A. NORMAN (Angola): Ma délégation ne prétend pas présenter une analyse exhaustive du thème que nous examinons ni non plus de solutions nouvelles dans le domaine de l'agriculture. Nous tenons essentiellement à souligner l'importance que la République populaire d'Angola attache au secteur agricole en tant que facteur dominant dans toute la problématique du Nouvel ordre économique international. A cet égard, nous saluons les efforts accomplis par la FAO dans l'analyse de la situation alimentaire et agricole mondiale et son attachement à la recherche de solutions en vue de l'ajustement agricole international. Je tiens à souligner l'étude très utile qui nous sert de base de travail intitulée "Progrès de l'ajustement agricole international". Je disais que notre délégation ne s'attacherait pas à démonter tout le mécanisme qui est à la base de la situation de dénuement où nous nous trouvons à l'heure actuelle. Nous nous tournons résolument vers l'avenir que nous ne voulons pas subir mais façonner de concert avec toutes les nations du globe afin de le rendre plus accueillant pour tous les peuples de la planète.
A maintes reprises dans les différents forums internationaux fut émise et approuvée l'idée selon laquelle le Gouvernement et le peuple seront les principaux artisans du développement et qu'ils devaient être prêts à consentir les efforts et les sacrifices que cela exige.
En ce sens, nous estimons que le développement de l'agriculture devrait être inscrit dans les plans socio-économiques nationaux comme domaine prioritaire et comme base de toute industrialisation. Eu égard au principe de la souveraineté nationale, il serait souhaitable que le transfert de ressources dans le cadre de l'aide au développement se concentre surtout dans le domaine agricole de façon prioritaire en faveur des pays qui s'engagent de façon conséquente dans cette voie.
En défendant ce point de vue, nous nous rangeons du côté de ceux qui proposent que la prochaine décennie soit proclamée "Décennie des Nations Unies pour l'agriculture". L'adoption de cette solution devrait exprimer de la part des pays en développement une volonté de changement qui se traduirait dans l'adoption de mesures appropriées, notamment la transformation des structures économiques et sociales requise pour rendre effectives les mesures préconisées à la Conférence des Nations Unies sur la réforme agraire. Nous attendons que, comme cela a été fait pour la Décennie des transports en Afrique, des projets au niveau national et régional soient élaborés conjointement par la FAO, les organismes spécialisés concernés et les organes régionaux des Nations Unies, de façon à concrétiser ce qui n'est aujourd'hui qu'une déclaration d'intention. Il pourrait s'agir de projets simples, mais d'envergure, mettant l'accent sur l'amélioration de l'environnement agricole de chacune des régions du globe avec une particulière attention au problème de la désertification et à celui de l'eau.
I. MAHMUL (Bangladesh): My delegation would like to refer to the intervention by the delegate from France, who opined that the document shifts the entire responsibility of agricultural development on to developed countries alone. My delegation would like to refer to paragraphs 106 and 107 on page 34 of document C 79/20. In paragraph 106 it is clearly stated: "Although international action can help, it cannot replace action at a national level. " Again, in paragraph 107: "While developing countries have direct influence"-I would like to underline the words "direct influence"-"on their own agricultural destinies through their investment priorities and producer incentives . .
Further, my delegation feels that the need for readjusting national priorities with regard to investment in agriculture has been well recognized, and may not require further extensive elaboration in this particular forum. Also, the document alluded to "international adjustments", not national. adjustments.
Secondly, regarding the policy guidelines, my delegation feels that there is no need to consider them sacred: on the contrary, there is a need to review them in a dynamic situation, particularly in view of the new developments which have taken place since the 1975 FAO Conference.
A. I. MENENDEZ (México):Cuando la Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas aprobó en 1974 con el voto de la enorme mayoría de los países, con las reservas tradicionales de los países industrializados de economía de mercado, un nuevo instrumental jurídico y normativo donde se enmarcaban las legítimas aspiraciones de los pueblos al desarrollo para lograr el establecimiento del nuevo orden económico internacional, a ello vino a sumarse la carta de los deberes y derechos económicos de los Estados con el mismo espíritu innovador de las viejas y nuevas estructuras de dominación colonial y neocolonial. Desde entonces el tema del nuevo orden es sujeto de controversia en todos los foros internacionales.
Nuestra delegación considera que el establecimiento del nuevo orden económico internacional requiere de medidas concretas tangibles, y no sólo de buenos deseos, ya que casi todo se ha dicho y muy poco se ha hecho en esa materia. En ese sentido, con este espíritu mencionaremos algunas medidas que pueden contribuir a clarificar los temas que nos ocupan.
Primero, el establecimiento del nuevo orden económico internacional es un compromiso colectivo y no hay manera decorosa de eludirlo.
Segundo, si el nuevo orden está orientado prioritariamente al sector agrícola de los países del tercer mundo, de los llamados países en desarrollo, consideramos que el reajuste agrícola internacional es una de las principales columnas del nuevo orden.
Tercero, como ha mencionado el Director General, los avances en la esfera del comercio internacional no han contribuido directamente al proceso del reajuste en los avances cuantificables y no declarativos; son más modestos, aunque si bien es cierto que en el sistema generalizado de preferencias y de suministro de ayuda alimentaria se hayan observado algunas mejoras, lo que renueva la necesidad de exhortar y aplicar objetivos claros.
Las directrices señaladas en los documentos C 79/20 y su suplemento elaborados por la Secretaría de FAO obligatoriamente deben ser sometidos a una revisión meticulosa y detallada; reforzar y clarificar la esencia de su texto y, en todo caso, darle un seguimiento cuantitativo y cualitativo que permita medir el nivel de cumplimiento del compromiso contraído por los países miembros de esta Conferencia, si honesta y auténticamente se aspira a contribuir a que esta generación contemple un mundo más justo. Estamos ciertos de que no hay manera decorosa de eludir este compromiso.
Cuarto, si bien estas directrices no constituyen un contrato, su aplicación y revisión constituyen un pre-requisito para seguir adelante por los países y grupos de países en lo individual y en lo colectivo.
Quinto, México apoya la propuesta formulada por la Secretaría a través del doctor Islam que revisa sus directrices y orientaciones, por lo que ofrecemos todo el apoyo y colaboración de nuestro país a esa tarea que juzgamos indispensable. 0 sea, señor Presidente, esto constituye un pre-requisito; de otra manera no entendemos el reajuste agrícola internacional.
Nuestra delegación apoya los cuatro factores mencionados en el documento C 79/20 en lo referente a la estrategia del desarrollo y que han sido reconocidos por todos los gobiernos. Para nosotros ellos han sido preocupación constante en la aplicación de nuestra política agrícola. El aumento de los básicos alimentarios, el mejoramiento de la calidad y distribución de los alimentos disponibles, el mejoramiento del costoso aparato comercial estabilizando el mercado, y la ayuda externa complementaria son postulados con los que coincidimos.
México quiere coincidir con varios países que se han manifestado anteriormente. Con un país pequeño como Nepal cuando señala que las barreras arancelarias, que son otra expresión del proteccionismo, y las corporaciones transnacionales son obstáculos tangibles para el establecimiento del nuevo orden económico internacional. Con Polonia al afirmar que los países en desarrollo requieren mejorar las condiciones de sus exportaciones en materia de sanidad y técnicas de mercadeo, y nosotros agregaríamos "en la integración sistemática de su oferta, así como con la necesidad de establecer convenios a largo plazo con el objeto de estabilizar y planificar en lo posible el mercado internacional". Y con España al afirmar que la crisis, que es profunda y estructural, no podrá resolverse con medidas coyunturales, sino estableciendo y cumpliendo, subrayo "y cumpliendo" líneas generales de desarrollo agrícola con justicia social para el tercer decenio para el desarrollo.
Por último, México considera que FAO debe sumar esfuerzos con la UNCTAD y con la Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas, instancia que debe recibir e incorporar en sus conclusiones las resoluciones que aquí preparamos en materia del nuevo orden económico internacional y reajuste agrícola. Por ello
reiteramos nuestro apoyo activo a la revisión de las orientaciones propuestas por la Secretaría. Nos extraña mucho que los representantes de las economías industriales más afluentes se opongan a esta revisión indispensable.
Estamos ciertos que la solución somos todos para los complejos problemas del desarrollo agrícola. No es posible mirar el futuro con un espejo que refleje una historia colonial y de dominación.
M. KRIÊSBERG (United States of America): My intervention will be brief. The United States Delegation commends the FAO Secretariat onthereport that it issued: theSecondProgressReport on International Agricultural Adjustements. We should note, however, that contrary to some language in the Secretariat document, we do believe that the multilateral trade negotiations have brought trade benefits for all exporting countries and that work is continuing within the GATT to expand benefit for the developing countries. Of course there are many complex issues that must be weighed in formulating national agricultural policies, but we firmly feel that further progress can be made for developing countries by their active participation in negotiating sessions within the GATT framework.
We are pleased too that the Secretariat has provided us with updated figures on development assistance and wè note that those updated figuresindicate that the commitments for 1978 by multilateral organizations alone were approximately 4. 2 billion dollars, or almost 30 percent over the 1977 figures.
We should also point out that much of the multilateral funding comes from the same countries as the larger bilateral programme activities, hence the increased development bank funding for agricultural projects reflects the higher priorities for this sector which the United States Government and other like-minded countries have set in these international development institutions.
We would like to commend the Secretariat for its statements in the report on the importance of external private investment in the developing countries agricultural sector, and on the need for food priority countries themselves to accord high priority and greater resources for food and agricultural development.
Finally, our delegation associates itself with previous speakers that revisions of the guidelines for international agricultural adjustement should be considered carefully and after there is ample experience with the present guidelines. In this connection we support the Secretariate suggested timetable of having some draft revisions considered at the FAO Conference in 1981.
P. C. DE OLIVEIRA CAMPOS (Brazil): Brazil believes that the Special Session of the General Assembly that will take place next year should try to establish a strategy for the implementation of concrete measures towards the New International Economic Order.
All the developing countries are trying to do their best to achieve the necessary basic structural changes in international relations so that their needs can be fulfilled. However, this effort has not been sufficient to result in real progress in the agricultural sector. This progress will only be achieved if all countries act together in close cooperation, increasing the flow of financial resources for the increase of food production in the developing countries. There is still a lack of political will which is needed to implement international agriculturaladjustment. . :id the new International Economic Order.
The Secretariat has prepared a very useful document entitled "International Agricultural Adjustment: Second Progress Report". As the document clearly shows, the adjustment has been no more than a declaration of principles for those countries which are in a condition to take concrete measures towards the liberalization of international food markets and the increase of financial resources directed to agriculture in the developing countries. The little and very limited progress achieved proves the lack of international will for the implementation of the New International Economic Order, of which thatadjustment is a very important instrument.
We agree with the Secretariat that the adjustment iieeds some reformulation so that it can include precioè and clear policy goals and objectives in accordance with the present framework of the adjustment.
Brazil believes that the changes needed should strengthen the present guidelines of the adjustement so that the goals can be achieved in a short term, particularly in relation to the increase of food production in the developing countries and to the liberalization of international food markets.
S. A. PAVEZ (Pakistan): I will be very brief, keeping in view the limitations of time. While this morning we did give our views on this item I have taken the liberty of requesting the floor again at this stage just to add here with reference to International Agricultural Adjustment document C 79/20-Sup. 1 that in my delegations view there is need for the Policy Guidelines to be reviewed, it is essential in view of the changing circumstances and the number of developments that have since taken place that need to be reflected in these Guidelines. We also agree with the time schedule and perspective that the Secretariat have suggested for the proposed report. We feel that such an exercise is both desirable and necessary.
B. SUSSMILCH (European Economic Community): I will try to be as brief as possible but first I would like to thank the Secretariat of FAO for repeating document C 79/20 which we appreciated verymuch. This document reminds us of the conclusions of the Conference in 1977 that it could examine in this year the preparation of the Policy Guidelines for International Agricultural Adjustment and the Se ore tat i at have given their views en the nature of eventual revisions and procedures to be followed. Before embarking on such a task consideration should be given to the following points: agreement on these guidelines was reached not so long ago-only in 1973-after a full year of discussion in Groups and FAO Committees.
Secondi agricultural adjustment is a long-term continuing operation.
Third, the process of monitoring has only just begun and it has reached only broad conclusions as to what extent countries follow the agreed Guidelines.
Fourth, there is no agreement yet on the general outline of the Strategy for the Third Development Decade and of course these Guidelines should fit in more general principles of international cooperation for development.
For these reasons it would seem to the Community and its Member States that the Conference should take a decision on the appropriateness of an examination and the procedures to be followed. Nevertheless! taking into acoount that many delegations already agreed with the review of the Guidelines, the Community is willing to withdraw its reserve on the condition that the Guidelines are reviewed before taking decisions on revisions at a Working Party to be called in the course of the next year.
E. SHERSHNEV (united Nations): It is both an honour and a privilege for me to address this Committee on behalf of the United Nations Department for International Economic and Social Affairs. I would like to use this opportunity first of all in order to say a few words about the present situation with regard to the preparation of the New International Development Strategy. Unfortunately the context in which such preparations take place is not the most favourable. There is a consensus that the overalleconomicsituation in the world has many adverse features and carries a number of alarming trends. It is enough to say that the income gap between the developed and the developing countries has not been reduced, that economic growth of food production has not kept pace with population increase in a number of countries, that- the present slowing down in economic progress in the effectiveness of public production in some developed countries may not be a temporary phenomenon. Above all there are still strong imbalances in world economic relations and in the international institutional framework which regulates these relations. In otherwords, six years after the adoption by the General Assembly of the United Nations of a Programme of Action to implement a New InternationaleconomicOrder, economic, financial and monitory issues and relations are still marked by features not only negative for developing countries but in the world as a whole. Of course this is not to say that progress has not been made during this decade in a number of areas. In terms of growth of exports of manufactures, of agricultural production, of health, education and other measures a number of developing countries have achieved significant results. New policies have been implemented, new ideas have been debated, new institutions on a national and international level have emerged and responded to various needs. Nevertheless what I wish to stress is that the economic conditions, the intellectual atmosphere, the political situation of the day, are significantly different from those which prevailed at the beginning of the 1970s when the International Development Strategy for this decade was discussed and adopted by General Assembly.
The present context of international economic negotiations with all its alarming trends and positive changes is a great challenge. All countries, at different levels of development and with different economic and social systems, are equally concerned by this challenge. A year ago when the preparation of a New International Development Strategy was initiated, the General Assembly decided that this new Strategy should address itself to eight major objectives including the objective and I quote
"increasing substantially food and agricultural production in the developing countries and facilitate effectively the access of their agricultural exports to international markets on a stable and more practicable basis and at fair remunerative prices. !. The purpose of the new Strategy, its goals and objectives, the types of target and policy recommendations have already been examined in the Preparatory Committee specially established for this purpose. This Preparatory Committee had three sessions in 1979 and adopted a draft preamble for the new Strategy. The text of this preamble, which still comprises a number of so-called "gray areas" where an agreement could not be reached, is now before the General Assembly together with the overall report of the Preparatory Committee on its deliberations during 1979. The same Committee is scheduled to meet again next January.
Parallel to the work of the Preparatory Committee for the New Strategy the Committee for the Whole, established by the General Assembly in 1978, started to work. This Committee was specifically established in the context of the preparation for the Special Session of the General Assembly which is planned for 1980 and which will assess the progress made in the various forums of the United Nations system in the establishment of the New International Economic Order, and on the basis of this assessment take appropriate action for the promotion of the development of developing countries and international economic cooperation, including the adoption of the New International Development Strategy for the 1980s It is known today that the Committee of the Whole should also act as a Preparatory Committee for global negotiations. The procedures, timetable and detailed agenda of such negotiations have to be decided at the Special Session of the General Assembly. The Group of 77 proposes that global negotiations include major issues in the field of raw materials, energy, trade, development money and finance, and take place within the United Nations with the full participation of all States.
I believe there is no need to emphasise further the importance of decisions that the General Assembly is now facing on the related issues of a New International Development Strategy and global negotiations on international economic cooperation. Many problems have to be solved, different perspectives and interests have to be reconciled before the adoption of a meaningful strategy for the coming decade. The issues before the international community are closely inter-related. This is one of the reasons why close collaboration between the various parts of the United Nations systems is so important today. We have such collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization. Particularly the provisional results and conclusions of the FAO Study of Agricultural toward 2000 which are on the agenda of this Session have been progressively utilized by the Preparatory Committee on the International Development Strategy as well as by the United Nations Secretariat. We are convinced that our collaboration with FAO will develop further.
M. QADI (Palestine Liberation Organization) (interpretation from Arabic): Mr. Chairman, in the first document before us and in particular Guidline 3, reference is made to social development and of course this is the objective we are all trying to pursue. But we think it is impossible to bring about social justice as long as Israel continues to occupy Arab territories by force and as long as it continues to expand its colonies in occupied zones, all of which is contrary to the interests of the subject we are discussing now. I do not want to go into details concerning the lands which have been taken away from Arab farmers by force, nor do I wish to enter into the number of colonies which have been established in Gaza or on the West bank of the Jordan. I merely wish to draw your attention to the expansionist and agressive policy of Israel and the development of these policies. The Israeli Cabinet decided to create an increase of 19 Israeli colonies and the number of these colonies will now increase to 19 this year. The number of inhabitants in these colonies will be double what it is today.
This is a challenge to the international community and to all the resolutions adopted by the United Nations General Assembly as well as by its agencies. The continuation of these policies is also a pursuance of the policy of poverty against the Arab Palestinian population, all of which is contrary to the objectives we are pursuing, the ideals to which we are working. This is why I would like all this to be taken into consideration when this Commission adopts its recommendations even though Israel has never attributed any importance to any resolution adopted by the United Nations system. But we think Israel would not be able to continue indefinitely to hold this attitude and to challenge and defy international opinion as a whole if it could not obtain financial or political suport from the USA.
CHAIRMAN; We have now completed our list of speakers on this item 8. 1 of the agenda and I now call on Dr. Nurul Islam to reply to all the questions addressed to him.
N. ISLAM (Assistant Director-General, Economic and Social Policy Department): In view of the shortage of time I will he very "brief or I would not cover all the points raised during the discussion.
Mr. Chairman, we thank the delegates for their many helpful comments and positions made during the debate. We are happy that the delegates are in general agreement with the report on the progress and implementation of International Agricultural Adjustment • However, a number of queries have made in the course of the debate on which I would like to comment. We agree that we must continue firstly to develop indicators, more appropriate indicators, which are for the purpose of monitoring the Guidelines. Secondly, continue our efforts improve the collection of data to suit the indicators. But as the. delegates would appreciate and many of them pointed out the development of indicators are not independent, or unrelated to, the nature of the Guidelines themselves. In other words how precise the Guidelines are is irrevalant to the task of developing indicators. In the course of monitoring our experience has been, as we have pointed out in the Report, that some of the Guidelines are vague and imprecise.
As the delegate from the United Kingdom has emphasized questions have been asked about the mode of disaggregated data of investment programmes. As I explained in the course of my introduction, as well as in the debate on the State of Food and Agriculture, we are continuing our work on investment in agriculture. The first stage relates to public expenditure on agriculture and I have already informed the delegates of the problems we are facing in the collection of data on investment in agriculture and the analysis and relationship between investment and production, on growth in productivity, is certainly a worthwhile exercise. and is particularly critically dependent upon the availability of comparable data on both investment and growth in productivity.
Questions have also been raised for the need of analysis of differences among countries in times of greater growth in output.
In Table 3 on page 7 we have attempted to desoribe differences among countries in terms of low trade and production, and we were also asked as to whether we could not produce data on food intake by different groups of population, by different target groups for example. The major source of such data by groups of population regarding the relation to their food intake or nutritional status, the food consumption surveys some of which give both data and expenditure and quantities of food consumption.
Oliere is an increasing flow of such surveys which provide this kind of data and we would continue our work in analysing them and provide more comprehensive data to the extent that it is available of food intake by income groups. But there will be a limitation in this exercise as there are seldom available for a number of years such surveys to monitor progress over time. We will do whatever we can in this respect.
The delegate from the United Kingdom asked for further explanation and elaboration of the methodology followed in the preparation of the table 9 on page 14. In the methodology referred to in the footnote I on page 13, the previous page, this relates to quantification of policies of intervention in developed countries on production, consumption and trade. This paper was distributed for information at the time of the last Conference describing the methodology used making these estimates.
A question was raised in the course of discussion as to whether the report was balanced in terms of analysis of national and international policy measures. The delegates will recall the Guidelines are indeed divided between these two sets of measures.
Guidelines 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 do refer to national policies regarding production investment, national policies, nutritional policies, etc. We feel that the report does discuss the progress in national policies in the developing countries, particularly paragraph 106 in the summary section. It does point out that to improve the situation within the framework offered by the Guidelines requires renewed determination by all governments. We agree with the suggestions made by the delegate of Libya that the report in future should indicate progress under each of the four groups of Guidelines, in addition to monitoring the progress under each of the Guidelines separately. Undoubtedly this will improve both the quality of analysis and presentation.
In view of the discussions under revision of policy guidelines I would like to suggest an amendment in the timetable suggested for the revision of the guidelines as presented in the document, we suggested that the circulation of the Secretariat's draft proposals for the revision of the Guidelines to all member governments take place in November/Dec ember 1980. We are proposing a modification of this to February 1981, rather than November/Dec ember 1980. Consequently the next step, which is the organization by the Director-General of an ad hoc working party to meet at the originally proposed date February/March 1981 we now suggest it should be April or May 1981, to examine the Secretariat's draft proposals.
This, Mr. Chairman, appears to be more appropriate in view of the discussion especially in view of the need to wait until the new International Development Strategy is formally adopted by the General Assembly.
CHAIRMAN: (interpretation from Arabic): Thank you. We have listened today to more than 28 speakers and with regard to the second report on agricultural adjustment there was a consensus that the document has dealt with the topic in a good manner and that there is a consensus in regard to its general conclusions. Some of you have expressed the view that there is not sufficient progress while others have expressed some optimism that there is some progress in some other fields. With regard to this part of the report I think that what has been recorded, I mean the observations made by the Secretariat, that should be treated within the framework of the Drafting Committee, I do not think there should be any necessity for dealing with this part because the Drafting Committee will be dealing with it with honesty and efficiency. There still remains the revision of the Guidelines of International Agricultural Adjustment and the timetable. In this respect you might remember that the Committee on Commodity Problems has dealt with this topic and discussed it in detail to a large extent, and in this Committee, therefore, many viewpoints have been expressed so there is the necessity of revising such Guidelines and to agree on the timetable suggested by the Secretariat, while other groups have expressed their opinion mainly that revision of such Guidelines would be premature. Either because these Guidelines had not been clarified in terms of time or because we should not review such Guidelines without knowing the conclusions of the International New Strategy. Anyway, the Committee on Commodity Problems agreed on the proposals and the necessity of revision and timetables and then the Council, the PAD Council, studied the Report of this Committee as being one of the Committees to the Council. The Council agreed on this Report and transferred it to the Conference with the recommendation to adopt such a Report.
Now when this issue was submitted to us in the morning session, and in the afternoon as well, the main discussion was repeated as happened in the Committee on Commodity Problems and in the Council. We find that many delegates have asserted their agreement on the topic of revising such Guidelines and timetables, while some other groups of countries found that it is difficult to revise such Guidelines though they regard such difficulties as mainly in the timing, because they consider that this is premature to review such guidelines. Some others have expressed their concern over the nature of the changes proposed with regard to such Guidelines, despite the fact that some of the delegates have thought that there might he a necessity of changing one word here or there.
I do not know whether I am expressing the feelings of the Committee when I say that there are no differences of opinion that the Guidelines are in need of such review as long as we deem it appropriate in the light of the international development in terms of agriculture, trade and industry, and taking into consideration the objective of the new strategy that would be decided, of course, by the General Assembly of the United Nations, and to take into consideration the conclusions that have been realized by the other agencies. Particularly that the timetable as adjusted gives an ample chance that such review should be made in accordance with the development I referred to and this would be confirmed after listening to Dr. Nurul Islam, that there is an extension of about three months for introducing some changes. That means that we still have ample time, and the whole picture with regard to the new international strategy and other conclusions will be clearer.
After having listened to some of the speakers this afternoon I think I can say that there is a consensus, first, on the necessity of reviewing and amending the guidelines of agricultural adjustment and, secondly, that this could be done in accordance with the timetable and the steps suggested, as amended by the Secretariat.
If the Commission feels that to be an accurate summary of what has been discussed, I think we might stop there. However, I should like to add one thing. I should like to thank all those who have made it possible to reach such a consensus of opinion.
It seems there is agreement on what I have said, so, having discussed this matter in detail, I think we should now move to the second point on our agenda today.
CHAIRMAN (interpretation from Arabic):Item 8. 2, on "Agriculture: Toward 2000", gives us the opportunity to leave the past as well as the present and to look forward to the future, hoping that the whole picture in the future will be brighter than it has been in the past. The documents under discussion will be C 79/20, C 79/20 Supp. 1, C 79/24 and C 79/33.
Before opening the discussion I call upon Dr. Islam, who will introduce this important document.
N. ISLAM (Assistant Director-General, Economic and Social Department):In view of the very bulky size of this report and the very wide range of issues covered, I hope the Commission will forgive me if my introduction tends to be rather long.
At the outset I should like to mention that the report, Agriculture: Toward 2000 which has been submitted to the Conference is a provisional report. We intend to revise it in the light of suggestions and comments made by the Conference. We would also have consultations on this report at the regional level next year on the implications of it for various regions and we hope that these consultations will also help us revise the report.
The study, Agriculture: Toward 2000, is not a forecast, and I should like to emphasize that. It is not a statement of what is likely to happen, nor of what is most probable. It is an analysis of the possibilities for the future in the field of world food and agriculture, provided certain measures are adopted, provided certain changes in institutions take place, provided the resources, as indicated in the report, are available. It deals with issues and questions which are relevant to the formulation of the New International Development Strategy and for the ongoing North/South negotiations on such aspects as trade, investment, international assistance and so on.
Examples of questions which the study asks are as follows:
What are the prospects of acceleration in the rate of growth of agricultural production in the developing countries?
What are the overall rates of economic growth which are consistent with a considerable acceleration in agricultural growth?
What are the prospects of self-sufficiency in the developing countries in respect of food production?
What are the requirements in terms of expansion of arable land, as well as increase in yield per hectare, to achieve the assumed rate of growth in agriculture?
What is the increase in requirements of current inputs, such as fertilizers, pesticides, and so on? What are the implications for capital investment, for food assistance, for trade? What are the prospects for the alleviation of hunger and under nutrition?
What is the role of distributive measures as against measures for accelerating growth as an instrument for the alleviation of poverty?
To each of these questions the study attempts to provide quantitative answers, as well as an analysis of changes in policies and institutions required to achieve such results.
The results of this report have been presented in the various inter-agency forums of the United Nations system to interphase with other sectoral studies, as well as with those relating to macro-economic analysis of world economic growth. This interphasing is not as yet over. The assumptions we have made relating to the rate of overall growth of both developed and developing countries are derived from the present state of these deliberations.
The scenario within the context of which the implications of an accelerated agricultural growth are worked out involves a rate of growth in overall income in the developing countries of 7. 7 percent until the end of the century. Within the overall rate of growth of 7. 7 percent assumed for the developing world as a whole, in so far as the low income countries are concerned it is assumed that their per capita income would double by the end of the century. In view of their level of poverty at the present moment, this seems to be a minimum desirable target. The overall rate of growth of the developing countries at 7. 7 percent until the end of the century implies an acceleration to about 7. 3 percent during the 1980s and
8 percent during the 1990s. I may hasten to mention here that in our revised report we intend to work out out an additional, less optimistic scenario, with a lower rate of overall growth of income in the developing countries as well as in the developed countries.
Within the context of this overall rate of growth, the rate of acceleration in agricultural production postulated is an average 3. 8 percent until the end of the century, rising to 4 percent during the 1980s and going down in the 1990s. This compares with 2. 8-2. 9 percent in the last decade. This implies a doubling of agricultural and food output by the end of the century in the developing world.
Given the optimistic assumption regarding the growth of income, demand for cereals goes up, not only for food but also for feed for sustaining increased production of live stock products, especially in the middle income and oil exporting countries.
This high rate of growth in agriculture is envisaged in the context of sustained efforts to increase, or at least maintain, the self-sufficiency of developing countries in food, having regard to possibilities of raw materials exports. If this high rate of growth is not achieved and the past trend rate of agricultural growth is maintained, there will be a large increase in import demand for food.
The cereal imports of food deficit countries under the high income growth assumption will go up to 80 million tons in 1990 and 134 million tons by the end of the century, that is almost double and three times respectively the average imports in 1974-76, whereas if the trend continues food imports will go up to 114 million tons and 177 million tons respectively at 2000.
The consequences of the continuation of past trends will indeed be aggravation of under nutrition, especially if the larger imports assumed under the trend scenario are not met.
The trend scenario also implies a decline in the trade balance from $12 billion of surplus in 1974-76 (average) to an almost equivalent amount of deficit in 1990 and a three times larger deficit in 2000. The ability of the developing countries to secure higher imports of food under the trend scenario will therefore be severely restricted.
What are the implications of this accelerated growth in agricultural production? The physical resources, land and water resources, in the developing countries and the presently known technology, if vigourously implemented, are more than sufficient for agriculture to achieve this rate of growth in agricultural production by the end of the century.
What does it imply in terms of investment? Investment must go up to $57 billion in 1990 and $78 billion in 2000 in crop and livestock production, including storage and marketing. Taking investment in transport and first-stage processing as also included, the needed amount would go up to $78 billion in 1990 and $107 billion in 2000. The most important thing to note here is that a large part of this investment, almost between 35 and 40 percent, is in replacement investment for depreciation of capital stock.
The preliminary estimates of net investment, including processing, in the fishery sector work out at an annual average of $35 billion between 1990 and 2000; in the forestry sector, the annual average of net investment works out between $12-$18 billion during the same period.
Required annual expenditures on current inputs such as fertilizers, seeds and pesticides, would also have to increase substantially to about the amounts mentioned for capital investment.
These estimates emphasize that agricultural development requires massive investment, and that it cannot be achieved on the cheap. The alleviation of poverty and hunger is a very expensive undertaking in terms of resource mobilization required both within the developing world and in terms of external assistance.
In spite of the intensification of the mobilization of domestic resources, there will be need for considerable external assistance. Foreign assistance requirements for capital investment, current inputs and technical assistance would be about $13 billion in 1990 and $17 billion in the year 2000.
The implications for changes in policies and institutions are also very considerable.
The role of incentives to farmers and agricultural producers is critical. The maintenance of a favourable term of trade, at least the avoidance of an adverse term of trade, for agriculture is important. An appropriate pricing policy which reconciles the need for incentives for producers and low prices for consumers can hardly be overemphasized. The lack of purchasing power or effective demand has to be mitigated by expansion of employment and income for the poor. In the long-run advances in agricultural productivity would moderate a rise in food prices. Great improvements are needed in education, extension, provision of inputs, credits and services to the agricultural sector, including development of efficient institutional arrangements for delivery, and implementation-delivery of inputs and implementation of agricultural development programmes.
What would be the state of undernourishment by the end of the century as a result of this large increase in investment and food production?
If the high rate of increase in income and effective demand postulated under the optimistic scenario is realized, and if the supplies to match this demand are available from both domestic production and imports as envisaged in the optimistic scenario, the proportion of population undernourished would fall from the prevailing 22 percent to 12 percent by 1990 and 7 percent by 2000 in the developing countries as a whole. The absolute number involved would still remain substantial at about 325 million in 1990 and 240 million in the year 2000. The situation could turn out to be much worse if the optimistic assumption of the high rate growth of income and demand and matching supplies are not realized. Even if food imports of the order indicated under the trend scenario could be financed, the estimate of undernourished population under the trend scenario could at best be stabilized in the area of 400 million people by the end of the century.
This is a sobering conclusion derived from the study: that is, in spite of high rates of growth of income and in spite of increased supplies at a rate much higher than in the past, a large percentage of the population would remain undernourished unless redistributed measures are adopted. Increase in employment and income of the poor and undernourished is an essential condition for alleviating hunger and under nutrition. Income and effective demand of the poorer sections of the population have to rise faster than that of the rest of the community. This would imply redirection of investment expenditures towards the poor as well as increased expenditures on health, education, and other social services which have a bearing both direct and indirect on the state of under nutrition. No less important are the policies relating to the distribution and marketing of food, as well as pricing policies, especially in respect of availability of food for the vulnerable groups.
The relationship between agricultural growth and rural poverty is a complex one and has been the subject of recommendations of the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development Programme of Action. The programme emphasizes that national progress based on growth with equity and participation requires a redistribution of the economic and political power; it requires more equitable access to land, water and other productive resources.
No less important is the expansion of non-agricultural employment and income in both rural and urban areas. The problem of rural poverty cannot be sought in agriculture alone. The non-agricultural sector would become increasingly important as a source of income and employment.
What are the implications for trade and external assistance in this kind of scenario? Even under the most optimistic assumptions, food imports for all developing countries, as I stated earlier, go up to 85 million tons in 1990 and 150 million tons in 2000. This is for all developing countries; but if we consider only the food deficit countries, it will go up to 80 million tons and 134 million tons respectively in 1990 and 2000. In spite of such a high rate of growth of domestic output, food imports continue to rise. This is primarily because demand also goes up fast, given the assumed rate of growth of income and demand. 35 percent of the total increase in import demand for cereals originates in the most vulnerable group of countries; the larger part of course originates in the middle income and higher income countries.
An analysis has been made of the export prospects of the developed countries to meet the growing food import needs and other import requirements. The agricultural sector needs to provide its share in increasing the export earnings of the developing countries to finance their growing import needs. The production of agricultural raw materials for exports could be substantially increased, in spite of priority given to domestic food production. Agricultural exports could grow at 4. 3 percent and 5 percent respectively during the 1980s and 1990s. The share of agricultural exports of developing countries
could thus grow to 50 percent of the world trade in agriculture, from the past share of about 35-38 percent. The net positive trade balance in terms of agricultural commodities could treble from $10 billion to $30 billion by 2000. To the extent that a proportion of this increase in exports will be in the processed form, the total value of exports could be even higher.
This level of export performance on the part of the developing countries would depend upon three preconditions, given the assumed rate of increase and demand growth in the developed countries.
1. Trade liberalization in the developed countries;
2. Expansion of trade amongst developing countries in agricultural commodities;
3. No fall in the prices of export commodities as the volume of exports expands.
The study does analyse how the developed countries can respond to the trade implications of the growth in the developing countries. There is need for their large food imports, on the one hand, and expansion of exports of agricultural raw materials, on the other. The developed countries would need to absorb a considerably larger quantity of imports of raw materials from developing countries, and in turn would be able to export a considerably larger quantity of food.
The food production capacity in the developed countries is adequate to meet the needs of world trade as well as to adjust to the expansion of imports from the developing countries.
This all the more emphasizes the need for early action on the part of the developed countries in initiating the process of domestic adjustment.
I would add a few words on forestry and fisheries. In both these sectors, potential demand exceeds supply. Even with a drastic reduction of fishery going into fish meal and assuming that such fish could be made acceptable as food, demand exceeds supply, even if past trends continue. The main requirement in fishing is for increased investment infrastructure for better handling of fishing and improving market opportinities. Related to this is the problem of research on and utilization and management of exclusive local zones.
Both in the trend and normative scenarios, there is an increasing shortage of fuel wood. Moreover, an increasing demand for industrial wood on supply would lead to a pressure on prices. Village level extensive planting is suggested and investment requirements for logging and primary transportation alone are expected to be at $1 billion annually.
We would be looking forward to the comments and suggestions of the distinguished delegates on the report. I would like to mention here that in order to facilitate the discussions in the UN Preparatory Committee on the new International Development Strategy, the Conference may like to request the Director-General to transmit to the United Nations General Assembly and its Preparatory Committee the report of the FAO Conference on this subject and, in particular, the salient features of the study, as summarised earlier.
CHAIRMAN (interpretation from Arabic):I thank Dr. Nurul Islam for his very comprehensive introductory statement on this vast subject. I do not at this juncture want to add any comments to what Dr. Nurul Islam has just said, except to point out that this document and its subject in fact fall, as you may well be aware, within the eighth item, which deals with the Preparations for the Special Session of the General Assembly and for the New International Development Strategy. Therefore, it will I think be useful if, while discussing this document, we can refer clearly to the very nature or quality of the aids or participation that this Conference and this Committee could provide in the preparations for this forthcoming conference. It is a simple proposal which I am making: that we should not only comment on the adequacy, fruitfulness, or accuracy of the figures of the document, but that we should at the same time try to come up with some form of document or statement which would be our own contribution to the Preparatory Committee and to the work of this Special Session of the General Assemblythat is to say, as part of the preparations being undertaken for this New International Strategy.
H. MENDS (Ghana): I must first of all pay tribute to Dr. Nurul Islam for the very excellent and comprehensive introduction he has given on this particular item.
My delegation would like to express its appreciation for the considerable amount of work that has gone into the preparation of "Agriculture: Toward 2000" and for the timely completion of the provisional report. We are also heartened by the assurance given by Professor Islam that the study will be kept under constant review. We hope that the updating materials will be brought to our notice in the appropriate forum in our Organization.
We note that the main message of this study is that the developing countries could make substantial progress in their agriculture: consider, for example, the possibility of doubling the total output between 1980 and the year 2000 or the increase in cereals output by over 400 million tons. In terms of growth rates, this would mean an acceleration of gross output growth of 4 percent during the 1980s and 3. 7 percent during the 1990s.
The study makes the point that for improvements in production performance to materialize, the pace of modernization of agriculture must be speeded up. But accelerated growth in agricultural production must necessarily be accompanied by massive doses of investment in irrigation and in the use of modern inputs. For irrigation, the study indicates a needed addition of about 55 million to 100 million hectares of the existing land.
The investment estimates of the study give an idea of the magnitude of the efforts required to bring developing country agriculture on the path to accelerated growth. Annual gross agriculture investment would need to double over the 20 year period from $39 billion in 1980 to $57 billion in 1990 and $78 billion by the year 2000; if one were to include supporting investments in transport and first stage processing the requirements would be even higher, as we have been told by Dr. Islam, and these would be $52, $78 and $107 billion respectively. The study rightly emphasizes that by far the major part of the efforts should be borne by developing countries. Foreign assistance requirements for investment financing purposes would be $10. 3 billion in 1990 and $13. 3 billion in 2000. For the purposes of our debate in this Commission, Professor Islam divides the study into two scenarios the normative and the trend, and I think that is quite appropriate.
Foreign assistance for investment financing is not the only area in which continued and intensified international cooperation would be needed. We note with alarm, though with appreciation for its realism, that the developing countries would continue to be increasingly dependent on cereal imports from the developed countries. Cereal import requirements of the net deficit among the 90 countries of the study would grow from 47 million tons in the mid 70 s. to 79 million tons in 1990 and 134 million tons by 2000, even under the normative scenario. The situation would be much worse under the trend scenario, the corresponding numbers being 114 million tons and 177 million tons for 1990 and 2000 respectively.
It is in this spirit that my delegation would review the assessment of the report that an increasing volume of agricultural exports could be forthcoming from the developing countries at growth rates of 4.3 percent and 5. 0 percent per annum over the 1980s. ; and 1990s respectively. But for such potential to materialize as actual exports, substantial liberalization in imports and agricultural protection regimes will be necessary, particularly in the developed countries. Suoh exports, and also exports of manufacture should be viewed as a means of payment for increasing imports of cereals. Otherwise the foreign debt burden of the developing countries would continue to mount at an alarming rate. Unless substantial progress is made in this area, the developing countries could very well see their positive net agricultural trade balance turn into a deficit in the not too distant future. This point has been greatly emphasized by numerous Beads of Delegations in the general discussion in the Plenary.
We note also with alarm that even under the accelerated overall and agricultural growth of the normative scenario the problem of hunger and under nutrition in the countries studied is not going to disappear even by the end of the century. Although the problem could be reduced significantly in relative terms (the proportion of population under-nourished falling from 22 percent to 12 percent in 1990 and to 7 percent in 2000), the absolute numbers involved could still remain substantial at nearly a quarter of a billion people by the end of the century. Naturally, the situation could turn out to be much worse if the optimistic assessments of the normative scenario failed to materialize, and this I think, was the main concern of the French Delegation in its intervention in the Plenary. The study rightly emphasizes that access of the poor and under-nourished to food supplies is an indispensible condition for effectively dealing with this problem. As has been pointed out by many Heads of Delegations, and as the recent World Conférence on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development Programme of Action emphasizes, growth is not enough; we must pursue policies for institutional change and more equal distribution of assets and income. Moreover, we need to be aware that the
solution of the problem of rural poverty is not to be sought in agriculture alone. Non-agricultural activities in the rural areas would need to play an increasingly important role in this respect.
In the context of the above estimates of food deficits and numbers of under-nourished, the food aid estimates of this study are rather modest: a doubling of cereals aid to 20 million tons by 1990 under the normative scenario, as described by the study, and an increase by a factor of just over 3 over the same period under the trend scenario. In the opinion of my delegation, provision of food aid at the above rates would not unduly strain the capabilities of the donor countries.
In the light of this brief analysis, my Delegation would like to propose that the Conference should request the Director-General of FAO to transmit to the UN General Assembly and the Preparatory Committee for the formulation of the New International Development Strategy the salient findings of this study as followsand I do this because, as the Rapporteur, fortunately I have had a bird's eye view of the various interventions of the Heads of Delegations.
Adequate prominence should be given to food and agriculture in the development of the New International Development Strategy for the 1980’s.
FAO has examined the implications of a 4 percent a year gross agricultural production target (3. 6 percent value added) and of a continuation of trends (2. 7 to 2. 9 percent production growth, depending on the period chosen) for the developing countries. The continuation of past trends results in acceptable consequences for levels of living and nutrition. Provided necessary measures are adopted, it is feasible to accelerate the rate of growth in agriculture to an average of 4 percent during the 1900's and to a slightly lower rate in the 1990’ s so that average growth to the end of the century works out at 3.8 percent per year.
Self-sufficiency in food, nationally and collectively on the part of developing countries, is conditional upon an accelerated domestic production as envisaged above.
An aoceltr-ation in the rate of growth to the extent indioated above would require sustained and concerted efforts, national and international. It would necessitate greatly increased investment in agriculture and far-reaching changes in rural institutions, fiscal and pricing policies and incentives for farmers.
Under the normative scenario described by Professor Islam, in FAO's study of Agriculture: Toward 2000, about 330 million people in the developing market economies would still be under-nourished in 1990, and about 240 million in the year 2000, if income distribution remains unchanged. By this there would be a commitment to undertake the necessary nutritional and income redistribution measures for the eradication of hunger and malnutrition at the earliest possible date and certainly by the end of the century.
Annual investment in agriculture, excluding transport and processing, in the developing countries should rise by 1990 to $57 billion in 1975 prices, in order to meet the production target, and then $78 billion by 2000.
This target would require an increase in external assistance from the $4. 3 billion committed in 1977 to a minimum of $12. 7 billion at 1975 prices by 1990 and $16. 8 billion by the year 2000.
Annual expenditures on off-farm current inputs as fertilizers, improved seeds and pesticides in the developing countries should rise by 1990 to $53 billion at 1975 prices, in order to meet the 4 percent gross production target, and then to $93 billion in the year 2000.
The achievement of equity and reduction in poverty requires equitable access to land and other production resources, efficient and equitable delivery of inputs and services to rural people, and the full mobilization of rural people, including women, through organizations of their own, and the decentralization of decision-making. Where necessary, governments will need to show enough political will to consider institutional and policy changes, including land reforsm.
As agreed at the recent World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Development, governments should set monitorable targets for rural development including income and employment opportunities, especially for the landless, and minimum levels of public utilities and services. In addition increased agricultural employment, a rapid growth of non-agricultural rural employment opportunities is required, especially through the expansion of rural industries and infrastructures.
Growth of 4. 3 percent per annum in the area of agricultural development for export for the developing countries during the 1980's is considered quite feasible by the PAD Study. This could rise to 5 percent even in the 1990's. However, it is necessary for protectionism in the developed countries to be greatly reduced for this production potential actually to materialize as exports.
The recently declining share of the world total of agriculture provided by developing countries should be revised with a target share of 50 percent by the end of the century and at least 40 percent by the year 1990. Continued aid will continue to be necessary and the requirements of food aid are estimated to be a minimum of 20 million tons by 1990.
My delegation sincerely believes that if these things I have enumerated are done, then and only then shall we have taken the important steps to move from the talking stage to action in implementation that will remove the scourge of hunger, malnutrition, rural unproductiveness and rank poverty. I therefore urge the Conference to adopt these proposals.
Salmon Padmanagara, Vioe Chairman of Commission I. took the Chair
Salmon Padmanagara, Vice Président de la Commission I assume la Présidence
Ocupa la presidencia Salmon Padmanagara. Vicepresidente de la Comisión I
M. TRKÜLJA (Yugoslavia): We are also very grateful to Dr. Islam who excellently presented the Study "Agriculture: Toward 2000". As the head of my delegation, the Minister of Agriculture, already indicated in Plenary, my delegation attaches great importance to AT 2000 and indeed we are inclined to see it as one of the most prominent amongst many important items before the Conference. We have always given full support to this project. I am glad to state our feelings that the Study is worthy of the funds spent on it. AT 2000 is an able successor to the 196. 9 Provisional Indicative World Plan for Agricultural Development which contributed to and indeed made possible the success of the World Food Conference. I could not but stress that AT 2000 compares in our view very favourably indeed not only with its predecessor but also with a real flood of global food studies that appeared in recent years apparently as a consequence of the food crisis during the early 1970's. The Study has in our view demonstrated again the FAO’s authority and indeed its irreplaceable role in providing global food assessment and long-term strategy. Therefore, our compliments to the Director-General, Dr. Islam, and the authors of the Study.
For us AT 2000 is much more, to say the least, than a professionally good work. We feel that it fully serves its original purpose and comes at a very critical moment on the eve of a new decade, a decade with a very grave inheritance of unjustified hopes and indeed frustrations from the one which is just expiring. AT 2000 helps us understand better, as we stated in Plenary, the challenges ahead and the magnitude of the task confronting all of us, nationally and internationally, between now and the turn of the century, if we seriously want to solve the world food problem and aradicate, as we declared solemnly a couple of years ago, hunger from this planet. One of the unique features of the AT 2000 is its overall frame. Methodologically it was undoubtedly a justified choice to investigate on the one hand the consequences of the continuation of the tendencies prevailing in the past, and by implication continuation of the past policies, and on the other hand to search meticulously all vital prerequisites for attaining the food production objective of developing countries to which we have all agreed long ago. In this connexion I might add that it will be rational to discuss the realism of the scenario except of course from the purely professional point of view. Politically speaking to question the realism of the scenario again, by very obvious implication, would mean nothing but questioning the objective that we have I hope all adhered to long ago as I mentioned, and that would amount to the same questioning, the policy changes or reorientations required for its attainment.
As the Director-General underlined in his introduction to the Study, the basic purpose of AT 2000 is to show what the establishment of the NIBO in food and agriculture means, not in rhetoric, but in very concrete terms. In this respect AT 2000 in our view deserves a very high mark indeed. The Study has answered with high professional skill and honesty all essentially relevant questions. In view of the time I cannot go into details. However, you will certainly allow me to comment briefly on some of the most important features and findings of the Study.
Firstly, AT 2000 has only corroborated our long-standing views to the effect that the basic precondition for solving food problems of the developing countries, of course, probably the least developed and most seriously affected among them, is accelerated economic development-fast enough as we again stated in Plenary to reverse the long-term tendency of widening the already huge gap between them and the developed world. Here again, we see clearly that there is no point in striving for an isolated NIEO in agriculture along. In this context it seems pertinent to raise an issue which has, we feel, substantial importance. Namely, it seems to us that the trend variant of AT 2000 is unduly optimistic as compared, for example, with some other global studies of a similar nature. I might only, for the sake of illustration, mention perhaps the recent Free university study which certainly reveals a much more gloomy future picture if past trends continue. It is indeed difficult to see how it was
possible to achieve growth of agricultural production in developing countries and between now and the year 2000 slightly above the past performance under the 11 continuât i on" assumption, especially in the light of the unfortunately very apparent tendency towards the slowing down of agricultural growth rate in the late 1960’ s and early 1970’ s. On the basis of what Dr. Islam indicated in his presentation we can only suppose that the trend alternative is not a trend alternative in the real sense but one purely based on the extrapolation of prevailing trends in the past. It seems that a number of corrective assumptions must have been introduced but unfortunately not explained in the text. If this is so, the results of the trend alternative o oui d be very misleading. But in any case we would certainly welcome very much some additional explanations with regard to what I have said.
Now about the heart of the Study:the normative scenario. We have very little to say with regard to the general assumptions on OIF or population growth. The choice seems to us not only realistic but the only possible. Generally speaking, the technological path assumed looks realistic. We can call it a "very intensified traditional technological path" with land increase supposed to contribute moderately only 1 percentage point, or about 28 percent to the production growth and of course intensification being the predominant source. In this context, irrigation is one of the key issues. AT 2000 assumes a modest increase in irrigated land and even a comparable improvement in irrigation systems. We feel some uneasiness with the fact that the future increase and improvement in irrigated area, according to AT 2000, would be slightly lower than in the past. Here again if possible we would certainly appreciate some further just ification from the Secretariat-probably Dr. Islam.
A couple of brief ccomments on other vital prerequisites for 4 percent production growth in the next decade. I must say again that AT 2000 only corroborated my own earlier numerous findings to the effect that investment will be-fche most critical factor, despite the fact, as the Study pointed out, that "the strategy underlying agricultural production growth relies more heavily on growth of modern input and technology than on investment". In the light of this, the investment assesseil could be taken in our view only as the minimum really necessary as a basic and most vital prerequisite for obtaining the 4 percent objective. It is worth noting that the Study reassessment of the 1975 level of ' investment, that is $41 billion, is substantially above the previously supposed level of investment.
The future investment needs estimate on the basis of physical dimensions as it is called in the Study, is undoubtedly the most reliable approach. However, despite the very cautious, if not conservative, estimate, the level of investment has to be substantially increased and should be highly above the level previously supposed, and almost more or less agreed. The external assistance component in investment required, covering 80 percent of the future foreign exchange requirements, as against about 95 percent now, also seemed moderate With regard to current inputs from AT 2000, we also very clearly see how enormous tasks are facing developing countries in the years ahead. I will certainly not continue to review all the essential components, fertilizers, pesticides, research-agricultural research-which is extremely essential and a prerequisite for future developments, and all others I would certainly wish before I end only to touch upon some of the basic policy changes which are in our minds necessary and essential for triggering up the very complex process of rural and agricultural development, leading eventually to a 4 percent objective.
Here, Mr. Chairman, AT 2000 clearly demonstrates the need for radical changes in all respects, first of all the need for rationalization of internal agricultural patterns in most of the developing countries and for radical change in international trade, of course, meaning that protectionism in this field should be very substantially decreased. Then massive increase in investments, in its external components, in particular transitory but still very substantial increase in trade, technical assistance, etc.
Really, Mr. Chairman, AT 2000 has not only shown clearly the magnitude of the task ahead in the 1980s and 1990's, but at the same time it should be seen as a very wide basis for setting up the new standards for measuring national and international actions, aimed at reaching the objective to which I have so many times referred. Thus making possible the alleviation of hunger and malnutrition as soon as possible as the Study states, but certainly not later than by the year 2000.
Mr. Chairman, I am just about to end my statement and since one of the basic objectives of the AT 2000 is, of course, to provide substantial input in relation to the International Development Strategy for the 1980's, I want to support fully the set of recommendations, the salient features, or findings of the AT 2000 as proposed by my Ghanaian colleague, the Rapporteur, as he himself indicated. He has I think spoken not only on behalf of this delegation but also largely transmitted the prevailing theme from Plenary.
H. KR. SEIP (Norway): Thank you Mr Chairman. The Nordic countries, namely Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway regard this document as a very important one in the UN context because of its long-term perspective, the Study provides in our opinion valuable background material which will be useful both
to the FAO and to member nations for their future agricultural policy planning We hope it will contribute to an increased allocation of resources to the agricultural, fishery and forestry sectors within the overall development strategy.
The Study is not a set of prophecies or predictions, as the Director-General has already pointed out, it is more an analysis of the implication derived from certain given assumptions about demographic and economic development rates and patterns.
These assumptions and the method of analysis used raise some questions for further clarification. The Study examines two various scenarios of agricultural development for the future. Given its rather conventional point of departure, the Study provides a valuable over-view of the options for the reduction of hunger by conventional methods. Here, the message of the document is that even with the ambitious or normative rate of growth of production an unacceptably high number of people, 240 millions, will still suffer from malnutrition and hunger by the year 2000.
The Nordic countries want to mention some issues which should be considered in the revision of the content and presentation of the Study.
The number of hungry and malnourished people by the year 2000 as today, necessarily depends on the policies of distribution within the individual countries. For FAO to publish the results of its analysis^ based on strategy which does not include changes in the socio-economic system in general and distribution in particular seems to us ill advised and potentially misleading.
A major task for the revision of AT 2000 will be, in the opinion of the Nordic countries, to relate it much more closely to the WCARRD recommendations which urge member countries to consider and implement policies of agrarian reform.
Being a Study carried out, or at least presented at a highly aggregated level, the Study lacks a differentiated analysis of the problems of the various segments of the turai population, including the special problems of the female food producers.
The Study largely ignores the energy problems created by agricultural expansion at the rate and of the patterns stipulated in AT 2000,
The Study does not treat ecological aspects of development, for instance the problem created by deforestation. Thus it is explicity stated in the Study that the world is going through shortages in the supply of wood. It also seems clear that large scale investments are needed to overcome this problem. The problem of how to create funds for this activity is, however, not discussed in the Study
The Study is only to a small degree concerned with relations between agricultural and other sectors of the economy.
The Study generalizes too much the conditionsin developing countries; the insight gained of differences between countries is as valuable as the traits of similarity.
The Study does not include China. We urge that available data from China be included in the revision of the Study.
In this forum, Mr. Chairman, it may be commonplace to emphasize that the fight against hunger and poverty in rural areas is the most important task of the agricultural sector towards the year 2000. The Study shows that the main food deficit will be in low-income countries, which have climatic, institutional and demographic constraint, that cannot be rapidly moved and whose export earnings are too small to pay for major food imports.
The most important task for FAO must, therefore, be to aid these food-deficit countries in their efforts to fight hunger through increased production in agriculture, fishery and forestry, and by devising institutions and policies for equitable distribution of the food produced. This is important with the message of WCARRD, and it must be reflected in the formulation of the Organization's Medium Term Objectives.
The Nordic countries have found that the message conveyed by AT 2000 is different from that of WCARRD, In AT 2000 increased production through the use of modern technology is launched as thé most important aspect. The Nordic countries would like to point out that this in itself does not guarantee an improvement in the conditions of the poor.
Furthermore, the question has to be raised whether it is possible to apply sophisticated technology on a global scale without getting into serious problems of energy and ecology. We are today aware that such technology has its weaknesses, particularly by its impact on the environmment, and all countries should critically consider avoiding unintended consequences of their various technological choices. Large-scale mechanized farming has its place in certain circumstances, but it is our considered judgement that the key to solving hunger problems lies in mobilizing the rural masses. We must have in mind that mankind constitutes an enormous resource in many poor regions, and appropriate equipment in their hands, together with training, education and use of local experience, will obviously result in a considerable augmentation of the food production.
AT 2000 demonstrates too little confidence in the ability of the affected people in the developing countries to do anything themselves about their situation. In our view in AT 2000 the question about enough food is, to a large extent, turned into a question of transfer of knowledge and resources from rich to poor countries Such transfer is evidently important and we are prepared to do our utmost. WCARRD, however, emphasized that structural obstacles in the rural areas are more important to the food problem. This again points to the question of political will and ability
The future may, perhaps, bring about even more variety than today in national development strategies. More international strategies
In the past agriculture has often been neglected by many governments with serious economic and human consequences. They have regarded industrialization as the primary root to higher growth and modernization of their economies. In many instances they have adopted investment, or pricing policies, which were actively biased against agriculture. There has been far too little awareness of the critical role of agriculture as a dynamic sector for the supply of food for the rapidly expanding populations, and for the supply of raw materials for industry and for resources for the development of social infrastructure.
The economic consequences have been low growth in agricultural productivity, limited capital accumulation in agriculture and agro-industries and inadequate growth in rural incomes. With this in mind, we agree with the view expressed in the Study that a more active agricultural and food policy is needed In this connexion the Study suggests as appropriate means that the developing countries should establish minimum import prices, government support for the purchase of farm inputs and remunerative producer prices to promote higher production. The Nordic countries welcome such suggestions. We would stress that this would require active government intervention programmes in order to secure, over time, a fair income to the farmers and living wages to farm labourers, as well as to achieve a type of production that could meet the national needs.
The anticipated rates of economic growth shown in AT 2000 seem to be rather optimistic. However, more realistic levels must not lead to a pessimistic attitude towaris the problems. By a redistribution of land and other resources and by having a more equitable level of income it is realistic to look forward to a situation in which fewer people suffer from hunger.
In general we believe that the study stresses too much the link between rates of growth and the eradication of hunger. Some countries have shown that at a certain stage in their development they can effectively fight their hunger problems even though their rates of growth may be rather low. Fighting hunger and poverty might well be a prerequisite for higher rates of growth in many of the most affected countries o
Having in mind the insufficient world food production and the insecure food supply, there are valid reasons for the developed countries to maintain their domestic food production. This is also in accordance with the conclusions of the World Food Conference in 1974 recommending all countries to increase food production The Nordic countries will, however, when designing their trade policy, pay due regard to the interests of the developing countries, in full accord with their commitments to the New International Economic Order. We would, however, like to express the opinion that it will be necessary in the revision of the study to differentiate between the trade aspects of agricultural commodities and those of foodstuffs. Since agricultural commodities account for a far greater share of the export earnings of developing countries than do foodstuffs, the Nordic countries believe that more emphasis should be placed on the problems and prospects of commodities as contributors to the development process in the Third World. This should be seen in relationship with the prospects for arriving at a new global trading regime, as envisaged in the New International Economic Order, which could bring about stable and remunerative prices to the producers and access to supply and fair prices for the consumers. This should also encompass a set of guidelines for the transnational corporations to ensure that they do not function to the detriment of the international community’s efforts to combat world hunger
The Nordic countries are of the opinion that a basic prerequisite for development is "people participation", as well as the political will of each country to let people have influence and the means of changing their own situation. This requires a more flexible approach than is demonstrated by AT 2000.
FAO might consider undertaking specific regional and country studies in order to show the variability within and between countries. Inevitably, global studies will have limitations.
The Nordic countries, however, appreciate the initiative taken by FAO in the development of AT 2000 and will follow its further work in this area with great interest„ AT 2000 clearly demonstrates that FAO possesses both the manpower and the data base necessary for an improved and revised study.
W. WOLDEYES (Ethiopia): First and foremost the Ethiopian Delegation would like to congratulate Dr. Islam and his staff on preparing and presenting the valuable document, 'Agriculture : Toward 2000? The document is the main source of information on the world's past, present and future in agriculture, which constitutes the most important single sector of the world's economy.
As indicated, the study presents a long-term perspective in aggregate terms, with reference to some principal indicators of development in the field of agriculture at the global level. The policy issues indicated in the study are quite important and are applicable even at country level. Those policy issues relate to abolishing hunger, restructuring for a new international economic order, external assistance, agriculture and industrialization and safeguarding the environment.
The analysis and methodology applied in the study are very useful and could be used for making similar analyses at country level as well. AT 2000 is a study of perspectives and policy issues of world agriculture up to the year 2000, with particular attention to developing countries, which are 90 in number. However, in this connexion, it is important to note that the type, quality and level of the data that are available should be considered. This study deals mainly with developing countries, and the development of agricultural statistics in these countries is very low. In some cases, some of the relevant data needed for making such studies are not reliable, or even not available; therefore FAO should give serious consideration to helping developing countries develop and improve their statistical data in general and their agricultural statistics data in particular.
The economy of most developing countries is based mainly on agriculture; therefore the development and improvement of national statistics is of primary importance for the efficient formulation and assessment of economic and social development plans and for planning economic integration, nutrition policies and land reform. Moreover, the development and improvement of statistics in these countries could help FAO in refining this study. The study can therefore be adjusted or improved as soon as FAO starts receiving more reliable data.
The type of data used for making this study are aggregates-i. e. , totals, averages. Even though this type of data can be used to make general analyses and conclusions, their limitations should be considered. For refined analysis, frequency distributions give a better view of the situation and thus one can reach better conclusions. To speed up the development of statistical data in developing countries, the possibility of using remote sensing should be considered.
To guide planners and policy makers, the possibility of developing a food accounting matrix should also be considered. The most important variables used for this study are population, income and consumption. In developing countries it might be easy to collect data on population, but it is very difficult to conduct surveys on income and consumption and very few developing countries have done it; therefore the quality of the data available on those characteristics are very deficient. Efforts should be made and priorities should be set in collecting and improving data on income and consumption for developing countries.
A. M. OSENI (Nigeria): Document C 79/24, "Agriculture : Toward 2000? is a very impressive and useful perspective for agriculture and the Secretariat as a whole is to be commemded on this effort. I should like also to congratulate Dr. Islam on his excellent introduction.
After the detailed ccomments of the Delegate of Ghana, with which my delegation agrees, and also some of the ccomments, particularly on the sociological aspects, of the Delegate of Norway, I shall confine my ccomments to Chapter 7, which deals with prospects for world forestry.
This Chapter seems an admirably well-balanced projection of the state of the global forestry sector in the year 2000. It includes a proper emphasis on the use of firewood, which makes up 85 percent of the non-commercial energy in developing countries. It is estimated that 90 percent of Nigeria's wood consumption at present is for firewood. The situation of wood-poor countries and regions will be serious and even more stress might be laid on using wood fuel more efficiently, as stated in paragraph 52. This is related to the lack of data and plans, paragraph 23, and more emphasis might have been laid on this. The projections presented here would have been more reliable with a better data basis.
Conservation aspects are dealt with in paragraphs 43 to 50, but no attempt is made to quantify the areas required for plantations, for protection and rehabilitation. Even more emphasis might have been laid on the need for training and the constraint that the lack of skilled manpower could impose on achieving plantation targets.
G. CAMELARIS (Cyprus): The Conference document C 79/24, "Agriculture: Toward 2000", is indeed an outstanding contribution to the study of the perspective, potential, and policy issues of world agriculture towards the end of the century. A considerable amount of work and labour must undoubtedly have gone into its preparation, and the FAO Secretariat deserves our highest appreciation and sincerest congratulations. We look forward to its finalization on the basis of the discussions now in progress, and its publication in final form.
We sincerely believe that a comprehensive study of this nature, provisional though it may be in its present form, constitutes a basic foundation on which targets can be set, and orientations and policies pursued. A study of the world's potential in agriculture, its prospects and requirements is indeed a very required element from which we can build our efforts for the establishment of a New International Economic Order and for the formulation of a new International Development Strategy for the decades to come.
I shall not take up the Commission's time repeating statistics, rates and figures which are so well exposed and included in the document. Nevertheless I would like to note that those figures at least indicate that the potential exists for the developing world to more than double its agricultural and food production by the year 2000. This is indeed the most significant and encouraging message to emerge from this study to the world community as a whole, and should give us the strength to continue to work on the realization of this potential, primarily for the benefit of the unprivileged amongst us, who look upon this document as the beginning of the end of their sufferings.
We also note that the world's agricultural potential can be achieved, not only through an expansion of cultivated land, but primarily through an increase of yields from already cultivated land. Indeed, the low land and labour productivity of developing countries, although a real and unpleasant situation, constitutes an immense untapped capital resource for them, on which high targets can be set. But we should not forget for a single moment that the realization of the targets through increasing yields requires massive investments in such fields as land improvements, irrigation, fertilizers, pesticides, high-yield crops and animals, agricultural education, farm machinery, and the like. Happily enough for the world, both the knowledge and technology exist amongst us, and the issue remains of how these resources and technologies can reach the people who need them. It is indeed a striking contradiction, if not a shame, for humanity to possess this mass of knowledge and technology which alone could nearly double the world's food and agriculture production, and at the same time to see hundreds of millions of men, women and children around us dying because of the lack of a piece of bread or a plate of rice.
As this study reveals, annual gross agricultural investment would have to double over the next two decades, and even triple, if investments in supporting infrastructure such as transport, storage and processing is taken into account. The developing countries, though by no means unaware of their own responsibilities, have neither the amount of financial resources required, nor the necessary knowledge; and to wait for them to accumulate the resources required or to develop themselves all the necessary technologies would undoubtedly be too late. It is in this context that international cooperation and assistance acquires an extreme, unique dimension, and becomes a moral obligation for those who can extend a cooperative and helpful hand. Further still, the improvement of the international economic and trade environment becomes more urgent than ever before. Unhappily, expressions such as "the development of a New International Economic Order", "increase of international aid", "development of World Food Security", and "North-South dialogue", and the like mean more than what they really are.
It is frustrating to note that progress achieved in these fields is less and lower than the rate at which human beings are dying because of inadequacies in food production and development. For how long shall we witness and allow to continue this lamentable situation? The world has both the resources and the knowledge to reverse this situation and to create a happy world for the millions and millions of people who look upon us with hope for a true word of comfort.
The realization of the developing world's agricultural potential is revealed in this study, C 79/24. It puts and real and heavy responsibility on each one of us, both developing and developed countries. The developing countries must design and implement without delay those national policies and strategies which will make possible the realization of their considerable national potential in agricultural production and food production in particular. At the same time, with full respect to their national sovereignty, they should proceed to those institutional and social reforms which were agreed upon at
WCARRD last July, with a view to creating access to food and employment for the poor, the unemployed and the hungry, because simple increase of food production alone cannot eradicate hunger and malnutrition unless those who need it either participate in its production and have an equitable share in it, or other access to it through remunerative and stable employment-and of course increased incomes.
In the same context, the developed countries with high economic and technicological potential should genuinely and substantially join in this effort and provide all possible financial and technical assistance to the developing countries, There is no time to wait for developing countries themselves to accumulate alone all the financial resources required, or to develop alone all the know-how and technology required. Furthermore, the developed countries-in deed, in their interest as well, need to act quickly so that the international environment in the areas of trade and general economic relationships is improved.
I would suggest that both of these issues-the national and the international-be dealt with more extensively and exposed in greater detail in the revised version of document. "Agriculture: Toward 2000", provisional though it may be, shows us the immense world possibilities, and points out to us directions for immediate action. Our willingness or reluctance to respond quickly and positively is exclusively our own choice: our success or failure to realize this potential is exclusively our own responsibility, developing and developed countries alike. Our success will definitely constitute the most viable and long-lasting birthday present for our children in both hemispheres. Our possible failure or reluctance to handle this issue with realism and determination to succeed will unavoidably hurt them irreversibly, both in the developing countries and the developed world. The right time for action is now-the option is ours.
R. IBARBUREN (Argentina): Señor Presidente: Nuestro Gobierno reconoce a la FAO la labor densa e importante contenida en el documento C 79/24 y al Dr. Islam la síntesis introductiva.
Deseamos efectuar solamente algunas observaciones que tienen como objeto colaborar y tratar de conseguir una aclaración sobre aspectos metodológicos que hacen al mencionado documento.
El documento prevé un aumento significativo de la producción agrícola entre 1975 y el año 2000, incremento que en la hipótesis máxima es de alrededor de ciento treinta por ciento, en gran parte fundado en un aumento en la productividad.
Para ello se efectuó una estimación de incrementos en el uso de insumos, por cultivo y países, calculándose un crecimiento de 5, 4 por ciento anual.
Para el logro de los objetivos previstos se consideraron 28 cultivos tratados individualmente y 24 técnicas opcionales con seis situaciones de tierra-agua.
Se fijan las pautas de crecimiento máximas del sector agropecuario en función del crecimiento del PBI que la FAO cree puede alcanzarse en un contexto de equilibrio de macrocrecimiento. Para ello deberían darse situaciones de competencia con eliminación de barreras comerciales, de ventajas cooperativas de producción con una mejor distribución mundial de los recursos agrícolas y, en consecuencia, una mayor participación en el comercio mundial de los países en desarrollo. Asimismo la agricultura de estos países deberá recibir una mayor asistencia a fin de que constituya la base de una correcta industrialización y garantice la compra de alimentos a los sectores de menores ingresos.
Con esta hipótesis los resultados de este trabajo se ven necesariamente limitados. En cambio, partiendo de la base de un crecimiento real potencial de la producción agropecuaria para cada uno de los 90 países, se podría estimar, partiendo de los volúmenes de producción resultantes, el nivel de alimentación y subalimentación hombre/año que se alcanzaría en el período examinado.
Por otra parte, cabe indicar que con el trabajo no se hacen conocer las hipótesis de estimación por país, tanto del crecimiento tendencial de la producción agropecuaria como del crecimiento normativo (máximo). Resulta indispensable conocer los datos tomados al respecto, a fin de poder evaluar la bondad de los mismos, por ejemplo, de las 24 técnicas consideradas por cultivo distinguiendo seis situaciones tierra-agua, se ignora las que fueron consideradas en el caso de la Argentina y las tasas de crecimiento que se adoptaron para los productos agropecuarios de nuestro país, así como para la evolución de sus exportaciones.
En particular, con respecto al comercio internacional de productos agrícolas de los países en desarrollo, a que se refiere la parte IV, mi delegación estima que el informe constituye un gran esfuerzo de la Organización y un valioso aporte a la Conferencia al ilustrar sobre perspectivas del comercio agrícola a largo plazo.
No obstante, señalamos la incertidumbre de sus conclusiones, dado que fundamentalmente en el resultado de su hipótesis normativa, cual es el aumento de los suministros exportables agrícolas de los países en desarrollo, se funda en supuestos dependientes de multiples variables, de cuya factibilidad de concurrencia simultánea no existe certeza.
Además, tampoco puede dejar de reconocerse que al no considerar el informe a productores y exportadores de productos agrícolas de amplia trascendencia en los mercados mundiales, como son la China y la Union Soviética, no trasluce la real identidad de la eventual y futura evolución del comportamiento del comercio agrícola internacional.
Finalmente, señor Presidente, quiero destacar que la República argentina ha dado cumplimiento a lo requerido en cuanto se refiere a los incrementos de la producción y a las exportaciones agrícolas, como ha quedado demostrado en el punto 2 de las presentes instrucciones.
Con ello, ha dado plena satisfacción a las Resoluciones números 2/73 y 9/75 de los 17° y 18° períodos de la Conferencia de la FAO, respectivamente.
WU TIAN-XI (China) (interpretation from Chinese): It is with great interest that we have studied the document entitled "Agriculture: Toward 2000" and carefully listened to the introduction given by Dr. Islam, The document accords with the needs and potentialities of the people and in the light of the progress made in international agricultural adjustment, the document sums up recent trends in world agricultural development and presents, so to speak, a blueprint for the remaining decades of the current century. The document stresses that world agriculture will be confronted with the same challenges that have persisted through the years. It therefore suggests that developing countries should accelerate their agricultural development, so as to narrow the gap between developed and developing countries in agricultural development step by step. This is in line with what we expect to be one of the basic objectives of the New International Economic Order, Therefore we are of the opinion that the document may serve as a basis for discussion and revision, in the course of which suggestions on the document by governments will be considered and incorporated where feasible, before it is submitted to the forthcoming Special Session of the UN General Assembly, Now I would like to offer a few ccomments on this question from our own experience.
First, in view of the great influence which the dramatic advance in science and technology has exerted on human civilization since the Second World War, we feel that in looking ahead to agriculture in the last decades of the century, it is necessary to sum up once again the development and trends of science and technology in different countries so as to collect scientific data for planning future agricultural development. We have always held that achievements in science and technology are the common wealth of mankind. The advanced agricultural technology and management skills of various countries are, in the final analysis, the product of the assiduous labour of the working people and scientific workers of these countries, and should be shared by all mankind to an ever-increasing extent. It is our hope that in future international technical exchanges, all irrational and unequal policies and practices will be abolished step by step so that science and technology can make a greater contribution to agricultural development in the remaining decades of the 20th century.
Rural employment is a pressing question confronting many developing countries in their agricultural development. There isa contradiction between the ever-growing manpower provided by population growth and the number of persons replaced by the development of modernized agriculture. Since we gradually became aware of this problem in the early 70s we have adopted various measures to increase rural employment. One major measure is the development of commune-and brigade-run industrial entreprises. Our principle is that small rural industrial enterprises should above all be geared to agricultural production and at the same time serve the needs of the peoplefs life as well as the requirements of large-scale industry and of exports. Over 1, 5 million industrial enterprises have been set up by communes and production brigades across the country in line with the local conditions employing nearly 30 million workers, or about one-tenth of the total rural work force. These small rural industrial enterprises not only give support to agriculture by providing large quantities of the means of production and daily necessities, but also help to accumulate capital for agricultural development. In addition, they provide "on-site" employment to the rural work force thereby preventing the otherwise unavoidable flow of rural inhabitants into cities, and contributing towards elimination of the differences between industry and agriculture.
He would like to suggest that the Secretariat should, in revising the document, include an assessment of trends in the development of small rural industrial enterprises and of the positive and negative lessons of different countries in this respect.
We feel that in order to achieve the objectives laid down in "Agriculture: 'Toward 2000", apart from measures directly related to agriculture, further ways and means should be explored and necessary socio-economic measures adopted. These may include, for example, reform of agricultural systems in the light of the specific concitions of different countries, as suggested by the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development; promotion of family planning on a voluntary basis in densely populated rural areas with a view to checking population growth. Measures such as these will be conducive to agricultural development.
Moreover, with reference to Document C 79/33, we are also pleased to note that FAO has linked all its major activities to the establishment of the New International Economic Order. We consider this a correct orientation which is conducive to the establishment of the New International Economic Order. Therefore we commend this document and agree to have it submitted to the forthcoming Special Session of the UN General Assembly for reference.
The meeting rose at 18. 00 hours
La séance est levée à 18 heures
Se levanta la sesión a las 18. 00 horas
