides with our specific in-terests, but we believe that a Wheat Convention with economic provisions has a central role to play especially for developing countries, and that the unresolved issues concerning the alternative approach now discussed in the Wheat Council are such that there could be ample scope for solutions.
A number of governments, international organizations, and other interested parties, have been waiting for results during a very long time. In fact, it is now ten years since the latest International Grains Agreement with economic provisions expired, and it is certainly understandable that increasing signs of disappointment and frustrations are shown and that other solutions than a new Wheat Agreement are considered.
We certainly agree that all Committees have to take rational stages to build up reserve stocks and adopt national stock practices, but in our view some kind of international coordination of these reserve stocks is essential if a real world food security can be arrived at.
A resumption of the negotiating conference for a new Wheat Agreement still seems very urgent, but if an agreement is not reached within a reasonable time other solutions, for instance the strengthening of the FAO Action Plan for World Food Security, will have to be urgently considered.
My second comment concerns the recommendation in paragraph 45 which was agreed by the World Food Security and which we support. This agreement covers certain important areas, in view of the present precarious situation.
As to Chapter IV of the document, it is the state of preparation or preparedness to meet acute and large scale food shortages, and we wish to state that we found the meeting of the ad hoc working party both timely and useful, and provided the participants with large amounts of valuable information re-garding national and international preparedness, especially concerning areas where improvements are most urgently required. All this was adequately described in the report of the meeting.
The Memorandum of Understanding proposed by the Secretariat, as we have heard earlier this afternoon, was subject to very long and not very fruitful discussions, and I agree with you, Mr. Chairman, that a repetition of that debate should be avoided, and not only in the Council.
My delegation can support the compromise agreement reached in the Committee, that is the Agenda for Consultations and possible action to deal with acute and large-scale food shortages, and what is mentioned in the preamble to para 159. We agree such an agenda would provide the coherent framework within which consultations could consider systematically the various elements of the problems and the action required.
It is important to underline what is stated in paragraph 159 that the agenda is not exhaustive and that it would not imply that all the possible measures would necessarily be considered in every shortage situation, as the special characteristics of any food shortage situation would determine what items require consideration and what type of action would be required.
WANG SHOU RU (China) (interpretation from Chinese): During our debate on the world food situation we have already touched upon some problems relating to world food security. On reviewing the report on the Sixth Session of the Committee on World Food Security, the Chinese delegation would like to emphasizethe following points.
The Director-General of FAO in his speech at the Sixth Session of the Committee on World Food Security and document CL 79/10 puts stress on the important role of expanding food production by various countries all over the world, and by food-deficit developing countries in particular. We think that this is entirely correct and that it is the fundamental way to solve the world food problems.
China is a big country with a billion people, of which 800 million live in the rural area. We proceed from this basic feature of our country to tackle our economic problems.
The political and economic situation of the whole country depends mainly on whether 800 million peasants are better off or not. Therefore, the Chinese Government has always attached great importance to agricultural production. Especially in the past two or three years, a series of policies and measures were adopted to go in for food production and diversified economy as well.
Experience so far gained by many countries has shown that once appropriate policies and measures are taken, the enthusiasm of the broad masses of peasants in production is brought into full play, and effective techniques to increase production are popularized, there are considerable potentialities to expand food, livestock, and fishery production suited to local conditions. We hold that the development of food production will be our common strategic task in a considerably long period of time to come.
The report of the Sixth Session of the Committee on World Food Security indicates that many countries have formulated policies on and set targets for food reserves. Obviously, this is a very favourable factor for combating food scarcity caused by natural calamities and man-made disasters.
We are particularly happy to note that in active pursuance of the principle of collective self-reliance, a number of developing countries have built up or are planning to build up regional or sub-regional food reserves. Although the food reserve built up so far on the basis of voluntary participation and mutual benefit is limited in quantity and scope, yet it is indeed a very practical and promising measure.
On the basis of the overall review of the progress made in the implementation of the Plan of Action on World Food Security, the Committee on World Food Security has made some recommendations for the further implementation of this Plan of Action. Namely, these include the improvement of terms of trade for farm produce from the developing countries, increasing their foreign exchange income so as to provide additional balance of payments support for meeting the rise in their food import bills, ensuring to reach the annual target of 10 million tons for food aid and 500 000 tons of cereals for the International Emergency Food Reserve, and constantly improving the work of food aid, financial and technical assistance. It is obvious that these measures are important elements for the developing countries to increase food production, guarantee food supply and build up food reserve.
Besides, the increasing world food demand is attributed to the requirements for improving people's livelihood and population growth. However, the latter is a factor which can not be neglected. Hence, world food security is closely related to family planning. Although family planning is not an item to be reviewed by this Organization and there exists a great difference in its concept and system among countries, nevertheless we maintain that, from the viewpoint of ensuring world food security, it is entirely necessary to call attention of the international community to the importance of controlling population growth.
P. S. McLEAN (United Kingdom): I had indicated my wish to take the floor on this item while listening to the first intervention in the debate. However, Mr. Chairman, under your wise guidance we have had a very fruitful and businesslike debate and I will therefore not make any remarks on this, bar one, and that is to regret the fact that a reference was made to a duly appointed office holder of the Committee on World Food Security, to wit the Chairman of the Drafting Committee who was, of course, drawn from my own delegation. In view of the lateness of the hour I will simply say, on behalf of the United Kingdom, that I support the proposal that has been made by a number of delegates that the report and the recommendations in it should be endorsed and adopted by this Council as amended.
It will be recalled that the members of the European Community played a very active and positive part in the deliberations of the Working Party and in the Committee itself; and I think that if you are agreeable, Mr. Chairman, it would be helpful if you would allow the representative of the European Commission to make a short statement on behalf of the Member States of the Community who took part in those deliberations.
A. ACUÑA HUMPHRIES (Panamá): Realmente haremos referencia directa sobre el tema que nos coupa, basándonos en nuestra atenta participación en el 62 período de sesiones del Comité de Seguridad Ali-mentaria que tuvo lugar en esta sede hace dos meses. Es por ésto por lo que creemos oportuno hacer las siguientes observaciones sobre el informe de este importante Comité que ahora discutimos en este Consejo.
En el examen de los cuatro temas fundamentales que discutió el Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria se llego, a juicio de esta delegación, a importantes acuerdos que deben ser aprobados por este Consejo y, asimismo, vale la pena prestar atención a aquellos aspectos en los cuales realmente no se llegó a acuerdos muy satisfactorios.
Sobre este último aspecto nos parece que vale recordar la frase del Director General en su declaración inicial en el sentido de que no puede esta Organización, creada sobre la base de los intereses sinceros de todos los estados miembros, así como en un consenso, obligar a ninguna nación, desarrollada o en desarrollo, mediante la aprobación de meras resoluciones, pero, no obstante, agregó el Director General, esta Organización podrá señalar el camino en los años venideros del decenio de 1980 con arreglo a criterios que fueron aceptados por los estados miembros.
Creemos que debe reflexionarse profundamente sobre este señalamiento que fue hecho por el señor Director General en el día de ayer.
El 6o período de sesiones del Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria Mundial, después de evaluar la situación de la seguridad alimentaria mundial y la supervisión de las existencias, aceptó el hecho de que las existencias nacionales de reserva desempeñan un importante papel en lo tocante a compensar las varia-ciones de la producción alimentaria de un año a otro. Igualmente convino en reconocer la importancia, por ejemplo, de la autosuficiencia colectiva a través de iniciativas de crear sistemas regionales de seguridad alimentaria, señalándose inclusive la conveniencia de la reunión de los países latinoamericanos y del Caribe sobre políticas y estrategias alimentarias nacionales celebrada en febrero del 81 en Méjico y destacándose la importancia que dio esta reunión a la seguridad alimentaria regional y mundial.
Consideramos que, si bien existen para los países en vías de desarrollo problemas para la creación de reservas, creemos que no hay ninguna clase de contradicción en el establecimiento de reservas nacionales paralelamente a que se promuevan reservas ya sean subregionales, regionales o mundiales.
Es por esto que nuestra delegación no tiene ninguna clase de inconveniente en que este Consejo apruebe las diez recomendaciones del Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria que aparecen en el párrafo 45 del documento CL 79/10.
Considerando la experiencia que vive actualmente Panamá en cuanto a la producción de alimentos se refiere, destacamos la importancia de la segunda recomendación que tiene que ver con la adopción de medidas posibles para dar a los agricultores los incentivos necesarios con el fin de lograr aumentos significativos en la producción alimentaria. En este aspecto hizo hincapié la reciente Misión de la FAO sobre programación de la cooperación técnica internacional que en abril pasado asistió a nuestro país.
Subrayamos también la importancia que, a juicio de esta delegación tienen las recomendaciones una, ocho y nueve.
Refiriéndonos ahora al párrafo 158, cuyo contenido fue ampliamente discutido por el Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria, nuestra delegación quiere dejar clara su posición en el sentido de que bien se pudo presentar en el informe que discutimos el memorandum de acuerdos que se adjuntó al informe del grupo especial de trabajo sobre preparación para afrontar escaseces alimentarias agudas y de gran escala, que fue, repetimos, ampliamente debatido.
Expresamos esto, porque el mencionado Memorandum no entrañaba ninguna obligatoriedad ni compromisos jurídicos sino que sentaba pautas para establecer criterios y así poder hacer frente de la mejor forma posible a los graves problemas alimentarios por los cuales estamos atravesando.
Y ya para terminar, realmente creemos que el programa para las consultas y las medidas para hacer frente a toda escasez de alimentos aguda y de gran escala, del cual nos habla el párrafo 159, es un buen marco coherente y compacto para las consultas a que pudiera verse obligado a convocar el Director General de la FAO.
K.R. HIGHAM (Canada): Our comments will be very brief on this tern, since the Canadian ideas and Canadian policy concerning world food security on this issue were fully presented and discussed at the sitting of the Committee, there is no need to review them here, I think. We were, X should say, both frustrated by some of the proceedings and satisfied with much of the results and conclusions of the last sitting of this Committee. We agree that the Council should adopt this report and especially paragraph 45 and all of paragraph 159 which have been quite correctly pointed out for special attention.
Just one last comment: we are encouraged by the growing recognition by all categories of countries of the primary importance of national and production solutions to international food security.
CHAIRMAN: This brings to an end the list of members who have asked for the floor and I will now therefore call on the Observer from the EEC to make a short intervention.
B. SUSSMILCH (Communauté économique européene): Je me réfère au document concernant le rapport sur la session du Comité qui s'est tenue à Rome du 9 au 15 avril et avec votre permission je voudrais attirer l'attention sur la position de la Communauté, déjà expliquée durant ladite session.
Dans l'ensemble, la Communauté se félicite des résultats positifs de la session du Comité et notamment en ce qui concerne les dispositifs d'intervention en cas de crise tel qu'il est mentionné dans le paragraphe 159 du Rapport. La Communauté, comme les autres pays développés, au sujet des projets d'automne qui étaient proposés par le Secrétariat de la FAO pense qu'ils constituent des travaux contraignants. En particulier les dispositifs en matière de déblocage du dispositif d'une manière générale, qui comportent trop d'interférences avec les discussions qui ont lieu au cours du Conseil.
Par ailleurs, la Communauté ainsi qu'elle l'avait déjà exprimé, doit s'opposer à la mise en place d'une réserve internationale en cas de crise qui serait créée en dehors d'un accord international sur le commerce des céréales. A cet égard, la CEE réaffirme que la seule solution pur renforcer la sécurité alimentaire mondiale en ce qui concerne les céréales réside dans la conclusion d'un accord international efficace comportant un mécanisme de stockage établi sur les bases nationales mais coordonné au niveau international accompagné d'un dispositif de prix. Il devrait également comporter des dispositions adéquates en faveur des pays en développement.
CHAIRMAN: I will now call on Professor Islam to make any comments or response to any of these ques-tions which arise.
N. ISLAM (Assistant Director-General, Economic and Social Policy Department): We do not really have any questions or comments to reply to excepting to record that the Council does endorse the report of the Sixth Session of the World Committee on World Food Security, and in particular accepts the recommendations in paragraph 45, the conclusions of the Committee's report on the state of preparedness, and also it accepts and endorses the agenda for consultations and possible action to deal with acute and large-scale food shortages as elaborated in paragraph 159.
Of course, the Secretariat will attempt to include in the drafts to be prepared for the drafting committee the various views, comments made and expressed on individual items in the report, such as the emphasis on domestic production, the welcoming of the IMF decision to provide additional balance of payments support for exceptional rises in food import bills, comments on food aid, on need for national food security reserves and storage capacity, on the need for international coordination of national reserves, etc.
CHAIRMAN: I think it has been a very useful debate on this particular subject. People have referred to the report and given their views. People have thrown in their ideas which have been reflected in our reports. Most of all, as Professor Islam said, the specific recommendations in the report have not been rejected, they have been accepted by all who spoke. Therefore, this concludes our discussion on the whole of item 5.
LE SECRETAIRE GENERAL: Le Groupe européen m'informe qu'il s'est mis maintenant d'accord sur le nom de la France pour le représenter au Comité de rédaction. La liste du Comité de rédaction est ainsi composée: Président: H. Ramadhar de l'Inde; membres de l'Afrique: Cameroun et Zambie; Asie: Bangladesh; Europe: France; Amérique latine; Brésil; Moyen-Orient: Liban; Amérique du Nord: USA; Pacifique du Sud-Ouest: Australie.
La première réunion du Comité de rédaction est envisagée pour demain à la clôture de la session du Conseil.
M. le Président, avec votre permission et à travers vous je voudrais demander au Conseil qu'il veuille bien autoriser M. de Brito, Directeur exécutif par intérim du Programme alimentaire mondial, qui est obligé,malheureusement, de partir demain matin à Genève pour une réunion de l'ACC, d'introduire le point 8.1 qui concerne le sujet suivant; "Rapport annuel du Comité des politiques d'aide et des programmes alimentaires". Ce point est prévu pour être discuté lors de la réunion de lundi matin prochain, 29 juin. Il ne fera que l'introduction du sujet, mais la discussion ne sera ouverte que comme prévu sur le calendrier.
CHAIRMAN: I do not think we have any problem with Mr. de Brito's introduction of his report tomorrow morning instead of on the 29th. If there is no objection then this will go ahead as suggested.
The meeting rose at 17.30 hours
La séance est levée à 17 h 30
Se levanta la sesión a las 17.30 horas
