A. REGNIER (Director, Office for Inter-Agency Affairs): Document C81/17 entitled Relations with Intergovernmental and International Non-governmental Organizations to which I would like to call your attention provides information on selected important aspects of relations between FAO and the world of intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations. FAO is conscious of the importance of expanding cooperation with these organizations and so are they. In this biennium seven additional organizations have established formal relationships with FAO, bringing the total number to 227. Just to take an example, I would like to stress the excellent cooperation that FAO has with regional organizations like the OAU and with a number of regional or sub-regional economic groupings.
This cooperation includes the formulation of development strategies, preparation of agricultural and related projects, emergency operations and so on. FAO is aware of the growing role of these organizations in many fields of economic, social and especially rural development and is ready to foster future cooperative arrangements with them. This is important not only to avoid duplication but also to ensure that we join our efforts in seeking to stimulate development at a time of severe financial constraints.
The past biennium cooperation with International non-governmental organizations has taken on a new momentum, especially as part of the follow-up of the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development, which adopted a programme of action stressing the importance of sectors such as the participation of people in rural development, and the integration of women into rural development. In order that FAO may optimize results in these sectors close cooperation with interested non-governmental organizations is highly desirable. FAO has started a series of discussions with non-governmental organizations, including trade unions, women’s organizations and cooperative organizations, to decide on how to work out joint activities. An exchange of views on practical cooperation in the field has already taken place. It proved stimulating and fruitful and should auger well for the future, as it is a new dimension in cooperation between FAO and non-governmental organizations. Some aspects of this cooperation were discussed during the informal meeting of intergovernmental, non-governmental organizations, as you can see from the document C81/INF/15.
Mr. Chairman, before concluding, and in order to update one paragraph of the document C8l/17 may I add on paragraph 8 of the document, the second paragraph, I would read the text. The text says, “The Director-General is convening a Plenipotentiary Conference of Latin American and Caribeean countries with a veiw to formalizing the final version of the agreement on establishment of the Regional Centre for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development in Latin America.” May I just say on this subject that the meeting did take place; that the agreement was signed, and that the Centre will be established as soon as possible in Quito, Ecuador.
With these few words I submit document C81/17 for your consideration.
D. RIJKS (Observer for the World Meteorological Organization): Mr. Chairman, distinguished delegates, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, I bring to you all, participants in this FAO Conference, greeting and every wisЋ for success from Professor Wiin Nielsen, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization.
Weather plays an important role in crop growth, development and yield. This fact has been clearly recognized by national and international agencies alike. The World Food Conference in 1974, called for increased use of agrometeorological information in agricultural planning and operations. It was
recognized by national and international agencies alike. The World Food Conference in 1974, called for increased use of agrometeorological information in agricultural planning and operations. It was recognized by the 1977 Conference of FAO in its Resolution 12/77 and by the World Food Council in its Mexico Declaration in 1978.
The eighth Congress of WMO agreed that the Agriculture and Desertification Programme is a priority programme of the Organization and that during the eighth financial period which is now halfway through its existence, more assistance should be given to its Members in establishing and developing national Agrometeorological Services, particularly those in developing countries. The basic objectives of the Agricultural and Desertification Programme are: (a) to assist Members, particularly in developing countries in providing agricultural and other responsible authorities with meteorological and hydro-logical information for the planning, management and development of agriculture; (b) to collaborate with FAO and other appropriate organizations in joint projects which require meteorological input or support. The objectives clearly indicate the desire of WMO Congress to strengthen the hands of FAO and other organizations in their fight against hunger and production of food.
In this connexion it is noted with satisfaction that FAO and WMO are co-operating closely in the application of meteorology to agriculture. FAO has reacted positively to an invitation from WMO to designate representatives in all working groups of the WMO Technical Commission for Agricultural Meteorology. Jointly WMO, FAO and Unesco have completed successfully five agroclimatological surveys, most recently one for Southeast Asia, now ready for printing. WMO, FAO and European Space Agency have been involved jointly in the conduction of training courses in Satellite Remote Sensing Application and its member states have arranged for the necessary meteorological input into Global Information and Early Warning System on Food and Agriculture and into the campaign against desert locust. FAO is also associated with the World Climate Applications Programme of WMO, which has as one of its major objectives the practical application of meteorology to agriculture. WMO and FAO have a joint Secretariat unit for day to day operations.
While this is certainly a good beginning, even more can be done. In the planning and implementation of many integrated rural development projects, it is most desirable, if not essential, that careful consideration is given to climatic aspects. Careful analysis of rainfall and evapo-transpiration data provide a rational basis for the planning of irrigation systems, as several FAO publications witness; examination of rainfall and temperature data may be used in the assessment of the climatic aspects of introducing new crops or animals in a given area; due consideration may be given to meteorological and climatological aspects in the protection of the soils; long series of rainfall records may be used in assessing the probability of the occurrence of drought of long or short duration, at the beginning or in the middle of seasons. Timely warnings based on agrometeorological information may be used as useful components of integrated pest and disease control systems, that have been developed and that need more development, while in the field of food supply surveillance, crop-weather models have been developed which may play a major role in national crop monitoring and early warning systems. A recent publication by the World Meteorological Organization entitled “The Role of Agrometeorology in Agricultural Development and Investment Projects” provides guidelines on the use of agrometeorological information and advice in the planning and implementation of integrated rural development projects.
In view of the many useful applications of agrometeorology in agricultural development projects, and many more can be mentioned, FAO might endeavour to ensure that there is a comprehensive agrometeorological input to the planning and implementation of FAO field projects in which climatic factors are seen or known to have an influence. At national level such input may be sought from National Meteorological Services.
In several of its field projects WMO has solicited and obtained the presence of an FAO agronomist. Reciprocally WMO would give the appropriate positive consideration to requests from FAO for the presence of WMO agrometeorologists in those of its field projects that are oriented towards the practical application of meteorological, and especially climatological knowledge, to increase food production.
It is appropriate to mention in this connexion that the 33rd session of the Executive Committee of WMO in May 1981 attached considerable importance to having close collaboration between agricultural and meteorological sectors at the national and regional levels and suggested that FAO and WMO should jointly foster such collaboration. At all times the collaboration between FAO and WMO should serve operational purposes and aim to supply information that is directly useful to the end user, the men who really produce the food in the field.
Finally, if it is indeed the wish of this Conference that collaboration between FAO and WMO should be reinforced, I may submit that you may consider adopting a recommendation along the following lines:
“Considering the important role of climatic factors in agriculture and rural development generally and the consequent desirability of utilizing all available agrometerorological information and advice in the planning and implementation of operational integrated rural development projects; considering the availability of agrometeorological methods for the estimation of the effects of meteorological hazards, such as droughts, floods and frosts, on rural development; the FAO Conference recommends that careful consideration for the provision of agrometeorological components be included in those field projects in which climatic factors are seen to be important, and that this should be done in close co-operation with National (Hydro.) Meteorological Services and the World Meteorological Organization”.
Mohd. YASIN bin MOHD SALLEH (Malaysia): First of all I would like to commend FAO for the outstanding cooperation it has given to International and non-governmental organizations, as contained in document C 81/17. We hope FAO can continue to play this role as lead agency in the UN system on matters relating to food and agriculture, so that the vast knowledge and experience of FAO in this sector could help this Organization to implement their programmes successfully. While many organisations with whom FAO has cooperation are mentioned in the document, we understand FAO has also cooperated with, and contributed substantially to other organisations which did not appear in the document, for example the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC). The cooperation between FAO and ASEAN has benefitted the member countries, and we hope this cooperation can be expanded and continued in the future.
Ms. G. GARZERO (Observer for the International Non-Governmental Organizations): In the absence of Professor Cépède, Chairman of the meeting of the International non-governmental organizations at this Conference, I have been requested to draw the attention of Commission II to the report of that meeting which is presented to the Conference as document C 81/INF/15.
Since the last Conference and especially this past year the coordination between the NGO Representatives residing in Rome and the FAO Secretariat has improved. We appreciate the time and effort expended and look for results in the field as a consequence where similar coordination is expected.
We should explore and study other institutions and arrangements for more involvement of NGOs. And it should be known that the cooperation between the International and National NGOs is not limited to what is reported in Conference documents. Many International NGOs maintain continuing working relations with FAO, while each organization carries out bilateral arrangements.
The concept of People’s Participation has received increased attention in the international fora and we have heard here in this Conference the importance governments attach to the involvement of non-governmental organizations in rural development. With NGO participation, especially in training, such organizations become natural partners of the governments and of FAO programs in the follow-up of the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (WCARRD).
Especially noteworthy is a growing awareness of the importance of the role of women in food programs: from credit, to producing, to marketing, to security, to consuming.
As we listen to the testimony from member governments of FAO we can only agree that there will never be rural development unless the rural people themselves have the responsibility of drawing up and initiationg their own programs.
C.J.A.M. de BONT (Netherlands): The improvement of agricultural production and rural development are the main objectives of the discussions during this Conference. In this respect it is important to recognize that the fulfilling of these objectives is for a large part the task of the rural population. Organizations such as FAO can only assist them, and it is a duty for FAO to do this in the best way possible.
In practice this means that the work of FAO can only have the desired results when it is in line with the feelings of the rural population. These feelings of farmers, women and rural workers can be represented by their local, national and international organizations. While FAO is an organization of governments, there are good reasons to strengthen the relationships with the given non-governmental organizations.
We think that the difficult task that must be done by FAO and national governments to improve the agricultural and food situation can be stimulated by the collaboration with non-governmental organizations. This is our experience, since in the Netherlands agricultural policy was developed seriously more than 100 years ago.
The improvement of the food and agricultural situation in our country in this period is particularly the result of the participation of the rural population in governmental policy, for example in training, research, extension, land improvement and price-policy for agricultural products.
We hope that our experience is useful in particular for the developing countries. Looking forward to our next agenda item, the follow-up to WCARRD, we should appreciate more detailed information from FAO for discussion.
L. BLAJAN (Observateur pour l’Office international des épizooties): Je vous remercie de me donner la parole, ce qui me permettra de dire quelques mots des relations entre la FAO et l’OIE.
Je voudrais tout d’abord rappeler que l’Office international des épizooties a été créé par un arrangement international signé à Paris en 1924 par 25 Etats. Le nombre des pays membres de l’Organisation est actuellement de 100. Les trois fonctions principales qui lui sont assignées sont: 1) l’information sur la situation des maladies épizootiques dans le monde et les moyens appliqués pour les combattre; 2) la promotion et la coordination des études sur les maladies du bétail pour lesquelles il y a lieu de faire appel à la collaboration internationale; 3) et troisième fonction, l’étude des projets d’accord internationaux relatifs à la police sanitaire des animaux.
La FAO et l’OIE ont done comme but commun la lutte contre les maladies animales qui est un prélable au développement de l’élevage, et, en définitive à l’objectif d’amélioration des conditions de vie des populations, objectif qui est inscrit dans l’Acte constitutif de la FAO.
II est done normal que les deux organisations coordonnent leurs efforts pour atteindre leur objectif commun.
C’est en 1953 que le Comité international de l’OIE a adopté le texte de l’accord qui régit les relations de travail entre nos deux organisations. Par ce texte, la FAO reconnaît l’OIE comme organe consultatif pour les questions qui sont de la compétence propre de l’OIE. Notre organisation, en premier lieu et en consultation avec la FAO assume les responsabilités suivantes: - rassembler et diffuser rapidement les informations et statistiques sur la fréquence et l’évolution des maladies du bétail dans le monde entier; - convoquer des réunions d’experts dans le domaine des maladies du bétail; - diffuser les informations techniques sur la recherche et la lutte contre les maladies des animaux domestiques; - et enfin étudier les méthodes de lutte contre les principales maladies du bétail et transmettre à la FAO des avis à ce sujet.
La FAO et l’OIE collaborent notamment par l’échange réciproque de rapports, de publications et d’informations, par la participation de chaque institution aux réunions et conférences de l’autre. La coopération entre la Division de la production et de la santé animales de la FAO et l’OIE a été particulièrement active au cours des derniers mois, grâce à des rencontres périodiques sur les questions d’intérêt commun. C’est ainsi que, récemment, les deux organisations ont, avec l’OUA, mis en place une stratégie d’éradication de la peste bovine du continent africain qui devrait avoir un retentissement considérable pour l’avenir de l’élevage en Afrique, si les moyens de financement peuvent évidemment être obtenus.
Dans le même esprit, la FAO est associée aux travaux du groupe de spécialistes de l’information de l’OIE qui a pour mission de rechercher les moyens d’accroître l’efficacité des systèmes existants d’information sur la santé animale.
Toutes ces actions menées en commun ont pour objectif d’éviter les doubles emplois, souci auquel sont très sensibles les Etats Membres. Mais nous sommes convaincus que nous pouvons encore améliorer la concertation entre les deux organisations, dans l’intérêt de nos mandants, et, à cet égard, je pense que la solution se trouve dans l’article 5 de l’Accord FAO/OIE qui prévoit que le Directeur général de la FAO et le Directeur général de l’OIE, au cours de la préparation de leurs programmes de travail respectifs se communiqueront le projet de leur programme pour avis. Je ne doute pas que nos deux organisations appliqueront ces dispositions importantes pour l’efficacité de la coordination souhai-table.
E. TIZOL (Cuba): Queremos expresar, en primer lugar, nuestro agradecimiento al Sr. Regnier por su presentación al documento que está siendo objeto de análisis. A este respecto, nuestra delegación quisiera destacar que considera de una gran importancia el énfasis que se le ha dado en el documento C 81/INF/15 a la participación popular en los programas de la FAO por parte de los organismos internacionales gubernamentales. Creemos en este contexto que resulta válido enfatizar nuestro apoyo a los párrafos 8 y 17 de dicho documento, donde seexpresande manera sucinta la prioridad que concede la FAO a la población rural pobre, por una parte, y la enorme importancia que tiene para el desarrollo la participación directa de las organizaciones populares independientes y plenamente representativas, auténticas y activas por la otra. Nuestra delegación está ade-más convencida de que sin la participación activa de la mujer en los planes nacionales de desarrollo, ninguna nación podrá alcanzar plenamente las metas trazadas.
Resulta por tanto necesario apoyar el incremento de la participación de la mujer en los programas de la FAO, así como en los planes nacionales de desarrollo de cada país.
Por último, opinamos que lo expresado en los párrafos 22, 23, 24 y 25 del documento C 81/INF/15 resulta de un gran valor en las esferas de la seguridad alimentaria y la energía a partir de fuen-tes renovables. Nuestro país cuenta con una valiosa experiencia en materia de creación de coope-rativas compuestas por pequeños agricultores privados, los cuales son incentivados por el Estado a través de créditos y facilidades para llevar a cabo su producción, al tiempo que se les asegu-ra un mejoramiento del nivel de vida a sus integrantes. Los resultados de esta iniciativa hablan por sí mismos.
Queremos finalmente, señalar a la Secretaría que consideramos que en el párrafo 27 del documento C 81/INF/15 se presta a confusión la utilización de la palabra, en el primer renglón donde dice: “participación actual”, en el texto en español, y pensamos que quizás se quiera decir: “real”. Esto quizás venga del inglés “actual”. En español se presta un poco a confusión.
E. HAMERNIK (Observer for the World Federation of Trade Unions): On behalf of the World Federation of Trade Unions, I should like to thank you for giving us the opportunity to take the floor when this Commission is considering relations between FAO and NGO’s.
In the opinion of the WFTU, which re-groups in its ranks more than 200 million members, millions of whom live and work in rural areas, it is only with the support and general participation of rural workers that one can envisage the solution of serious problems that weigh heavily today upon the world agriculture.
That is why the WFTU is seeking to strengthen and expand its co-operation with FAO in the interest of the rural workers we represent and for the general development of agriculture and the food industry.
In this respect, we value the new type of relations that has started to develop between FAO and the international trade union organizations as it was confirmed during the seventh FAO/trade union consultation in May this year.
As is mentioned in document C 81/17, discussions at this consultation covered WCARRD follow-up and trade union participation in projects under FAO’s People’s Participaciön Programme. As far as this subject of WCARRD follow-up is concerned, I should like to express our views later when this item is under consideration.
At this moment I should like to emphasize that we consider these consultations to be important and useful for both parties and therefore we stress the necessity that the FAO Director-General holds them regularly, if possible every year, including consultation at regional level.
HIDAYAT GANDA ATMAYA (Indonesia): My delegation would like to suggest that the FAO, as the body of the United Nations most responsible for food and agriculture, should take the initiative in developing links between, and mutual cooperation with, various international organizations outside the UN family as well as non-governmental organizations, in order to avoid overlapping and duplication of work and- more important -to aid the efficient implementation of programmes and activities to combat hunger and malnutrition.
A good example of FAO/agency cooperation has been experienced in Indonesia in the FAO/UNDP
project on supply and demand in strategic food commodities. This sort of worthwhile cooperation should be continued and developed further in programmes and activities undertaken with many more local, national and regional, as well as international organizations, and also with non-governmental ones such as farmer’s associations, fishermens’ associations and women organizations. In the implementation of programmes and activities in agricultural and rural development, as conducted at grassroots level, my delegation would like to urge to pay more attention to strengthening the workings of such associations, thereby strengthening agricultural and rural development. The Government of Indonesia has found that the role of farmers’ associations in transforming the activities taking place at grass-roots level is very important.
WANG SHOU RU (China) (original language Chinese): From Document C 81/17 we have learned that the FAO has been actively engaged in various activities in collaboration with governmental and non-governmental organizations. Some of the activities, particularly those in Africa and the Near East, have earned close attention from the Organization for African Unity and other organizations in the countries concerned. Some of the activities are in the process of leading to possible practical action to promote agriculture, food production and trade development in their own areas. Obviously, these are all beneficial.
In particular, these activities are conducive to the promotion of economic and technical cooperation among developing countries and to the solution of common problems by collective efforts. The Chinese delegation wishes to express its appreciation of this. It is our hope that the FAO will continue, at the request of the organizations concerned, to take these high-priority projects through to a successful conclusion, and that such results will be used to the benefit of the other developing countries.
M.M. MUKOLWE (Kenya): My delegation, along with others, wishes to place on record its opinion that an increasing relationship between FAO and other international organizations is a very worthwhile thing. All the efforts which are made are complementary and have as their ultimate aim rural development, increased food production, alleviation of hunger and poverty and the creation of employment. These are the concerns of all of us. They are in line moreover with the objectives of the WCARRD conference and this is what we have all been here to discuss in the past few days.
The efforts made by these organizations, especially the non-governmental ones, are great, particularly at times of grave distress such as droughts, floods or othe natural catastrophes and particularly on the African continent; we find that these organizations have played a very important role. When it comes to the development of such areas, these organizations have found in the forefront, fostering development at the grass roots and organising mobilitation. We should, therefore, foster this sort of relationship in all Member Countries if possible.
My delegation supports the two documents C 81/17 and C 81/INF/15.
K. GADIS (Grèce): II y a deux points que je voudrais évoquer au cours de cette brève intervention. Le premier se refère au paragraphe 8 du document C 81/17 qui vise la création de centres de développement rural intégré. On lit au dernier alinéa de ce paragraphe: “Le Directeur général organise une conférence de plénipotentiaires des pays d’Amérique latine et des Caraîbes (Caracas, septembre 1981) pour faire adopter officiellement la version finale de l’Accord sur la création d’un Centre régional de réforme agraire et de développement rural en Amérique latine”.
En dépit des difficultés rencontrées pour la conclusion d’autres accords, j’exprime le souhait qu’on puisse voir établis d’autres accorás de cette nature.
Le deuxième point se réfère au document C 81/INF/15 paragraphe 2. On peut y lire qu’à la réunion officielle du 10 novembre 1981 “il avait été convenu que le thème principal de la réunion serait la participation populaire aux programmes de la FAO”. Je ne vais pas entrer dans les discussions techniques mais j’indique l’importance que mon gouvernement attache à cette participation populaire aux programmes de la FAO.
M. SALAMEH (Syria) (Original language Arabic): Our delegation, after going through Document C 81/17, in particular, would like to thank the organisation for giving details of its relations with other organisations which cover those areas that benefit the organization and the people who work so that their agricultural and food production may be improved. We feel that these diverse relationships should be consolidated so that we ensure that the needy and deserving people of this world benefit from all possible courses of action. We also grant great importance to the relationship of the organisation with the International Food Policy Research Institute, referred to in paragraph 27, its relationship with the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Centre, mentioned in paragraph 13, and also with the Sixth Conference of the Arab Ministers of Agriculture on fisheries development mentioned in para. 9. We give particular importance to this relationship. We are sure this relationship will be strengthened and will guarantee the improvement of nutrition and its incorporation in national policies.
Sra. L. ELIZONDO C. (Nicaragua): Nuestra delegación quisiera apoyar las principales líneas de acción trazadas en el documento C 81/INF/15 en lo que se refiere a la participación popular y la integración de la mujer al desarrollo rural. Consideramos particularmente importante el hecho de que la participación popular se convierta en el elemento clave de la política de la FAO. En este sentido, nuestro país ha tenido recientemente experiencias muy interesantes al implementar una campaña de de alfabeti-zación basada en la participación popular que permitió la reducción del analfabetismo del 70 al 13 por ciento en un período de seis meses. Igual buen resultado ha tenido la participación popular en los programas de salud que han permitido erradicar recientemente la malaria e, igualmente, trasladados al campo de la agricultura se ha iniciado recientemente una campaña de autoconstrucción de 30 000 trojas come parte de un programa de conservación de grano por cosecha que se está llevando a cabo con el apoyo de la FAO. Estas experiencias que hemos vivido nosotros corroboran la acertada orientación de dedicar una mayor atencion al fortalecimiento de organismos populares como un medio legitimo de promover el desarrollo de nuestro país.
Asimismo considerando que mas de la mitad de la población mundial es femenina, lo cual desafortunada-mente no se ve reflejado en esta Conferencia, la participación femenina es sumamente minoritaria y considerando que en nuestros países la mujer constituye en muchos casos el principal soporte familiar, consideramos urgentemente necesario el fortalecimiento y apoyo de los programas de capacitación a la muj er.
M. ARAFAH (Jordan) (original language Arabic): I should like to concentrate on the International cooperative Alliance and the International RAIFFEISIN Union which I think have not been mentioned in our document. I shall not mention the benefit of cooperative associations throughout the world because I think it is self-evident. However, I do feel that some reference should be made to the relations with the two above-mentioned organizations.
A. REGNIER (Directeur, Bureau des affaires interinstitutions): Je ne crois pas qufaient eté posées des questions precises auxquelles je doive repondre. Cependant, je voudrais remercier toutes les délégations qui sont intervenues dans ce dóbat pour leurs encouragements. Je crois effectivement pouvoir traduire le sentiment de la Commission en disant qu’elle apprécie le fait que les relations entre la FAO, les organisations non gouvernementales et les organisations intergouvernementales en dehors du systèrae des Nations Unies, objet de notre débat d’aujourd’hui, se sont renforcées au cours du biennium qui s’achève.
La Commission a également donné, me semble-t-il, un encouragement pour qu’à l’avenir une collaboration encore plus poussée soit réalisée. On a en particulier mentionné des relations nécessaires pour maximiser lesopérations de la FAO avec des organisations aussi importantes que les associations de producteurs, la participation populaire, les associations féminines. Il est bien évident que la FAO attache une très grande importance à ces questions, et la Commission peut être assurée que c’est également le souci du Directeur général de la FAO de renforcer autant que faire se peut cette collaboration et qu’il a l’intention `.à l’avenir de faire tout son possible à cet effet.
CHAIRMAN: Thank you Mr. Regnier. There is nothing to add to what you have said. That brings us to the end of the debate on item 15.2 on our agenda.
I now would like to make a suggestion to the distinguished delegates. There is an item on the agenda which we still have to debate which is item 13, Follow-Up to the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development. We also have draft resolutions which will be passed to the Commission for debate. My suggestion now is that we invite the Assistant Director-General of the Economic and Social Policy Department, Dr. Islam, to introduce the subject on the Follow-up to the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development, and after this introduction we adjourn until tomorrow.
N. ISLAM (Assistant Director-General, Economic and Social Policy Department): As requested in the FAO Conference Resolution 7/79, adopted during the 20th Session of the FAO Conference, the Conference document (C 81/23) reports on the progress so far achieved in the follow-up of WCARRD Programme of Action; it raises certain issues for consideration by the Conference; and seeks comments and guidance in regard to future lines of action.
The distinctive message of WCARRD, Mr. Chairman, as you recall was the stress on growth with equity and people’s participation. This orientation is reflected in the overall priority accorded to the WCARRD Follow-up in the current and proposed Programme of Work and Budget of FAO. Apart from a review of existing projects and programmes, from the point of view of the new orientation, an attempt is made to influence the formulation of the country programmes and projects through WCARRD Follow-up missions, as well as FAO’s various project identification and formulation missions.
An Inter-Departmental Committee on Rural Development has been engaged in providing guidance and promoting coordination between various departments and disciplines in the FAO Secretariat keeping in view the objectives and contents of the WCARRD Programme of Action. The Committee also works through various interdepartmental sub-groups relating to specific subjects such as people's participation, monitoring and evaluation, nutrition etc.
Mr. Chairman, the main focus of WCARRD’S follow-up is at the country level, where, needless to say, the primary responsibility for implementation lies with the Member Governments. FAOfs objective in this context is to provide such help and assistance as required. We are active in responding to government’s requests for assistance in formulating national programmes of agrarian reform and rural development. In this connection, the first step was to prepare operational guidelines to assist countries and aid-giving agencies in ‘formulatingprojects in the directions identified in the Programme of Action. Further, more specific guidelines have been prepared to assist countries in such subject-matter areas as people’s participation and women in development.
A major means of follow-up at the policy level is through WCARRD policy review missions organised by FAO, including in several cases representatives of other UN Agencies. These missions undertake to review, together with the governments concerned, overall policies and programmes in the area of agrarian reform and rural development; they identify priority areas for action and assistance, further, they assist in the formulation of poverty oriented agricultural and rural development projects. Apart from these policy review missions, we have also helped formulate a number of catalytic projects in the light of the WCARRD Programme of Action.
Among specific areas of action for which so far Member Countries have requested FAO assistance, the following are the most prominent: People’s participation, the integration of women in development, education, training and extension. The new orientations given to these programmes are outlined in the document under consideration.
An important aspect of WCARRD follow-up is the need to establish a system of monitoring and evaluation with a view to reporting periodical progress in the area of agrarian reform and rural development. Under the Programme of Action, Member Countries undertook to collect on a regular basis, quantitative data on a number of socio-economic indicators relating to rural poverty. They also agreed to establish benchmarks relating to such indicators for the year 1980, and to report changes therein at every other biennial Conference thereafter.
FAO was called upon to assist governments in this task. As a first step in this direction, FAO, in consultation with other UN Agencies, prepared a provisional list of socio-economic indicators. Pilot studies have been initiated in a number of countries to test the feasibility of the proposed indicators. Regional Workshops are being organized in early 1982 to prepare an agreed list of indicators “based on country experience and to draw up, for use by Member Countries, guidelines relating to socio-economic indicators, as well as for the establishment of appropriate benchmarks.
To assist in the task of reporting by Member Governments on the progress in agrarian reform and rural development, and to facilitate its consideration by the next FAO Conference, it is necessary that several steps are taken urgently.
First, all countries would need to set in motion programmes for the formation of socio-economic indicators, as well as for monitoring and reporting immediately. Second, in order to synchronize country reporting and its consideration by the FAO Conference, it would be desirable if the first report on monitoring could be made available to the 22nd Session of the Conference in 1983, thus initiating the four-yearly cycle of reporting provided for in the Programme of Action.
Thirdly, in order to reduce this exercise to manageable proportions and to provide a uniform and consistent basis for country reports, the Secretariat proposes to assist Member Government’s in this task by providing a format for reporting. Fourth, the FAO Secretariat would produce, drawing upon country reports prepared according to an agreed format, a consolidated and comprehensive overall report for consideration by the Conference at its 1983 Session.
This report will not only be a statistical, but also an analytical document reviewing policies and programmes. We hope that this procedure, suggested by us, has the support and endorsement of the Conference.
Such a report, moreover, will provide the basis for FAO, in cooperation with other UN Agencies, to prepare a progress report on agrarian reform and rural development for the consideration of ECOSOC in early 1984: The ECOSOC, of the UN, at its July 1981 session, has already agreed to the consideration of such a report in mid-1984 and every four years thereafter. The report would be entitled ‘Review and Analysis of Agrarian Reform and Rural Development”. Such a report, considered by the FAO Conference, could thus emerge as.an authoritative statement on world agrarian reform and rural development, for consideration not only by ECOSOC, but also by other international fora concerned with international development issues and strategy.
I now pass on to a consideration of some aspects of implementation at the regional level. Special inter-country consultations on the follow-up of WCARRD were organized at the regional level during 1980 and 1981, one in Latin America, two in the Asia and Pacific Region. These inter-country Consultations have stimulated the exchange of relevant national experiences among the countries of a region and served to highlight the priority areas most relevant to the region and to identify possibilities of regional cooperation.
WCARRD Follow-Up has been included on the agenda of Regional Conferences to be held in 1982. Apart from guidance regarding regional priorities, it is hoped that FAO Regional Conferences will provide an opportunity for discussion not only of socio-economic indicators, but also of the format and content of the 1983 Report.
The most significant development at the regional level, is the establishment of Regional Centres for Rural Development, in each of the developing regions. Two centres, one in Asia and one in Africa have already been established. The agreement for a Centre in Latin America and the Caribbean is the process of ratification, while arrangements are underway, for a similar Centre in the Near East Region. The role of Non-Governmental Organizations, that is, self-reliant and representative rural organisations is explicitly recognised by the 1979 FAO Conference Resolution. We have undertaken useful consultations relating to the WCARRD Programme of Action with national and international NGOs, including international trade unions. Experience in Latin America and Africa has shown how NGOs, with support and cooperation from government representatives, have helped to identify projects for the benefit and participation of various rural poverty groups. It is planned to replicate this approach in other regions. The Conference may wish, in this connection, to call upon countries to promote NGOs participation, to urge NGOs to cooperate positively and to request NGOs and donors to provide them with support in the follow-up of WCARRD.
I turn now, to the question of inter-agency cooperation and FAO’s role as the lead agency in the follow-up of WCARRD Programme of Action. We are glad to report that the ACC Task Force has drawn up its own programme of work on the basis of the assessment of its own past activities and in the light of responsibility entrusted to it for the follow-up of WCARRD. This programme of work, which has now been approved by the ACC and has been subsequently endorsed by the ECOSOC, centres around three major areas of the WCARRD programme of action; joint action at country and regional levels, promoting people’s participation in rural development; and monitoring and evaluation of rural development. We are also working in close collaboration with individual UN agencies, taking advantage of their specialized fields of competence. For example, the World Bank, in view of its interest and expertise, at the invitation of FAO, has just convened an Inter-Agency Workshop on the Monitoring and Evaluation of Rural Development. Meanwhile, the ILO, in view of its long-standing experience, has agreed to convene an Inter-Agency Panel on People’s Participation.
FAO has also taken the initiative to ensure such cooperation at the regional level for WCARRD Follow-Up, by convening regular regional inter-agency meetings for this purpose. At the country level, several WCARRD Review Missions, with active participation by UN Agencies, have provided a concrete expression of such inter-agency cooperation.
In close cooperation with member Governments we have intensified our efforts for the dissemination of systematic information on the WCARRD Programme of Action. The WCARRD Programme has been translated in five vernacular languages and a popular version has been printed for worldwide distribution. This is intended to sensitize public opinion at all levels towards the ideals and objectives of the WCARRD Programme of Action.
Lastly, the 1979 FAO Conference Resolution called for financial support for WCARRD Follow-Up through voluntary extra-budgetary contributions of resources up to a sum of US $20 million. So far, US $9.3 million have been pledged, while projects already identified cost a total of US $19 million, or almost the full amount of the proposed target.
In view of the urgent need for financial resources, a flexible approach has been adopted to tap all possible sources of funds. Regular Programme resources have been mobilized in every way possible. It is essential that the momentum achieved so far in the follow-up of WCARRD should be maintained. Therefore, the minimum extra-budgetary funds already envisaged are badly needed, and we hope the Conference would call upon potential donors for the urgent commitmment of additional resources.
I may draw the attention of the Commission to the various proposals, which are summarized in the concluding section, Section VIII, paragraph 36 (pages 8 to 9) of the document. We seek the support and endorsement of the Conference to the specific issues raised and suggestions made in this section.
CHAIRMAN: I thank the Assistant Director of the Economic and Social Policy Department for that introduction to tomorrow’s debate on the Follow-up to the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development. I am convinced that this introduction will assist in spelling out clearly the positions taken by the Member Governments on the Follow-up actions.
The meeting rose at 16.15 hours
La séance est levée à 16 h 15
Se levanta la sesión las 16.15 horas
