CHAIRMAN: It is my great honour to take the chair in the absence of the Chairman and I hope delegates will he able to give me their full cooperation so that we can finish our work. We now continue our discussion and I think I should remind delegates of the discussion yesterday on item 12, Medium-Term Objectives. We finished this discussion yesterday; Mr. West, the Assistant Director-General, has already answered questions and Mr. Dahl, our Chairman, summed up the discussion yesterday. However, if there are still some delegates who wish to speak on the subject, they may have the floor.
M. K. AL-SIKTI (Iraq) (interpretation from Arabic): After looking at document C 77/23 on Medium-Term Objectives, my delegation would like to repeat and second what was said by the delegate of India yesterday afternoon. That is,that this document does not reflect the activities and programmes of FAO in the course of the last biennium.
The document shows objectives of a very general nature. Mr. West told us also that this document should be an integral part of the Programme of Work and Budget; we therefore wonder why we are given a separate document concerning the medium-term objectives.
When we come to the Review of Field Programmes, we do not think that this should deal with medium-term objectives. That is why we would stress the need for having medium-term programmes and not objectives. We would thus leave to the Secretariat and to member countries the decision on the time at which the medium-term programme will be presented.
A.Z.M.O. KHAN (Bangladesh): After I listened to the response of the Director-General, the Medium-Term Objectives, as presented, seem to be a very vague statement with certain pious wishes which are not reflected in the work of the programme. For example, there is a reference to the rural poor and the landless, but if we look at the programme it is the traditional programme of the so-called green revolution.
The objectives on strategy also gloss over the institutional problems which exist for permitting the rural poor to have access to resources. So I would suggest that, in all honesty, they should eliminate all the rhetoric about the rural poor, the unemployment problems and the structural changes that are required, and make it a technological objective. So there could be three ways of attacking the problem: structural change, technological change and reforming change.
In the initial pages, the paper refers to all the rhetoric, but in the actual work programme it is purely technological and I think we should be honest and say so.
Secondly, the paper refers to the reason for not quantifying or not integrating the resources necessary and also for not grading, as they say, but without a broad indication of the resources required, I do not think it is of much use to prepare the paper. I would agree with the delegate of India who referred to it more forcefully.
Finally, in the Programme on Fisheries and Forestry, there is some reference to tapping the biological reserves, particularly in the oceans. But, again, the paper has glossed over the problem of aquaculture which can reach the poorer fishermen who are at the bottom of the heap.
So my only submission would be that this paper should be recast, it should be called a Production Programme on Objectives. and all reference to the landless and land reform as objectives should be left out, because land reform is not “also “, in many cases it is a “must“ for inclusion in the production programmes in many countries. So I would think that, as an inter-governmental body, FAO should be honest enough to state that it cannot do certain things because these are basically political problems for countries. What FAO can do is production programmes and it should therefore help countries with these production programmes.
J. R. GOMEZ RICANO (Cuba): Permítanos, en primer lugar, reconocer la importancia del documento C 77/23, pues, a juicio de esta delegación, contiene un valioso análisis y objetivo de interés para los países, en especial para los subdesarrollados. En segundo lugar, deseamos hacer las siguientes observaciones:
En el Capítulo II sobre la función de la FAO, nuestra delegación apoya los planteamientos que se hacen en los párrafos 2·δ, 2·10 y 2.11; así como todo lo relacionado con el Programa de Cooperación Técnica.
En el Capítulo III, resaltamos la importancia y apoyamos la implantación de un Sistema de Evaluación del Programa Ordinario a partir de 1978·
Ya en el Capítulo IV, estamos de acuerdo también en reconocer el valor que reviste el aumento de la cooperación técnica y económica entre los propios países en desarrollo, como paso previo a la consecución del nuevo orden económico internacional y en el papel que en ello puede jugar la asistencia y apoyo de la FAO y el resto de la comunidad internacional, según se expresa en el párrafo 4·5 ·
En el párrafo 4·7 no estamos de acuerdo en señalar como único motivo del estancamiento de la producción agrícola per capita, al crecimiento demográfico; más bien asociaríamos aquí la conclusión a que es posible llegar en el párrafo 4·20, o sea que el problema principal radica en las débiles estructuras socioeconómicas existentes, que no permiten garantizar el sustento mínimo alimentario a toda la población.
Lo que se indica para América Latina en el párrafo 4·19 sobre los grandes progresos en el aumento de la producción agrícola y la productividad, el aumento de las exportaciones y precios de los productos del campo; así como la mejoría de la dieta calórica, mencionando promedios, es una verdad aparente, pues más adelante se cita que más de 40 millones de latinoamericanos están malnutridos y viven en condiciones de extrema pobreza. Por otra parte, los precios y las exportaciones de algunos productos ciertamente han subido, pero la mayoría de los rubros principales de cuyas exportaciones depende la economía de los países del área, continúan siendo bajos.
Las perspectivas que se vislumbran de la situación alimentaria continuarán siendo trágicas, así lo atestigua la conclusión preliminar del estudio de la ONU sobre la Economía Mundial en el ano 2000 ya que, a juzgar por lo que ha estado ocurriendo en el decenio que transcurre, es muy difícil que los índices de crecimiento agrícola del 5 por ciento, el del 25 por ciento de la producción industrial mundial y los 67 000 millones de dólares procedentes de las exportaciones que se consideran necesarios alcanzar en dicho ano por los países subdesarrollados se logren si no se incrementan las actuales ayudas oficiales y las de los organismos internacionales del Sistema de las Naciones Unidas; así como la capacitación general y tecno-científica del personal necesario. Además, se haría imprescindible la eliminación del intercambio desigual y de las atrasadas estructuras socio-económicas que aún subsisten.
En lo referente a mejora tecnológica, agua, fertilizantes, lucha contra plagas y enfermedades de las plantas, semillas, fuerza motriz y energía, lucha contra las enfermedades de los animales y los aspectos de tierras, no establecemos ninguna prioridad, por la interrelación que todos tienen en el aumento de la producción agrícola y pecuaria, sino que estamos de acuerdo con los esfuerzos que hará la FAO para que los objetivos propuestos se cumplan.
La lucha por la reducción de las pérdidas de alimentos es otro objetivo de tal dimensión para lograr mejores índices de alimentación y nutrición que no vacilamos en apoyar plenamente lo que se expresa en los párrafos 4·47, 4·48 y 4·49 ·
En el logro de los objetivos planteados en el sector pesquero, destacamos solamente la importancia que en ellos tendrá la colaboración entre países, especialmente entre países en desarrollo.
De otra parte, apoyamos las medidas que se plantean en el párrafo 4·52 en relación con este sector de la pesca.
En lo que atañe a montes, nuestra delegación está de acuerdo con los objetivos que se proponen en el párrafo 4.63 y con las actividades que desarrollará la FAO en los países para alcanzarlos, expresados en el párrafo 4.64 ·
Sin embargo, y antes de concluir, deseamos que se nos permita llamar la atención sobre lo siguiente: Para nosotros fue significativo, y también para varias delegaciones más, no disponer este ano en la Conferencia de un documento principal sobre la situación forestal mundial que sirviera de base a una discusión más viva y profunda sobre este importante recurso, que la que fue posible en el marco del tema sobre el Programa de Labores y Presupuesto.
Consideramos que un recurso que ocupa más de 4 000 millones de hectáreas en el mundo y que tantas implicaciones tiene en el almacenamiento de agua, control de la erosión, protección de la fauna, cultivos, ganadería, paisaje y medio ambiente en general, aparte de su importancia económica directa, y que constituye, junto a la agricultura y la pesca, una de las actividades principales de la FAO, debe aparecer como un documento principal a discutir en la Conferencia.
En igual sentido debía suceder con la pesca, que constituye una importante fuente de recursos alimenticios para todos los pueblos del mundo. Ambas constituyen sugerencias que hacemos a la Secretaría para que se tomen en cuenta en el futuro.
B. de AZEVEDO BRITO (Brazil): I was going to make a rather detailed intervention commenting on different points, but since I am speaking quite late in the debate I decided not to do that but just make a comment of an organizational nature.
Our feeling is that we could easily endorse most of what has been said in terms of specific commente on different points here, but what is important, in our view, is to know the purpose of this exercise. We have a feeling that the way the document is prepared is not quite conducive to the kind of guidance that the Conference is supposed to give to the Secretariat in preparing programmes, in this case for the bien nium 1980–81, which I understand to be the main objective of this document. We feel that the medium-term objective would be much better discussed with much more usefulness if the whole exercise were prepared in terms of a strategic approach in which we will have instruments and measures and policies in different groups, since each country has its own priorities.
I could speak at length on the problems of fisheries and forestry and give a number of suggestions, but obviously each of us puts greater emphasis on these according to our own priorities in sectors A, B, C, D, and E, whatever it is. We feel it would be much more useful if the document in the future were set in categories of groups of policies in such a way that we can dose, graduate the kind of emphasis to be given each sector.
For instance, we could have group measures in terms of policies to increase areas under cultivation and what policies FAO should try to give, either through information or simply by better analysis from infrastructure, to land use, to mobilization of labour, to marketing improvements in marketing, for instance. A group of policies in terms of increased productivity of areas already under cultivation and the other groups of measures and policies could be discussed and different emphasis could be given, general policies and measures which will be valid practically in all conditions from research training, improvement of rural credit, for instance, management techniques, cooperatives, storage facilities, also policies geared to inputs into agriculture, and there we could diseuss fertilizers, seeds, pesticides, mechanization with its different emphasis.
In other words, instead of a rather descriptive paper on what FAO is doing, we should have a paper oriented in terms of strategy more than anything else, and I feel also that such a kind of paper would therefore permit a more useful discussion and at the same time perhaps influence more even government planning, as appropriate. And that perhaps is a useful interaction between the Member Nations of the Organization and the Organization itself.
I understand that I am not making any concrets suggestion, but simply a possible rearrangement of how
to approach this exercise, and of course, Mr. Chairman, it is just for your consideration and that of our
friends here.AMIDJONO (Indonesia): My delegation goes along with previous speakers who expressed their views that there would be a separate medium-term document within which FAO's activities and progress have to be developed, and FAO adopts a system of medium-term objectives.
Touching on medium-term priorities, I would like to refer to the regional situations as elaborated on pages 8 and 9 of document C 77/23. From that elaboration we may conclude that food production and supply are still common problems to the majority of members of the Organization.
A long journey must be made to increase food production. It may come about through intensification, expansion of agricultural land, improving institutions or small farmers organizations, etc.
There is etili a great potential in many countries, particularly in developing countries, to increase areas under cultivation. Take for example in Indonesia, where a transmigration scheme is being
undertaken and promoted. Of course, a transmigration project should be located at the right place, and
this will involve activities to determine suitable land for agriculture. In this case FAO's contribution could play a very vital role, which also means it assists Member Countries to develop the agricultural Sector, to expand arable land to increase food production, to utilize forests effectively and efficiently, and at the same time also to solve social problems, that is, the problem of over-population m a certain island.
The next areas where FAO would focus on are activities which support agricultural production directly, such as supply of superior planting materials at the right time and proper or modern technology, followed by agricultural product processing and their marketing.
With regard to the success of agricultural development, we recognize that efforts to increase food production rely on the full participation of farmers, whose skill and ability should be continuously improved. Therefore, training of farmers and field extension workers should be given high priority.
A.Z.M. SHAMSUL ALAM (Bangladesh): Mr. Chairman, thank you very much for opening the discussion on medium-term objectives. In fact, this is the third important document under consideration before the Commission, the first two being the Programme of Work and Budget and the Review of Field Programmes. In a sense, Mr. Chairman, this is more important than the other two because it sets out what our objectives are during the next few years. Unless we are certain about our objectives, we cannot properly plan our activity and draw up suitable work programmes.
Like all other FAO documents, this is also a well written document in a very flowery language, some paragraphs on their own merit can become treasured pieces of literature. Some paragraphs of the Introduction by the Director-General I read a few times. How beautifully he described the hopes and the frustrations, success and failure of the developing nations in the field of agriculture. I cannot resist the temptation of quoting only two lines if you permit me Mr. Chairman. “Even if they (startling result in the short run) occur, they are often transitory - the sweet rain of success suddenly stops and the streams trickle away into salt and sand. The notorious cycle of good harvest and low prices followed by reverse, is exacerbated by the often cyclic character of economic developments in rich countries which have a large impact on the poor nations. The fact remains that on the plains, in the paddy fields, and along the mountain slopes, success is hard won, precarious and sustained only by unremitting efforts “.
Now, Mr. Chairman, we agree one hundred percent with the role of FAO as observed in paragraph 4· 74 (P. 10), as now foreseen during medium term, will still be largely concentrated on increasing agricultural production in the developing countries with emphasis on the major problem areas as explained in paragraphs 4.65 through 4·72 i.e. entire chapter IV on priorities. But we have our reservations as regards the ability of FAO to play the role.
The first question that we can ask - “What is meant by medium-term? Two years, 4 years, 5 years or 10 years. I did not get the answer. Some other agencies have their own conception of medium-term of specific period 1978-1983 as in the case of WHO,1977–1982 as in the case of Unesco. We think FAO also should have its specific period medium-terms. It should not be left indisciplined and unspecified. five years may be taken as medium-term as in the case of some other organizations if there are no objections.
Mr. Chairman thought how much funds could be invested in the food production through FAO's field programme could not be determined in view of the decision of the Council; but how much the requirement of funds to realise the objectives in each specific field should have been indicated.
It is not possible to determine how much funds we need unless it is known what are the objectives in specific terms. The objectives laid down in this document are vague and generalized conveying very little sense. If the objective is laid down as overall increase in food production: increased yield in the field of fishery, livestock, forestry then it is almost meaningless unless it is stated how much increase, or what percentage of increase and where and lastly at what cost.
We are really appalled at the quality of this document placed before us. We have all respect and confidence in the technical skill and competence of FAO experts to advise us on our planning, but this document does not bear any testimony of that professional skill. As it has been pointed out, yesterday, by some delegates, we really agree that this document needs thorough rewriting. Yesterday our Assistant Secretary-General narrated a humorous story at the lack of interest of the delegates to talk on this. But this document does not merit, in its present form, elaborate discussion.
Rural development, land reform, income distribution, nutrition etc., are very important aspects of any development planning but these have been perhaps inadvertently omitted. After all, adding three paragraphs does not have a serious implication, while FAO is not responsible or accountable for implementation of the action programme for realisation of the objectives.
It is easy for FAO to lay down many, many objectives, because its role is more or less connected with basic functions of information, advice, research, international harmonization, etc.
As regards specific areas of priorities, we would like brief reference to a couple of points. Need for the development of seed technology can hardly be over emphasized. In our environmental condition Mr. Chairman, we suffer from menaces of early floods, just before the harvesting golden rice fields go under water due to early flood.
To raise multiple crops it is necessary to treat the seeds in artificial condition so that time required for maturity in the field decreases by the corresponding period. Vernalisation technology is a vital need and deserves the attention of FAO.
The need of reduction of post harvest losses has been reiterated again and again in various forums including the Director -General of FAO who is reputed for his pragmatic approach. This document says in paragraph 4·47 (page 13 bottom) that half the cereal deficit could be met by just reducing the food losses. The savings that can be achieved by reduction of losses have been estimated at $7.5 million. The importance of the reduction of food losses is recognized by FAO in words but not in action. Otherwise the allocation for reduction of food losses in the $211 millions budget would not have been $11.8 million whereas FAO spends $8 million on official business travel.
The need of fishery production in the tanks, rivers, crop fields has been emphasized. Unfortunately with application of pesticides, fish in the rice fields are completely destroyed. It is necessary to develop insecticides which will harm the insects and not the fish.
It has been stated in this document that FAO would play their role in eradication of hunger and malnutrition. What is that very role Mr. Chairman? It appears from the Programme of Work and Budget for 1978–79 and the Field Programmes that the regular budget of $211 million is entirely an establishment budget except $ 25 million allocated for TCP. Again 67 % of the extra budgetary resources available from UNDP trusted funds, other UN agencies are spent on consultants and experts.
Mr. Chairman, developing countries would not be much worse off if all FAO consultancy services are avoided for one year. In most cases the key-role players are imposed on the recipient countries and they are, except for a few notable persons, not sought for. We are to accept an expert, ο·ι jute who has never seen a jute plant in his whole life.
This morning the Chairman was discussing at the breakfast table with my two colleagues who obtained their Ph.D. degrees in the western countries about consulting services. I asked them what they would prefer - a FAO consultant. who cost $60 000 to $100 000 a year or 1 000 tons of wheat food, for Work Programme for digging irrigation canals. The choice was obvious. Developing countries prefer a deep tubwell which cost around $90 000 to ·\ consultant because irrigation canals or deep tubwell leads immediately to production and output.
Mr. Chairman, World Food for Work Programme has created greater impact in increasing food production than most other FAO consultancy service.
CHAIRMAN: I think we have concluded our list of speakers for this morning, since this agenda item has been answered by Mr. West and the summing up by our Chairman yesterday. Anyhow, I shall try to sum up what the Distinguished Delegates have been discussing this morning, and I will be very brief. I think, mostly, the position remains the same as the summing up from the Chairman yesterday. The majority of the Commission would like to have a separate document on the medium-term objectives. I think we can conclude this from our discussion this morning, from our further speakers, so that I think that your advice and suggestions will be for the consideration of the Secretariat and will be in the report of the Commission.
So I think we should go on to the next agenda item. I think we are a little behind the timetable.
__________1/ Statement inserted in the verbatim records on request.
POINT OF ORDER
POINT D'ORDRE
PUNTO DE ORDEN
R. PASQUIER (Suisse): Vous venez de constater, Monsieur le Président, que nous sommes en retard sur le programme de travail de la Commission. D'autre part, vous avez certainement été informé que la Commission I était ces jours derniers pratiquement à court d'interventions, qu'elle manquait de travail et suspendait ses séances.
Je voudrais, au nom de la délégation suisse, proposer qu'avant la fin de ses travaux, notre Commission examine la redistribution des sujets à traiter entre la Commission I et la Commission II, pour la prochaine Conférence.
Je me suis permis de faire cette intervention plutôt sous forme de motion d'ordre, parce que, si nous attendons vraiment la fin de nos débats pour soulever ce point, je crains que nous n'arrivions pas à faire une suggestion pour la prochaine Conférence. Je ne demande pas l'ouverture d'un débat à ce moment, sur ce point, mais vous propose plutôt d'inviter les délégations à réfléchir à cette question. Notre suggestion aurait été que les nouvelles orientations dans les activités de la FAO soient dorénavant transférées pour discussion à la Commission I, tandis que la Commission II aurait pu se limiter aux activités courantes. Mais peut-être y a-t-il de meilleures propositions en vue d'une distribution plus adéquate.
CHAIRMAN: Thank you very much for the suggestion from Switzerland. I fully agree with you. Your advice will be put into account the Secretariat will take note of.
O. MBURU (Kenya): Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, for giving me the floor on this subject of Technical Cooperation Amongst Developing Countries. This subject, in fact, has been mentioned several times by many delegations, both in the Plenary and other Commissions, and in particular in this Commission when we were dealing with the Review of Field Programmes, and also with the medium-term objectives. My own Minister, in particular, expressed full support to the Director-General in his future undertaking to make Technical Cooperation Amongst Developing Countries a reality. He did, however, request the Director to try to accelerate the pace, so that the effects can be felt by many more developing countries. The areas of cooperation outlined in document C 77/4, the Review of Field Programmes 1976 - 1977, paragraphs 4.0 to 4.58 are quite satisfactory to my delegation. Here we would like to emphasis the use to the maximum effect of national institutions and their own staff in the developing countries for implementing their selected programmes. This would be the only way to reduce direct execution of projects by the expatriot staff or consultants financed by the aid agencies. Cooperative endeavour between countries should also be encouraged in all other programmes in this regard. The exchange of experts between the developing countries to man the identified projects would be an ideal goal for FAO to aim at.
We believe the kind of programmes envisaged in paragraph 4.6 of document C 77/4 I referred to earlier, and which FAO intends to develop into specific proposals for discussion by the Member Nations during the Conference on TCDC in Buenos Aires, would go a long way in strengthening the technical cooperation amongst the developing countries.
On the first item, that is crop research, I would like to suggest that mention should be made of streamlining and strengthening current procedures, particularly in connexion with the tree seed for forestry development, and also conservation of genetic resources should not be overlooked. I also note among the items outlined in that paragraph that in the field of forest industry pulp and paper research has been singled out. I would suggest that other forest industries, particularly in the field of saw
milling should be included, and in particular saw milling training, I think, has a lot of scope for cooperation amonst developing countries. My delegation would like to see the Director-General treat the Technical Cooperation Programme as a regular feature of his budget presentation beyond this biennium. This would, no doubt, assist the process of the debeaucratization and at the same time accelerate the rate of decentralization to the country level. The technical Cooperation Programme should serve the purpose of strengthening the Director-General's ability to respond to critical and emergency agricultural situations arising from developing countries. It should also serve as a pace setter in long term undertakings of a development nature in the respective countries calling on the Director-General with specific requests.
Mr. Chairman, referring to the point just raised by the distinguished delegate of Switzerland, I too would be in agreement for a re-distribution of items between Commissions I and II, because it is true that we have tended to run behind schedule, whereas Commission I has tended to be ahead of schedule.
CHAIRMAN: I think before we go on to the next speaker on my list I would like to give the floor to Mr. Ristic, the Chairman of the Preparatory Committee of the World Conference on Technical Cooperation Amongst Developing Countries, so that the can give us some idea of the preparations that have been made, as we may find it useful in our deliberations.
S. RISTIC (Chairman of the Preparatory Committee of the World Conference on Technical Cooperation Amongst Developing Countries): It is a special pleasure for me to be able as the Chairman of the Preliminary Committee to attend this part of the 19th Conference of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization discussing technical cooperation amongst developing countries. Agriculture and the food processing industry, forestry and fisheries, are of primary importance for the future social, economic and human prosperity of the developing countries. This conditions a need for developing the appropriate ways and means to broaden cooperation among developing countries. That means the mutual exchange of knowledge and experience in this field. This topic, no doubt, will be given a prominent place at the coming UN Conference on Technical Cooperation amongst developing countries, which as all of you know, according to the decision of the UN General Assembly is to take place in August next year, in Argentina.
The Preparatory Committee for the UN TCDC Conference accomplished a very important part of the job at the past two meetings, which had a very constructive - I would say that it is very important to stress -response of all Member Countries and the international organization. I can state with pleasure that the FAO representatives participated actively at the meetings. The preliminary agenda was determined, instructions for the preparation of national papers were adopted, the budget propositions and the rules of the Conference Procedure were decided upon and a constructive discussion concerning the first draft of the plan of action, and some documents prepared by consultants were completed. The Secretariat of the Conference was given clear instructions concerning future work on the draft plan of action and in preparation of other supportive documents. However, the quality of the draft of the plan of action, which will be presented to the Conference, does not depend only on the Secretariat and consultants. The Preparatory Meeting attaches special significance to the national papers and the participation of the specialized agencies and other organizations of the UN systems in preparation of the documents and the participation of the Conference. It is expected that the experience of FAO and the discussions at this particular meeting, that means this Committee of the Conference, shall produce new ideas and proposals which will be used in the preparation of that plan of action. The trust, expectation and support which the developing countries place in international activities in the field of agriculture and the food industry, processing, forestry and fisheries should be reflected respectively in the plan of action on TCDC. The third session of the Preparatory Committee to be held in May next year will be dedicated almost entirely to the draft of the plan of action and supportive documents.
Mr. Chairman, I note with pleasure the emphasis the Director-General of the FAO is giving to TCDC Conference in the programme of the organization. It is already an encouraging support to the success of the forthcoming Conference. It is also a very important recognition by the Director-General that the TCDC is a very important instrument of international cooperation generally.
Allow me, Mr. Chairman, to point out a few of the standpoints of the countries which were reached at the previous preparations for the Conference. I think during the regional meetings of TCDC, during the preparatory committee meetings and finally during the Kuwait meeting, which produced the Kuwait declaration. The first point I want to stress and summarize, the previous preparation, that the TCDC is a new dimension in international cooperation, bearing in mind its integrated feature and approach. But TCDC does not mean a substitute for traditional technical cooperation. You could say that it is more complementary to the present activities and the traditional technical cooperation.
TCDC does not represent a confrontation with the developed countries, but a platform at which the interests and contributions of all members of the International Community to the succes of TCDC are expected.
At all regional TCDC meetings, the developing countries gave their unrestrained support to TCDC as the one integrated dimension of international cooperation, and expressed full willingness to participate actively in the implementation of present and future activities.
I would like to stress the second point: that TCDC is a very important step in the process building of a new international economic order, because it effects great changes in present world economic relations. The fact that high priority was given to technical cooperation among developing countries in the action programme of non aligned countries adopted at Colombo as well as in the documents of the Conference on economic cooperation in Mexico points to this.
TCDC does not mean a new international machinery, but it should motivate the activities of all Organizations of the United Nations Development System, and other international organizations, to broaden TCDC's component in long range programmes and objectives.
The point which I want to make on the basis of the proposed discussion is that TCDC does not represent the monopoly of any organization within the UN system. The success of TCDC depends on the extent to which all the specialized agencies and other organizations in the United Nations system will include this dimension in their strategy and programmes and apply this in practice. The developing countries expect effective inter-agency cooperation which will enable a rational utilization of their modest and limited resources. In this framework, I find the present interest - the interest of the developing countries - is the only criterion for decisions and actions.
And last, but not least, the success of TCDC depends on the efforts made at the national level to set up a development strategy to build and strengthen national capabilities for applied research, consultancy, engineering, etc., and other measures which are to be undertaken in order to broaden the role of TCDC on a national level.
It is obvious that the practical realization of TCDC depends on whether it will be included in the programmes and in the practice at the national level of developing countries. It will also, of course, depend on including its component in the activities of developed countries. But the prime prerequisite is that regional and inter-regional cooperation within the United Nations system will also be very much absorbed by the TCDC.
Allow me to say a few words concerning the national preparation for the coming United Nations TCDC Conference.
The national preparations include not only the national papers, but they mean creating a favourable climate in the government, economy, research and consultancy organizations, and for this cooperation to be expanded and enriched in both form and content.
It is expected of the specialized agencies and other international organizations within the United Nations system, that they greatly broaden the TCDC component in their programmes, and in practice, even in the preparatory phase of this important world meeting. As I stated earlier, I note with pleasure that it is successfully developing within FAO, and that the TCDC component will be greatly broadened within the programmes and the practice in the future of this, for the developing countries very important international organization.
I would like finally to once more express my belief that this discussion will be a creative contribution to the preparation of the United Nations TCDC Conference, and will also adopt concrete measures for the broadening of TCDC in its domain. We expect that FAO will continue with its accurate interest, participation, and contribution, in the preparation for this important international conference.
CHAIRMAN: Thank you Mr. Ristic. I hope that delegates will note what has been said by the Chairman of the Preparatory Committee of the World Conference on TCDC, and I am quite sure that it will be of great assistance to them in their discussion.
B. HARLAND (United Nations Development Programme): After the excellent introduction to this item and resume of TCDC by Mr. Yriart, and the statement which you have just heard by Dr. Ristic, I will be extremely brief.
In UNDP's Statement in the Plenary we have already referred to the significant contribution to the Conference FAO has already made. The document Review of Field Programmes 1976–1977 contains many ideas which will be incorporated into the basic document, namely the Plan of Action for the Conference.
Last evening I spoke by telephone to New York and the Administrator Mr. Bradford Morse who as you know is the Secretary-General of the Conference. He asked me to address a special appeal to delegates on the planning and preparation of national reports for the Conference. Mr. Morse considers TCDC as one of the most important developments in new dimensions of technical cooperation and the implementation of the New International Economic Order, It is also one of the cornerstones of the two themes approved by the Governing Council in its June Session in the Role and Activities of UNDP, namely the alleviation of poverty and technology transfer.
Recently Mr. Morse has appointed Dr. Abdel Maguid, formerly Minister of Planning of Egypt, as Deputy Secretary-General of the Conference. Under the guidance of Dr. Maguid preparations for the Conference are moving forward. Consultants have been appointed to prepare papers on the role of consultants, institutions and experts in developing countries for TCDC. Members of the Secretariat together with Consultants have been travelling to the countries to assist in the preparation of the national reports. An Inter-Agency Task Force has met on several occasions and is. providing valuable advice and guidance particularly in the preparation and development of the Draft Plan of Action. FAO has actively participated in this Task Force. The Conference Secretariat is preparing a statement of issues requiring special attention by the agencies. The Administrator feels it is important to maintain a continuous dialogue with agencies on the Conference preparation and the Draft Plan of Action. A deadline of 20 February has been set for the final draft of the Plan of Action.
UNDP staff have assessed the Special Unit for TCDC in developing an information referral system for TCDC. Countries have been requested to designate a focal point within the government for TCDC A questionnaire has been sent to governments and the Resident Representatives in order to solicit information of consultant organizations, training institutions, and individuals who in the opinion of the government have the capacity for TCDC. This information is fed into a computer and the first compendium has already been issued to governments and Resident Representatives. This listing contains approximately 1700 individual names of firms, institutions and individuals. It will be updated every six months.
I should stress that the decision to list an organization is up to the government. Finally, I will follow very carefully the debate here this morning and report fully to Mr. Morse.
J. FAUCHON (Programme des Nations Unies pour l'environnement): J'ai été très intéressé par les deux déclarations qui viennent d'être faites et aussi par les textes du rapport, en particulier les points 4.40 et suivants indiquant les principales activités susceptibles de se développer comme résultats de la coopération entre les différents pays en voie de développement. Un point me paraît extrêmement important, c'est la liste figurant au point 4.46 du potentiel qu'offrent les pays en voie de développement en matière agricole. Le Programme des Nations Unies pour l'environnement est très intéressé et directement concerné par cette liste. En effet, j'y retrouve la plupart des points déjà acceptés ou actuellement développés par le Conseil d'administration du Programme des Nations Unies pour l'environnement. Je me bornerai à en citer quelques-uns. Le point; e), lutte contre la désertification, a fait l'objet de la Conférence sur la désertification, tenue à Nairobi à la fin du mois de septembre. Elle a émis un plan d'action qui a été soumis à l'examen des différentes agences, en particulier à la FAO. Nous travaillons actuellement à Nairobi pour la mise en oeuvre de ce plan de lutte contre la désertification; nous attendons d'ailleurs sur ce point une décision de l'Assemblée générale des Nations Unies; de toute évidence, une coopération et une coordination entre la Conférence mondiale de la CTPVD et l'UNEP pourraient s'établir.
Le point b) sur la lutte contre les ravageurs et le point f), lutte contre les porteurs de maladies, intéressent directement l'UNEP, qui a des projets communs avec la FAO dans ce domaine.
Le point g), recyclage des déchets organiques, très important, est actuellement soumis à l'attention de nombreuses agences, et en particulier bien sur de la FAO; l'UNEP participe à cette question en particulier par le développement de certains projets communs avec la FAO.
Le point h), possibilités d'augmentation et d'utilisation des sources d'énergie non conventionnelles, est actuellement l'objet d'une série de travaux et de projets entrepris par l'UNEP en relation avec une série d'institutions comme le CNRET pour le développement de projets en matière d'énergie éolienne, d'énergie solaire et de production de méthane par la fermentation de déchets organiques. Sur ces sujets, une coopération extrêmement étendue pourrait se développer entre pays en voie de développement, et cela pour deux raisons: la première c'est que, contrairement à ce que l'on pense fréquemment, certains pays
en voie de développement poursuivent des techniques très avancées en matière d'énergie solaire - par exemple au Niger en matière de fermentation organique, en Inde. Il est certain qu'il y a là des possibilités d'échanges d'informations mutuelles; peut-être le problème est-il moins de faire des recherches sur les nouvelles formes d'énergie que de répandre massivement les résultats de certaines expériences faites dans certains pays.
Nous sommes également intéressés à l'UNEP par les problèmes écologiques en général, et je voudrais simplement en retenir deux. Le premier concerne l'aménagement des bassins fluviaux, comme celui du fleuve Sénégal ou du Mekong, et également peut-être le développement lié à la mise en oeuvre du Canal de Jonglei au Soudan, problèmes très importants pour lesquels les échanges d'expériences entre pays en voie de développement seraient extrêmement précieux. Il existe ainsi de nombreuses expériences ponctuelles qui n'ont que rarement fait l'objet d'échanges systématiques d'expériences, dans la mesure où nous pouvons les connaître.
Enfin un dernier point, sur lequel je voudrais insister, c'est le problème de la gestion de la vie sauvage. Ceux qui vivent en Afrique - et à Nairobi nous sommes assez bien placés pour en connaître -savent combien la vie sauvage est menacée dans la plupart des pays par le développement de la démographie et par la modernisation en général de la vie rurale. Un peu partout des expériences sont faites qui restent également à l'état ponctuel. Il n'y a que dans certains pays d'Afrique actuellement, et peut-être d'Asie, où des expériences massives de gestion de conservation de la vie sauvage sont entreprises; ces précieuses expériences méritent d'être diffusées au bénéfice des nombreux pays qui doivent par exemple développer des parcs nationaux. C'est là, à mon avis, un sujet important sur lequel pourrait se pencher la Conférence.
En conclusion, le Programme des Nations Unies pour l'environnement est très intéressé par la Conférence mondiale sur la CTPVD; il espère y jouer un rôle important non seulement sur le plan de l'information mais également sur celui de la suite à donner à la Conférence directement par une coopération entre les programmes eux-mêmes, en particulier dans les projections futures des activités qui pourraient être prévues dans le cadre du plan d'action de la Conférence et par la mise en oeuvre de projets nationaux permettant à certains pays de profiter des expériences faites dans d'autres.
Sra. Doña I. DI GIOVAN DE SUAREZ (Argentina): Mi delegación quisiera referirse a la cooperación técnica entre países en desarrollo como una nueva dimensión de la cooperación internacional para el desarrollo económico.
Deseamos también referirnos a la Conferencia de las Naciones Unidas sobre Cooperación Técnica entre Países en Desarrollo que tendrá lugar en Buenos Aires en 1978 y a la acción que esperamos que la FAO desarrolle en ambos aspectos; es decir, por un lado deseamos mencionar las contribuciones que esta Organización, con su trayectoria y su experiencia, puede efectuar para que la Conferencia sobre Cooperación Técnica entre Países en Desarrollo logre resultados concretos y operativos aplicables a la agricultura y a la alimentación.
Por otra parte, y ya en un enfoque a mediano plazo, aspiramos a que la cuestión de la cooperación técnica entre países en desarrollo se convierta en un tema habitual en las agendas del Consejo y de la Conferencia. En fin, que esta modalidad de cooperación sea acogida ampliamente por la FAO y la ejecución de sus programas de campo.
La cooperación técnica entre países en desarrollo, estamos convencidos, es un mecanismo tendiente a movilizar los recursos de los países en desarrollo y maximizar el aprovechamiento de los mismos. Como ha dicho ayer el Subdirector General del Departamento de Desarrollo, no tiende a sustituir ni a reemplazar al sistema tradicional de asistencia técnica, sino que es una ampliación de la misma; propende a la movilización de los recursos y a la transferencia horizontal de tecnología sin reemplazar artificialmente los esquemas sociales y económicos de los países en desarrollo.
Entendemos que es un proceso en el cual todos los países en desarrollo están llamados a participar, tanto en calidad de aportantes como de receptores de expertos, equipos, métodos de trabajo y capacitación.
Creemos que en todos los países en desarrollo existen capacidades actuales o potenciales que pueden ser de interés y beneficiosas para los demás.
Es de particular interés para toda la comunidad internacional en su conjunto que los centros de capacitación establecidos en países en desarrollo, las tecnologías elaboradas o adaptadas por nuestros países a las características socio-económicas, en fin, los caminos recorridos por algunos países en desarrollo hacia la concreción de sistemas de producción, almacenamiento, manipuleo, industrialización de productos básicos adecuados al mundo en desarrollo tengan una debida difusión y sean incorporados por otros países.
En efecto, cuando decimos que los países en desarrollo han elaborado tales tecnologías locales no podemos menos que pensar, en primer lugar, en el sector de la agricultura y la alimentación.
Permítaseme recordar en esta Comisión la Resolución 1/71 del Consejo celebrado en junio del presente año propuesta por el grupo latinoamericano que conto con el apoyo inmediato y la valiosa contribución cíe otros países de fuera de la región, a quienes estamos agradecidos por su colaboración. En base a esa resolución se insta a la Organización a participar activamente en esta provisoria vía de la cooperación técnica entre países en desarrollo en dos aspectos principales: En primer lugar, en un sentido inmediato se solicita a la FAO que contribuya con su experiencia, con sus expertos, para que la Conferencia de Buenos Aires arroje resultados concretos sobre cooperación técnica en el campo de la agricultura y la alimentación. Pensamos que quizá la FAO pueda aportar un documento conciso y sistemático en este sentido y auspiciar una reunión preparatoria a nivel de expertos con carácter previo a la Conferencia de Buenos Aires, para que analice este documento y proponga recomendaciones concretas y un programa de acción a ser debatido durante la Conferencia.
En otro nivel, con un sentido más general y permanente, se trata de efectuar los necesarios reajustes en la política, procedimientos y programas de la Organización para acelerar la cooperación técnica entre países en desarrollo en términos operativos, a través de una mayor utilización de instituciones, servicios, expertos, consultores y equipos de los países en desarrollo en la ejecución de los programas de campo en otros países en desarrollo.
Pensamos, asimismo, que la FAO puede apoyar las acciones nacionales, subregionales y regionales destinadas a promover la transferencia de tecnología entre países en desarrollo.
También pensamos que sería conveniente estudiar mecanismos de difusión e información sobre instituciones y personas que en el campo de la agricultura y la alimentación pueden contribuir a la cooperación técnica entre países en desarrollo; y en este sentido permítaseme manifestar nuestra satisfacción por el anuncio del representante del PNUD sobre la lista que ha mencionado de estos posibles agentes de contribución a la cooperación técnica entre países en desarrollo y que ya comienza a salir en su primera serie.
Deseamos agradecer a la Secretaría en particular el documento que se ha presentado sobre este tema, es decir el capítulo 4 C del documento C 77/4, así como el C 77/LIM/17 que actualiza esa información. Consideramos que ambos constituyen una buena síntesis preliminar de las posibilidades que se brindan a la cooperación técnica entre países en desarrollo. Contiene el párrafo 4.46 un buen listado de los sectores posibles en los cuales esta cooperación puede ser particularmente exitosa. Asimismo se señalan algunos obstáculos que por el momento limitan su programación, su expansión.
Con referencia a los obstáculos reales y presuntos, mi delegación se permite hacer en esta ocasión referencia a un documento de las Naciones Unidas, documento DP/2/29 volumen 2 sobre normas, reglamentaciones y prácticas del Sistema de las Naciones Unidas para la contratación de expertos, designación de equipo, etc. En este documento se señalan algunos obstáculos prácticos para una mayor utilización de insumos provenientes de países en desarrollo en los programas de asistencia técnica. Se menciona como inconveniente, por ejemplo, la ausencia de listas confiables, la carencia de antecedentes por parte de instituciones estatales o privadas de países en desarrollo para actuar como centros de capacitación o como proveedores de servicios. Asimismo se menciona lo que se ha dado en llamar barreras actitudinales de los propios países en desarrollo destinatarios de la asistencia técnica.
Sin adentrarnos mucho en este tema, que esperamos será objeto de discusión más profunda en el futuro a medida que el tema adquiera mayor entidad, mayor atención y se progrese en la identificación de posibilidades y obstáculos en cada campo concreto, deseamos exhortar a la FAO a desplegar sus esfuerzos para superar estos inconvenientes, tanto de orden técnico o práctico como de índole psico-social o actitudinal. En este sentido nos complace traer a colación el criterio de discriminación positiva enunciado por el Director General en el 70° período de sesiones del Consejo celebrado en noviembre de 1976; discriminación positiva en favor de instituciones nacionales recientes y relativamente débiles de países en desarrollo que, de otro modo, no podrían competir inmediatamente con las de países desarrollados según los procedimientos vigentes de selección y subcontratación. Esperamos que este criterio de discriminación positiva proyectado para el programa de cooperación técnica se compenetre de los objetivos de la cooperación técnica entre países en desarrollo para que sea la FAO, una de las organizaciones más antiguas de la familia de Naciones Unidas, la que marche a la vanguardia en la aplicación de esta promisoria nueva dimensión de la cooperación económica internacional.
Finalmente, señor Presidente, permítame llamar la atención en el sentido de que un proyecto sobre este tema copatrocinado por el grupo latinoamericano y Rumania ha sido sometido al Comité de Resoluciones para seguir el procedimiento pertinente y solicitamos que en su momento sea sometido a la consideración de esta Comisión.
Sra. Doña G. SOTO CARRERO (Cuba): Nuestro país ha venido siguiendo con gran interés los aspectos relacionados con la cooperación técnica entre países en desarrollo, tema que ha tomado extraordinaria vigencia especialmente en los últimos eventos internacionales.
Nuestra delegación quisiera expresar su satisfacción por el enfoque que en relación con el mismo contiene los documentos presentados por la Secretaría. En efecto, tanto en los pronunciamientos del señor Director General, como en las concepciones contenidas en este documento sobre el examen de los programas de campo se expresan criterios que Cuba comparte plenamente.
En primer lugar, es válido mencionar que a menudo no se reconoce que varios años antes de que el concepto de cooperación técnica entre países en desarrollo comenzara a tomar forma y vigencia en los foros internacionales existía ya un grado considerable de cooperación técnica entre estos países. Esta colaboración existía y existe. Se trata ahora de promoverla y hacer que las agencias de las Naciones Unidas tomen una participación más activa en esta acción, para lo cual se hacen algunas recomendaciones en el documento presentado por la Secretaría, las cuales compartimos plenamente.
En segundo lugar, es bueno recalcar que la posición asumida por nuestro país en distintos foros internacionales y que ahora reiteramos en la FAO es que la colaboración entre países en desarrollo debe considerar un amplio y vasto campo; la cooperación técnica es una parte del mismo, pero forma parte de un concepto más amplio, que es la colaboración en los aspectos económicos y sociales con la mayor amplitud posible.
Por ultimo, en este sentido de cooperación técnica no pueden existir donantes ni receptores; los países participantes deben hacerlo con un alto espíritu de solidaridad, de manera que los beneficios que se otorguen no en todos los casos deben ser retribuidos en la misma cantidad o proporción. Esto depende del nivel de desarrollo de cada país participante.
Es obvio que lo anterior se facilita cuando de proyectos regionales se trata, pero también debe ser aplicable a todo tipo de proyectos o convenios de carácter bilateral, multilateral o bimultilateral entre los países en desarrollo, de lo cual en América Latina es ejemplo el sistema económico latinoamericano, el cual en sus comités de acción abarca campos muy análogos con la FAO como son la pesca y el sector agropecuario. En ese sentido la Oficina Regional de la FAO para América Latina en sus convenios de colaboración con el CELA, con el Sistema Económico Latinoamericano, ha tenido en cuenta estos aspectos, pero consideramos que podrían hacerse mayores esfuerzos a fin de ampliar esta colaboración.
Es muy importante la relación bilateral en este campo, en nuestra opinión y esto entra dentro de la concepción de la FAO. Las agencias especializadas de las Naciones Unidas pueden jugar un papel decisivo como catalizador y factor complementario para que los países puedan incrementar su acción en este decisivo campo. Es así como se materializarían las concepciones expresadas por la FAO con las cuales, repetimos, estamos plenamente de acuerdo.
Según expresó nuestro Ministro de Colaboración Económica en la Plenaria de esta Conferencia, Cuba desde hace varios años viene desarrollando la prestación de asistencia técnica, y la colaboración mediante convenios y proyectos con países en desarrollo, a pesar del bloqueo económico que aún se nos mantiene; pese al mismo, Cuba realiza un modesto pero importante esfuerzo enviando médicos, maestros, técnicos agrícolas y brigadas constructoras a los países subdesarrollados que lo han solicitado. Con estos modestos aportes reafirmamos nuestro criterio de que la cooperación técnica forma parte de un concepto amplio que es la colaboración en los aspectos económicos y sociales.
Por ultimo, nuestra delegación quisiera expresar su apoyo a la Conferencia sobre Cooperación Técnica que se celebrará en Buenos Aires en el año próximo, ya que la misma significará un paso de avance en el intento común de crear instrumentos positivos de transferencia de técnicas adecuadas que complementen nuestros niveles de desarrollo.
P. CELAN (Roumanie): Come nous l'avons souligné plusieurs fois, à coté des efforts propres de chaque pays, efforts dont le rôle est primordial pour tout développement économique et social, la coopération internationale peut et doit apporter à ce développement une contribution des plus importantes.
Cela est valable aussi en ce qui concerne le développement de l'agriculture pour l'accroissement substantiel de la production dans ce domaine, accroissement qui constitue, à notre avis, le seul moyen d'arriver à une solution définitive du problème alimentaire auquel les pays en développement sont confrontés.
Cela constitue d'ailleurs l'un des objectifs fondamentaux de la stratégie en vue de l'établissement d'un nouvel ordre économique international. Nous ne pouvons pas imaginer la réalisation de cet objectif dans un autre cadre.
En parlant de la coopération internationale, nous sommes heureux de constater qu'on est de plus en plus conscient du fait que, dans le cadre de cette coopération, un rôle toujours plus grand revient à la coopération entre les pays en voie de développement eux-mêmes.
L'importance de cette coopération et la nécessité d'entreprendre des efforts pour l'intensifier ne font plus aucun doute. Nous en voulons pour preuve, entre autres, les décisions de l'Assemblée générale des Nations Unies et, notamment, les résolutions 3201 et 3202 de la Vie session spéciale concernant la déclaration et le programme d'action pour l'établissement du nouvel ordre économique international, où l'on en fait expressément mention. Ensuite, la déclaration sur le développement et la coopération économique internationale (à savoir la résolution 3362/S VII) ne consacre pas moins d'un chapitre à la coopération entre les pays en développement. En 1976, à Mexico City, a eu lieu une conférence consacrée exclusivement à ce sujet. Et finalement, comme on le sait, conformément à la décision de l'Assemblée générale de l'ONU, une conférence des Nations Unies sur la coopération technique entre les pays en voie de développement va se tenir à Buenos Aires l'année prochaine.
Voici énoncés seulement quelques éléments qui mettent en évidence la portée de ce problème, l'importance que revêt et revêtira encore davantage à l'avenir la coopération entre les pays en développement eux-mêmes pour la solution des différents problèmes auxquels ils se trouvent confrontés.
En nous limitant à l'agriculture et à l'alimentation, nous sommes d'avis que dans ce domaine plus que dans d'autres peut-être, existent des conditions de nature à favoriser l'instauration d'une coopération très étroite entre ces pays. Cela s'explique si l'on tient compte des possibilités et de l'expérience qui existent dans ce domaine de l'agriculture dans beaucoup de pays en développement.
Nous pensons qu'il est du devoir de la communauté internationale dans son ensemble de promouvoir et d'appuyer tout effort ayant pour but l'intensification de cette coopération. Et, parce que nous parlons de l'agriculture, nous pensons que c'est à la FAO que revient le rôle le plus important dans ce sens.
Nous sommes heureux de constater qu'au cours des deux dernières années, notre Organisation a déjà pris des mesures dans cette voie. Nous sommes heureux également de constater que, dans le cadre des objectifs à moyen terme, la FAO se propose de situer parmi les priorités l'accroissement de sa contribution au développement de la coopération entre les pays en développement dans le domaine de l'agriculture.
Nous ne pouvons que nous féliciter de cette orientation, mais nous considérons aussi qu'on devrait faire davantage. C'est la raison pour laquelle nous estimons absolument nécessaire que l'actuelle Conférence générale adopte d'autres mesures concrètes tendant à la fois au renforcement de la coopération technique et à l'accroissement de la contribution de la FAO à la réalisation de cet objectif.
Dans ce sens, la délégation roumaine a avancé toute une série de propositions concrètes, propositions qui font l'objet du projet de résolution que plusieurs pays latino-américains et notre pays ont préparé, et qui a été présenté au comité des résolutions en vue d'être, je l'espère, adopté par notre Conférence. Mais tout d'abord, nous nous attendons à ce que ce projet de résolution soit diffusé à notre comité.
Partant de ce projet de résolution et au risque d'être un peu long dans mon intervention, je voudrais insister un peu plus sur ce que la Roumanie considère comme priorités dans la poursuite de l'objectif de coopération entre les pays en développement, dans le domaine de l'agriculture. Nous pensons qu'entre autres devraient être considérés:
a) accroissement de la productivité dans l'agriculture et la production animale;
b) développement des technologies et industries alimentaires;
c) amélioration et utilisation rationnelle des ressources en terres et en eaux;
d) recherche et développement des moyens dans le domaine de l'outillage et du machinisme agricoles;
e) amélioration du stockage des produits agricoles, y compris méthodes pour la réduction des pertes;
f) développement des pêches et de l'aquaculture,de même que des forêts et de la production du papier;
g) promotion de la recherche scientifique et application à la production agricole de technologies de pays en développement;
h) formation du personnel;
i) assurance de la disponibilité de fonds nécessaires pour atteindre ces objectifs.
Quoiqu'il en soit du projet de résolution ci-dessus mentionné, nous considérons nécessaire que les pays en voie de développement prennent eux-mêmes toutes les mesures utiles pour renforcer leur coopération réciproque. Parmi ces mesures pourrait se situer à notre avis l'organisation de réunions à différents niveaux, ayant pour objectif l'identification et l'adoption de programmes et projets concrets de coopération. Il ne s'agirait donc pas de réunions de caractère général, mais de réunions spécialisées.
M. LIMAN (Nigeria): The Nigerian delegation would like to congratulate the Secretariat for focussing attention on a subject which I am sure is dear to the hearts of all developing countries. We appreciate the efforts made by FAO to forge cooperation between this group of less privileged countries of the world. Many of our countries still suffer acutely from the orientation which we acquired during period of colonial tutelage, when developing countries looked up to the developed countries as the only partners in progress, forgetting that perhaps near them in a neighbouring country the technology they are looking for is not only available but perhaps more relevant. By way of illustration, I would like to recount an experience when we were looking for a new agricultural extension technology. We found that the experience in the Philippines with Masagala 99 and the Indian experience were the most relevant to the needs of my country. Similarly, my country has forged close collaboration with many other developing countries. I believe other developing countries can quote similar examples of collaborative effort. However, developing countries are not doing enough to forge these links and to exploit the complementarity between them. There is an apparent lack of information about what areas exist for meaningful productive cooperation. While individual countries can do a lot to create this awareness and make more determined efforts to engender this sort of collaborative effort, an International Organization like FAO is of course undoubtedly a better place to do this. The examples of what FAO has been able to do so far support this assertion.
The Nigerian delegation therefore supports unreservedly a greater effort by FAO in this area. Perhaps an easier starting point will be bilateral and regional cooperation, and here I think the FAO Regional Office have a major role to play.
My delegation would also like to support the point made by the document about the exchange of experts between developing countries. We believe this will certainly enhance this cooperation. No doubt, to make an impact it will be necessary for FAO to have an inventory of the possible areas of cooperation and then to use existing institutions, as FAO has been doing, as vehicles for this bilateral or multilateral cooperation.
A case in point is the planned forestry facilities of Nigeria, which was strengthened by the FAO and UNDP and are now being used by other West African countries as a training ground. One must not fail to stress, however, that FAO's role can only be regarded as that of a major catalyst. Developing countries must be prepared to come together to share experiences and to join hands as well as to pull together the relatively meagre resources for investment in projects such as river basin developments, fertilizer manufacture, and so on, to name a few. I ought to stress, however, that we do not see TCDC as a substitute for worldwide international cooperation. In a world of growing interdependence, international cooperation at all levels is required now more than ever before. We see TCDC, therefore, as a complementary dimension to international cooperation in agriculture. The Nigerian delegation therefore supports FAO's initiative in this area.
The list given at page 67 of C 77/4 as possible areas of discussion and cooperation between developing countries is well thought out, in our opinion, and ought to provide a useful basis for the projected conference on TCDC.
M. TRKULJA (Yugoslavia): First I must mention I am glad to see you at the podium this morning. I will certainly not take much of your time in expressing the general position of Yugoslavia vis-à-vis the whole idea of TCDC. I very much hope that we have already expressed ourselves very clearly in the Plenary as well as on other occasions.
Though I might sound like a slogan, I would not but repeat what the others here have said, and Yugoslavia sees TCDC as a vital, very important new dimension or avenue of international economic cooperation.
We have attentively listened to all previous speakers, especially Mr. Ristic, who by the way is a very good friend of mine, who spoke in his capacity as chairman of PLATCOM, and also we listened carefully to the representatives of UNDP and UNEP. We are glad that the preparations for the Conference are now well under way.
We have also studied Cuba's declaration produced by it as its side in one of the UNDP documents, and that has been produced by highly qualified consultants, among them Mr. Morse.
It is not my intention to go into details, but it is our view that two points especially deserve attention; first, that TCDC, or as we call it now, horizontal cooperation, by no means should be taken as a substitute for traditional or radical coordination. We think that this important point is especially well elaborated in the Cuba declaration. The other point is that the enormously complex task of promoting and implementing the idea of TCDC should not be assigned to any single mechanism or international organization.
Coming to agriculture, I would stress that agricultural institutions in developing countries heavily dominate in the overall institutional framework in those countries. It is quite a logical consequence of the developing process. The very nature of agriculture, especially climate, certainly calls for regional and sub-regional cooperation, but it leaves quite adequate space for inter-regional cooperation, too. This was especially stressed in the relevant document of the Fifth Summit Conference of Non-Aligned Countries in Colombo. It is well known that the Conference especially stressed the need for TCDC, and in particular in the field of agriculture.
In view of what I have already said, I think it follows clearly that we see a very important role to be played by FAO both in promoting and implementing the idea of TCDC. We share the view expressed in the document for this session, and the same idea was expressed by Mr. Yriart in his opening statement that a prevailing part of existing FAO activities should be categorized as TCDC type of activities.
May I also mention that through a whole series of JIU reports on regional cooperation we learn that FAO has already played a very active role in promoting cooperation among countries at the regional level. Consequently, we see special efforts of FAO's regional offices and to the same extent of country offices.
I will only touch on one point in that context. That is the problem of information. We see a very important role of both regional and country offices in compiling adequate information. May I mention, for example, that we see urgent need for a comprehensive list of institutions with the features of these institutions in as great detail as possible. Of course, other FAO activities of a general type like AGRIS and others can provide necessary background for promoting the whole idea.
Coming to the UN Conference, the UN Conference is not an aim in itself. It should be, in our view, considered only as a very important step of a longer term process.
A brief comment on the action taken on the basis of Council Resolution 1/71. Bearing in mind the contents of the resolution, first of all, frankly I would admit that our delegation expected something more than we got from this session. I am referring to the relevant part of the Review of Field Programmes document, and also to document C 77/LIM/17. We are, however, very pleased to note that the Director-General is personally firmly committed, as mentioned in the document, and especially that Mr. Ristic, in his statement, witnessed very carefully the active role played by FAO at all preparatory sessions so far.
We, of course, very much hope and are almost positive that FAO will continue to participate actively in the preparation for the Conference, and we see as particularly important the role of FAO in preparing the programme of action document.
I would just like to say a few final words. What I have already said will, I hope, evoke the general agreement of the Conference on the Draft Resolution introduced by Romania. We hope that there may be a few points which will still deserve discussion and we shall come to them when the resolution is to be considered in the Commission.
SANG WOO PARK (Korea, Rep. of): My delegation would like to welcome FAO's proposed activities in promoting technical cooperation among developing countries. We understand that, so far, the transfer of some technologies or techniques from developed to developing countries has been somewhat unsatisfactory in certain areas, merely due to the differences in culture, resources, institutions, infrastructure, the degree of development, et cetera, between the developed and developing countries.
It is obvious that agricultural technical cooperation is completely different from cooperation in building an airport or an atomic energy plant in the developing countries, because agriculture is based on soil, climate and the social and economic environment. In fact, the main challenge in technical cooperation is how to institutionalize the better or advanced technologies in developing countries, rather than merely transferring them to the developing countries.
The new technologies transferred should become the respective countries' own technologies in this regard.
I believe TCDC will be a very effective measure to make the developing countries equipped with the appropriate technologies. Developing countries, especially in the same region, face similar agricultural problems. They also have similar agricultural resources, institutional arrangements and environment. Therefore, each has useful information, ideas, and experiences to solve the other's agricultural problems.
I think, that developing countries already have been cooperating with each other on a bilateral basis or multilateral basis. However, there must be some lack of cooperation in desirable fields because of many reasons. In this respect, strenghtening FAO activity in TCDC is very desirable. It will facilitate the existing cooperation system and initiate necessary cooperation. I also hope that the TCDC between different regions will be given a greater emphasis.
Mr. Chairman, the possible fields in TCDC are well laid out in paragraph 4.46 on page 67 of the document C 77/4. The fields included here seem to be very technical indeed. Sometimes I get confused in distinguishing the difference in science and art. If a professor in agronomy is in the classroom, he might be a scientist, but if he goes to the fields he might be regarded as a technicien. I wonder if we can include some other fields. Firstly, the mobilization and full participation of rural grassroots in integrated rural development is the main factor to make TCDC really effective. The way to cooperate in this area may be desirable to be considered. As stated by the head of our delegation in the Plenary the main challenge in rural development might be now to unite rural peoples easier; how to mobilize the rural people, and how to make them accept the new technology. Therefore, I suggest this area,
Secondly, cooperation in establishing and implementing agricultural development plans may be desirable because some less experienced countries will benefit from this kind of cooperation by escaping the possible trial and error.
Distinguished delegates, you may have access to booklets which were delivered to you by the delegation of the Republic of Korea. One book is Korean agriculture, which has many pictures in the book, and the other one is a booklet about Saemaul Undory, in other words the Korean version of integrated rural development. As shown by the booklets, my country has experience of success in three successive agricultural economic or development plans; integrated rural development; development and dissemination of new high-yielding variety of rice and other agricultural development projects, and fishery development projects.
My country has been sharing experiences with fellow developing countries, and will continue to do so.
Mr. Chairman, my delegation would like to assure you that my country will fully cooperate and actively participate in TCDC programmes.
G. CHACON (Ecuador): Mi país observa con gran expectativa la Conferencia sobre la Cooperación Técnica entre Países en Desarrollo y felicita realmente a Naciones Unidas y a FAO por el interés que demuestran en este tipo de relación multilateral o bilateral. Indudablemente, todos los países nos encontramos en una etapa dada de nuestro desarrollo y es necesario, para.ganar tiempo en esta lucha frente a la escasez de alimentos y a una población creciente, tratar de aprovechar los valores culturales, los factores naturales, los recursos ecológicos de que dispone cada país.
En el caso de América Latina, ν en el grupo Andino especialmente, no obstante existir el acuerdo de Cartagena desde 1969, apenas desde 1974 se le ha dado importancia al sector agropecuario con algunos enunciados que tratan de materialización en una planificación subregional. Creemos que en este campo la FAO puede desempeñar un papel muy transcendental para lograr armonizar los criterios de los países y aprovechar al máximo su recurso.
En el momento actual, creemos que el reto que tenemos los países en desarrollo es mejorar la eficiencia de nuestra producción agrícola y de alimento. Reconocemos que FAO y Naciones Unidas, en el caso del grupo Andino, han demostrado siempre su simpatía, su apoyo; prueba de ello es que una misión preparó un documento en el año 1976 acerca de la producción e intercambio de semillas realmente autóctonas, que desde la época del Incario, Bolivia y Perú principalmente las explotaban y mantenían a sus poblaciones perfectamente nutridas.
A más del apoyo que se necesita a nivel subregional y el intercambio de información, de experiencia, consideramos que es conveniente para fortalecer esta cooperación llegar a los acuerdos complementarios bilaterales. Que eso es lo que realmente evita el papel de ser donante y receptor, en que se pueden adquirir iguales compromisos, en que se pueden tener los mismos derechos.
Entendemos que en los campos de investigación agropecuaria de producción de planificación de comercialización, de producción y de insumos en capacitación en códigos comunes, de sanidad agropecuaria, son los principales en que tenemos expectativas en el sector agropecuario para los países en desarrollo.
F. D'ALMEIDA (Bénin): Je ne serai pas trop long parce que beaucoup d'orateurs ont traité de ce que je voulais dire. Je me bornerai à apporter un certain nombre de compléments. Dans le cadre de la coopération technique jusqu'à présent nous pouvons considérer que les choses se font au niveau des gouvernements et des services techniques. Etant donné l'orientation que prend actuellement la FAO, qui voudrait de plus en plus se rapprocher des populations rurales, il serait bon que la coopération s'étende à un niveau plus bas. C'est pour cela que j'appuie l'intervention de la Roumanie, du Nigeria et de la Yougoslavie, qui pensent que grâce aux projets interrégionaux, le grand projet entre pays pour l'aménagement des bassins par exemple, les populations peuvent arriver à coopérer. La meilleure des coopérations à mon avis, puisque nous travaillons pour les hommes, c'est que les hommes arrivent à coopérer, à mieux se connaître et à mieux s'apprécier.
Au niveau de la FAO, il faudrait que dès maintenant beaucoup de projets soient régionalisés ou même interrégionalisés de façon que les peuples arrivent à mieux se connaître. Dans ces conditions, il serait bon d'ajouter, à la liste des sujets proposés 1 'alimentation et la nutrition. En matière de formation il ne doit pas s'agir simplement de former toujours des cadres de haut niveau mais aussi des cadres moyens plus près du terrain, plus près de populations qui sont à même de mieux passer le message.
En ce qui concerne la Conférence mondiale sur la coopération technique, je me pose la question de savoir s'il n'aurait pas été nécessaire que ce genre de réunions se tienne d'abord au niveau régional¿ de manière que l'on fasse à ce niveau le point pour savoir comment s'y fait la coopération. Il s'agirait ensuite de savoir si ces réunions entre pays en voie de développement, de la région Afrique à l'Amérique latine, de l'Amérique latine à l'Asie, ne peuvent pas se faire avant une conférence mondiale, où nous nous trouvons entre pays développés et pays en voie de développement, ce qui pose certainement des problèmes sur le plan des technologies. Est-ce qu'une telle conférence mondiale ne serait pas une espèce de conférence à grande échelle comme la conférence Nord/Sud?
Ces questions me préoccupent; je ne sais pas si ce genre de conférences se tient déjà au niveau des régions, mais nous devrions arriver à harmoniser nos positions, à faire le point au niveau régional, à savoir quels sont nos besoins avant de tenir une conférence mondiale de ce genre.
S.S. MAHDI (India): Thank you for giving me the floor, Mr. Chairman - and let me express my happiness to see you on the podium when we are discussing a very important subject which is close to our concerns and to yours.
At the beginning, I would like to express my delegation's appreciation of the opening statement made by Mr. Yriart last night. It was precise, it touched on several aspects of the problem, and it gave a good start to discussions. Also, as I am clearing the preliminaries, let me express the appreciation of my delegation for FAO's role so far in participation in the preparations for the TCDC Conference. We have heard about this from earlier speakers, and we can only take satisfaction in what FAO is doing in this regard. However, I would like to make a distinction between FAO's participation in the Conference and FAO's own responsibility in this area. Irrespective of whether the TCDC Conference was going to be held or not, FAO has, and had, always a responsibility, especially since the concept of TCDC has gathered momentum during the last two or three years.
A related comment is as follows: within the United Nations system, TCDC is not the responsibility of any particular part of the system. It is the responsibility of all the components of the United Nations system, and especially the specialized agencies. Here, I entirely agree with what has been said by our esteemed colleague from Yugoslavia.
Similarly, we feel and strongly feel, and have reasons for doing so that TCDC within FAO is not the responsibility of any particular unit of the Organization. It is work which should infuse and permeate the work of all units in the Organization, of the technical and policy units. However, we do feel that for organizational convenience there should be a focal point in FAO, as there is a focal point in the United Nations system, so that there should be a unit which should be entrusted with the task of monitoring what is happening and stimulating action in this regard. Our delegation would very much like this particular unit to be identified as early as possible.
Regarding the remaining part of my statement, let me apologize in advance for any critical tone that you may perceive. I can however, assure you, Sir - and through you, Mr. Yriart and his colleagues - that in view of the importance that we attach to the subject, our observations and our endeavour will be constructive.
I hope I will be excused if I like the delegate of Yugoslavia express certain disappointment at the implementation of the Resolution adopted by the FAO Council on TCDC on this subject at its June 1977 Session. In response to the specific mandate given in paragraph 3 of that Resolution, we expected
a more comprehensive report. Instead, we have about 18 paragraphs included at the end of the Review of Field Programmes, and an information document. The context of the section on TCDC in the Review of Field Programmes is very well prepared. It diagnoses many things, it also gives some prescriptions. It contains certain valuable insights. So it is good, as far as it goes. But I'm afraid that it does not go far enough, and although as I said, it contains certain home truths, so far as the approach to the TCDC is concerned it does not give an adequate picture of what is actually being done in FAO on this important subject.
Similarly, Document C 77/INF/17, I am afraid, also suffers from the same inadequacy.
As you know, by now a number of studies have been carried out, and the broad outlines of a policy framework are emerging. In this connexion, special mention should be made of the studies carried out under the auspices of UNDP as a part of the preparatory process for the Buenos Aires Conference to be held in September 1978. Also, initiatives have been taken by OPEC, by African Heads of State by Latin American integration movements, by the intra-government bodies in West Asia, and by numerous bodies in Asia and the Pacific. In this regard, I should like to mention the Mexican Conference of the Summit Meeting of Non-Aligned Countries at Colombo. Along with these, we have the Kuwait Declaration, which has been referred to by a number of speakers. This was formulated by a panel of high level independent consultants, and declares that TCDC is a historical imperative brought about by the need for a new international order. It is a conscious, systematic and politically motivated process developed to create a framework of multiple links between developing countries.
Here, I entirely agree with what has been said by the delegates of Cuba and Equador that TCDC institutions must not involve donor/recipient relationships or a new dependency link between developing countries themselves.
As I said just now, even at this stage, a policy framework has been urged. What is now required is action - action on a continuous and consistent basis. Here we find that there is much scope for improvement.
Last evening, the Secretariat in its introduction talked of the attitudinal barriers existing in the developing countries. There is no doubt there is some truth in this formulation. However, we are living in a dynamic situation. Attitudes are changing. What was true a few years ago is true no more. I can give you an example from my country. We have agreed to the establishment of a FAO country office in India and we have very clearly shown our preference for a nominee from a developing country. This is just an example which shows that the fact of attitudinal barriers on the part of developing countries need not be emphasized too much and should not be an apology for lack of action.
While we are talking of attitudinal barriers, it will not be amiss to mention the attitudinal barriers of the Programme Managers which have been referred to in the Review also. Some people are still under the impression that TCDC is nothing but old wine in new bottles. When we talk of TCDC, we are told that this has been happening all the time, so what is new? This reminds me of the story of two archeologists. One of them in his excavations discovered a copper wire and reached the conclusion that telegraph existed 3 000 years ago. The other one, who did not want to be left behind, said that in his excavations he did not discover a copper wire which clearly demonstrated that wireless existed 3 000 years ago. If the international organizations are to play their part in the process of TCDC, they will have to get rid of these attitudinal barriers to which I have just referred.
We propose therefore - and we would wish this proposal to be taken into account in the Chairman's summary and not omitted as were some of the proposals which he made last night - that the Programme Managers and those who are involved should be provided with short reorientation training courses on TCDC It should not be difficult to organize this activity and this will go a long way in sensitizing those who are directly concerned in making them appreciate the new realities.
We feel than an assessment of attitudinal barriers in the FAO against use of inputs from developing countries and concerted action by the Director-General to overcome these countries' barriers is essential. These barriers of course arise from ignorance and inadequate appreciation of technological development in recent years, and partly due to ingrained habits and traditional links with institutions and persons in developed countries. We can approach this problem in a very practical way. Mr. Chairman, you know that we are approving a fairly considerable travel budget for FAO staff. Now by the simple device of asking the experts who are travelling to various countries to identify and report on the national institutions and on the capacities that they come across during their tours, we can collect plenty of very valuable information. So this is my second express proposal which it should not be difficult to implement.
Mr. Chairman, while I am saying all this, I do not deny the continuing importance of North-South flows. They are as useful as in the past, and they will be needed in the future. However, the Northern world models cannot alone, - and I emphasize the word “alone” - provide the most relevant response to many development needs. The time has come to facilitate and accelerate these South-South flows. Channels of communication and contact between developing countries remain relatively weak. World flows and structures are still predominantly organized on North-North and North-South axis. South-South cooperation links among the developing countries will therefore have to receive a conscious, continuing and systematic emphasis.
The publication of the UNDP Directory of Services for TCDC, which lists over 900 institutions in 67 countries is a step in the right direction. We are not aware of the extent of cooperation between FAO and UNDP in this endeavour. I am sure some cooperation has taken place. In any case, we would like to stress that FAO should discharge the responsibility in its sphere of activity in this regard. There is a need for identifying and appraising institutions and capabilities within the developing countries which can be utilized effectively in other developing countries. FAÓ can play this role effectively and disseminate results with a view to promoting their increased use in technical assistance programmes and building up networks of national institutions with common and complimentary objectives.
Mr. Chairman, as I have just said, the policy framework for strengthening and use of national institutions is most welcome, but we need some precise guidance about implementation of this policy. As implementation is the responsibility of practically all substantive units in FAO, the question is who will monitor the progress and evaluate the results for providing feedback to countries and to units within FAO. This is an area which will need urgent attention.
We feel that our identification of potential for TCDC in specific subject matter areas among clearly defined groups of countries with common interests or complementary resource endowments is essential. In this regard there must be a careful balancing of the apparent level of technology and its immediate relevance to the country concerned, because as you know all that glitters is not gold, and the march towards development is tedious and long.
I would like to emphasize another point with regard to the TCDC work. We feel that among the priorities of FAO work in TCDC/should be included the strengthening and the negotiating capacities of the Third World as a whole. This aspect is particularly related to the work of Commodities and Policy Analysis Division in FAO. I will not dwell in detail on this item. I would only refer you to the Preparatory Committee document, “TCDC as a new dimension of International Cooperation.” This document has been prepared by the Sussex Institute of Development Studies.
Again, we are glad to note in Mr. Yriart's statement, that FAO is currently examining the specific recommendations which have emerged from discussions in the UNDP Goverment Council last summer on the subject of using inputs from the developing countries. Mr. Chairman, if I can refer to the statement, if I remember rightly, Mr. Yriart said that any adjustments which are considered necessary in our recruitment, fellowship or contracting procedures to promote increasing use of developing countries' inputs will be made as expeditiously as possible but only after making sure that those adjustments do not in any way compromise the interest of the recipient country or the technical reputation of the Organization itself. We entirely agree with what has been said in the latter part of this statement about the technical reputation of FAO and the interest of the recipient countries, but we would like to say that before examination of these rules, regulations and procedures, let us not pre-judge.
Mr. Chairman, now I am coming to the end of this statement. We fully realize that TCDC is primarily the function and responsibility of the developing countries themselves. Even before the Buenos Aires Conference it was perceived what was happening in this field and the process is being accelerated. The question therefore, is whether the UN would play its part in this process. We feel that the UN has a role until developing countries can put in place their own institutional arrangements. This role should be a supportive role, involving suggestions for research, bridging of information gaps and providing a forum for exchange of experience. Again, I would like to emphasize what the delegate from Romania has said that the developing countries themselves should try to organize consultations between themselves, and where necessary they should have the assistance of international organizations.
I would like to mention one more thing. We are glad to note that in the document C 77/LIM/17 that touches on the Director-General's report, and I quote, “firm personal commitment to the promotion of TCDC in areas which fall within FAO's sphere of activities”. We would like to support this commitment with all the force at our command. At the same time we express the hope that his colleagues in the FAO Secretariat, at all levels, will fully share the Director-General's personal commitments and will work to further the cause.
Mr. Chairman, one brief word about our interests in the TCDC s Conference to be held in Buenos Aires. We are making thorough preparations for it; I have got a ten-page brief on the subject which I do not want to unload on the Commission. Suffice it to say that we have appointed a Steering Committee, a number of Ministries are coordinating their approach, and we hope to participate fully and extensively in this regard.
Finally, Mr. Chairman, let me quote again the COAG Declaration which says that TCDC may be facilitated or hindered but it cannot be stopped.
Finally, Mr. Chairman, I would like to quote the last sentence of the COAG Declaration which says that TCDC and the forthcoming Conference on TCDC should be seen as an opportunity for the World Community to help realize the latent creativity of two billion people and thus open new horizons for mankind. Let us seize this opportunity, Mr. Chairman, and go ahead with the work.
M. DESSOUKI (Egypt) (interpretation from Arabic): Mr. Chairman, we have before us one of the most' important subjects which this Commission has to discuss and we hope that FAO is going to give it priority in its general policy.
Mr. Chairman, the fields of cooperation of course vary, but I would like to stress one specific area and that is training. In this respect the language problem is one of the most difficult aspects of this training and technical cooperation between developing countries is one of the best ways of surmounting this obstacle, not only from the technical point of view, but also in order to reduce the costs of cooperation without forgetting that the problems of developing countries are similar, and this is particularly true when we deal with the countries in one single region. We therefore believe that FAO should place emphasis on training as being a basis for such technical cooperation. We are glad that FAO is doing so already and hope that a technical cooperation centre will be set up in Egypt as indicated in paragraph 4.44 of document C 77/4.
We would also like to say that we have benefited from the information provided by AGRIS reasearch which is carried out in member countries. It is of great importance to us in establishing research in countries which have the same conditions as we have. Mr. Chairman, we can only emphasize here the national institutions and the use to be made of these institutions. We are very glad to note the initiative taken by FAO to give more means to these institutions so that they can cooperate in the strengthening of this TCDC
We would also like to thank FAO for the preparatory work done for the Buenos Aires Conference. We believe that the list which appears in paragraph 4.46 in this same document, the list of topics for cooperation, provides a useful basis for future debate. We would also like to give our support to what was said by the delegate of Benin concerning regional consultations which should precede an international conference.
CM. KASSAMI (Uganda): As was mentioned in Uganda's country statement in the Plenary, my country gives high priority to technical cooperation among the developing countries, and welcomes efforts by various international bodies to facilitate this cooperation, and the inclusion by FAO of this item on its agenda.
My delegation is particularly encouraged by the measures FAO has taken in the implementation of l% regional and sub-regional projects. As has already been mentioned, cooperation among the developing, countries is made difficult by a number of barriers. These will require greater efforts by developing countries, in order to overcome them.
First, long periods of political and economic domination have tended to create biases in developing countries in favour of experts and materials from the developed countries. We share the optimism of the delegate of India that the situation as regards barriers in attitudes is changing, and we welcome all endeavours to accelerate this process.
Secondly, the vast amount of resources available to large multinational companies has enabled them to advertise themselves vigorously so that they are almost household names in the supply of consultancy services and material, while the very limited resources of institutions in the developing countries imply that less is known about them. For this reason, my delegation welcomes the dissemination of information on what is available in developing countries, where and on what terms. We hope that FAO and other international agencies will continue to help in this respect.
In the field of research, there is still more need for cooperation, if the limited amount of resources available to developing countries is to be used to their best advantage. To date, due to limited information on research being undertaken in various developing countries, efforts have tended to be duplicated.
In the area of agricultural commodity trade, the developing countries are limited because of the predominance of a limited scope of primary products, and the lack of organized markets between them.
Furthermore, the established infrastructure tends to be organized along the traditional lines which tend to favour trade between the developed and the developing countries rather between the developing countries,
Here reference is being made to problems of communication, shipping and clearing arrangements between the developing countries.
In view of all these problems, my delegation would recommend that efforts in the collection and distribution of information should be accelerated. We also recommend that FAO should continue to assist in quality control measures, and help member states who require assistance in drawing up quality control legislation.
My delegation further recommends that efforts at untying aid should be made by all donors, so that machinery and equipment can be secured from developing countries.
Having made those general observations, my delegation would like to mention some specific areas in which we invite cooperation with other developing countries. In the field of crops, my country has an established cotton research centre, and is ready to cooperate with any developing country in the exchange of reasearch results.
In the field of fisheries, we are willing to cooperate in the exchange of information on fresh fish research. In the field of livestock, we welcome cooperation in tse-tse control in neighbouring states, and the exchange of research information on disease control with all developing countries.
On the other hand, my country welcomes expertise from developing countries in irrigation, small scale agro-industry, the production of low-cost agricultural equipment, food preservation and other fields. We hope the forthcoming conference on technical cooperation will facilitate this exchange.
Finally, in view of the broad nature of possible areas of cooperation, we urge that priority areas should be defined, so that immediate attention can be turned to them,
L. ZAGOTE (Côte-d'Ivoire): A l'heure où la solidarité internationale est plus que souhaitable, il est bien normal que les pays en voie de développement échangent des expériences techniques, non seulement avec les pays développés, mais également entre eux. Ceci pour la bonne raison que ces pays sont souvent dans des conditions d'environnement naturel favorable.
On a souvent parlé à notre sujet de ce qu'on a appelé ''le miracle ivoirien''. Cette déclaration a souvent été faite par des personnalités étrangères. Mais pour nous, il n'y a pas de miracle. Il s'agit d'une expérience, qui, au prix de mille efforts a donné un résultat modeste. M. Andrew Young, dans sa déclaration sur la Conférence McDougall a parlé de cette expérience. Il s'agit pour nous d'une expérience qui peut être améliorée à partir de l'expérience des autres, mais d'une expérience qui peut aussi aider les autres pays. C'est pourquoi nous appuyons pleinement l'effort de la FAO qui tend à développer la coopération technique entre les pays en voie de développement.
Nous dirons que nous avons déjà fait beaucoup avec les autres pays. Nous citerons la coopération avec le Sénégal; nous avons même institué une commission intitulée “commission ivoirò-sénégalaise''. Nous avons une coopération semblable avec le Nigeria avec qui nous avons signé une convention d'assistance technique. Enfin, nous avons beaucoup d'autres relations avec des pays comme le Brésil, dans le cadre de l'élevage, mais il serait plus intéressant pour ce qui nous concerne que les pays voisins de la Côte-d'Ivoire entrent dans une phase de coopération technique plus approfondie, de sorte que nos populations, qu'il s'agisse des populations du nord, de l'est ou de l'ouest, puissent profiter de l'expérience des autres.
C'est pourquoi, une fols de plus, nous appuyons cet effort que tente la FAO. Nous avons ouvert les portes de la Côte-d'Ivoire pour qu'on puisse voir qu'il ne s'agit pas d'un miracle; il s'agit d'une petite expérience que tout le monde peut copier. Malheureusement, des obstacles existent. Il
faudrait que ces obstacles soient dépassés pour que la coopération puisse s'exercer réellement dans le domaine technique. La finalité de toute politique étant l'homme, il est souhaitable que l'option politique ne fasse pas obstacle à la coopération technique.
A.L. ZAIDAN (Kuwait) (interpretation from Arabic): On the two papers that we have before us, we find these documents are excellent because they provide a basis for technical cooperation between the developing countries and agriculture. We support this document, and in particular we would like to say that it is not just a question of declaring one's intentions to cooperate, but of translating these intentions into action.
The Sub-Regional Centre for Fisheries which Kuwait harbours, suffers from a lack of technical cooperation. We hope that this centre will be able to work in better conditions in the future if technical cooperation comes to life and becomes operational and effective.
This is what we are aiming at in any development programme we engage in. That, we feel, is the very essence of the Kuwait statement concerning technical cooperation, and I would like to thank all those who have paid tribute to the importance of the Kuwaiti statement.
The balance between industry and its dire effects, such as pollution, and the need to muster and control industrial waste, should appear on the list proposed where technical cooperation would be possible. Particular importance should be attached to solar energy, oil, crude oil and energy studies. All research carried out in the developing countries should receive the benefit of our full support so that they can carry out the technical cooperation programmes.
In order to attain our objectives, we must not lose sight of the agricultural aspect which is of primary interest. If the implementation of any specific programme requires funds and financial resources, I think that another element which must also be placed at the disposal of this cooperation is the transfer of technology and the dialogue between the countries of both North and South who are establishing a new international economic order.
Obviously, countries and regions differ greatly from each other, which is why this effort will have to be diversified in order to be of benefit to all.
Srta. C DOMINGUEZ (Panamá): La delegación de Panamá considera que el examen de la Cooperación Técnica entre Países en Desarrollo, para desembocar en una Conferencia Mundial sobre tan importante tema en Argentina el próximo año, es uno de los pasos más importantes que se han hecho para garantizar en un futuro próximo el mantenimiento de la unión y de la presentación de un solo frente común por parte de los países en desarrollo para superar los problemas relacionados con el mantenimiento de la seguridad alimentaria mundial, para aumentar la productividad de la tierra, de la-mano de obra y del capital y superar nuestras dificultades en la relación de los términos de intercambio que ya son tradicionales con respecto a los países desarrollados. Encontramos en la Cooperación Técnica entre Países en Desarrollo un amplio espectro de posibilidades dentro de la complejidad de nuestra situación alimentaria, y del desarrollo rural que, seguramente, enriquecerá a nuestros países en aspectos tan importantes como la capacitación y el adiestramiento a todos los niveles, la elevación de nuestra tecnología y el establecimiento de sistemas de producción, procesamiento y comercialización de alimentos más de acuerdo con nuestras particulares condiciones ecológicas, económicas y culturales y quizás también mediante la creación de instituciones regionales especializadas.
Hasta ahora hemos encontrado algunos campos de cooperación por nuestra propia cuenta entre nuestros países, pero es necesario examinar mucho más detalladamente y en forma sistemática, los avances relativos, los proyectos pilotos y las características institucionales de cada país para conformar un sistema más completo de información de modo que la próxima Conferencia Mundial sobre Cooperación Técnica a celebrarse en Argentina logre verdaderamente sus objetivos.
CHIN FENG-CHU (China) (interpretation from Chinese): The Chinese delegation would like to make a few comments on technical cooperation among developing countries. First, technical cooperation among developing countries is often better suited to their conditions and their needs. It plays an important role in giving fuller scope to productive self-reliance in the research on agricultural technology in developing countries, breaking the technical monopoly and the blockade of the super-powers and helping to destroy the old order and establish a new one in the international economic realm.
Secondly, with our economies mostly based on agriculture, we developing countries have rich traditional experience in the developing of agriculture, forestry, fisheries and animal husbandry. Agricultural technicians in the developing countries know their own needs best and are most familiar with the conditions of agricultural production in their respective countries and their regions. In the past few years, opportunities for agricultural technical cooperation have already been carried out in some regional organizations and producing countries as well as among developing countries. This is very encouraging and has brought visitors.
Thirdly, these facts illustrate both the need for and the feasibility of carrying out technical cooperation among developing countries. Therefore, we think that it is necessary to discuss technical cooperation among developing countries in the field of food and agriculture.
Fourth, we are of the opinion that in order to promote technical cooperation among developing countries it is essential to undertake it in a planned and selective way by drawing on the experience that has already been accumulated and starting with projects that are most urgently needed by the developing countries and that can be successfully carried out. Such technical cooperation may vary in the form it takes; it may involve integrated annual or long-term projects, as the case may be. In sum, it must be voluntary on all sides and should aim at economy and effectiveness.
Fifth, in this connexion, FAO has proposed to utilize the institutions, experts and facilities of the developing countries in executing certain field projects and TCDC projects. In our opinion, this is a feasible idea, and we give it our support.
Sixth, for developing countries to exchange experience, learn from each other, support each other and carry on technical cooperation, this manifests a brand-new international economic relationship. It is a very promising undertaking and should be given active support. It is our hope that the present discussion will further promote the work in this field and pave the way for the forthcoming Conference on Technical Cooperation Amongst Developing Countries, so that the Conference can be held in the spirit of the Declaration and Action Programme adopted by the Sixth Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly and contribute to the establishment of a New International Economic Order.
D, BASSIOUNI (Sudan): My delegation gives a lot of importance to the Technical Cooperation Programme Amongst Developing Countries, and I think the document has really identified a number of fields where cooperation can be built between developing countries. I think one of the most important areas of cooperation is planning and education, and there are a lot of advantages in this because I am sure a number of developing countries can benefit greatly from neighbouring countries; I mean institutions in neighbouring countries can always afford places more cheaply to these countries, and I think this is where there is a lot of scope for cooperation. Cooperation in know-how of national institutions also can be an area where there will be a lot of cooperation.
But one thing worries me about this particular programme. It is the fact that a number of countries are already attached to institutions by tradition, and sometimes it is difficult to persuade them to see that there are more advantages in cooperating regionally with other countries. The problem which I see as confronting this particular programme is how do we catalyse the cooperation among these countries? How do we make them see that there is a lot of advantage in cooperating among themselves? I think that is one subject which should really form a very important part of our discussions, especially in the forthcoming Conference on Technical Cooperation. I think it is not simply identifying the areas of cooperation but really catalysing and mobilising many countries, which should form a very important element. I think that is a very important aspect which the Conference should not lose sight of.
J. SZÄNTO (Hungary): I think nothing more has been left for me to say on the TCDC Programme before us, since the previous speakers have already said what my delegation also supports very much, so I will be very brief.
My delegation concurs with the TCDC and is very much looking forward to the results of the Buenos Aires Conference. You may recall that Hungary, when intervening in the previous sessions, has already mentioned that we have a firm intention to broaden our cooperation with the developing countries, and we believe that TCDC is an excellent framework for that.
May I refer to Paragraph 4.45 of document C 77/4 on the importance of training programmes and training activities. We do agree with FAO putting heavy emphasis on these activities, and we also would like to promote practical oriented training in order to upgrade the skill and expertise of experts coming from developing countries, both in technical and managerial disciplines.
P. CELAN (Roumanie): Je voudrais intervenir brièvement sur notre ordre du jour de cet après-midi. Figurent sur notre programme deux points: Coopération technique entre pays en développement dans le domaine de l'agriculture et de l'alimentation jet Programme alimentaire mondial. Or, nous savons que la Commission des résolutions doit nous présenter un texte à ce sujet. Dans ces conditions, et si vous étiez d'accord, il serait préférable d'inverser ces deux questions en commençant à l'ouverture de la séance par le Programme alimentaire mondial. La Commission de résolutions doit se réunir, d'après mes informations, à 18 heures; elle sera alors à même de nous présenter son projet de résolution que nous pourrons examiner pour en terminer sur la coopération technique.
CHAIRMAN: I thank the delegate of Romania. I understand from the Secretariat they still have many resolutions still pending, and I think when we go on this afternoon to further our discussion on this agenda item, by this time we will be finished with our agenda item, that is the TCDC, so that the resolution will be finished and we can continue and go on to the next agenda item. If Romania have no objection about this we can agree on this.
The meeting rose at 12.45 hours
La Séance est levée à 12 h 45
Se levanta la sesión a las 12.45 horas
