M. D'ARCY (Ireland): Mr. Chairman, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, first of all let me make a small correction. My name is Michael D'Arcy, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture. Mr. Chairman, my country wishes to offer you warmest congratulations on your election as Chairman of the Conference. You have our sincerest good wishes for a fruitful outcome to this session. I would like also to extend our best wishes to the vice-Chairmen and to congratulate Dr. Saouma on his reelection for a second term as Director-General of FAO. We wish him every success in his high office and assure him of our continuing support in his efforts to guide this vast Organization safely and effectively toward the attainment of the high ideals enshrined in the Organization's Constitution. We also extend our warmest greetings to the five new Member Nations who have just joined us and look forward to their active participation in the work of FAO.
Mr. Chairman, the size of the problem now confronting the world community of nations is truly immense when one contemplates that by the year 2,000 the world's population is likely to exceed 6 thousand millions, calling for an increase in food output of over 50% (percent). This is a mere 18 years from now and we already have throughout the world some hundreds of millions of undernourished and impoverished people. Unless correct and adequate strategies are adopted and commenced immediately we may at the end of the century be confronted by a situation in which at least one in ten of the earth's population will be suffering serious undernourishment. In the name of the common brotherhood of man we cannot allow such an awesome spectacle to confront our conscience.
The task before us is indeed immense, even daunting, but there are signs that give us some hope and encouragement. World leaders meeting in various fora in recent times and most recently in Cancun last month, have made clear their recognition that, next of course after the maintenance of world peace, the elimination of world hunger, malnutrition and poverty is the greatest problem now facing mankind. However, mere recognition of the existence of the problem does not in itself provide a solution. But it does, we hope, constitute a commitment to initiate the massive action which is necessary to support and solve the problem. I am encouraged too by the successful steps already taken by developing countries to increase their own self~sufficiency in food. While the recent increases in food production in these countries as a whole have not yet reached the UN targets, nevertheless they are significant ones and demonstrate that, given the correct strategies and assistance, worthwhile achievements can be attained. We can also derive encouragement from the increasing extent to which mutual co-operation in development and economic matters is being practised among developing countries themselves. This is a most welcome development which I hope will grow and flourish.
We must not, however, lose sight of the fact that the current world recession has hit hardest those of the less developed countries which are at least equipped to withstand it. For them the energy crisis has created further problems for their economies which were already at an insupportably low level. I was most interested, therefore, to see that "Energy and Agriculture and Rural Development" is one of the major items for discussion on the Agenda of this session of the Conference. It is gratifying to note that the Nairobi Programme of Action on "New and Renewable Sources of Energy" laid particular stress on the urgency, especially for developing countries, of meeting rural energy needs.
I would like now to say a few brief words about my own country in the context of the problems to which I have been addressing myself to far. Firstly, we are a small country with a correspondingly small population. Agriculture is our predominant industry and is the keystone of our economy. About 13% of our GNP is attributable to farming which also accounts for about one-third of the value of our exports. One in five of our working population is engaged in agriculture while one-fifth of those working in industry are employed in the food sector. The current world recession and accompanying high levels of inflation have hit our agriculture industry particularly hard as indeed they have our economy as a whole. I would make the point here, that just as there are degrees of underdevelopment among the poorer nations of the world, so also are there varying levels of development among those countries which are rather loosely described as "rich". It is not all that long ago since we achieved political independence and my country has still a long way to go before it can achieve its
DEBATE GENERAL (continuación)
optimal development, not only in its manufacturing sector but, indeed, also in its agricultural industry. We can, therefore, readily appreciate the nature of the problems confronting newly-emerged developing countries. We were fortunate, however, in that we did not, on achieving national independence, have to confront also the stark realities of starvation, malnutrition and poverty as so many of today's newly emerging nations have to do. However, famine has not always been unknown to us in Ireland. Towards the middle of the last century, famine, and the consequences of it, resulting from a succession of crop failures over a short few years, reduced the population of our country by half, and had a daunting effect on the minds and attitudes of our people, which lives with us in part even to this day. We can, therefore, readily understand and sympathise with the problems facing all too many of today's developing countries.
It was with this background that my country was readily attracted to the objectives of the FAO and became a member of the Organisation shortly after its foundation in 1945. Since then, we have consistently supported its policies and programmes and we continue to do so today. It is with pleasure that I can inform you that we are prepared to support the "Programme of Work and Budget" of the FAO which has been presented by the Director General for the 1982/83 biennium.
This decision was not an easy one for us to take in the light of the severity with which the current recession has hit our economy. Since my Government assumed office at the end of June, it has had to exercise the severest stringencies in all matters of public expenditure. Nonetheless, one of its first decisions was to appoint, for the first time ever in Ireland, a Minister of State with special responsibility for Development Cooperation. In the meantime, also it has publicly committed itself to increase progressively its contributions for development assistance to the Third World so that the United Nations target of 0. 7% of GNP can be reached by 1990. It has further committed itself to devoting at least 0. 15% of GNP to the 31 countries which have been classified by the O. E. CD. as "Least Developed".
Such help as the Irish Government has been able to give has been predominantly on a multilateral basis, which we feel is the form that best suits our situation and, we would hope, the recipient nations as a whole also. It has therefore been directed primarily towards helping the underdeveloped countries to help themselves. This, we believe, is the correct approach. Obviously, however, in the interim, until such time as these nations can achieve self-sufficiency, other measures of a more temporary nature are indispensable. In this area, my Government believes that the World Food Programme, which we regard as a highly effective and impartial organisation, has since its inception constituted a major step forward. We have consistently supported it, and are also at present addressing ourselves to the question how, even in present difficult circumstances, we might be able to contribute towards helping the International Emergency Food Reserve to reach, and maintain on a more reliable basis, its current target of 500 000 tonnes of food grain. We also support, though necessarily on a more modest scale, the FAO International Fertiliser Supply Scheme and its Associate Expert Scheme.
While as I have already indicated we are prepared to support the FAO Programme of Work and Budget for the next biennium, we are nonetheless acutely conscious of the difficulties and worries expressed by a number of Member Nations, notably the larger scale donors, in relation to the level of the Budget. We too would affirm that large international organisations must, particularly in circumstances such as those that prevail at present, do everything in their power to avoid becoming unduly bureaucratic and to ensure that the resources available to them are channelled to their intended ends in the most cost effective way. We are, of course, conscious of the efforts that have already been made by the Director General to effect economies and our support for the Budget, therefore, is an act of faith in his judgement and determination to continue with his efforts to economise wherever possible.
May I conclude by expressing the hope that the deliberations of the Conference will prove most fruitful and that when it convenes again in 1983, the decisions taken at this, its 21st Session, will be seen to have helped humanity to advance along the road towards final victory over world hunger, malnutrition and poverty.
W. R. GAMBOA '(Bolivia):Señor Presidente, señores Ministros, señores delegados: La atención de impostergables asuntos en la ciudad de La Paz ha impedido la asistencia de nuestro señor Ministro de Asuntos Campesinos y Agropecuarios,habiéndosemeencomendado su representación en este foro internacional.
Séame permitido primeramentesumarme al beneplácito que se ha manifestado desde estos micrófonos por la acertada elección del señor Ministro y de los señores miembros de la Mesa para conducir, como lo están haciendo, con propiedad y ponderación, el desarrollo de este 21° Período de Sesiones de la FAO; y asimismo por la reelección de nuestro querido y respetado Director General Doctor Edouard Saouma como testimonio de reconocimiento y como un voto de confianza a la extraordinaria gestión que realiza, con
celo, dedicación y eficiencia, dejando la transparencia de su elevado nivel profesional y el calor de sus singulares virtudes personales. Deseamos también manifestar a todo el personal de la FAO nuestro reconocimiento por el trabajo que cumplen con calificación de muy alto grado.
Nos valemos de la ocasión para presentar nuestro cordial saludo a Bhutan, Guinea Ecuatorial, San Vicente y las Granadinas, Tonga y Zimbawe que acaban de incorporarse a la familia de FAO, ofreciéndole nuestra mejor disposición de amistad y solidaridad en nuestras comunes ideas.
Señor Presidente, comprendiendo la limitación del tiempo y no queriendo abusar de la tolerancia del distinguido auditorio, trataremos de compendiar en ajustada síntesis nuestra posición y nuestras inquietudes en esta brevísima declaración enunciativa.
El Gobierno y el pueblo de Bolivia, consecuentes con los principios que inspiran y orientan las actividades de la Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Agricultura y la Alimentación (FAO), reiteran en este 21° período de sesiones de la Conferencia, su ferviente apoyo a la eficiente tarea de combatir el hambre y la pobreza, en el afán de procurar al hombre, donde el destino le haya ubicado, el derecho a una vida condigna de su propia naturaleza, en un marco de profundo humanismo y de sincera solidaridad, cooperando decididamente a la empresa común de los pueblos que luchan por vencer las barreras del subdesarrollo y de la dependencia.
Deseamos testimoniar nuestro firme apoyo al Programa de Labores y Presupuesto presentado por el Director General, como interpretación cabal de las inquietudes y necesidades de un mundo agobiado por el hambre y la miseria.
Formulamos votos por que los resultados de este cónclave sean concretos y efectivos, más allá de las fórmulas retóricas o de simples intenciones, al margen de sectarismos políticos o religiosos que distorsionan frecuentemente las nobles inquietudes y las saludables funciones de algunos Organismos internacionales.
Permítasenos subrayar, en esta ocasión,señor Presidente, los conceptos vertidos por nuestro Director General, Doctor Edouard Saouma, cuando sostiene que "nuestra causa común de eliminar la pobreza en medio de la opulencia y el hambre en medio de la abundancia, es la más grande empresa que no puede fracasar porque es pura, porque es auténtica y porque es noble".
Nos encontramos pues ante el insoslayable imperativo de sumar imaginación y voluntades para ofrecer a nuestros hermanos de todo el mundo y de un modo particular a los que habitan en zonas económicamente deprimidas, mejores perspectivas hacia la conquista de una comunidad internacional más sensible y más justa, convencidos del axioma de que no habrá paz en el mundo mientras exista el flagelo del hambre.
P. WANGHUK (Bhutan). Mr. Chairman, Your Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen· On behalf of the delegation of Bhutan, Mr. Chairman permit me to offer my warmest congratulations, on your unanimous election to the Chair of this important meeting. We are confident that under your able guidance the meeting will draw to a successful conclusion. As one of the newly admitted Members of this Organization, we are very pleased to present our first report on the state of food and agriculture in Bhutan to this august body.
Mr. Chairman, Bhutan is a relatively small and landlocked country with a total land area of 47 000 sq. km. and an estimated population of 1. 2 million. The Kingdom of Bhutan embarked on a policy of modernization only in the early Sixties under the dynamic leadership of our late King, His Majesty Jigme DórjT-Wangchuck. Our first five-year plan was launched in 1961, and since then two decades of planned development have transformed our Kingdom into a modern and progressive State.
At the national level, the major objective of planning and development is to achieve economic self-reliance thorough a policy of ·decentralization and greater participation of the people in developmental activities. With 95 percent of the population living in the rural areas and dependent on agriculture and related activities for their livelihood, our main effort has been to develop the rural areas, with the poorer sections of the rural society getting much needed attention. Agriculture, including livestock and forestry, is the mainstay or our economy contributing the major share to our GDP. Subsistence farming is predominant; principal crops being rice, wheat, barley, maize, oilseeds and spices. Yak is an important livestock in the Alpine region. We hope to achieve self-sufficiency in food grains and animal products in the near future. We intend to promote programmes. that would increase and raise the nutritional status of the rural population.
Mr. Chairman, Bhutan, although currently at a low level of development, has a great potential in its forest resources. With forests occupying 70 percent of our country's areas with an estimated annual growth of 10 million cubic meters, there is a great scope for exploiting this natural wealth through
scientific utilization and management of this resource. The major thrust in this sector has been to establish the necessary physical, administrative and technical infrastructure to undertake future exploitation programmes on a self-sustaining basis. The objectives that would govern the development of forestry are the conservation and augmentation of forest resources, and the scientific utilization of forests to promote appropriate forest based industries and preservation of the eco-system, particularly wildlife.
The other major natural resource available in abundance is hydropower. Preliminary estimates indicate that there exists a potential for generating 8 000 megawatts of hydro-electricity. Similarly, there are other mineral resources of great economic importance so far unexploited.
To achieve all these objectives, many constraints have to be surmounted. The major constraints are the shortage of skilled manpower, lack of financial resources, including hard currency, and a limited physical infrastructure. We have high priority to developing our trained manpower capability.
FAO's assistance has been of inmense value to us in this regard. In all the FAO-executed projects, training of local manpower has been given high priority and we are grateful to FAO and UNDP for this assistance.
We have also been fortunate to receive the assistance of FAO personnel in the fields of animal husbandry and forestry during the past few years. In agriculture, we have had the benefit of a FAO planning mission during the early part of our fifth five-year plan formulation. We also profited from the visit of the FAO Regional Representative during the same period. We look forward very much to a fruitful and productive relationship with the FAO in the years ahead in the vital areas of agriculture, animal husbandry and forestry. These three aras are of crucial importance to the progress of our Kingdom and the improvement of living standards of our people and to achieve our goal of self-reliance.
At the same time, we have been concerned to preserve the ancient religious and cultural heritage that has for so many centuries strengthened and enriched our lives. That we have been able to date to achieve this essential balance between the values of the past and innovations of the present is extremely eneouranging. We want development keeping intact, as far as possible, our rich and cultural heritage.
The leadership provided by FAO in helping the small farmers and rural poor has been commendable. The activities carried out by the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific in Bangladesh, Nepal and Philippines in helping the small farmers and rural poor has been of great interest to us. My delegation, Mr. Chairman, has examined the programmes proposed by the Director-General in this setting. The proposed strategies and priorities are quite consistent and balanced. We fully support these programmes and the buget proposed by the Director-General.
We also support the policy of decentralization and the establishment of FAO country offices. Even before Bhutan became a member of the FAO, we have received technical advice and assistance from both the FAO Headquarters and its Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. The professional services provided by them have been cost-effective and deserve much appreciation.
Mr. Chairman, before I conclude, I would like to take this opportunity to offer my congratulations to Dr. Saouma on his re-election as the Director-General of FAO and further put on record our sincere appreciation and thanks to the FAO Director-General and his Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific for all the assistance provided in making Bhutan a member of FAO.
Our thanks also go to all the Member countries for their valuable support.
SECRETARY-GENERAL: I would like to remind delegations that the deadline for submission of applications to certain committees of the Council is today. For the members of the Finance and Programme Committees the deadline is at 12 o'clock today. The deadline for submission of denominations for the Council is at 6 p. m. tomorrow.
The situation as at 9 o'clock today is as follows: for the Programme Committee, for the Group of 77, for 8 places to be filled we have received only four. For Europe, North America, South-west Pacific, for three places we have only one application. For the Finance Committee, for the Group of 77, out of 6 we have only three applications received. For Europe, North America, South-west Pacific, out of three we have only one, and for the applications for the Council, out of 16 we have only six for the term from 1981 to 1984. For the term from 1983 to 1985 out of 16 we have only five. So I would like to make an appeal to delegations that they fill in the forms which were attached to the documents, and deposit them with my office today before noon for the Programme and Finance Committees, and for the Council before 18. 00 hours tomorrow.
LE PRESIDENT: Monsieur le Secrétaire général, ceci me paraît très important et, comme il y a un certain nombre de délégations qui manquent ici, je voudrais vous demander de bien vouloir faire· répéter cet appel dans les deux Commissions. Cela me paraît essentiel.
M. MARIUS MOUAMBENGA (Congo): Monsieur le Président, Monsieur le Directeur général, distingués délégués, Excellences, Mesdames et Messieurs, la Délégation de la République Populaire du Congo est heureuse de vous présenter ses chaleureuses félicitations pour votre élection à la présidence de la Conférence. Nous sommes certains que de la manière dont vous menez les débats, nos travaux connaîtrons un plein succès.
Nos félicitations s'adressent également au Directeur Général, Monsieur Edouard Saouma qui, grâce à ses qualités de meneur d'hommes, ses compétences et son dévouement à servir notre organisation, vient de recevoir de la part de la communauté internationale un soutien unanime pour un nouveau mandat de six ans. Cette confiance renouvelée constitue le couronnement des efforts inlassables qu'il n'a cessé de déployer en faveur des populations les plus déshéritées de notre planète.
Nous profitons également de l'occasion qui nous est offerte pour saluer l'admission de cinq nouveaux Etats qui viennent grossir les rangs du front de lutte contre la faim, la malnutrition et la misère des peuples des pays en développement.
Nous tenons, au nom du Groupe Africain, à adresser nos fraternelles félicitations à la Guinée Equatoriale et au Zimbabwe. Nous sommes certains que la FAO ne ménagera aucun effort pour les aider à reconstruire leurs infrastructures alimentaires, tout particulièrement le Zimbabwe qui recouvre son indépendance au terme de longues années de guerres meurtrières et dévastatrices. Ce concours sera d'autant plus utile que ce pays dont certaines productions soulagent d'ores et déjà les peuples de la sous-région est appelé à devenir un maillon important de la chaîne de la sécurité alimentaire régionale.
Monsieur le Président, sans vouloir reprendre du haut de cette tribune, tout ce que les délégués des différents pays ont eu l'honneur d'exprimer avant moi, qu'il me soit permis de relever que la situation alimentaire mondiale sans être catastrophique demeure préoccupante.
En effet, l'augmentation de la production agricole et alimentaire des pays exportateurs se trouve confrontée à des situations de balances de paiement déficitaires de la majorité des pays en développement. A cet égard, nous sommes reconnaissants au Fonds Monétaire International d'avoir bien voulu accorder des facilités financières aux pays importateurs à déficit alimentaire.
Cependant, nous demeurons convaincus que la seule solution viable pour faire face à la situation de pénurie alimentaire réside dans l'augmentation de la production agricole et alimentaire nationale. C'est pourquoi la République Populaire du Congo, qui a fait de l'agriculture la priorité des priorités, a récemment défini de manière claire sa stratégie d'autosuffisance alimentaire. Nous voudrions remercier le Directeur Général de la FAO d'avoir répondu avec promptitude à notre demande et mis à notre disposition les experts et les moyens logistiques pour nous aider dans la définition de cette politique.
Nous espérons qu'il nous apportera les compétences nécessaires à sa mise en oeuvre. Mais nous ne perdons pas de vue que la mise en oeuvre de cette politique exige de la part du Congo la mobilisation de ressources nationales tant humaines que financières. Il va de soi que celles-ci restent limitées et un apport extérieur est en conséquence requis. Je saisis cette opportunité pour en appeler aussi bien aux organismes internationaux qu'aux pays amis pour qu'ils nous apportent leur concours indispensable à la réalisation des objectifs d'autosuffisance alimentaire arrêtés dans le prochain plan quinquennal 1982-1986.
La délégation de mon pays est heureuse de faire savoir à la Conférence que le programme de travail du biennium 82-83 présenté par le Directeur Général de la FAO rencontre notre agrément puisque les stratégies, programmes et priorités qui y sont définis rejoignent les préoccupations de notre pays.
Monsieur le Président, chacun des délégués qui a pris la parole a reconnu l'extrême urgence de la résolution du problème de la faim dans le monde. En 1974, la Conférence mondiale sur l'alimentation elle-même avait fixé une échéance au-delà de laquelle aucun enfant n'irait se coucher affamé. Cette échéance est proche et les perspectives restent sombres en grande partie parce que les pays développés n'ont pas voulu payer le prix de cet engagement. Aucun d'entre eux n'a pu se départir de 0,7 pour cent du PNB destiné à l'aide publique; de même les objectifs de 500. 000 tonnes et 10 millions de tonnes de céréales affectées respectivement à la réserve alimentaire internationale d'urgence et à l'aide alimentaire n'ont pu être atteints. Face à cette situation, la seule attitude rationnelle est de compter sur ses propres forces.
Le niveau du budget de la FAO nous y aide nuelque peu, bien qu'il résulte d'un compromis entre les partisans d'une augmentation substantielle"et les tenants de la "croissance O . Autant vous dire, Monsieur le Président, que la modeste augmentation proposée par le Directeur Général ne devrait soulever aucune objection de la part des délégués surtout losque l'on sait que malgré l'austérité proclamée par certains pays, les dépenses consacrées à la course aux armements ne cessent de croître.
En outre, faut-il rappeler à la Conférence que le budget de la FAO profite davantage aux pays développés à travers le personnel fonctionnaire originaire de ces pays et les contrats d'équipements et fournitures pour les projets identifiés, étudiés et mis en oeuvre avec le concours de la FAO.
Quant à l'argument de la crise économique mondiale, il ne peut résister à la critique car celle-ci frappe avec plus de rigueur les pays en développement. En raison de ce qui précède, le budget tel qu'il est présenté nous l'approuverons.
Ici,il conviendrait de souligner l'importance que nous accordons au renforcement du programme de coopération technique dont l'efficacité et la rapidité de mise en oeuvre ne sont plus à démontrer. De même, nous sommes partisans de la politique de décentralisation entreprise et conduite par le Directeur Général de la FAO. Aussi demandons-nous non seulement le maintien et la création des représentations, mais aussi et surtout le renforcement de leurs pouvoirs.
Pour terminer, nous lançons un appel aux pays membres de notre organisation pour oeuvrer au succès de cette 21ème session de la Conférence afin de créer les meilleures conditions de paix dans le monde.
P. BRODERICK (Jamaica): It is indeed a pleasure for me to make this presentation to you today on behalf of the Jamaican Delegation.
The Conference over the past few days has heard several comprehensive statements, notably by the Primer Minister of India, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, the Director-General of our Organization, and by the Independent Chairman of the Council.
These statements have highlighted the important and strategic concerns of the International Community.
The Jamaican Delegation will confine itself to some aspects which reflect the policy of the Jamaican Government.
Mr. Chairman, we would first like to offer our congratulations to Dr. Saouma whose re-election attests to the full confidence and support of the Governments of the Food and Agriculture Organization.
We would also like to congratulate you Mr. Chairman on election to the chair.
We take pleasure in welcoming the new members, Bhutan, Equatorial Guinea, Tonga, Zimbabwe and our Caribbean neighbour St. Vincent and the Grenadines. They will, we believe, contribute to the strengthening of our Organization.
Just over twelve (12)months ago, the Government of Jamaica on whose behalf I speak today, took office, having been given a mandate by the Jamaican electorate to restore growth in the economy.
My Government's economic recovery programme has given great attention to increasing agriculture production. We are also placing greater emphasis on individual initiative and enterprise.
Government's role is to provide assistance and support for these efforts, not to overcentralize and so stifle.
However, since the small farmer, the rural poor and the urban unemployed do not have the necessary resources, it is our government's policy to give full support to their just aspirations.
We are therefore giving major emphasis to the rationalization of the Agricultural Credit Institutions, to marketing and extension services.
These are all important elements in the development of the Agricultural economic base within the larger concept of a Comprenhensive Rural Development Programme.
This Programme will involve the upgrading of a number of selected Agricultural Villages and Rural Towns in an integrated manner. The objectives of the Programme are to bring about higher productivity in rural areas, higher incomes and better distribution of such income, increased employment in farm and non-farm activities, better physical and social infrastructureand a narrowing of the gap between rural areas and the urban sector to ensure that people and industries find it attractive to remain in rural areas. We propose to develop the entire country on this basis over a period of ten to fifteen years.
The Programme includes among other things, the consolidation and upgrading of the Government's Land Reform Programme - in particular the rapid development of Government's properties so that they can be integrated with the outlying communities.
I might point out, Mr. Chairman, that these measures are in keeping with the declaration of Principles and Programme of Action adopted by the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development in July 1979. We endorse these principles and consider them vital to arresting the fundamental problems of a deteriorating Rural Sector. We look forward to collaborating even more closely with FAO on the Development of this Project.
Mr. Chairman, the Programmes which I have just referred require tremendous resources of capital and technology; and, whilst Jamaica accepts the responsibility for mobilizing internally as much of these resources as is possible, there remains a significant resource gap.
It will be necessary to fill this gap through technical cooperation in science and technology and through financing from bilateral and multilateral sources.
My Government therefore would like to draw attention to some aspects which we feel should have priority in the short-term, given the nature of the world food and agriculture situation. These are as follows:
Food deficit countries, particularly in the developing world, will need to translate the rhetoric of self-reliance into reality by devoting the necessary resources to feeding their people. In this context greater cooperation among developing countries through effective action will greatly facilitate this objective. In the field of food and agriculture the Caracas Programme of Economic Cooperation among Developing Countries of May 1980, points to specific and concrete areas requiring urgent attention.
We are making all possible efforts to achieve such cooperation at the Regional level through Institutions such as Caricom, the Caribbean Development Bank, the Caribbean Food Corporation and the Caribbean Research and Development Institute.
The International Community should take the necessary action to give effect to the plan of action for World Food Security as presented by FAO. World Food Security begins at home and IFAD's assistance in this regard is invaluable.
An International Grains Agreement would also contribute to this security in an atmosphere of cooperation. Important elements are national and regional stocking arrangements by consumers as well as by producers.
There is a need for more International Commodity Agreements. At a time when commodity exports of developing countries are faced witch sluggish demand due to the downturn in the economies of industrialized countries, wildly fluctuating prices, protectionism through tariff escalation on the processed by-products, and declining purchasing power through adverse terms of trade, there is need for action in negotiating these Agreements with UNCTAD.
We recognize the inter-relationship between national and international policies. Agriculture has been a highly protected sector in the developed countries contrary to the rules of GATT. The present World crisis has led Governments to face up to this and the proposed GATT Ministerial meeting in 1982 should seek to bring about the necessary structural adjustments.
Mr. Chairman, in looking back at the activities of the FAO over the past few years, my Government draws attention to the following:
The principles and Programmes of Action adopted by the World Conference of Agrarian Reform and Rural Development ;
The Comprehensive report of Food and Agriculture -'Towards the year 2000'.
The emphasis given to programmes to reduce post harvest losses, watershed management, forestry and fisheries.
The inauguration of the Technical Cooperation Programme which we have found to be a flexible instrument capable of expediting response to urgent problems in my country.
The inauguration of the country representation programme which with the decentralization strategy has brought FAO into the field and into the lives of the rural poor.
Mr. Chairman, it is not that new initiatives are needed. What is in fact needed is for Governments to put into practice the plans and programmes as set out in the Programme of Work and Budget.
My Government supports these proposals which reflect a real increase of approximately 6% over the two years or 3% per annum.
In the discussion which we hope will be full and ample in Commission II my delegation will pay close attention to points of view of all delegations.
Given the effectiveness of FAO in attracting US$25 per every US$ 1 spent in the field from the regular budget and given the modest dimensions of the agency's budget of $368 m, we are confident that all governments will lend their support while scrutinizing carefully so as to make savings available for more productive use.
Mr. Chairman, on behalf of the Jamaican Delegation it only remains for me to thank the Government and People of Italy for their hospitality.
M. T. F. ALMEIDA (Angola): Permettez-moi en premier lieu, Monsieur le Président, au nom du gouvernement de la République Populaire d'Angola, de la délégation qui m'accompagne et en mon nom personnel, de vous présenter mes vives félicitations pour votre élection à la présidence de cette vingt et unième Con férence de la FAO.
Nos félicitations chaleureuses s'adressent aussi au Docteur Edouard Saouma, pour sa réélection comme Directeur général de la FAO et pour les efforts personnels qu'il déploie continuellement dans la lutte contre la faim et la malnutrition.
Saluons fraternellement les délégations du Bhoutan, de la Guinée equatoriale, de Saint-Vincent-et-les-Grenadines, du Tonga et du Zimbabwe nouvellement admises au sein de notre organisation et sommes convaincus que leur participation aux activités de la FAO ne peut que renforcer l'efficacité de notre organisation et trouver la solution aux multiples problèmes qui nous préoccupent.
Cette session, Monsieur le Président, se tient à un moment particulièrement révélateur, correspondant à la troisième décennie de développement des Nations Unies, décennie qui a débuté par une situation agricole et alimentaire mondiale alarmante. Ceciest particulièrement grave dans les pays en voie de développement où, malgré les tentatives d'augmentation de la production, les disponibilités alimentaires et énergétiques restent inférieures aux besoins réels.
La République Populaire d'Angola est un pays essentiellement agricole, et lors du Premier Congrès Extraordinaire du MPLA-Parti du Travail, un certain nombre de mesures et de programmes ont été definis pour le développement de la production agricole, concernant essentiellement l'agriculture, le mécanisation, l'élevage, les pêches ainsi que les intrants agricoles.
L'amélioration et la création de routes d'accès, de circuits de commercialisation, d'usine de transformation, de transports, de moyens de stockage, ainsi que la recherche, la formation, la vulgarisation et le développement des cultures de rapport ont été pris en considération, car ils contribuent à l'accroissement de la production vivrière.
Mais aux énormes sacrifices et aux efforts consentis pour réactiver l'agriculture et valoriser l'immense potentiel agricole de notre pays, au travail de la remise en ordre de toute l'infrastructure agricole abandonnée par les colons, nous devons ajouter la nécessité permanente de défendre l'intégrité territoriale de notre pays contre l'agression des racistes sudafricains qui non seulement occupent illégalement la Namibie mais pratiquent la guerre de terres brûlées en détruisant tout ce qui est à leur portée, en massacrant la population civile sous prétexte de poursuivre dans un pays étranger et souverain les représentants légitimes du peuple qu'ils oppriment, les vaillants combattants de la SWAPO.
Nous réaffirmons ici notre plein soutien politique et logistique à nos frères de la Namibie jusqu'à leur libération totale du colonialisme, car il est de notre responsabilité de les aider, mais elle est aussi de toute la Communauté internationale et surtout de l'Afrique.
Un faux problème idéologique a toujours été posé comme justification aux agressions continuelles contre mon pays, mais la véritable intention de l'Afrique du Sud est de poursuivre l'exploitation économique et sociale des peuples de la Namibie et de l'Afrique du Sud.
Comme vous le savez, monsieur le Président, notre pays a été l'objet d'une invasion de grande envergure au sud dans le seul but de détruite les objectifs économiques.
La situation de guerre qui nous est imposée par l'impérialisme à travers les racistes sudafricains porte préjudice d'une manière excessive à notre développement économico-social.
Lés usines, hopitaux, ponts, moyens de transport et écoles sont les cibles préférentielles de l'ennemi. En outre, ils emportent divers équipements agricoles, moyens de transport et bétail, jusqu'à miner les terres arables afin d'empêcher ou de rendre difficile la production agricole au sud de notre pays.
Aux centaines de morts, il faut ajouter les dégâts materials subis par les voies de communication, les seules reliant les zones productrices de biens alimentaires et les régions de consommation. La remise en état des infrastructures détruites obligera notre pays à investir d'importants moyens matériels et humains, et implique un grand retard dans la mise en oeuvre des programmes de développement agricole en cours.
Cette agression constante, est aussi responsable de l'exode de notre population rurale, qui constitue environ 80 pourcent de la population angolaise, et cherche aujourd'hui dans les centres urbains et leurs périphéries la sécurité que le banditisme international du régime d'Apartheid lui refuse dans ses campagnes et sur ses terres. Ceci multiplie et aggrave les problèmes de l'alimentation, de l'assistance sanitaire et du logement.
Après avoir examiné avec attention les points soulevés par le Directeur général, nous tenons tout d'abord à le féliciter pour la clarté de sa déclaration, le dynamisme et la compétence avec lesquels il continue à diriger notre organisation, et appuyons sans réserve tous les points exposés dans son discours d'ouverture, et particulièrement en ce qui concerne: le programme de travail et budget et les modifications proposées du compte de réserve spéciale du Programme ordinaire.
Parlant du programme de travail et budget, ma délégation approuve les orientations proposées par le Directeur général dans tous leurs aspects, à savoir: l'observation de stratégies et priorités conformes aux objectifs des Nations Unies et, plus particulièrement aux décisions prises par la dernière conférence de la FAO, la répartition équilibrée des crédits entre les différents programmes, les voies et moyens utilisés par le Directeur général pour contenir l'augmentation des coûts dans les limites raisonnables, et enfin, le niveau du budget fixé provisoirement à 414 millions de dollars.
Nous tenons à déclarer, pour notre part, comme l'ont déjà fait de nombreuses délégations, que cette augmentation est très modeste en soi, et qu'il nous semblerait irréaliste de la réduire. Nous sommes cependant conscients que ce point de vue est loin d'être unanimement partagé. Sans nul doute, le climat de récession et de tension prévalant sur la scène internationale conduit certains pays à se replier sur eux-mêmes.
Beaucoup d'entre nous sont très préoccupés de relever assez particulièrement dans la presse les déclarations de certains responsables qui ne font nul mystère dans leurs intentions de réduire, et même dans certains cas, de supprimer le montant de la contribution de leur pays aux organisations internationales. Les raisons évoquées sont diverses, mais il faut reconnaître qu'elles relèvent de considérations politiques plutôt que strictement financières.
Il nous semble utile de rappeler que les activités des organisations internationales sont bien distinctes et qu'elles sont gérées par des méthodes propres à chacune d'entre elles.
Le cas de la FAO, selon nous, devrait être examiné en soi. Force nous est de constater que le bilan est extrêmement positif, et il n'y a pas vraiment lieu de s'inquiéter en ce qui concerne cette organisation internationale.
Nul ne pourrait en effet ignorer les efforts constants et couronnés de succès du Directeur général pour sauvegarder un climat d'entente et de compromis entre tous les pays membres et ce, en dépit de sérieuses dissensions politiques qui opposent parfois certains d'entre eux.
Le problème de l'alimentation qui nous préoccupe a été défini et examiné dans de nombreuses réunions, conférences et congrès. Au lieu de s'améliorer, la situation continue à empirer d'une manière catastrophique.
En termes de sécurité alimentaire, notre préoccupation dominante est d'assurer l'autosuffisance de pays en denrées alimentaires de première nécessité, de promouvoir l'introduction de nouvelles cultures afin d'améliorer les habitudes alimentaires de notre peuple ainsi que de rendre possible la production d'excédents alimentaires pour l'exportation. Tout ceci passe par l'augmentation de la production et de la productivité, qui n'est possible qu'avec l'introduction des facteurs de production et des moyens techniques avancés, permettant le passage d'une agriculture primitive à une agriculture développée, propre à rémunérer l'effort de chaque travailleur aujourd'hui dépourvu des conditions techniques et des moyens nécessaires au démarrage de l'agriculture, condamné à acquérir ou à accepter à des conditions défavorables la nourriture qu'il serait possible de produire sur place et, souvent, comme c'est le cas en Angola, obligé à échanger la charrue pour le fusil pour défendre sa terre contre les agresseurs racistes. Mais pour poursuivre la voie précpnisée, il est fondamental de prendre en considération le problème des prix, non seulement le prix de vente des produits agricoles mais aussi le prix des moyens de production et des équipements, car il faut bien comprendre que l'agriculture ne pourra pas se développer dans les pays en voie de développement tant que ceux-ci seront obligés de payer le coût de l'inflation en faveur des pays capitalistes.
En plus de cet aspect d'ordre interne concernant la sécurité alimentaire nous pensons que le problème des stocks est de la responsabilité de la Communauté internationale; et qu'en réalité les stocks importants de blé dont disposent certains pays industrialisés pèsent davantage sur la balance des relations politiques et commerciales avec les Etats pour lesquels ce blé est essentiel. Il semble évident que la manutention des stocks alimentaires doit avant tout garantir le ravitaillement régulier et la stabilité des prix des produits et en aucun cas constituer un moyen de pression politique ou économique.
La République Populaire d'Angola, traverse en ce moment une situation très difficile. L'invasion militaire perpétrée par l'armée raciste de l'Afrique du Sud que la Communauté internationale connaît et qui a été condamnée à l'unanimité, a conduit à la destruction tout à fait totale des agglomérations et des infrastructures, spécialement des voies de communication et des ponts.
D'une part, des milliers de personnes sont restées sans moyens pour satisfaire les nécessités les plus élémentaires de survivance. Les bombardements aériens indescriptibles et systématiques ont provoqué des déplacés, des morts, et des blessés qui ont besoin d'une assistance urgente. D'autres encore, qu'on peut compter par milliers, se perdent dans les forêts sans aucune possibilité à moyen terme, de reprendre leurs activités agricoles dans leurs régions d'origine car l'ennemi est en train de miner, comme nous l'avons déjà dit, de grandes superficies de leur terres.
Pour cette raison, notre jeune pays ne peut pas seul secourir ces innombrables victimes. L'aide de la Communauté internationale qui, en temps opportun, a manifeste son indignation, contre l'agression sudafricaine en Angola, nous est très nécessaire.
D'autre part, une grande partie de cette zone connaît depuis deux ans une situation de sécheresse rendant encore plus désespérée la vie des populations.
Le travail d'évaluation effectué par notre Gouvernement nous amène à affirmer que le nombre total de la population qui a besoin de l'aide urgente est estimé à 661 000 habitants, soit 9,44 pour cent de notre population, doct 581 000 déplacés et 80 000 affectés par la sécheresse dans les provinces de Kunene, Huila et Kuando-Kubango.
Pour faire face à cette situation, nous avons besoin d'une aide financière d'émergence de 5 milliards de Kwanzas, équivalent approximativement à 170 millions de dollars.
L'état précaire des populations atteintes par la guerre nécessite une assistance en alimentation, médicaments, habillements et logements. Sans cette aide financière en denrées alimentaires ou matérielles, nous ne pourrons pas réaliser les mesures d'urgence que nous avons prises dans le domaine de la santé, construction et assistance sociale.
Nous avons, à maintes reprises, exposé les lignes d'orientation de notre développement économique pour atteindre l'autosuffisance alimentaire. La transformation de l'agriculture est une tâche difficile, car le passage d'une économie agricole d'exportation, comme elle l'était d'après les méthodes d'exploitation coloniale, à une agriculture d' autosuffisance est une lourde tache pour un pays sans cadres et en guerre.
Monsieur le President, certains pays se targuent aujourd'hui d'avoir amené la civilisation en Afrique, mais il est vrai qu'à l'accession de notre pays à l'indépendance le nombre d'analphabètes était de l'ordre de 95 poucent, et nous tenons encore à rappeler que nous avons conquis notre liberté au prix d'un sacrifice suprême, le "sang".
Ces mêmes pays qui, hier, appuyaient le colonialisme, aujourd'hui protègent l'Afrique du Sud pour empêcher l'avance de notre révolution et la libération totale de notre peuple pour la création d'un homme nouveau, libéré de tous les complexes imposés par le colonialisme.
L'Afrique du Sud, sous la protection de l'impérialisme, particulièrement des Etats-Unis d'Amérique qui appuient les ennemis de l'Afrique, sera vaincue car la force de notre raison est la raison de notre force.
Le PRESIDENT: Monsieur le représentant de l'Angola, je me permets de vous rappeler les considérations générales: il n'est pas d'usage à la FAO que l'on mentionne le nom d'autres pays pour des raisons politiques.
T.F. ALEMEIDA (Angola): L'agressivité de ce regime honteux contre la Zambie, le Mozambique, le Botswana et l'Angola est un crime contre toute l'humanité, et constitue un danger pour la paix et pour la sécurité internationales et contribue considérablement au déséquilibre de la situation de l'alimentation et de l'agriculture mondiales, car ceci constitue un frein pour tous les pays de l'Afrique Australe de se consacrer complètement au développement de leurs potentialités agricoles et minérales.
Pour terminer, je voudrais formuler l'espoir que cette Conférence condamne ces agressions militaires perpétrées par le régime minoritaire et raciste de Pretoria, véritable défi à toute l'Afrique.
La Lutte Continue
La victoire est Certaine.
Le PRESIDENT: Je voudrais rappeler que nous sommes ici non pas à New York aux Nations Unies mais à la FAO où nous nous occupons de l'alimentation, de l'agriculture et de la lutte contre la faim. Je souhaiterais que l'on évite dans toute la mesure du possible, et c'est également le voeu du Directeur général, toute considération d'ordre purement politique.
A.M. SALEH KHASHALY (Iraq) (original language-Arabic): Mr. President, Mr. Director-General, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, distinguished observers, ladies and gentlemen , I would first of all like to extend my congratulations to the President on the trust that the Conference has placed in him and we are confident, Mr. President, that this session will achieve resolutions and results which are completely positive under your able guidance.
I would also like to take this opportunity to express our full appreciation and our gratitude to all the delegations that have re-elected one of the able sons of the Arab nation, Dr. Edouard Saouma, as Director-General of this Organisation. We wish him and the Organization every success.
Mr. President, thirty-six years have passed since Iraq has participated with many other countries in founding this organization in order to rise up to the challenges which were faced by the world on the eve of a global war which lasted for five years, and which has led, among other things, to a neglect of farming and to farmers abandoning their farms, for the ploughs and equipment were melted down in order to make more guns and cannons. The organization was given the task of increasing food production in order to meet the requirements of civilian industries and in order to raise food production in order to feed hungry women and children. These groups have suffered a lot from the poor health conditions, from lack of food and lack of sanitation. In such difficult circumstances this Organization was born. In its past march, a long and bitter march, the Organization has seen the realities and it has understood the path it should have trod. Its technical and technological capacities grew through its own merit, and through its own merit it became the pioneer among the specialised agencies in all matters relating to food and agriculture.
Mr. President, in the period since the inception of this Organization the international community has been subjected to another trend which is far from positive. The result of this trend was an increase in the number of people exposed to famine and malnutrition and a fall in the production of food. The number of developing countries has risen, and the countries which have been converted from food exporters into food importers have increased also to an alarming degree. The World Agrarian Reform Conference has dicovered that this problem does not relate to food production only but to the delivery of what there is of food to the areas that are in dire need of it so that the poor and destitute should not live on the margin of social and economic life, especially in emergencies and during food shortages, droughts and other natural phenomena.
In addition to all that I have mentioned, Mr. Chairman, we should perhaps mention what man has done in order to render this planet unfit for children and poor people to live in, whether we are speaking of individuals or states, to the detriment of these groups therefore and in the service of the rich which has rendered the gap between the true categories wider. There are indicators which show clearly that these adverse factors are still going on despite all efforts to the contrary. The future indicators show that this gap will be ever widening, and the rich will become richer whereas the poor will become poorer.This has been confirmed by the conversion of food aid into military armaments which are provided without control to racist regimes which usurp territories and extend populations in places which are converted into military settlements with vicious and aggressive intentions. These same policies were used in order to establish entities and regimes rejected by the sons of this land. These regimes were substituted by other regimes which have imposed on a peaceful country dire measures, a country which has tried to achieve its independence and security. The conspiracy was implemented through a greater and ever increasing demand for armaments. Mr, President, like a majority of countries that are participating in this conference we would like to express our support for the Programme and Budget for the Organization for 1982/83, for it is the minimum acceptable in order to achieve or to meet the legitimate aspirations of food security in the world. This support to my mind should be accompanied by an allocation of resources in order to enable the Organization to invest its capacity in the best possible manner. We hope that the success of the Organization in implementing the Programme of Work will lead to cirucmstances that will help us overcome this growing tendency of using food as a political weapon in order to bring pressures to bear on independent countries which need the food aid.
Mr. President, my country, Iraq, as a developing country and as a member of the Movement of Non-alignment would like to fight this trend of conditions assistance to developing countries, for we in Iraq have preferred to provide aid through the Iraqi Fund for External Development, that is directly and indirectly through participation in Arab funds and international development funds and through the international organizations.In this respect I would like to mention that the ratio of argente that we allocate to assistance to developing countries has gone beyond the ratio set forth by the United Nations. We have given grains and subsidies and concessionary aid to developing countries in order to alleviate their suffering from natural disasters.In 1979 for example this sort of aid from Iraq has equalled 1.1 billions US $, and in 1980 it was over 2.7 billion $. At the end of this month, in Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, an ad hoc committee emanating from the Cancun Committee on economic cooperation between developing countries, will meet in order to study the best possible means of implementing the project set up by the Heads of States with Saddam Hussein, in order to mitigate the effects of rising oil prices and inflation prevailing in the developed world on the developing economies. Mr. President, we have tried in Iraq to develop agricultural development; we have built dams and big water tanks in order to organise irrigation in my country. We have organised our capacity in land reform in order to increase the productivity of the land. We have passed agricultural reform legislation making use of factors of production in order to enhance the participation of farmers. We are trying through expansion and trade and through the use of finance and research to improve the living standards of farmers. We have achieved the production of agricultural tools and equipment in Iraq, improved grain and fertilizers as well as pesticides. All these have been provided to the farmers at concessionary prices.
As for agricultural marketing we have tried to protect the crops from decay and have tried to give a remunerative return to the farmer and reasonable prices to the consumer, and in conclusion, Mr. President, I would like to express my welcome to the new members who have joined our Organization We fully trust that they will participate in the work of this Organization with efficiency. We hope that the flag of Palestine will be raised over this building in the near future. I thank you for your attention and wish you every success. Thank you, Mr. President.
H. PLUMB (Observer for International Federation of Agricultural Producers): Mr. President, Your Excellencies, Ministers, Distinguished Representatives, Ladies and Gentlemen, first of all may I add my congratulations to Mr. Ruben Aguado on his election to the chair of this conference. IFAP's last General Conference was held in Buenos Aires just a year ago and we were all then most impressed by the performance of Argentina's farmers.
I am particularly sorry that I am not following the representative of Uganda because it would have given me the opportunity, but nevertheless I take this opportunity, of raising a matter which I think emphasises some of the work of IFAP which they are currently doing, running a project in that particular country where hand hoes are being supplied to farmers through the Uganda Cooperative Alliance, thereby strengthening its service to its members in that country.
I had extensive consultations last year with Mr. Saouma and therefore join others in congratulating him on his re-election at this conference. Those consultations last July convinced me that he has farmers' interests at heart as he performs his difficult task, as he demonstrated so ably in his address on World Food Day.His presence at our Jubilee Conference in London next June will be one of the highlights of that event.
I am here as a practical farmer speaking for family farmers around the world who are the members of IFAP and around whom the ultimate success of all your deliberations hinges. But I must say that we have the feeling often of being in a "no win" situation; if surpluses appear, we are seen as overproducing and costing taxpayers' money for support programmes; when shortages develop we are accused of fleecing the consumer;
Since its establishment in 1946, IFAP has remained the only world-wide farmers'organization:in those early years, FAO was the only UN agency involved wholly in food and agriculture with which we had to deal.Today, at least 13 UN bodies are involved in these areas: we believe this is too many to ensure the desired unity of approach and objectives.
The close contact I have with my fellow farmers from all over the world has made me realize that while people and circumstances vary from country to country, basically farmers face similar problems everywhere.
But, of course, farmers in the North are in a far better position. Over the decades, they have developed efficient and productive farming systems; they have created effective farmers' organizations which are capable of representing their interests; and they have established co-operatives and marketing organizations which provide them with the required services.
Despite not always persuading our governments and despite being only a very small percentage of the population, my fellow-farmers in Europe and colleagues in North America and Oceania, are fully part of the societies we serve, and they play an essential role in our countries' economies, and are recognized in that role.
But we are very concerned about the millions of farmers in the developing countries where 40 per cent of IFAP's members come from. Despite being well over half the population, despite being the main productive sector, despite the permanent spectre of hunger overhanging the world, most of our fellow-farmers in Asia, Africa and Latin America receive low priority in national goals, and their life-giving activities do not command the respect which they surely deserve.
For this reason, we fully support the Director General's call for "dynamic action for increasing food production by developing countries themselves, through effective harnessing of their resources". In the process of increasing food production, no resource is more important than the farmer and the farmer's family.
It is our long-standing experience that governments are unlikely to succeed in implementing agricultural policies by telling farmers that they must do this or they must do that. Farmers cannot be forced to carry out or participate in programmes which they do not understand or which they know from long experience are unlikely to succeed. Moreover, they know that it is they, and not the far away planners, who will have to pay the price of failure.
Things are not going well at present for farmers generally throughout the world. The knowledge that crops are expanding should not lead everyone to think that the profitability of farming is satisfactory. On the contrary, the ability of farmers to continue producing bounteous harvests is being placed in jeopardy everywhere.
In the capital-intensive agricultures of Europe and America, the farm debt is reaching alarming proportions, and high interest rates are painting a bleak picture indeed, especially for young farmers who see no way of servicing their prospective debt: the sense of discouragement which I encounter among many young farmers is one of the most serious effects of the world economic crisis in agriculture today.
But serious as the problems faced by farmers in the industrialized countries are, those of the developing countries are far greater still. To make matters worse, in most developing countries there are no adequate channels of communication between government and farmers; no effective farmers' organizations, no recognized partnership between farmers and government to find acceptable solutions.
We have long been convinced that there must be a dialogue between farmers and governments in order to create the right conditions for continued adjustment and expansion of agricultural production.
But governments cannot conduct a dialogue with millions of individual farmers.This is why farmers must be able to group together into representative organizations which they then recognize as their spokesmen. They should be encouraged to group together; as a minimum, they must not be hindered from doing so; least of all must they be herded into official organizations which will be seen by them simply as government services.
At the other end of the spectrum, at the international level, a dialogue has been going on for many years. In this regard, we are proud of the excellent two-way relations which exist between FAO and our Federation. We recently held a series of meetings with agriculture-related organizations here in Rome and in Washington.FAO naturally held a special place in those meetings. Our aim is to develop a better flow of information from FAO and other agencies to farm organizations. Too few farmers know of the excellent work done by FAO that has an immediate interest for them. Nor are they aware of the opportunities for them to call on assistance in the form of technology, credits, inputs and extension services.
We look forward to a new partnership developing in the agricultural field, involving farmers, Ministers of Agriculture, IFAP and FAO. In particular, we should like to see a greater involvement of farmer representation on national delegations to FAO meetings and others that are shaping agricultural policy. After a quick look at the Delegates' list at this Conference, I can identify less than ten farm organizations representatives out of well over 1,000 delegates.
Production of farm commodities for export on the world market is an indispensable factor in the developsment of the Third World economies. IFAP therefore maintains its belief that the conditions under which developing country export crops are purchased on world markets must be improved, with some mechanism providing for reasonable price stability, and for the maintenance of those products' international purchasing powers provided this is reflected back at farm level.
We are concerned that the food production sector of developing country agriculture has received such scant attention. Yet here is where most of the world hunger problem stems from, and where the true solution lies. We are encouraged by developments, in bodies such as CGIAR and in certain bilateral agencies which are today stimulating research into traditional foods and food production systems adapted to the conditions of the developing world.
The results of that research will reach down further and faster to the farmers they are intended to benefit, if those farmers are organized into freely-constituted, truly representative, self-help groups-an important, but not the only type, being the cooperative. We should like to see much more attention being given to this complementary side of the equation. Research is done by scientists in laboratories for use by farmers in their fields. Farm organizations constitute an essential link between the two.
So we are encouraged by developments fostering people's participation which followed from the WCARRD Programme of Action. We wish to commend the Director-General on this follow-up and should like to see more funds devoted to it. We are indeed collaborating with FAO in this activity.
So we are also willing to collaborate with FAO in the post-harvest losses programme, by placing the experience of our farmer members and their cooperatives and organizations at FAO's disposal. Reducing post-harvest losses is probably the most rapid means of increasing food available and it should also help to raise farmers' incomes.
Progress on all these fronts will be slow coming.For this reason, the abundance which farmers in the North are able to produce will continue to be needed in the South, until developing country farmers are in a position to increase their output substantially.So IFAP remains fully convinced that food aid is a valid means of transferring some of that abundance to the needy. We are aware of course that food aid in the form of concessional sales is not always provided or used in the most appropriate way. It can damage local markets, as some of our members are well aware.That is why we continue to lend our strong support to multi-lateral food aid, and more especially the World Food Programme, which provides the best guarantee that food aid will be used constructively. We believe governments would be very unwise to allow the Programme to be run down, due to the increasing rarity of surpluses, or to inflation.
Finally, in our own policy statements, the Federation has made considerable contributions to the analysis of the food and farm problem, and to the search for solutions. You will find, for instance, in our policy statements of ten or even twenty years ago many suggestions and proposals which are just now being discussed by governments. Our continuing concern is both with the formulation of policy, and more especially with the effective application of the correct solutions as quickly as possible to achieve high agricultural growth. We believe this will come quicker through a reinforcement of our links with FAO, and more importantly through the partnership approach between governments and farmers in the developing countries.
So next year, in June 1982, the world's farm leaders will be gathering together in London at our 25th World Farmers' Congress. We shall be examining the conclusions and recommendations of this FAO Conference, especially as they affect farmers and we shall doubtless be refining our own policy proposals. We hope these will in turn be discussed by governments with their farmers. Together-and only together-we can vanquish hunger and rural poverty.
S. EDDIN GHANDOOR (Observer for the Palestine Liberation Organization)(Original language-Arabic): On behalf of the Delegation of my country, I offer our heartiest congratulations to you, Mr. Chairman, and other members of the Bureau on your election to the post which you occupy in this 21st Session.
I would also like to congratulate Dr. Edouard Saouma for the confidence which the Conference has invested in him in re-electing him for the forthcoming six years. During his first term of office FAO has moved through some extremely important stages in its progress. We are proud of Dr. Saouma who is a son of our region and we are convinced that FAO will accomplish great things during his second term of office.
It is for me personally a pleasure to congratulate those countries which have joined the Organization recently, we would like to see other countries joining FAO soon, countries whose peoples are still engaged in the battle for freedom and independence;South Africa, Namibia, Palestine, for example.
Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen, I do not wish to involve this conference in a political discussion in spite of the fact that the economic and social developments nowadays are the essence of politics. I do not wish to dwell on the situation of agriculture in Palestine either. Nevertheless, Ladies and Gentlemen, I think that what is taking place in my country under the present occupation should be made known to those who are responsible for agriculture in governments throughout the world.Palestine was in the vanguard of development in our countries, in agricultural development, it exported a considerable part of its output, but since the occupation we have been suffering from attempts by the occupier to destroy our agriculture. Our farmers are harassed, they are forced off their lands, they are driven out of Palestine, and their place is taken by new settlers.In my statement I will limit my comments to certain practices by the occupying authorities, which have been the usual procedure since 1967. Since that date more than 50,000 hectares of arable land have been confiscated in the Gaza strip, and in occupied trans-Jordan. More than 150 new settlements have been built, and have contributed to the driving of many Arab farmers from their lands, farmers who formerly held thousands of hectares. The occupying authorities have confiscated water resources. Water rationing in Arab farms has been used against us, this has transformed great areas of green land into arid lands, and has impoverished Arab farmers. The Arab agricultural credit banks have been closed. Palestinian farmers have been forced to deal with the banks run by the occupying authorities, and to borrow at very high interest rates. Our farmers, therefore, are unable to finance their agricultural plans and production. The occupying authorities have refused to allow the creation of village cooperatives. They have created obstacles to export of the products of our lands, and they have prevented us from using modern techniques in agriculture. They have also prevented the creation of what I can describe as social services in Arab villages. They have also refused to implement regional resolutions taken in favour of our people, and they have prevented aid from regional organizations being channelled to social and economic development projects in Palestine, plus daily repressive practices exercised against our people. Our houses are bombarded, our farmers imprisoned, they are killed, driven off their lands so that the occupying authorities can evacuate our lands and confiscate them, and replace our population by others.
The occupation is continuing, in fact, its practices are a slap in the face of international principles. Although we struggle unceasingly in order to establish a just peace in our region, and to establish our legitimate rights, we have never forgotten our international obligations toward other peoples. We are part of humanity. We suffer ourselves, and we suffer with others, and we attempt always to provide whatever help we can offer to others who may be in need of it. Palestinian experts have contributed to programmes of technical assistance in many cases.I do not intend to give details as to the technical assistance which we have provided, because I am not here to rally support for our cause, but the fact is that there are hundreds of Palestinian experts who are working in international and regional
organizations and who participate in economic, social development programmes in many countries of the world. The organization which I represent, and which is the only legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, is ever ready to lend expertise and assistance to all countries which are engaged in the struggle to build their national economy.
We hope in the very near future to be able to establish our full independence, so that we can participate all the better in the building of that world-wide human civilization. This great task requires the participation of all of us, whatever our colour, race or religion.
Mr. President, ladies and Gentlemen, since the world has become aware of the disasters that threaten, mankind-hunger, this matter has not ceased to be discussed in many international forum, hundreds of studies and reports deal with it.In spite of the cries which rise from the hunger-stricken throughout the world, the fact of the matter is that many of us still continue to deal with this problem with a very limited sense of responsibility. Others, place obstacles in the way of a radical solution. The problem is not one of granting insufficient quantities of wheat occasionally. The problem rather is that there are great potentials in our world, which we must tap in order to save humanity from famine.
All countries which possess these untapped resources must cooperate upon a basis of equity and justice. There are great areas of arable land. There are great water resources. There are funds. There are experts. There is labour. There is technology. Why is it that we cannot get all this pooled? Why is it we cannot achieve cooperation among the whole of mankind so as to work together to solve decisively the problem of world food security? For years there has been a dialogue going on between the north and the south, between the rich and the poor. The dialogue is aimed at providing justice to human beings, but after each meeting, declarations are made, yet what happens is that there is no bread put in the hands of the hungry. There is no practical action undertaken. Worse, the advanced, or the rich countries, try to grab even more riches. They try to subject the rest of the world to their domination.Thousands of tonnes of war material are manufactured to wreak destruction and death. These same resources, if invested in agriculture, could lead to an enormous increase in the welfare of our peoples. The problem of armaments for these countries is much more important than economic and social programmes, and if the richer countries are interested in food, this interest concerns agricultural production and the storage of surpluses in those countries only. The richer countries put up obstacles to increasing food production in the poorer countries, as a means of exercising pressure upon those poorer countries. The proposed programme and budget for the forthcoming biennium show quite conclusively that there is a desire on the part of some countries to hold back programmes of international organizations, including FAO's. The organization is asked to develop its activities on behalf of those people and in solving problems of food shortages, but these same countries which offer sound advice, recommend zero growth. May we ask all of you to review your position and accept the Programme of Work and Budget as proposed by the Director-General, so that FAO can indeed accomplish its objectives.
Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen, the developing countries must bear the responsibility of solving their economic problems. They must without delay draw up plans and train cadres domestically in order to achieve self-reliance, then cooperate regionally in order to implement development programmes. The dialogue between the north and south is above all governed by politics and the time element, at present, is not favourable to the poorer countries but, without doubt, times will change, and the poorer countries will win in the end.
We are convinced that FAO will continue to be in a position to supply the necessary technical assistance to the developing countries, so as to ensure a better future for them. Let us work together to ensure the future generations' s welfare, prosperity, and a just peace.
M. ALI NUR (Somalia): Mr. Chairman, Distinguished Heads of Delegations, Ladies and Gentlemen: On behalf of the Somali Delegation, I extend to you, Mr. Chairman, our warm congratulations on your, well-deserved election to the office of Chairman of the 21st Session of the FAO Conference. We are confident that, under your wise direction, the outcome of the Conference will prove both fruitful and successful.
The admission of the States of: Bhutan, Equatorial Guinea, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tonga, and Zimbabwe·to FAO is indeed an auspicious occasion and my delegation extends its congratulations to the people and Governments of all the States and wishes them a prosperous future.
I also take this opportunity to pay special tribute to the Director-General of FAO, Dr. Edouard Saouma. He has distinguished himself by the energy and vitality he has brought to his task and to his tireless efforts and commitment to the promotion of national and international dynamic action in the struggle against hunger, malnutrition and its causes.
Dr. Saouma!s re-election to the office of Director-General testifies to the trust and respect we all have in his vision, dedication and persistent will for greater equity of food for all; and we join the other delegates who have already expressed their appreciation and support for his appointment to a second term In office.
This Twenty-first session of FAO is being convened at a time when serious problems are confronting millions of people in the developing countries, particularly in the area of food shortage and the ability to avert world hunger and starvation. These nations are not only unable to feed their own population but are also unable to supply farm produce to world markets and to share in the international exchange of goods.
We do realise that the fundamental requisite for an improvement in the food situation is a strong political will, on the part of member nations, to channel greatly increased volume of resources to agriculture, to apply policies that will induce farmers to achieve higher levels of productivity and to set up effective machineries for the formulation of relevant programmes and for their effective execution.
However, it should be borne in mind that there is little the poor nations could do to cope with their present difficult position without the co-operation of the International Community.
The Somali Democratic Republic has arable land of about 8 million hectares, out of which only ten per cent is being presently cultivated, about 29 million hectares of suitable land for grazing, with a livestock population of about 34 million, and vast unexploited fishery resources.
This shows that there is a great potential for development. However, the exploitation of these resources for our benefit in particular, and for mankind in general, is often frustrated by the lack of sufficient financial resources, weak scientific and technical skills and know-how for modern development, and a severe worsening of terms of trade.
Furthermore, as our President stated in his message on 21st October, the 12th Anniversary of the Revolution, the economic crisis faced by the Somali Democratic Spelai Republic, apart from those arising from the world-wide crisis , are the consequences of successive droughts and river flooding with devastating effect on agricultural production, human and livestock population. These natural calamities are further aggravated by man-made disasters which caused the influx of large refugee populations in our country. While we appreciate the International Community's humanitarian assistance extended to the refugees, their presence have overstrained our financial and manpower resources and put heavy burden on our limited basic social services.
These problems limited the implementation of the 1979/81 Development Plan and brought about inflation and low production and productivity which in turn increased the cost of living, decreased exports and created the need for more imports which could not be coped with due to the resultant deficit in our balance of payments.
Inspite of these difficulties, the Government of Somali Democratic Republic is determined to traneform and develop the country's resources for the enhancement of the living conditions of the people and will continue its effort in finding a just and lasting solution to the refugee problem.
Accordingly, the Somali Government has introduced certain important changes in economic and fiscal policy with the object of stimulating the national economy. The major changes involved are:
Partial devaluation of the Somali shilling with the object of stimulating both domestic and export agricultural production and to encourage the repatriation of private earning overseas for re-inveatment at home. In other words, the new rate applies to all exports, remittances from Somalis working abroad and to all imports other than essential foodstuffs, agricultural and manufacturing inputs and capital items for agricultural development.
Prices set for the basic agricultural produce were substantially increased to facilitate greater incentives to the producers.
Government expenditure was cut down and some of the economic entities were unified.
The programme for the full mobilization and effective utilization of labour force for national development and social progress was strengthened.
In addition, a Five-year (1982-86) National Development Plan has been formulated whereby the emphasis is laid on the productive sector of the economy, i.e. agriculture, livestock, fisheries, small industries and other economic infrastructures. The plan calls for 4.4 per cent per annum growth rate to counter population growth rate of 3.2 per cent per year and to generate a surplus for development.
These steps are testimony to our determination to achieve self-sufficiency and increased food production for export and to emphasise our priority goal to play on legitimate role in national food production for emergency relief and food security.
The main areas recommended for increased international support to reinforce our national development and progress in the fields of agriculture, livestock and fisheries are:
Input packages and plant and animal protection measures for increased production and productivity;
Strengthening of agricultural and livestock research centres for plant and livestock breeding, control of agricultural pests and animal disease, better irrigation and agricultural practices and husbandry techniques;
Rational exploitation and management of fish stock and development of off-shore fleets, shore-based infrastructure and improvement of traditional processing methods.
My delegation fully supports the programme of work and budget presented by the Director-General for the biennium 1982-1983, and rejects the concept of zero growth in respect of FAO activities.
We are aware of the tremendous efforts which will be required of the developed and the developing countries, individually and collectively, in favour of creating a world food security system that will secure the international right of every man, woman and child to sleep each night without hunger.
Although we are conscious of, and grateful for, all those who assisted us in our development efforts and multiple emergencies, it is no secret that few of the advanced countries have met the international commitments they have mutually agreed to for concessional assistance. In fact, the richer a country is, thé less willing or able it appears to be to provide development assistance.
In conclusion, this Conference has a task to accomplish for combating the evils of hunger and poverty, and we look forward to an era of cooperation and partnership for progress.
S. AL-LOZI (Jordan) (Original Language-Arabic): Mr. President, Mr. Director-General, Distinguished Heads of Delegations, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen:I am happy to extend my congratulations to you, Mr. President, on your unanimous election as President of the 21st Session of the General Conference of FAO. I am confident that your ability, which is outstanding, and your long experience will enable you to guide our deliberations in this session with total integrity and will lead us to achieve positive resolutions and a high level of cooperation in all fields of agricultural development.
I am also happy to extend, on behalf of the delegation of Jordan and on my own behalf, congratulations to Dr. Edouard Saouma on the occasion of his unanimous re-election as Director-General of this Organization, for the next six years. The wide support that Dr. Saouma has obtained is the best expression of the member states of their appreciation for him and the efforts which he has made in his first term. Within a short time, Dr. Saouma was able to become an international and internationally apreciated personality, especially after he took it upon himself to defend the poor in the four corners of the world. He has enabled the poor to make their voices heard on many rostrums and on many occasions. The support he has obtained, therefore, is commensurate with the great efforts he has made in the past and that he is still making. We are even happier to see that Dr. Saouma, one of the able sons of the Arab nation, has been able to prove that he is a citizen of the world and a sincere person who regards the problems of the Third World from this outlook only.
Very recently Jordan celebrated World Food Day with the rest of the world. We issued commemorative stamps, we held seminars to enhance .awareness of the food problem. We published articles in our daily press and our weekly press, as well as programmes on radio and television news, about World Food Day.
The celebrations culminated in a noble royal address which I had the honour to deliver at the campus of the University of Jordan before many of our colleagues and many personalities in Jordan.
I should also like to commend the fruitful cooperation that has always existed between FAO and Jordanian National Commission which was especially established in order to commemorate World Food Day,
We have always given our support to FAO and we will do so in the future. The problem of food is not only one of the present, it has been a problem in the past and is one that will face us in the future. We cannot solve it by taking arbitrary measures. The developed and the developing world have to cooperate amongst themselves in order to overcomethis problem, and we believe that the Organization can play a unique role which will be both the cornerstone and the starting point for such cooperation. However, this will remain only a mere hope until countries are able to overcome their egotism and selfishness.
Jordan, like many other countries, is now aware of the problem of food security and has been able to make a lot of progress in increasing food production and agricultural production in general, despite harsh ecological and climatic conditions. However, we still have a long way to go to meet the increasing demand. The Government must still import more than 50 percent of the food we consume. Food problems in Jordan have worsened because our population has been doubled: in the late 40's we welcomed our brothers who were expelled and whose lands were usurped and since then the tragedy has continued within sight and hearing of the international community. The failure of the United Nations to find a just solution in order to restore the land to its rightful owners. This has encouraged the aggressor to continue his foul deeds. He continues to expel Palestinians from their land, obliging them to join the refugees who have preceded them. We are now welcoming a fresh wave of refugees in Jordan and this has led to a worsening of the food situation to an alarming degree.
Despite these circumstances, Jordan has been able to make great progress on many levels thanks to the assistance that we have been able to get from friendly countries and thanks to the efforts made by our nationals. This progress is also due to the wise strategies and policies implemented by the Government, which guarantee security and stability. As far as agriculture is concerned, Jordan, in the last five-year plan, has been able to achieve a seven percent increase in food production per year. We hope that in the current five-year plan we will top this ratio.
The rise in production has been due to both horizontal and vertical expansion in agriculture. We have doubled irrigated land by means of building dams and digging wells within our limited means and with the help of the limited loans and aid we are given. We have been able to transform irrigation methods and protected agriculture: we have converted irrigation to spraying and in this way we have been able to intensify the production of crops. Production has increased perceptibly this year so that the local markets have been unable to absorb the whole of the increase. This has led the Government to set up two new food processing plants and three refrigerators and storage facilities. Nevertheless, the Jordanian Government believes that agricultural development, however great and evolved, can never mean anything unless it serves to increase the welfare of the people by raising their income and standards. In our view, agriculture and rural development are independent operations, with agriculture as the real basis. We are proud in Jordan of our greatest agricultural undertaking, the Jordan Valley Project-a model of rural projects. This is a pioneer project which includes irrigation and agricultural network, sanitation, schools and new housing as well as dispensaries, telephone networks, supplies of drinking water and social clubs. The Government has also been able to encourage establishing cooperatives for farmers. These cooperatives are subsidized by the Government which helps them to make decisions.
Jordan has given great attention to rural development, this is why it has become a regional centre for rural development. I would like at this juncture to reiterate the Jordanian Government's willingness to put this centre at the disposal of other countries of the region, as has been the case with the centres that were set up with the help of FAO. The Government provides agricultural inputs to farmers through agricultural credit and in order to ensure a good revenue to farmers.
I am very pleased to say that Jordan is now the centre for the Federation of Agricultural Credit in the Near East and North Africa. I should like to thank the Director-General of the Organization, Dr. Edouard Saouma, because he approved the setting up of a new centre in Jordan after the Cairo Centre was closed down, as well as for providing secretarial services for the Centre.
Rain-fed agriculture in Jordan receives great attention from the Government. We have been able, by means of soil conservation and the planting of olive trees with the help of the World Food Programme, to plant a great number of fruit trees in Jordan recently in order to raise productivity.I should like to avail myself of this opportunity to thank those responsible for the assistance provided in the framework of the World Food Programme in Jordan since this programme was founded. We hope it will continue its aid to Jordan in future. I do not wish to go into items which are within the competence of the committees; I will leave this to my colleagues in the Jordanian Delegation. However, I should like to make two brief but significant points. The first regards the programme and budget. The
increases in the allocations of the programme and budget ar slight and I do not think they are commensurate with the responsibilities of FAO towards many developing countries, and their aspirations. However, we have to bear in mind that there is an international economic crisis, and developed as well as developing countries have to take things as they are. They will have to tighten their belt. We hope that the increase in the budget will be approved unanimously by this Organization.
The second point relates to the Regional Near East Office. Though we hope that this Office will be able to operate soon in one of the countries of the region, however, we support the status quo and we would like to commend what was mentioned in the Secretariats document about the need to enhance programmes for the Near East. We can no longer make a distinction between politics and economics. This is why I must point out that the usurping power on the West Bank, in the Golan and the Ghaza strip continues to build settlements, requisitioning and coverting arable land into military camps. They expel people from their land, covertly and overtly, they have devastated forests, destroyed wells and have killed livestock in the occupied Arab territories. All this at a time when everyone is preoccupied with famine and food shortage.
We know that the occupying power is able to falsify statistics and reality, this is easy for them for they have distorted history. It is perfectly able to give fictional figures about fictitious production in the occupied territories in an attempt to force farmers to abandon farming, preventing them from forming cooperatives and obliging them instead to work in Israeli plantsat low wages not commensurate with the service provided and with the wages paid to Jewish workers. This devastation will not bring further fruit. However long we wait, we will achieve our target.
Yet we believe that establishing settlements, deporting the inhabitants and eroding the economy of the occupied territories will not yield fruit. Right should prevail, no matter how longit takes. History has a lesson we can learn from.
P. ETIANG (Observer for Organization of African Unity): Mr. Chairman, Mr. Director-General of FAO, distinguished Delegates: It is a source of great pleasure to me to have the honour of adressing this august Assembly. I bring you the best wishes of the Secretary General and the entire Secretariat of the OAU for positive deliberations. We are happy to be associated with the task of this Conference, especially given the excellent mutual confidence and cooperation that FAO and OAU have enjoyed over the years, in trying to find workable solutions to the acute food shortage and deteriorating agricultural conditions in Africa.
We at the OAU are glad to note that this biennial FAO Conference is being held on the threshold of the Third United Nations Development Decade. With one accord, therefore, the OAU, in collaboration with the UN agencies, including the FAO, are in the process of launching various integrated work programmes-with varied orientations-in this context, aimed at tackling the food and agricultural problems of Africa. We are again delighted to observe that the work of the Conference, especially in Committee 1, is to revolve around the formulation of broad policy issues for the national and international levels regarding world conditions in food and agriculture, and the progress made so far in the implementation of FAO Plan of Action towards the strengthening of the world's food security, agricultural investment, especially for energy in agriculture and rural development.
This Session is also taking place after the African leaders, sitting in an Extra-Ordinary Economic Summit in Lagos, Nigeria, devoted exclusively to economic matters, adopted what is now popularly known as the Lagos Plan of Action. Copies of that Plan have been repeatedly distributed in major African meetings that have taken place since the OAU Summit in Freetown, Sierra Leone, last year. The Plan was also circulated as a U.N. document during the 11th Special Session of the General Assembly in New York in August of last year. It is,therefore, my hope that most, if not all, members of this Conference are acquainted with the document which is Africa's own blue-print for economic development of the African Continent up to the year 2000.
All the numerous inter-agency, governmental expert and ministerial meeting held preparatory to the Lagos Economic Summit, without exception, identified the issue of food supply, in particular, and agricultural production, in general, as the most serious African economic problem deserving the most urgent attention. The OAU Heads of State and Government in Lagos in April, 1980, were equally unanimous in endorsing that assessment.
The General Secretariat, together with the Secretariats of FAO, WFC, Economic Community of Africa, African Development Bank, and IFAD, actively participated in the preparation of the "Programme of Action for the Development of Food and Agriculture in Africa" which programme forms chapter one of the Lagos Plan of Action. That preparation was based almost exclusively on the Regional Food Plan for Africa as adopted by African Ministers of Agriculture Conference held in Arusha, Tanzania, in September of 1978.
Having made its contribution to concluded assessment, it is only a matter of course to repeat here that the OAU Secretariat is in full concurrence with the common view expressed by all concerned in the Continent about the deteriorating situation of food supply in Africa and what is to be done about it. The food situation, in the language of the Lagos Plan of Action, is summed up as follows.
That during the last two decades, and at a time when the African Continent was facing rapid population growth, especially in urban areas where food is not normally produced, the food supply situation correspondingly declined and the food consumption per person fell below nutritional requirements.
That the shortfall in food production, coupled with high levels of post-harvest losses and periodic severe shortages, have led to rapidly increasing dependence on food imports, resulting in a drain on foreign exchange resources and creating serious major constraints in financing the development of African economies. At the root of the food problem in Africa is the fact that Member States have not usually accorded the necessary priority to agriculture both in the allocation of resources, and in giving sufficient attention to policies for the promotion of productivity and improvement of rural life.
That for an improvement of the food situation in Africa, the fundamental requisite is a strong political will to channel a greatly increased volume of resources to agriculture, to carry through essential reorientations of social systems, to apply policies that will induce small farmers and members of agricultural co-operatives to achieve higher levels of productivity, and to set up effective machineries for the formulation of relevant programmes and for their execution. The development of agriculture, however, should not be considered in isolation, but rather within integrated economic and social development processes. Emphasis should also be put on the later aspect, particularly the problem of improving the conditions of rural life.
The Lagos Plan goes on to make remedial proposals such as: an assessment of the extent of post-harvest food losses by each country; provision of food security by way of adequate food storage plans; and increased food production through the improvement of research and development of essential food items like cereals, tubers, fruit, livestock, to mention a few.
Against the background of general economic under-development in Africa and of the now known view that development in Africa essentially means one and the same thing as rural development-which primarily. means agricultural development-the Lagos Plan of Action, has treated the other economic sectors with proportionate priority, relevant to the African situation, bearing in mind what we Africans ourselves can first of all do for ourselves on the basis of national, sub-regional and continental self-reliance. On industrialisation, for example, Agro-allied industries are emphasized so that given Africa's vast natural resources, industrial production of sufficient quantities of agricultural inputs such as fertilizers, pesticides, agricultural tools and machines is ensured. On transport and communications sector, the Plan, in part, calls for the promotion of the integration of transport and communications infrastructures with a view to increasing intra-African trade which will heavily rely on African agricultural commodities. The General Secretariat is of the view that given the economic priority problems that the Summit of African Heads of State and Government endorsed in Lagos in April, 1980, all the other sectors (industry, transport and communications, trade, energy, etc.)should initially be geared to the attainment of the targets set for the top priority problems of food supply and agricultural production.
For its part, the OAU General Secretariat within its very limited resources, but cognisant of the lead role given to it in the implementation of the Lagos Plan of Action, has done all what it could since the adoption of the Plan. We are, in this connection, most grateful to the FAO Secretariat in particular for the excellent co-operation that we are receiving in the implementation of that part of the Plan that relates to food supply and agriculture.
Mr. Chairman, we recall with deep appreciation FAO's offer of contribution of about 30 percent of the cost of the Review Strategy Commission as envisaged in the Plan. The Secretary General of the OAU has already initiated action for the Review Commission which, it is hoped, will include not only FAO and OAU but other UNand African Organizations interested in the subject of food production and agriculture in Africa. In real terms, this means something like one million United States dollars. The Secretary General of the OAU has, on behalf of the Organization, personally expressed his appreciation for this offer.
Secondly, I wish to record OAU's appreciation for the joint effort that the FAO and OAU Secretariats made in highlighting and dramatizing the cause and extent of famine in Africa: an exercise which was contained in a paper presented to the OAU legislative organs. That paper was highly acclaimed by the 36th Ordinary Council of OAU Ministers and because of its poignant message, it was singled out by the Council for special publication as widely as possible so as to drive home the necessity for international as well as national action on this matter.
In accordance with the decision taken by the last Session of this Conference, the Organization of African Unity, again in close consultation and co-operation with the FAO Secretariat, joined in marking the 16th of last month as World Food Day. In view of our limited resources, our contribution on that First occasion was confined to a message by the Secretary General addressed to the entire African Continent which was widely publicised. Part of that message recalled Africa's commitment made by its leaders collectively, which reads as follows :
"The Lagos Plan of Action today is the one single document which has a fair summary of Africa's broad economic priorities and activities in all relevant fields and therefore provides an encouraging collective hope for the future of the Continent. There is no doubt that the Lagos Plan is an ambitious one.
On that account, additional to Africa's own commitment to self-reliance, we look forward to international community for generous and effective support to implement the Plan."
The OAU sincerely appreciates and thanks the international donors for the assistance so far extended to Africa and hopes that such international assistancetwill continue in proportion to increasing demands. We would however wish to stress that future assistance will also take into account the priorities in the Lagos Plan of Action as collectively adopted by the sovereign leaders of Africa for the millions of Africans.
In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, I wish to congratulate you and your colleagues on your election to preside over this august body. May I also congratulate the Director-General and his staff for the continuing efficiency with which they are conducting the affairs of FAO.
It is due to this efficiency, in general, and service to Africa in particular, that the OAU 16th Summit, sitting in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, way back last year, found it easy to endorse the proposal to re-elect Dr. Edouard Saouma on the occasion of this Conference, to the post of Director-General, which he has so far so ably executed with dedication and expertise. It is therefore for me, an act of automatic and pleasant duty to join delegations of OAU members which have spoken here in congratulating Dr. Saouma for his unanimous re-election, and to wish him well in his second term of office.
May I also add our congratulations to those already expressed to the new members of this Conference upon their admission into the fold of the FAO family. In particular I wish to single out Equatorial Guinea and Zimbabwe, who are also members of the OAU. To all of you, the OAU extends a hand of co-operation in the struggle aimed at achieving a world free of hunger and malnutrition. I wish you fruitful deliberations.
S. MUGWISA (Uganda) : Mr. Chairman, owing to the time constraint and in order to avoid repeating matters and issues raised by honorable speakers before me, I intend to make a very short speech.
It is with great pleasure that I join other delegations in congratulating you on your election as Chairman of this assembly. Your experience will no doubt contribute considerably to the smooth and effective proceedings of the Conference. I would also like to congratulate the three Vice-Chairmen on their election.
On this auspicious occasion I would like to place on record Uganda ' s warm congratulations on the reelection of Dr. Edouard Saouma to the high office of Director-General. My delegation is confident that under the continued leadership of Dr. Saouma the Food and Agriculture Organization will continue to fight world hunger and malnutrition steadfastly.
Mr. Chairman, on a number of occasions at various levels of FAO Conferences we have dwelt extensively on the state of food and agriculture in the world as a whole and the developing countries in particular. We have repeatedly expressed our deep concern for the unsatisfactory situation in food production and energy prevailing in the Third World.
Mr. Chairman, I lament to state that despite all the efforts and labour both at the national and international levels, hunger, poverty and disease continue to affect the lives of millions in the world. It would appear that either we are not facing the problem with sufficient efforts and determination or the resources available to the world are being misdirected. My delegation, therefore, would like to reaffirm the need for this Conference to proceed with the necessary follow-up action and to provide all possible support to the Organization and its Director-General for the implementation of the New International Development Strategy for the eighties.
Many countries both developed and developing are experiencing the adverse effects of inflation and exchange rate fluctuations. In some instances, this has forced a number of countries to provide for zero budgetary growth in domestic public spending. Some countries even go further to try and extend this norm of "zero growth" to international organizations. However, looking at the programme of work of FAO and the magnitude of what is expected of it, my country finds it difficult to advocate "zero growth" for the FAO. On the contrary my delegation would be happy with an increased level of budget. We fully support the Director-General's proposed programme of work and budget for the 1982/83 biennium.
It is not my intention to take up your time with a detailed account of what is happening in my country. However, I feel that I must inform this assembly of the measures which we have taken to contain the difficult situation my Government inherited. As members may be aware Uganda has experienced food shortages in the last two years. This was a result mainly of neglect of the agricultural sector over the past ten years when inflation was allowed to get out of hand and illicit trade was encouraged by the previous governments. In the 1978/79 period an estimated food deficit of 350,000 tons of cereal equivalent was experienced. However, this figure improved to 108,000 tons in 1979/80 and this was expected to improve further to 74,000 metric tons deficit by end of this year.It is our great hope that weather permitting, we should be able to return to a situation of equilibrium in 1982. The country is likely to continue experiencing shortages of essential animal proteins until measures to improve the livestock and fisheries sub-sectors through disease control and management and through improved fishing methods are realized. The problem of distributing food from surplus areas is also to be with us for sometime due to shortage of transport and packing materials. Production inputs including farm machinery and tools are still acutely in short supply. It is estimated that there is a shortage of five million hoes which are the basic tools used by our farmers.
Members may also be aware of the bold measures my Government adopted in the course of this year to correct the situation. As a result of the floating of the Uganda shilling, the removal of price control on farm produce and other commodities and the raising of the prices of cash crops, the economy is already showing signs of recovery. Our coffee quota has recently been raised as a result of improved marketing arrangements instituted.
Regarding security, I am happy to report that this, too, has improved considerably although isolated cases of banditry do occur which is not peculiar to Uganda only. Members may have seen a report in the Saturday 7th November issue of the International Daily News which gave a fairly balanced picture of what is happening in my country especially around the capital Kampala. I would like to assure members that my Government is determined to deal with such cases firmly.
Finally, I should like to take this opportunity to extend a warm welcome to the new members to the Organization, We wish the Conference successful deliberations and pledge my country's continued support of the FAO.
The meeting rose at 12.15 hours
La séance est levee à 12 h 15
Se levanta la sesión a las 12.15 horas
