G. N. VOGEL (Executive Director, World Food Programme): I am very pleased to be with you this afternoon. We are, as you know, the World Food Programme of the United Nations and the FAO, which means that we have two parents. A few weeks ago in New York I appeared before the Second Committee of the General Assembly and it is therefore appropriate I think, that I should be here this afternoon with you before Commission II of the FAO Conference, thereby in a very real way signifying the relationship of the World Food Programme with the two parent organizations. I would like first to review briefly with you the activities of the World Food Programme and then refer to certain general food aid policy issues. Two years ago, when I first appeared before the Conference, I had just taken over my present position. Since then I have learnt a great deal about WFP operations. It is not an easy programme to manage. But it works, and it works well, considering the rapidly rising demands on its limited resources, which depend wholly on voluntary contributions. This is due in no small measure to the guidance and support of our governing body, the Committee on Food Aid Policies and Programmes. The Committee has gone a long way towards establishing a working partnership between developed and developing countries as regards both the Progamme's operations and the harmonization of bilateral and multilateral food aid policies.
I am happy to report that, despite the heavy demand on our resources to cover emergency needs, the Programme has been able to increase new commitments for economic development and nutrition improvement projects to nearly $ 500 million this year, as against $ 342 million in 1978. Over 70 percent of these new commitments are for agricultural production and rural development projects, and the remainder for improving the nutritional status of nursing and expectant mothers, and pre-school and primary school children. Moreover, over 80 percent of WFP aid this year is going to the least developed and the MSA countries and, as might be expected, is heavily, concentrated in the poorer countries of South Asia and Africa. Even in the so-called "middle-income developing countries", however, the beneficiaries of our food aid are in the poorest sectors of the population.
Food aid can be most effective when it is properly linked with other forms of assistance - financial, technical and material. To this end we have established close and productive relationships with the World Bank and the regional development banks and we are working with IFAD towards the same end. Projects involving parallel inputs by these institutions and WFP are already in operation in many countries, notably Egypt, Pakistan, Haiti, Bolivia, Rwanda and Somalia. We expect that the number of such projects will grow in the future.
The governing body of our Committee recommended, at its session last month, a number of practical measures for strengthening the use of food aid in conjunction with financial assistance and other inputs to help the lower income developing countries establish national grain reserves and related storage and other infrastructural facilities. It called on WFP to play an active role in support of such reserves, in cooperation with the FAO Food Security Assistance Scheme.
We will do our utmost to follow up on this recommendation, and in line with the Committee's directives we shall give cas-by-case examination to assure that reasonable prospects of success are present. Reserve schemes require not only adequate storage facilities but sound pricing and marketing policies.
What we can do in support of national reserves will depend on the level of the Programme's resources -since we must continue to give priority to immediate consumption needs in support of economic development and nutrition improvement projects and in emergencies.
As you are aware, emergency food relief needs have placed a heavy strain on the Programme's resources this year. This is partly due to the large flows of refugees in Africa and South-East Asia and of crop failures caused by drought. So far this year, with the approval of the Director-General of FAO, WFP has provided assistance in 58 emergency operations at a total cost of over $ 100 million. Requests for assistance now being processed will entail additional costs of nearly 15 million dollars by the end of this year. This figure does not include additional assistance to Kampuchea, where an estimated 2. 5 million people, including 700 000 children and sick persons, are in extreme need of food relief and medicines. WFP has joined UNICEF and the International Committee of the Red Cross in a joint relief operation to provide these needs. WFP so far has shipped 26 000 tons against an estimated total
of 165 000 tons of food which are needed to provide the distressed population with a minimum diet over the next six months. Donor countries and organizations have agreed that the Programme should coordinate food deliveries in this operation, as it has done for recent emergency food deliveries to the Sahelian countries of West Africa and elsewhere.
A little over a year ago the CFA revised the modalities of the International Emergency Food Reserve, whereby the Reserve was estalibshed on a continuing basis, with annual replenishments to be placed at the disposal of WFP. This decision, however, has not been followed up by increased contributions from member countries. Total contributions this year, amounting to 306 000 tons of grains, are in fact lower than in 1978, and remain substantially short of the 500 000 tons minimum target.
I would interject here Mr. Chairman to remind the Commission that the International Emergency Food Reserve is not like a bank. It is not that donations are made, or contributions are made that just sit there. They are being constantly drawn upon. The total for this year was 306 000 tons we have of course being drawing constantly on it throughout the year, and in a few more months I shall tell you where we now stand.
Earlier this year the Committee elaborated a set of "Guidelines and Criteria for Food Aid", subsequently endorsed by ECOSOC and the FAO Council. The guidelines are applicable to both bilateral and multilateral food aid. They are intended to provide a policy framework for allocating food aid "on the basis of objective assessment of requirements in recipient countries", and in forms that are consistent with the development objectives of these countries. To this end, the guidelines entail responsibilities by both donor and recipient countries. They, therefore, embody the kind of cooperation between developed and developing countries that is envisaged in the New International Economic Order.
The Conference has received detailed information on the world food situation from other speakers and I do not propose to elaborate further on this subject. Despite the improvement in the world cereal supply position in recent years, little headway has been made in reducing the structural imbalances in the world food economy. These imbalances are reflected in rapidly mounting food import requirements in developing countries. Moreover, actual food availabilities per capita in these countries have declined in the past decade, and as a result the number of undernourished people in the world has been rising. Our governing body had occasion to examine these trends at its Eighth Session last month, when it considered, the subject of food aid needs in the 1980's. The CFA concluded that these needs are likely to increase substantially in the next decade, in view of the rising food import requirements of developing countries and the limited capacity of most of these countries to import on a commercial basis. The Committee did not reach agreement on revising the present target of 10 million tons of cereals; but there was consensus that the Secretariat estimate of 17 to 18. 5 million tons provided a useful indicator of requirements for cereal food aid by 1985. It should be added that this estimate in no way reflects the full needs of recipient countries for nutritional purposes nor for major emergencies.
In the light of this prospect we were very happy to learn, from the Executive Secretary of the International Food Council earlier this week, that negotiations for a new and enlarged Food Aid Convention appear to be heading towards a successful conclusion early next year.
I earnestly hope that under the new Convention Member countries will channel a larger share of their contributions through the World Food Programme, but that is to come in the future. In the meantime I must report, with deep concern, that almost half-way through the present biennium only $ 740 million have been pledged to the Programme. I, therefore, urge all present and new donors to increase their pledges so that the current target of $ 950 million can be attained. I also appeal to member countries to ensure that the International Emergency Food Reserve target of 500 000 tons of grains is reached.
Our governing body approved, at its spring session this year, a pledging target of a minimum of $ 1 billion for the 1981/82 biennium. This target, which I recommended as being realistic, has since been endorsed by ECOSOC and the FAO Council. As you are aware, grain prices and freight rates have risen in past months, thereby reducing the actual purchasing power of the proposed target. I cannot emphasize too strongly, therefore, that the target figure of $ 1 billion should be regarded as a minimum in the hope and expectation that member nations will not only meet it at the Pledging Conference to be held in New York early next year, but will surpass it, as a measure of their faith in the Programme and their belief in its continued expansion as a real force in development. A Draft Resolution on the proposed target is being submitted for your consideration, and I strongly commend it to you for your approval.
That completes my prepared text. It is considered to be absolutely inconceivable to appear before a committee without a preapred text. It is almost like appearing without your clothes, I think, and therefore the text was carefully prepared in order to present the whole picture to you. However, for a few moments more I should just like to talk to the Commission rather that deliver a speech about the Programme.
First of all, in my present statement, when I was talking about emergencies, I told you that I would refer to the subject in a few minutes. I must now tell you, and particularly I must tell those of you who are represented on our governing body, the Committee on Food Aid Policies and Programmes, that within the last two hours I have sent out a message to all governments who are members of our governing body telling them that our resources for emergency are virtually completely depleted. It is not only the resources from our own normal pledges but, in addition, at the moment we are not able to draw anything more from the IEFR. We have on our desks a large number of very serious, very important, emergencies which are absolutely in abeyance at the moment through lack of funds. Therefore, in my message this morning to the countries members of the CFA I have asked for another $ 10 million for the calendar year 1979, which will bring the total for emergencies for 1979 out of our normal resources up to the figure of $ 65 million, plus what we have already drawn from the IEFR, and I hope possibly there may still be more to come from the IEFR before the end of the year although, as I have said, at the moment there is nothing.
As I said to you earlier, Kampuchea is completely separate. What we are doing for Kampuchea we are doing with contributions which are being made to us over and above and completely separate from anything else which I have discussed here. Apart from Kampuchea, though, the situation in the world has been very bad this year for emergencies. This year there are countries in the world which have had crops that are as low as 5 percent of normal. They have lost 95 percent of their crops. There are at least three countries which I know of in that category. You know of the refugee situation as well as I do. The attention of the world has been focused on South East Asia, but I would remind you that there are many other countries with severe problems. Somalia has 1 million refugees, a country with great economic difficulties even before being presented with such a new problem.
I have been with the Programme now for two years, and the more I see of it the more impressed I am with what can be accomplished with food aid. Recently I was in India, where I participated in a ceremony with the Prime Minister marking the conclusion of our participation in a project known as "Operation Flood". In that project the World Food Programme contributed something like $ 170 million worth of milk powder and butter oil. It was reconstituted into whole milk and the milk was sold. The proceeds of the sales were used to establish an improved, better, larger dairy herd; to help create a gathering system of cooperatives to gather the milk; gathering stations; cooling stations to handle the milk; a transportation system to bring the milk to the four major cities; new dairies in those four major cities; and a system of automated refrigerated retail sales outlets in those cities.
When you visit all these and you see what was acomplished without any input from the Programme by way of money, by way of cash, but simply through the device of food aid, it is a very impressive thing. But equally impressive are small projects in other countries.
Recently I visited a country where one of the best projects you could possibly expect to see was a very small project giving free lunch at school in the middle of the day to school children in very remote areas of that country, so remote that the food was taken into the schools by mule. It takes three weeks for the mules to get from the nearest highway to the school. Before we came in with this assistance to the government, the schools were being opened in that area and being closed within a year because the students would not walk the three or four hours every day in each direction to go to school. With the magnet of the free school lunch the schools are full, and new schools are being opened throughout the area.
So I repeat to you what I said a moment ago. I am very impressed, and the more I see of it the more impressed I am by what can be accomplished with project food aid, and I accent that: project food aid.
In the way it is done through the Programme every pound, every ounce, of food that goes into any country goes specifically to a project and not just to be put into a market to run the inherent risk of commercial competition or replacement of domestic supplies.
I could go on for a long time, but I do not want to take the time of the Commission. I am proud to be with the Programme. I am proud of the fact that, we still operate on the lowest overheads in the UN system. Our overhead costs as a percentage of our deliveries is still only in the neighbourhood of 5 percent or 6 percent. If we had more resources we could do more, and as I told you in my statement we are grossly behind in the results pledged against our target. I find that frustrating. It is not a
question of necessarily greater contributions in total, it is a question of the allocation of those contributions. Many countries go to many meetings and solemnly pass resolutions supporting the principle that more should be done multilaterially. Yet in fact, in the last few years, the percentage of food aid in the world done through the World Food Programme has dropped from 17 percent to 14 percent, and I find this frustrating.
Generally speaking I think we have the support of the world. I know we have the goodwill, but I would like to see it translated into a more immediate response and immediate action.
G. de BAKKER (Netherlands): I feel a little shy to speak after the very eloquent intervention of the Executive Director, but I will try. Also, to be the first speaker is not always the easiest.
We also participated in the meeting about a month ago, so I do not need to repeat everything which was discussed there and what we said there, but I should like to touch on a few items, mainly to confirm here in the Conference our full support for the WFP.
We feel the objectives of the WFP are still very timely, and they require priority of attention by every country. To our mind, food aid is one of the very best means of aid. Money can go everywhere, sometimes in the wrong directions, but food always ends up in hungry stomachs because people who are not hungry do not take the food which is distributed.
Food for work, we feel, is a most elementary necessity and people who work have a right to food.
New items which were discussed in the CFA concerned food security. We feel it is a good thing that WFP should start working on ensuring that food is present at the moment when it is most needed, so that it does not need to be shipped in at the last minute, or perhaps even too late, in planes or ships which arrive too late. So we feel that food security is a good thing to work on.
The second item I should like to mention, because emergencies were talked about, is that although we agreed that those emergencies are really pressing and that something ought to be done about them, most donor countries do respond to emergency calls bilaterally. For many reasons they want to do it bila-terally, so it does not mean that if the food is not coming through the WFP, either in cash or in kind, the food is not reaching the emergency areas of the world. We feel that the WFP could do more, though already they are doing something, to coordinate the bilateral food aid. You have said that you are willing to do it and that you are doing it, but we have the feeling that much more could be done to coordinate bilateral food aid. I do not think it is important whether it goes through the budget of FAO or through the books of FAO. What is important is that food aid, even if given bilaterally, reaches in time, in a well coordinated way, the places it is meant for. I would like to mention in this respect that in many cases WFP, because they have the people available in the countries that mostly need it, are better placed to receive the bilateral food and distribute it through the country than many smaller countries without the means available to see that the food reaches the very remote areas for which it is meant. So from that point of view it is good that the WFP is asked to coordinate and help with the distribution. We have said before and repeat here, that WFP is one of the best functioning organizations in the UN family. It is always difficult to say "the best" because there is always better than best, but certainly one of the best. In our country there have been questions asked once in a while about the way that WFP operates. If there are problems we feel it is mostly because WFP does not have sufficient people to aid the countries where the food is sent, in transport, in distribution, in reaching the places where it is sent. So we have been gladly supporting, therefore, the budget of WFP that asked for a few more people and a few promotions to keep the good people they have in the field. That is different from the point of view we took with the FAO budget, but we feel in this case WFP is an organization that needs more people to see that everything goes better in countries where the food is needed.
We also support the target of $ 1 billion, we therefore can accept the resolution put before the Conference. We would like though to remind those people that though WFP is still the Organization that in the first place is helping countries to dispose of surpluses, it is not any more the case. Much more money is needed and much more food is needed than is there in surplus in some of the best run countries where they produce much. We feel, therefore, that those countries that do not have a food or commodity surplus could distribute food through giving cash to WFP. We know WFP can use the cash and more cash than they do today to buy those foods and commodities, needed in the countries where requests come from, and in the second place for all the additional costs that go with shipment of food. So we therefore appeal to all countries, the ones that are in the position to do so, to contribute more to WFP even if they do not have the food in kind available because they have no surpluses. If that is the case that other countries will help to distribute the needed food for cash I think our country will also in the future support in the same way WFP as we have done in the past.
Mrs. A. BERGQUIST (Sweden): The Swedish government has very great confidence in the WFP and the practi-cal manner it carries out its duties. Recent developments have clearly demonstrated to the international community the need for an efficient organization to deal with acute food shortages affecting thousands of people. In this connexion our delegation welcomes the strengthening of WFP' s emergency function and the major role being played by the Programme in alleviating the situation for suffering people in South-east Asia. Sweden regrets the low level of contribution to the International Emergency Food Fund, which falls short of the target of 500 000 tons, and shows a decrease in 1979 compared with 1978. Therefore we appeal to those governments in a position to do so to increase their contributions and to put these at the disposal of the WFP in order not to undermine the international efforts to keep a high degree of preparedness for the seemingly unending food crisis situations in the world.
We further note with great satisfaction the excellent working relations between WFP and FAO. This is a prerequisite for the success of the WFP and proof of goodwill and maturity on both sides. Lastly, let me say with regard to the Draft Resolution before us it ought to be unanimously adopted and if anything it ought to be possible to exceed the present modest target of $ 1 000 million.
EL PRESIDENTE: Abrimos un pequeño paréntesis para hacer un anuncio: Tailandia quiere insertar una declaración sobre el cultivo de la seda. Esta declaración no se hará en forma verbal, sino que apare-cerá escrita en el resumen de las intervenciones de esta mañana y es, repito, sobre el cultivo de la seda.
S. SID AHMED (Sudan): Allow me to express also my appreciation of the introduction by Mr. Vogel, both his statement which was vary comprehensive and the heart-to-heart talk given by him. Sudan is one of the developing countries that has benefitted greatly from the projects of WFP, whether food for school children or the goal of development or implementation of development programmes. Specifically, we underline the contribution of the Programme and the efforts of this year, also in supporting refugees. I am putting this point underlining it because although a lot is known about refugees in other parts of the world, nothing is known about the refugees in Sudan whose number go beyond the million mark, to the effect it has greatly affected the socio-economic structure of the country. For this our government has decided to consider the year 1980 in the Sudan as the Tear of the Refugees, and call on all national and international support to secure at least the minimum requirements of life for them. We therefore strongly urge countries to assign a high proportion of the aid for the reduction of costs for transportation which the recipient countries have to face.
Finally, on behalf of my delegation, we support the Draft Resolution target for WFP pledges for the period 1961-82.
A. V. PEDERSEN (Denmark): He would like to re-state our full support of the World Food Programme and our confidence in the present management of the Programme. We support the Draft Resolution before us concerning the target for pledges in 1981-82 of S 1 billion. Denmark is one of the major contributors to WFP both in relative and absolute terms, and as stated by the head of our delegation in the Plenary meeting, the Danish government is prepared to increase the Danish contribution to WFP We earnestly appeal to other donor countries that they too inorease their pledges. We realize that food aid on a large scale will be necessary for a long period yet. In this connexion we have taken note of the conclusions from the recent CFA meeting that the level of food aid needs in the eighties may in a substantial way exceed the present targets for food aid. It is our opinion that it would be hardly realistic to fix higher targets as long as the present target of 10 million tons of cereals has not been reached. We have noted with interest that the target for deliveries for dairy products, 250 000 tons of milk powder, based on the ab sorbati ve capaoity, has been reached, and that the level for 1985 is indioated to be at 300 000 tons. We would suggest that FAO assist the needy countries in fimding ways of increasing the absorbative capaoity in the field of dairy products. We also want to state that clearly there is a connexion between the level of production, the level of stocks in developed countries to make adjustments in their agricultural policies.
We do appreciate the report on food aid requirements in the eighties prepared by FAO and WFP. It is a valuable contribution to the understanding of the situation we have to face in the coming years, and we recommend that FAO in collaboration with SFP continue this work.
In the field of emergencies WFΡ has played an important role over the years. This year it has been necessary to allocate $ 55 million - and now S 65 million, - from the Programme's regular resources for this purpose, to which should he added contributions from the International Emergency Food Reserve. In order to save the regular resources for project aid we would hope that emergency assistance to a larger extent could come from IEFR. As stated in Plenary the Danish government has taken steps to contribute to reserves in a permanent way. We note with satisfaction that the CFA has adopted guidelines and criteria for food aid. We look forward to see the CFA(wPP) to play a more active role in the long-term planning of food aid. In particular we would hope WPP would go actively into the question of a wider coordination of multilateral and bilateral food aid.
A. J. PECKHAM (United Kingdom) s I was hoping to catoh your eye fairly soon, Mr. Chairman, after the Executive Director had spoken, because I felt myself this was probably the most heart-warming item of this Conference. I thought his introduction was quite superlative. On behalf of the UK I am happy to say that we are entirely satisfied with the Programme's activities and we have the fullest confidence in both the Executive Director and his staff.
As one of those small islands off the continent of Europe and a food deficit country, I am also happy to say that we make a relatively substantial contribution to the World Food Programme. We ought to be doing better but at any rate we are rating ninth in the league at the moment. We are going through our difficulties, I will refer to them a little later. But I would be very happy to take up a point my dear friendDr. de Bakker made - he unfortunately has gone now, I would have liked to have followed him because I agreed so much with what he said. He appealed particularly to those who make pledges of money in cash - we do so - we also make a minor contribution under the Food Aid Convention and also a share under the EEC contribution. So under three hats which we wear we make a contribution, even a contribution to the International Emergency Food Reserve.
I want to hark back to what the Executive Director was saying initially, because I thought he said it so well. He said WFP works, and he said it works well. Those are sentiments we can entirely endorse. He said also that it was wholly dependent on voluntary contributions, and I think it has an absolutely marvellous record. I find, in fact, under my instructions, that so much of what he said, meets precisely our own aims and objectives. I will refer to them very briefly, Mr. Chairman. In the first place we are anxious to encourage, and we welcome the increase in flows of food aid from WFP to the poorest countries. The Executive Director has already mentioned that over 75 percent, I think was the figure, went to the least developed and most seriously affected countries. That is entirely as we would wish.
Secondly, we would like to encourage the trend which exists towards the joint programming with other agencies. We think that WFP food is the right sort of input to projects which are sponsored jointly with other agencies of the United Nations and bilateral agencies. We, therefore, like that particular note too, rather than perhaps creating projects as it has been said occasionally as vehicles for food aid in themselves.
Thirdly, again it is in support of the point already made by the Netherlands, that we would support the Executive Director in his attempts to strengthen project administration by increasing field staff where that is necessary.
Fourthly, and lastly as far as I am concerned, there is this rather tricky question of the availability of resources. I have not myself yet seen the resolution which a number of speakers have referred to. I would be very happy to see it, but I cannot therefore say what our reaction is at the moment. We are in general in favour of restricting the annual amount of money spent on emergencies on the basis that WFP is primarily an agency for project aid for development. That is, another point which the Executive Director stressed. We think that so far as emergencies are concerned it should be a question of need and, of course, we have noted very carefully what the Executive Director has said in that regard.
I do not think I need say very much more, but perhaps like the opening speaker, I did not start with a speech so I cannot follow like him with a few words off the cuff, but I would like to say to this Commission that some of us who reside in Rome have followed with the closest interest the Programmes response to the dreadful situation in Kampuchea and I would like to take this opportunity of paying very special and a very warm tribute to the Executive Director and his staff in that regard.
O. DIALLO (Mali): Ma délégation profite de l'occasion qui lui est donnée pour féliciter ici le Directeur exécutif du Programme alimentaire mondial M. Vogel pour la brillante introduction qu'il a faite sur son sujet et aussi pour les résultats positifs des activités du Programme alimentaire mondial dans le cadre du développement économique et social du Mali. En effet, mon pays bénéficie d'un vaste programme d'aide alimentaire à des projets de développement rural. II s'agit notamment d'un chantier de reforestation - parce que nous sommes un pays transsaharien - d'un chantier d'aménagement du terroir pour le développement de la riziculture, du forage de puits sur les espaces pastoraux, pour ne citer que ceux-là. Mais ce qui est nouveau et très encourageant c'est le soutien aux coopératives de production. L'aide du PAM a permis par exemple à la coopérative des pécheurs d'accroître la quantité et la qualité de sa production. Il a élargi son rayon d'action tant sur le plan de la pêcherie que de la commercialisation du poisson.
Toutes les actions de terrain, c'est-à-dire la réception, le stockage, la distribution des denrées sont menées avec l’assistance du personnel permanent du PAM en collaboration avec les homologues autochtones. A notre avis, l'action du PAM en direction des pays en développement doit être soutenue.
Α. F. CHOUDHURY (Bangladesh): Let me first congratulate Mr. Vogel for his very able and lucid manner of explaining the WFP's role in rural development emergency relief and in the field of removing malnutrition.
Bangladesh has an undertaking to the food-for-work programme since 1975· The pioneer in this field of cooperation with and assistance to us is the World Food Programme · Beginning with an amount of 54, 000 tonnes of wheat in 1975, ever since we have been receiving steadily aid of more than 100, 000 metric tons every year for this programmes. We started this programme in 1975 with some degree of hesitation and uncertainty, not knowing about the acceptability of this programme by our people. But, Sir, to our utmost satisfaction the response from the rural unemployed labour force was tremendously enthusiastic. I do not want to burden the delegates here with the statistics of the benefits our rural agricultural sector has derived out of this programme. Suffice it to say that we have desilted thousands of miles of waterways and reconstructed thousands of miles of flood-control embankments. These have gone a long way in controlling flood, facilitating irrigation and developing in general land and water resources for enhancing production of food crops. We have also resuscitated a large number of derelict tanks thus helping local irrigation and production of fish. All these have happened in relation to providing much needed employment to the poorest section of the population at the time when they need it most, that is in the lean period when there is not much agricultural activity.
The pumping of wheat into the economy instead of cash has also helped us in keeping the price of foodstuffs steady and within the easy reach of the poor. Mr. Chairman, in short, over the years the food-for--work programme has been developed in my country as the single largest programme for rural development in the sense that this programme takes care of the development and maintenance of rural infrastructure, for flood control, irrigation and marketing purposes. In addition to this we also additionally receive emergency food aid from the WFP as the need arises. Por example in 1978 WFP presented us with emergency aid of 50, 000 metric tonnes of wheat to tackle the emergency flood situation. This year also, a few months ago, we received a new grant of 18, 000 tonnes of wheat in addition to some balanced stock available from previous programmes in order to help us tackle the distress arising out of the long drought that hit the country.
We have another important programme known as the Vulnerable Food Feeding Programme with the assistance of the World Food Programme. This programme helps us to tackle the problem of under nutrition and malnutrition, and the children, expectant and lactating mothers. Under this programme food in the form of wheat, milk powder, vegetable oil and fish protein concentrates etc. , are regularly supplied to more than 500, 000 people of these vulnerable groups on a daily basis. Though the need is much larger this WFP aided programme has been helping us a great deal in the real sence. We also received substantial WFP help in tackling the situation arising out of the influx of about 200, 000 refugees form Burma.
The WFP have also helped us in coordinating cash requirements for allied works necessary for deriving full benefit out of the WFP aided output projects. For example, WFP took the lead in arranging a substantial Canadian aid in cash for construction of airport and infrastructures which has been going on for the last two years. Recently also another 25 million World Bank credit has been finalized for the same purpose. This money will also be available for construction of airport and infrastructure on local WFP aided art work schemes like canals and embankments. Here also WFP played a very vital role.
Today Bangladesh is perhaps the single largest recipient of WPP assistance in the programmes just described by me.
The most salient feature of WPP assistance is that in these programmes the food aid goes directly and most promptly to the target groups, that is to the poorest of the needy people. Our experience also shows that any proposals to WPP gets very prompt response. My delegation, Sir, therefore strongly supports the draft resolution that is before us contained in document C 79/LIM/4.
H. REDL (Austria) (interpretation from German): First of all I would like to thank Mr. Vogel and his collaborators for the excellent presentation that he has put forward. Hunger and malnutrition are worldwide problems, they are so great that we can only solve them in an internationally concerted joint action. Deliveries of foodstuffs are necessary and it would only be desirable and gratifying if the industrialized states were to be more generous in supplying this aid. Important as the World Food Programme is, and while food deliveries cannot be done without, we also need the development of agriculture, something that will only be possible once we have a sufficient infrastructure.
Austria has always been in favour of using food for promoting economic, social and industrial development and from the inception of the World Food Programme Austria has been supporting its activities. In future we shall also always try to make a constructive contribution to the achievement of the objectives of the World Food Programme. We therefore accept and agree to LIM/4.
K. CHOUERI (Liban) (interpretation de l'arabe): La délégation de mon pays voudrait féliciter M. Vogel pour le brillant et si constructif exposé qu'il a fait.
Permettez-moi de faire quelques remarques au sujet de cet exposé étant donné que nous n'avons pas eu l'occasion de le faire lors de la réunion du Comité des politiques des programmes d'aide alimentaire puisque nous n'en faisons pas partie. Tout d'abord, l'utilisation du PAM pour l'aide alimentaire est sur la bonne voie en ce moment. Nous notons que la continuité de ce Programme et l'augmentation de ses ressources pourraient donner de meilleurs résultats quant à son fonctionnement. Ce Programme a reçu une reconnaissance sur le plan mondial et ceci grace à ses résultats obtenus. Nous notons également le rôle efficace joué par le Programme étant donné que l'aide alimentaire peut constituer un élément essentiel dans le domaine du développement agricole.
A travers les relations entretenues entre nous et le représentant du PAM au Liban, nous avons vu l'importance accordée au fait d'éviter les pertes dans les récoltes et dans toutes les activités du Programme, ainsi qu'au fait de vouloir éviter tout gaspillage. M. Vogel, Directeur exécutif, est à la tête d'une direction très compétente. Nous sommes tous d'accord sur le fait que cette direction se met au service de ceux qui en ont le plus besoin. Le PAM a réussi dans ses différentes activités, notamment lorsqu'il y a eu une augmentation et une fluctuation dans les prix des transports maritimes.
Le PAM, malgré les événements vécus par le Liban, a pu nous transmettre l'aide alimentaire, et a pu la distribuer à tous les niveaux dans mon pays.
Nous regardons avec satisfaction les efforts déployés dans le domaine des événements d'urgence. Il y a eu ensuite des actions dans le cadre des opérations d'urgence. Nous lançons un appel aux pays riches afin qu'ils augmentent leurs contributions dans ce Programme, ce Programme qui a joué un rôle très important dans le cadre de l'aide alimentaire et qui a pu fournir une aide aux pays qui en ont le plus besoin et dans les cas d'urgence.
Le projet de résolution qui est soumis à la Conférence, concernant l'objectif des promesses de contributions au PAM pour la période 1981 et 1982, a l'appui total de mon pays.
Nous apprécions l'importance de l'aide alimentaire multilatérale et le rôle joué par le PAM. Nous appuyons tous les paragraphes de ce projet de résolution. Nous voudrions rappeler que le gouvernement de mon pays, conformément à l'efficacité de ce programme et ses conséquences, lors d'une réunion du Conseil des Ministres, a décidé d'augmenter ses contributions volontaires très modestes relatives aux années 1981/82, d'une somme de 12, 5 pour cent. Encore une fois, nous remercions les responsables du PAM pour leurs efforts. Nous remercions les pays donateurs pour toutes les contributions que nous apprécions énormément.
J. R. GOMEZ RICANO (Cuba): Desea nuestra delegación, en primer lugar, felicitarle calurosamente por verle ahí, presidiendo la Comisión II, a nombre de su heroico y digno pueblo y apoyarle para que tenga éxitos en la gestion encomendada.
En segundo lugar, hemos oído atentamente la exposición precisa del Director Ejecutivo del PMA y queremos referirnos concretamente al Proyecto de Resolución que tenemos a la vista, sobre problemas de contribu-ción al PMA para el período 1981-82.
Si conocemos que en el mundo de hoy sufren todavía hambre a tiempo completo o a medio tiempo, no menos de 1 500 millones de personas, el objetivo mínimo de contribuciones voluntarias de 1 000 millones de dolares alcanzaría solamente para darle ayuda, a cada uno de esos hambrientos, por valor de 66 centavos de dolar. Esto a nuestro juicio, no requiere comentarios y sí una acción decidida por parte de toda la comunidad internacional para sobrepasar con creces las contribuciones que se plantean. Ese debe ser nuestro principal interés.
Aa. BATHNER (Norway): My government is presently a member of the Committee of Food Aid Policies and Programmes, and I shall therefore not go into details, in this connexiont, as to the work and priorities of the World Food Programme.
Let me only very briefly restate my government's full support for the World Food Programme. The Programme is indeed doing an excellent job in all the various fields of its responsibilities. Allow me, however, like other speakers, to single out one particular part of its activities, namely in the field of emergency operations, and more particularly again with regard to its work in and for Kampuchea. We have, in the Committee on Food Aid, given full support to the target for 1981--82 or $1, 000 million. We support the draft Resolution and hope it will be unanimously adopted.
R. B. SINGH (Nepal): First of all, my delegation would like to congratulate the Executive Director of the World Food Programme, Mr. Vogel, who has very clearly and comprehensively set out the World Food Programme and the constraints on it. In this context, my delegation would like to appeal to the countries which have enough resources to increase their pledges to the World Food Programme to meet the challenge of feeding the hungry people around the world, under emergency food aid as well as food aid for economic development.
We are also happy to note with satisfaction that the developed countries have spoken eloquently in support of the Executive Director's programme, helping him to meet the targeted programme.
From the very inception of the World Food Programme we have been associated with it. We very much appreciate it and my delegation strongly supports the programme put forth by the UN/FAO/WFP for the period 1981-82.
We appreciate the fact that the World Food Programme's entire programme depends upon the resourceful donor countries which, however, have been very encouraging in the past. We realize that the need for food supply is great. We all know that the food production front is not encouraging, due to lowyield and vagaries of weather. It is under these conditions that the developing countries are pressing hard for the food support and, as is natural, the World Food Programme has more demands from member countries than the resources available to it.
However, we find that the World Food Programme has been of immense help to the developing countries to meet their emergency supplies, as well as for economic development activities. The World Food Programme has indeed done a commendable job on which we would like to congratulate it.
Briefly, I would like to talk about Nepal which has benefitted greatly from the WFP in the past. The role played by the food aid which has been utilized as food for work in different developmental activities in the Kingdom of Nepal has been quite encouraging, particularly in activities like the construction of mule tracks in the difficult mountain area, drinking water projects, jeepable roads again in the hilly districts and the construction of suspension bridges etcetera which are more labour intensive in nature and are part of the integrated rural development programmes which Nepal has recently undertaken.
The World Food Programme Executive Director has just mentioned the gloomy situation of food grain production and supplies in the developing countries, particularly in the Southest Asian region where Nepal also happens to be located. This year, because of the failure of the monsoon in my country, whatever surplus we used to have has not only been wiped out but we face a serious situation of food deficit. It may be surprising to know that even a few districts of the southern plain, the granary of the kingdom, are in need of food aid this year.
The situation is indeed very bad. Our agriculture which is the mainstay of our economy is very much dependent on the vagaries of weather and one bad harvest is bound to have a chain reaction which affects many to follow. As I mentioned earlier, this year we are facing the same weather problem, a long drought. Owing to the bad weather, major food crops like maize, rice and millet have suffered very badly. As a result, it is estimated that the loss in the output of these crops put together will account for as high as 20 percent of normal production for us. This will create a serious problem in the year ahead, especially in the remote food deficit pockets of the country. Although we on our part are taking measures to reduce the magnitude of the problem by way of increasing the output of wheat this season and by mobilizing as much of the food grain as possible in the deficit area, yet we feel that these measures alone will not be sufficient to meet the problem. We are very happy to see that the Emergency Food Aid Programme has been a substantial help in reducing the state of famine in many parts of the world. The near famine condition in my country is being averted at present due to the prompt contribution of around 11 000 metric tons of wheat which has just been made available by FAO / WFP and other emergency food aid programmes, for which we are very grateful indeed. But I am afraid this is not quite enough in relation to our requirements which exist well beyond 100 000 metric tons minimum. We do hope that multi-laterel and bi-lateral agencies will be kind enough to consider the situation sympathetically, and make available the required food grain either directly or through UN/FAO/World Food Programme. This generous contribution would definitely be in line with the Five-Point Plan of the World Food Security as rightly outlined by the Director-General of FAO. We were very happy to welcome Mr. Vogel, the Executive Director of the World Food Programme in Nepal recently. We believe he has had a chance to have firsthand knowledge of this year's crop and the food situation in Nepal, and also of various economic development activities undertaken through UN/FAO/World Food Programme assistance to Nepal.
Mlle M. MUSSO (France): Beaucoup d'orateurs ont exprimé certaines des opinions qui sont largement partagées par la France. Ainsi, serai-je très brève dans mon exposé.
Je voudrais d'abord, au nom de ma délégation, vous remercier pour votre exposé. Je voudrais aussi rendre un hommage chaleureux à vous-même et à vos collaborateurs pour l'activité que vous déployez sans relâche pour remédier à l'angoissant problème de la faim.
La délégation française se félicite de l'action du PAM qui tend toujours à mettre en oeuvre avec le plus d'efficacité possible ses programmes de développement. Nous appuyons particulièrement l'action du PAM dans le domaine de l'aide d'urgence qui doit, à nos yeux, rester l'une de ses priorités, et nous remercions tout spécialement le PAM pour l'action qu'il mène avec compétence et dévouement pour venir en aide aux malheureuses populations du Cambodge. Nous sommes heureux que le CPA ait pu arriver à un accord en matière de directives et critères de l'aide alimentaire, et nous nous efforcerons que ces critères soient mis en oeuvre de façon constructive. Nous nous efforçons de mettre en oeuvre actuellement une meilleure collaboration avec le PAM, dont la gestion est particulièrement efficace, ce dont nous le remercions vivement.
A cet égard, ma délégation est heureuse de souligner que lorsqu'elle interroge les postes diplomatiques de la France sur les résultats du PAM, ceux-ci sont unanimes à se féliciter de l'action de l'Organisation et à souligner que les difficultés rencontrées pour la mise en oeuvre des projets ne sauraient lui être imputées.
Enfin, ma délégation apporte son soutien au projet de résolution présenté.
L'objectif d'un milliard proposé par le Directeur exécutif nous semble réaliste et nous nous efforcerons de contribuer à sa réalisation tant bilatéralement qu'à travers l'aide que fournit directement au PAM la Communauté économique européenne qui joue, au sein de l'Organisation, un rôle important.
R. SAAD-EL-DINE (Syria)(interpretation from Arabic): The delegation of the Syrian Arab Republic recognizes the importance of the role which is played by food aid as supplied by the WFP, whether in implementation of Development Programmes as part of the developing countries' own development plan, or as part of emergency food aid. We have full confidence in the WFP in the management of its programmes. Mr. Chairman, the various working papers which have been given to us by the Secretariat, particularly the study entitled "Towards 2000" gives a pretty sombre picture indeed for the future for food production throughout the world. The number of under-nourished people in this world is continually going up, particularly in the LDC'S and the developing world in general, where the population requires increased emergency aid in order to achieve any advance whatsoever in the field of agricultural development. For these resasons, Mr. Chairman, we believe that the pledged target to the WFP for 81/82, the one thousand million dollars sum, we believe this can only be considered as a modest sum because of the vast size of the programmes which the WFP is called upon to carry out, given also the price increase of food products and the increase in freight costs, and therefore we believe that this figure can only be considered as a minimum if we wish the WFP to be in a position to carry out its job properly.
We support the draft resolution in document C 79/LIM/4 bearing upon the pledging targets for 81/82.
K. R. HIGHAM (Canada): Canadian faith in the World Food Programme, in the concepts of the programme and in the management of it, is well established, and for this reason I have little to add to the comments made by our delegation to the Committee on Food Aid Programmes and Policies. Canada is proud of the work of the World Food Programme and of our participation in the programme in every way.
We too are frustrated by the seemingly endless growth in food aid for emergency requirements, but simultaneously we are encouraged by the clear success of the World Food Programme's Projects in the area of Agricultural production and rural development by the food for work formula.
Canada still maintains some hesitation over too enthusiastic an applicaton of World Food Programme resources for building food stocks for food reserves, particularly in the light of the obviously continuing and strong demand for the projects WFP so expertly executes for us now. On this point we were pleased to hear in the Executive Director's prepared statement his intention to continue to give priority to agricultural development projects and immediate consumption needs. We feel that food aid for food reserves should remain primarily an area for bi-lateral activity.
I would like to join many of the speakers before me who have encouraged new donors to the programme, particularly those who could help with the need to increase the percentage of cash donation. We look forward to the proposed Pledging Conference in New York and to an enthusiastic response to this appeal.
It would be amiss for Canada, not to congratulate the Programme, and particularly the members of the World Food Programme's staff who have dedicated themselves so wholeheartedly to the tragic situation in Kampuchea. I have been in touch with him personally over this period and am at least partly aware of the time and effort and dedication they have put into this programme. In closing Canada can join the others who have spoken already in supporting the draft resolution.
H. WETZEL (Germany, Fed. Rep. of) (interpretation from German): The Government of the Federal Republic of Germany has discussed in detail all questions concerning the WFP during the Autumn session of the CFA, a member of which we are at present. Consequently in my comments upon the draft resolution C/LIM/30 I need only be brief. As at the 75th FAO Council Session the delegation of the Federal Republic of Germany supports this draft Resolution which proposes a minimum target of voluntary contributions to the WFP of 1 billion dollars for the forthcoming biennium 81/82.
The Government of the Federal Republic of Germany considers the work of the WFP extremely useful and necessary. It has continuously increased its contribution to the WFP, in particular since the World Food Conference, that is from DΜ 38 million in the biennium 73/74 to DM 75 million in the biennium 79/80. The provisional budget for 1980, to be submitted to our Parliament, provides for an increase of DM 3 million so that we expect a contribution of the Federal Republic of Germany to the WFP of more than DM 80 million for the biennium 1980/81.
My Government furthermore supports the International Emergency Food Reserve being at the disposal of the WFP with thirty-five thousand tons of grains per annum as a part of my country's contribution under the Food Aid Convention.
The guidelines and criteria for food aid adopted by the CPA in May of this year are already applied in substance by my Government in our respective bilateral projects, in particular for food for work projects.
Allow me two further comments. The first concerns the administrative budget of the WPP. I will not deny that during the autumn session of the CPA the administrative budget of the WPP was heavily discussed. The increase of 25·6 million dollars to 35· 7 million dollars is a substantial increase for the biennium.
The second comment, Mr. Chairman, concerns an amendment proposed in document C 79/23, para. 48, relating to the rules on WPP emergency aid. According to this proposed amendment the sale of WPP emergency aid should be allowed with the aim of purchasing food for security stocks. We feel such an amendment would falsify the sense of an emergency aid which aims at overcoming acute emergency situations.
Z. GHOSHEN (Jordan) (interpretation from Arabic): The Jordan delegation would like to thank Mr. Vogel for the excellent statement which he made in opening our discussion on the objectives of the World Pood Programme and the pledges required to support it. Jordan is already a great beneficiary of WFP activities in rural development, in land development in general, and in the areas which have been severely hit by drought.
Consequently, we absolutely support this Programme, and we hope that the pledging target can go beyond the $1, 000 million given in the document, so that the Programme can do an even better job.
Ms. J. SZANTO (Hungary): Hungary, since her first election to the intergovernment committee of the Programme, has been actively participating in WPP's activities, and we appreciate very much its objective of meeting emergency food needs and in assisting needy countries.
We pay great tribute to the Executive Director, Mr. Vogel, for the Programme and for their efforts over many years to mitigate hunger and malnutrition.
Hungary is an elected member country of CPA, so I am not going to go into details to evaluate the Programme of activities, since we have done it many times at previous sessions. Nevertheless, recognizing the significance of food aid which the Programme provides to needy countries, my govern-ment has decided to increase her contribution in kind to the Programme for the following biennium by 10 percent. This fact has been officially announced by our Minister of Agriculture and Pood at the Plenary meeting.
Finally, Hungary wishes to give its full support to the draft resolution C 79/LIM/4 as it stands before US.
NGA MA MAPELA (Zaïre): Je serai très bref pour la simple raison que l'exposé qu'à fait le Directeur executif, M. Vogel, recueille toute la satisfaction de ma délégation, et d'autre part l'essentiel de ce que j'avais à dire a été dit de façon plus éloquente par la Délégation de la France.
Je voudrais saisir cette occasion pour remercier les pays donateurs qui ont bien voulu mettre à la disposition du PAM de quoi lui permettre d'accorder une aide d'urgence à mon pays, cela à plusieurs occasions.
Avant de terminer, je voudrais souligner l'importance qu'il convient d'accorder au niveau de l'allocation d'urgence dans le cadre des ressources du PAM, et à ce propos notre délégation appuie sans réserve le point de vue exprimé par la Délégation française. Comme nous venons de l'entendre, les 45 millions qui avaient été prévus pour les opérations d'urgence sont épuisés, et ma délégation remercie d'avance les pays donateurs qui, nous en sommes sûrs, répondront à l'appel lancé par le Directeur exécutif pour que le PAM dispose de 10 millions de dollars au moins avant la fin de l'année, ce qui lui permettra de répondre aux demandes d'aide d'urgence qui lui ont été adressées.
Il a été dit ici, que l’ondevrait accorder plus d'importance au Projet de développement économique et social. Nous sommes d'accord avec ce point de vue, mais il faudrait, à notre avis, que les délégués aient présent à l'esprit ce qui a été dit lors d'une session passée par le délégué de la Mauritanie, qui avait estimé que du moment où le Projet de développement économique et social était destiné à satisfaire les besoins d'un être mourant, donc un cas d'urgence, nous voyions très mal comment des opérations d'urgence pourraient être laissées de côté pour que soit poursuivi un projet de éveloppement destiné à un être qui n'est presque plus vivant.
Ma délégation joint sa voix à celle des autres délégations pour appuyer sans réserve le projet de résolu-tion présenté par le document C 79/LIM. 4.
D. CRUMP (New Zealand): My delegation would like to join other delegations in thanking the Executive Director for his excellent opening statement. New Zealand has just begun a three-year-term on the Committee of Food Aid Policies. We have always regarded the WFP as a most efficient distributor of food aid, and we appreciate that the World Food Programme's aim is developmental, that is, food is used in projects which are intended to stimulate economic and social development in the recipient country.
The emphasis on Food for Work Programmes and on agricultural and rural development is most admirable. We appreciate that the World Food Programme concentrates on reaching those who are most vulnerable, especially mothers and their babies. We know that World Food Programme food aid is distributed so that it does not disrupt and destabilize markets. As an agricultural exporter, New Zealand would like to see more food aid channelled through a World Food Programme rather than bilaterally.
My delegation has pleasure in supporting the draft resolution C 79/LIM/4.
D. CONSTANTIN (Roumanie): Je voudrais d'abord féliciter le Directeur exécutif pour ses remarquables explications sur le rôle et le bon travail du PAM.
Je voudrais aussi vous dire que ma délégation apprécie, comme positive, l'activité déployée par le Comité pour la politique et le programme d'aide alimentaire. Elle est d'accord avec les recommandations et les critères de l'aide alimentaire proposés lors de la septième session du Comité, et se prononce pour le renforcement de l'activité du Programme pour les prochaines années.
A notre avis, le programme d'aide doit fonctionner comme un mécanisme d'appui dans les pays en développement, tant dans des situations d'urgence que dans la réalisation de projets concrets de développement agricole.
Dans ce sens, la Roumanie souhaite intensifier sa collaboration avec le Programme alimentaire mondial, tant dans la direction de l'appui accordé par notre pays au Programme que dans celle de l'assistance accordée à notre pays par le Programme pour la réalisation de projets de développement agricole en Roumanie.
Ma délégation appuie le projet de résolution C 79/LIM/4.
C. BENJAMIN (United States of America): The United States accepts the pledging target of $ 1000 million for the World Food Programme for the biennium 1981 - 82, and has under consideration its own pledge that will be made at the forthcoming pledging conference. We note with concern, however, that neither the 1977 - 78 goal of $ 750 million nor the 1979 - 80 goal of $ 950 million has been attained, with only $ 737. 6 million having been pledged in the current biennium.
Therefore, like other delegations, we would urge other donors, both current and potential, to increase their efforts in order to attain this new ambitious target of $ 1 billion. We believe that only when donors attain this goal discussions of a larger target will be realistic.
In conclusion, I can give the United States support for the draft resolution in C 79/LIM/4.
MRS N. SHEANAKUL (Thailand): Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak on behalf of the Thai delegation. I could not help but join several other previous speakers in thanking the WFP for all their assistance given to Thailand, especially for the emergency aid in connexion with the Kampuchean refugees who, in recent months, have become a daily problem at the national level in my country.
The head of the Thai delegation has already expressed our deep appreciation for all the assistance received through the Programme when he made the country statement in the Plenary Session. I merely wish to take this opportunity to emphasize our deep gratitude for the Programme. Concerning the pledges, as a developing country Thailand is not in a position to offer a large amount of contribution in terms of cash, but as a gesture of our full support for WFP and the draft resolution in C 79/LIM/4 the Royal Thai Government is considering increasing Thailand's contributions in kind by 20 percent for the next pledging period.
A. M. F. FERNANDO (Sri Lanka): I think we would be failing in our duty if we did not register our approval of the WFP and all that the Director has been doing. We have read very carefully the statement by the Assistant Director calling for new donors in cash and kind. We have benefitted immensely from the WFP and wish to acknowledge the same in this Commission. Sri Lanka is only an observer in this meeting, and there are two aspects of the WFP and IFEA. It was pointed out in the May meeting that the target is only a minimum and not an ambitious one. We would wish it to be distributed in a multilateral rather than in a bilateral manner. If multilateral it could be used for emergency, refugee, or natural disaster purposes. We also accept that Food for Work has been unanimously supported and adopted in agricultural and rural sectors.
We support the Draft Resolution in its entirety but it still falls far short of the needs of the WFP. We are glad so many members of the Committee have spoken of WFP activity. We trust we will not only reach the target but exceed it. We are grateful for most of the developed countries supporting the resolution. I think it is a good sign for the future and I hope Mr. Vogel will not have sleepless nights wondering where his contributions will come from. His plaintive note was evident in his opening remarks.
H, BAEYENS (Belgique): Je tiens tout d'abord à féliciter le Directeur exécutif et le personnel du Programme alimentaire mondial pour l'efficacité de leur travail. Dans l'ensemble, mon gouvernement est très satisfait du travail fait par le Programme alimentaire mondial et soutient entièrement l’ orientation de l'action vers les pays plus touchés, les moins développés et vers les groupes des populations les plus vulnérables. Ma délégation est quelque peu préoccupée par le niveau actuel des contributions annoncées pour le biennium en cours. Elle souhaiterait vivement que de nouveaux donateurs puissent se joindre aux donateurs traditionnels. Elle craint que sans cela l'objectif fixé pour cette période ne puisse pas être atteint.
Enfin, ma délégation peut annoncer l'appui de la Belgique à l'objectif qui est proposé pour la période 1981-1982. Cet objectif semble assez réaliste et la Belgique ne manquera pas de prendre en charge sa part dans cet effort commun.
P. MASUD (Pakistan): May I also join the others in congratulating the WFP on the excellent manner in which it has been conducting its various activities. The leader of my delegation in his address to the Conference made special reference to the outstanding role of the WFP. Coming to the Resolution for the Conference concerning targets and other matters, the first point I would like to stress is that the cash resources of the Programme need to be augmented and we think the best way is to abide strictly by the regulations. The second point we would make is that the target for the biennium 1981-82 which has been fixed at $1 billion, does not appear to be adequate. We say this primarily because if you compare it with the target for the previous biennium which was $ 950 million you will notice there was a small increase, but this increase has been eroded by the recent increase in the price of wheat and other food crops. We therefore feel the budget target has lost some of its relevance since it was established. I do not want to enter into a debate on this matter but would like to highlight the fact that the Conference keeps this matter in mind. To say $ 1 thousand million would be sufficient for the coming biennium if the target is met would not be quite adequate. May I also announce that my government is considering increasing its pledge to the WFP by 50 percent, additionally my government has also pledged 2 000 tons of rice to help meet the situation caused by the influx of refugees in Kampuchea.
A. F. D. de FREITAS (Brazil): I would like to add my voice to those who spoke before in thanking Mr. Vogel and his collaborators for the excellent job in carrying out the work of the WFP, and in particular to commend the efforts exerted in the last week in favour of the people of Kampuchea. I had occasion to take part in the debate of the last meeting of CFA so I do not intend to make special comments on the Programme now.
As regards the draft resolution now before us, I would point out the importance we attach to both objectives of the WFP as stated in preambular paragraph 5 on Food Aid continuing action both as a form of capital investment and for meeting emergency food needs. For many countries which face acute shortage of food as capital investment it isa very important point in facing the need to set free fresh resources for other items in planning new investments in the general context of developing agriculture and opening up new areas for the production of food itself. Some of these programmes may take three or four years to mature so we think Food for Work is important to many countries in this respect.
The Brazilian delegation agrees with the establishment of $ 1 billion target for the biennium 1981-82.
In conclusion the Brazilian delegate would like to express support for the Draft Resolution in document C 79/LIM/4.
A. A. D'ALMEIDA (Angola): The World Food Programme is, amongst the different Organizations of the United Nations, that lend assistance to our Country, one of the oldest, its operations having started in our Republic in 1976.
The assistance received from WFP is considerable in economic terms if it is compared to that given to other Nations of the African Continent. But, it is only just to recognize that the special situation derived from our Independence and from the continuous foreign agression, has made that the help received from WFP which should have really been made into investment projects for the social and economic development, has had to be transformed, in our case into an emergency aid.
The dislocation suffered by the Angolan population as a result of our Second war of Liberation and due to the continuous struggle against South African aggression, has made our Country the sanctuary for populations from the brotherly populations, such as the case of Namibia, having also to give attention to the fate of our countrymen that return to the National Territory from neighboring countries, and to that of the dislocated populations due to the armed fighting against puppet groups backed by the South Africans.
The conditions in which these populations, those that return to the country, those who have been dis-located from their homes and of the refugees from other countries, are a principal preoccupation for the Government of the RPA. But, the principal effort is to re-integrate these populations re-incorporating them into a normal and productive social life.
It is because of this, that the assistance received from WFP, UNICEF and the Red Cross, has been so much appreciated by the Angolan people.
In this way, the projects implemented with the assistance from the WFP, have been, up to the present moment, fundamentally of an emergency feeding nature for populations under especial conditions. These projects have been the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Social Affairs, and the effective delivery of the food to the beneficiaries has been left in their hands
Like all feeding programmes, it is only natural that certain difficulties arise, and in our case they have been made worse by the destruction of our infrastructure of roads, bridges, transport and storage, due to the hardship imposed by the war and by the continued agression. To these difficulties we must add the lack of technical cadres that can take up the responsibility for proper storage, distribution and preparation of foods. Little by little these are being solved insofar as the availability of technical cadres for the preparation of foods and the organization of collective feeding.
The conditions of drought that have prevailed in Angola during the last two years, to which have been added difficulties in the provision of seeds, fertilizers and tools, have made the target of self-sufficiency yet to be met. Due to these reasons certain emergency programmes have had to be continued.
Certain difficulties have also arisen from not being able to absorb the commodities provided by WFP with sufficient speed, due to problems related to food distribution, the setting-up of feeding centres, etc.
Other problems are derived from difficulties found in the utilization of certain products provided by WFP in the preparation of foods that are acceptable for the majority of the beneficiaries. We do understand that the WFP cannot always provide the food commodities that we would like to see in the diets of the beneficiaries. But it is only fair to acknowledge that both because of our lack of providing sufficient technical information as well as the impossibility of WFP to provide certain commodities, the children below two years of age are poorly represented in the selection of foodstuffs that are more adequate for them. And it is precisely the children below two years of age who are at high risk of dying from malnutrition.
The investment of WFP's assistance in programmes for social development, that is in human capital, is related to recent requests from our Government to help in the feeding of children attending kindergartens, orphanages and physically handicapped people who attend working centres. Furthermore, a project for school feeding is now under consideration.
A socio-economic development programme related to increasing the availability of fluid milk, reconstituted from products provided by WFP and other agencies, has been linked to the simultaneous creation, from our Government's side, of conditions that will increase the quality of dairy cows.
Of course in this process also we do ask for WFP consideration in such things: Firstly, the number of refugees, repatriated and dislocated people, tends unfortunately to increase, which makes the continuation of WFP assistance for emergency programmes a much felt need. It is necessary to answer this increasing need by strengthening our logistic capabilities, the training of technical cadres and the transformation of these populations into self-sufficient from the standpoint of food. We need to diversify the nature of the projects that we submit to WFP, relating them more and more to activities tied to production and socio-economic development. Although we recognize the limitations of WFP, we do believe that the food commodities that make up the rations should give especial consideration to those foods that are especially suitable for children under two years of age.
B. MAYANJA (Uganda): On behalf of my delegation I wish to congratulate the Executive Director of the World Food Programme for his comprehensive report on the activities of the Programme. We, being one of the beneficiary countries, join other delegations in welcoming the programme and we, therefore, strongly support the draft resolution C 79/LIM/4.
K. M. KHUDHEIR (Iraq) (interpretation from Arabic): On behalf of the delegation of my country, Iraq, we would like to pay tribute to the Executive Director of the Programme, Mr. Vogel, and his collaborators for the effective role that the WFP has played and for its share in improving the food situation of humanity as a whole and for its human aid to the developing people who are the poorest, and particularly in occupied Palestine. The funds attributed to the Programme for 1980-81 have, in fact, been very beneficially employed, and we are going to contribute in cash and in kind.
P. BUNE (Fiji): I shall be very brief. I should like, first of all, to join other delegations to add our congratulations to Dr. Vogel for the brilliant manner in which he introduced his report to us this afternoon, and for the competent way in which he and his officials have carried out their important task. As a beneficiary of the World Food Programme, Fiji would like to acknowledge with thanks the efficient way in which the World Food Programme has responded to our request in the past. I believe we have a further request on his desk right now.
I wish to address myself on the question of emergency food aid with particular reference to the speed with which this food aid is delivered to affected countries. My country is struck by hurricanes every year and these tropical cyclones cause a great deal of damage. They destroy homes and uproot crops. Much of the government's time is taken up in rehabilitation work, particularly in rebuilding homes to provide shelters for the homeless.
Our recent experience from the tragic aftermath of hurricane Mel which struck Fiji in March this year has highlighted once again the need for this organization to urgently consider new ways and means of responding quickly to the emergency food needs of far-distant island countries like mine.
Fiji's problem is not only her remoteness from donor countries but also the communication and transportation, difficulties within our scattered islands, which could prevent help reaching affected areas for weeks after the hurricane has struck.
Local crops take about six to eight months to grow and mature in hurricane stricken areas, so that we depend very much on emergency food aid to feed hurricane victims. Ships which carry emergency food aid supplies loaded in Europe take three to four months to reach Fiji, so that the emergency situation for which such aid was intended to meet, might no longer exist, or might have reached critical proportions when they finally arrive in Fiji.
My delegation hopes therefore that the UN/FAO World Food Programme might give some thought to other practical and effective ways of ens uring the speedy deliveries of emergency food aid supplies to countries in the same situation as mine, including the possibility of emergency cash grants which would enable these countries to purchase their immediate relief supplies from neighbouring markets, where efficient and speedy delivery could be assured.
This is the only contribution of my delegation to this debate, and once again, I would like to thank the World Food Programme and FAO for all they have done for my country.
H. CUEVA EQUIOUREN (Ecuador): No quiero dejar pasar esta oportunidad para expresar a nombre del Gobierno de mi país, la más calurosa felicitación en la persona del Director Ejecutivo del PMA por la magnifica labor que desempeña este Programa, sobre todo a favor de los países en desarrollo y de los grupos de población más vulnerables.
Debo, asimismo, expresar mi felicitación al señor Vogel por la magnífica exposición que nos ha hecho sobre las actividades del Programa. Eh mi país, el PMA realiza una serie de Proyectos con esplendidos resultados. En la tremenda sequía que sufriera hace un ano, vino de inmediato en nuestra ayuda, salvando de esta manera una angustiosa situación por la que atravesábamos. No detallaré aquí los Proyectos en ejecución en mi país. Sólo diré que estamos muy satisfechos con la marcha y progreso de los mismos.
Por último, debo indicar que mi delegación apoya el Proyecto de Resolución que se nos ha presentado en el documento C 79/LIM/4.
E. O. BURNS (Australia): Australia is a strong supporter of the activities of the World Food Programme. We see this as an effective way of alleviating some of the problems of hunger and poverty and promoting social and economic development. We would particularly like to go on record in expressing our appreciation of the efforts being made by the Director and staff of the World Food Programme to relieve suffering in Kampuchea.
Australia wishes to be associated with other countries in indicating our support for the draft resolution LIM/4.
AMIDJONO MARTOSUWIRYO (Indonesia): I will be very brief. I would like on behalf of my delegation to thank Dr. Vogel for his brilliant introduction. Indonesia supports fully the objective of the WFP and is entirely satisfied with its programme activities.
We, of course, prefer food aid for development and for work from which we can expect more additional food production and other agricultural products. However the number of people to whom food aid must be given most likely increases, whether because of natural disaster or any other reason. We are aware that food aid is given to groups of people in developing countries, and we also understand that many developing countries have financial difficulties. In this connexion, my delegation is of the opinion that food aid should include the costs of domestic or inland transportation and other heavy expenses which are beyond the capability of the recipient country.
I would like to endorse the statement made by the distinguished delegate of the Netherlands, that countries or donors who are not in a position to contribute in kind contribute cash and invite new donors.
Finally, my delegation supports the draft resolution with the hope that the target of 1, 000 million U. S. dollars for 1981/82 will be surpassed.
A. AKLILU (Ethiopia)': I feel very much duty bound to express my appreciation to WPP in carrying out an exceptionally tangibly successful programme in my country. The assistance of the WPP in the area of soil and water conservation, reafforestation and in combatting emergency food short ages has been very substantial indeed. My delegation sincerely applauds the efficiency and readiness of the WPP in all times of need. My country is now prepared, more than at any other time, to raise its local contributions in kind to facilitate the food operations of WPP assisted programmes in Ethiopia.
I would therefore like to join the previous speakers in wholly supporting the target of the coming biennium.
T. BEN SOUDA KORACHI (Maroc): A son tour la délégation marocaine reconnaît que le PAM a joué un rôle très important dans la réalisation de projets économiques et sociaux dans bon nombre de régions du globe. Mon pays bénéficie de cette aide et ne peut que se féliciter de la contribution de ce programme, notamment en matière d'habitat rural, de cantines scolaires et de réalisations de projets agricoles intéressant les couches rurales les plus démunies.
Aussi, étant donné le rôle bénéfique et humanitaire du PAM, nous soutenons le projet de résolution présenté concernant la fixation de l'objectif à 1 milliard de dollars pour l'exercice 1981/82.
Il serait aussi souhaitable, à notre avis, de prévoir la possibilité de fournir l'aide en espèces afin de donner aux pays bénéficiaires la possibilité d'engager des programmes globaux de développement de la production nationale ou tout au moins permettre, après avis du PAM, la vente à l'intérieur du pays bénéficiaire, des dons en nature pour utiliser les fonds dans la réalisation de projets de promotion de l'agriculture et de l'élevage.
HANG SHON-RU (China) (interpretation from Chinese): The Chinese delegation would like to express its thanks for the excellent introduction given by WFP's Executive Director Dr. Vogel.
He think in developing countries with food shortages, food aid provided by WFP has played its significant role of improving nutrition of the people suffering from disasters caused by nature and men and in promoting rural development. All this deserves commendation.
He believe the criteria applied for food aid have been made on the basis of summarization of past experiences and gradually perfected, which correspond with the actual situation.
The Chinese delegation agrees with the draft resolution contained in Document 79/LIM/4.
R. NORRIS (Communauté économique européenne): Je vous remercie de m'avoir donné cette occasion pour vous préciser la contribution que la CEE apporte au Programme alimentaire mondial. Bien que les quantités totales de céréales à fournir par la Communauté et ses Etats membres au titre de la convention d'aide alimentaire, à savoir un peu moins de 1, 3 million de tonnes, soient restées au môme niveau depuis 1975, la Communauté en tant que telle a pour sa part augmenté progressivement le volume de ses programmes annuels qui sont passés de 580 000 tonnes en 1974 à 720 500 tonnes en 1979. La Communanté s'est déclarée prête à participer à l'augmentation de l'effort international de l'aide alimentaire et a porté sa contribution de 1, 3 million à 1, 65 million de tonnes dans le cadre de la nouvelle convention de l'aide alimentaire.
Les produits laitiers font l'objet de programmes annuels portant pour le butter oil sur des quantités de 45 000 tonnes par an et pour le lait écrémé en poudre sur un volume qui a enregistré des augmentations considérables, passant de 505 000 tonnes en 1975 à 154 000 tonnes en 1979.
Il est à noter qu'en ce qui concerne le sucre, la quantité par campagne jusqu'ici prévue a été jusqu'en 1977/78 de 6 100 tonnes au titre de l'UNWAR.
Une nouvelle Convention triennale est depuis lors en cours de négociation.
La CEE s'efforce de réaliser une meilleure combinaison de l'aide alimentaire et des actions relevant de la coopération financière et technique, afin de pouvoir contribuer plus efficacement au développement du monde rural. Dans cette optique, la Communauté s'est engagée à réaliser avec le Gouvernement indien et la Banque mondiale un programme de développement de l'industrie laitière autour des grandes villes. En 1978, l'intervention de la Communauté a porté sur 31 000 tonnes de lait écrémé en poudre et 12 700 tonnes de butter oil. En 1978, la Communauté a procédé pour la première fois à l'achat de produits en Zambie pour qu'ils soient attribués au Zaïre, au Botswana et au Lesotho.
En ce qui concerne l'amélioration de la qualité et de l'efficacité de l'aide alimentaire, il est à noter que la Communauté, qui a toujours fourni la totalité de cette aide alimentaire sous forme de dons, s'est efforcée d'accélérer le rythme de ses livraisons en tous produits.
En outre, en ce qui concerne le lait, celui-ci a été presque entièrement vitaminé à partir de 1976 pour les pays où cela était nécessaire et selon les directives de l'OMS. Par ailleurs, de nouvelles conditions d'utilisation du lait, notamment de meilleures garanties de bonne utilisation du produit, ont été introduites, impliquant notamment que le lait devrait être utilisé en tant que lait liquide mélangé et transformé en fromage, etc.
En ce qui concerne l'amélioration des procédures de décision des actions de l'aide alimentaire, une Modification de ces procédures prises par la Commission après consultation des Etats membres a permis de réduire considérablement les délais d'approbation des actions d'aide alimentaire d'urgence portant sur les quantités de 5 000 tonnes de céréales et/ou 500 tonnes de produits laitiers, les délais étant réduits d'environ deux semaines au lieu de six à huit semaines nécessaires auparavant.
La CEE a contribué à la réserve alimentaire internationale d'urgence depuis sa création en mettant à la disposition du PAM 12 500 tonnes de céréales en 1976, 15 000 tonnes en 1977 et 1978 et 20 000 tonnes en 1979. En outre, la Communauté donne au PAM la possibilité de faire appel à la réserve générale que la Communauté prévoit chaque année dans ses programmes et elle a effectué des aides directes au titre de la réserve d'urgence. En 1977 t 25 tonnes de produits laitiers avaient été stockées dans des ports désignés par l'UNICEF et LICROSS et pouvaient être mobilisées immédiatement en cas d'urgence.
En outre, l'aide aux victimes des guerres en Afrique a porté, de 1974 à 1978, sur des quantités de 15 000 tonnes de céréales, 1 600 tonnes de lait, 1 140 tonnes de butter oil, pour un montant de 6, 19 millions de dollars.
Enfin, il faut noter, outre l'assistance financière et technique accordée aux pays en voie de développement dans le cadre de leur politique nationale en matière de stocks alimentaires, que la Communauté s'est déclarée prête à permettre, sous certaines conditions, l'affectation d'une partie de son aide alimentaire sous forme de céréales à la constitution de stocks nationaux de réserves, dans la mesure toutefois où il ne s'agirait que d'un pourcentage résiduel du schéma communautaire.
G. N. VOGEL (Executive Director, World Food Programme): I do not think there is too much that requires a specific comment, but my attention was caught by a few matters to which I would like to refer. I would, of course, above all like to thank all the speakers who very kindly expressed appreciation and praise, if I might say so, for the efforts of the Programme. I can assure you that this is greatly appreciated by all of us.
A number of speakers highlighted certain factors which I probably should have done myself, and I am therefore grateful to them for having done it. The representative of the Sudan added weight to what I had said about refugees in the world by drawing to your attention the problem in his country which is a massive one.
The representative of Bangladesh, in a very interesting statement, pointed out that the World Food Programme started really as an experiment not only in Bangladesh but in the world as a whole. It was a great experiment and many people who were extremely doubtful that it would work were doubtful that food could he used as capital for development. There are still critics, it is an interesting debate, but I think that for the most part the beneficial effects, the efficacy of the use of food aid for capital development has been proven, if it is used in the proper way, which I happen to think is project food aid.
The delegate of Pakistan quite properly pointed out that the target included in the Resolution before you is indeed a minimum, and with the commodity price and freight rate changes that have taken place, the level of the target is that much more vital.
The Resolution before you takes this into account and points out that if these things occur, which in fact have occured already, then it is important that the target should not only be reached but it should be exceeded. I think we would all agree on how essential it is to maintain the momentum of the programme in real terms. Finally, I thought it was very interesting and I would draw your attention to the fact that quite a large number of delegates from developing countries, countries who are recipients from the World Food Programme, have pointed out how they too are donors. This is very true and it helps, I think, to explain why the World Food Programme has been as effective as I think it has been. It is because it is not only a club of big donors, certainly the big quantities come from the big donors, but in addition there is a mass of contributions from almost every country which is simultaneously receiving from the programme. These small donors take the greatest pride in being able to do this, so that they too are helping in most cases. It is not cash in most cases, it is commodities and their commodities are being used around the world to help people in similar conditions to their own.
EL PRESIDENTE: Continuando con nuestra agenda de la tarde, la sesión 14a, tenemos por delante el tema 17, que es el "Programa de Lucha contra la Tripanosomiasis Africana de los Animales".
Sobre este particular el Dr. Mussman, Director de la Division de Producción Animal, se hará cargo de presentar el tema. Pero antes quisiera también anunciarles que habrá una exposición de diapositivas acompañada de una narrativa hecha por el Dr. Mussman.
H. C. MUSSMAN (Director, Animal Production and Health Division): It is a particular pleasure for me to appear before Commission II today to present to you a programme which has been in preparation for some years. I think you will find it both interesting and fascinating, and I would hope that you would be able to stay with us for the balance of the afternoon and participate fully in the debate tomorrow.
The African trypanosomiasis impose a major constraint on livestock production and general agricultural development over approximately ten million square kilometers of the African continent. Some of this land is potentially highly productive but its full economic development is being denied because of this group of diseases. To illustrate the magnitude of unrealized assets, it is estimated that the control of the disease and concomitant rural development could result in an increase of one hundred and twenty million head in Africa's cattle population. Not only does animal trypanosomiasis restrict livestock production, but related species of trypanosomes also directly affect human health in the form of sleeping sickness.
Through development of livestock industries since the early fifties in some countries as part of a general economic development, substantial land areas have been rendered tse-tse free. In other countries the necessity for safeguarding humans against sleeping sickness infection has entailed a sizeable control programme. Nevertheless, trypanosomiasis remains a virtual threat to man and his domestic animals and to the rural economic development of large parts of continental Africa. International interest in the African trypanosomiases dates back to the turn of the present century when a sleeping sickness epidemic devastated human populations over a vast part of tropical Africa. Since the early discovery of the trypanosome as the causal agent of the disease, knowledge of its epidemiology and control has steadily advanced.
Technological advances through research during the last few decades have widened the frontiers of our knowledge in the fields of tsetse control and trypanosomal biochemistry. This has enabled us to look to the future with optimism for bringing the major portion of Africa into productive use and in so doing to improve the quality of life of the human population.
Against this background, and because of the interst of Member Nations, FAO has designed the Programme for the control of African Animal Trypanosomiasis and Related Development. The Organization will play a keen coordinative role in the implementation of the Programme to ensure maximum utilization of inputs and effective deployment of expertise from collaborating international, multi-lateral and bi-lateral assistance agencies.
The Programme was initiated by FAO and authorized by the 1973 Conference, which approved the Programme of Work and Budget for the biennium of 1974/75.
You will recall that in 1974 the World Food Conference recommended that FAO mount a control and related development programme. The following year, the FAO Conference authorized the establishment of a coordinating unit for implementation of a trypanosomiasis control programme. The programme was subsequently presented to African countries at the tenth FAO Regional Confenence held in Tanzania during September 1978, which fully endorsed past activities and proposals for an action programme.
The preparatory phase has dealt with many essential apsects of the Programme such as training, applied research, pilot control projects, developments for the rearing of trypanotolerant cattle, mobilization of resources and services, and the establishment of the necessary coordination an management structures. All have contributed to the basic reqirements needed for an action programme. Initial programme objectives would have been difficult, if not impossible, to realize without the very active support of international organizations, research institutes, bi-lateral donor countries and the affected member countries.
The objective of the Programme is not limited to the control of the disease or its vector, but is intended to be a major drive toward implementation of realistic land use programmes and rural development. We will re-emphasize this shortly when we look at some slides. The task is of such magnitude that coordinated external technical and financial assistance is essential if objectives are to be realized.
This Conference will discuss the long-term strategy as outlined in the Conference Document 79/29, and it is requested that support be given to the proposals and that the coordinating role foreseen for FAO be endorsed.
( Slide show with explanation )
(Projection de diapositives avec commentaires )
(Proyección de diapositivas con comentarios )
Just a few brief words more: This Programme is one that has interested people; it has involved many people not only within Africa but outside of Africa for a long period of time. It has only been in the last five to seven years that there has been an attempt to bring focus on the problem and to find ways in which those who are intersted in it, not only the affected countries but those outside who recognize the tremendous potential available by opening up selected areas of the infested areas, recognizing the potential that is there, have brought to bear significant amounts of investments in helping the countries achieve degrees of freedom from the tse-tse infestation.
We are hoping that there will be a very spirited debate tomorrow morning, and we will welcome any comments that any of you may have either during the debate or any observation or comments you wish to make to us privately. We in the Animal Protection and Health Division stand ready to discuss with any or all of you.
I would add that we are not the only Division in the Organization involved. In fact, I think it is safe to say that every Division in FAO is now already involved and will be more so in the future. It is truly an organization-wide effort if we cover not only the technical but also the social, the economic, and all of the implications which go into to trying to make this Programme as successful as we think it can be.
The meeting rose at 17. 45 hours.
La séance est levée à 17 h 45.
Se levanta la sesión a las 17. 45 horas.
