GENERAL DISCUSSION (continued)
DEBAT GENERAL (suite)
DEBATE GENERAL (continuación)

CHAIRMAN: I declare the Fifteenth Plenary Meeting open, and I call upon Mr Dorji Tenzin, Director of the Animal Husbandry Department, Bhutan, to address the Conference.

D. TENZIN (Bhutan): On behalf of His Majesty's Government of Bhutan and on my own behalf I would like to congratulate the Chairman and Vice-Chairmen on their election to chair this important Conference. My delegation would also like to extend greetings to the four new members to this Organization. We ourselves are among the newer members, having only joined the Organization on 7 November 1981 when we took our place as a Member State of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

With your permission, Mr Chairman, I would like to say something very briefly on how we are attempting to help our people in the two areas on which 90 percent of the population depends namely agriculture and animal husbandry. Bhutan being in the heart of the Himalayan range, agriculture and livestock are the main livelihood of the people and great efforts have been made, both by the FAO and also by His Majesty's Government to help the Bhutanese people. I will now give a brief outline of the geography of Bhutan which will clarify some of the problems FAO as well as ourselves have in implementing the projects.

In the Great Himalaya, at altitudes of over 4 000 metres, the area is practically uninhabited except for yak herders. Most of the population is settled in the Inner Himalaya and live in its fertile valleys. In the South the climate is sub-tropical and tropical, with an average rainfall of 100 inches a year. This climate is well-suited to the growing of both sub-tropical and tropical fruit. With the exception of the narrow strip of land at the foot of the mountains, the whole of Bhutan presents a succession of the most lofty and rugged mountains in the world. In the perpetual snow of the enormous glaciers, which reach a height of over 7 000 metres, most of Bhutan's rivers begin their long journey southwards. These rivers are not navigable at their inception and can only be travelled on several miles after they reach the plains.

You will understand therefore, from the lie of the land that Bhutan has many communication problems, although over the past decade roads have opened up      many parts of our mountainous country and journeys which once took several days can now be made in a few hours. The airport of Paro now connects Bhutan to Calcutta.

Bhutan has been traditionally self-sufficient in foodgrains, exporting small surpluses but with population growth, the emergence of non-farming communities, and some increase in per capita consumption, there is now a deficit. The main crops are paddy, maize, wheat, barley buck wheat, etc, paddy being the preferred crop and grown mainly under irrigated conditions at altitudes of 2 500 metres; maize is the dominant crop in the dry areas and wheat and barley are taken up as a second crop at higher elevations. Agriculture, in the Fifth Five-Year Plan aims at: self-sufficiency in foodgrains production, the steady increase of incomes of the farming community through the diversification of production, mainly cash crops for which there is a great potential in the country; improving the overall nutritional status of the population and increasingly improved seeds, production and self-sufficiency to the extent possible. The main outlay of the country to this end has been in Intensive Area Development Programmes, Farm Mechanization and Plant Protection Services.

Closely connected to agriculture is irrigation which, by the efficient distribution and utilization of the water supply, increases agricultural production.

Animal husbandry is an important component of the rural economy in Bhutan, playing a vital subsistence role in the Northern Alpine Region where it is virtually the sole form of economic activity. The consumption of animal products is an important element of the Bhutanese diet. In settled areas, cattle are kept for draughting and milking purposes with most milk being processed and consumed as cheese, curd or butter and the keeping of chickens and pigs is fairly widespread.

In its Fifth Five-Year Plan, His Majesty's Government's main objectives are to: improve the productivity of livestock through an integrated approach giving simultaneous attention to scientific breeding, better farming, improved management and effective animal health control through the prevention of disease; to supplement the income of livestock farmers through better marketing systems so as to ensure that the benefits of production are progressively transferred to the producers, especially in the rural areas; to increase the production of livestock products to improve the nutritional intake of the people and achieve self-sufficiency in animal husbandry production. The main outlay in the animal husbandry sector has been in animal health coverage, cattle development, poultry development and alpine pasture development.

Incidentally, Bhutan feels that the international community, through the FAO, should make full use of the genetic resources in the livestock presently to be found in Bhutan. These animals, especially yaks and mithun cattle are good stock and can provide good genetic resources in mountainous countriesthroughout the world.

Preservation of the forest cover in a mountainous country like Bhutan is essential in order to conserve the environment and ecological balance. This objective is not in conflict with either the interests of the population or the commercial exploitation of forests so long as there is scientific management and utilization of these resources. Its main programme is the recycling of forests and the establishment of nurseries for afforestation.

I would like to say that Bhutan is proud to be a member of the United Nations and would like to express its gratitude to the FAO and the UNDP for their assistance. His Majesty's Government would also like to extend its highest appreciation to the Director-General for the excellent programme for the biennium 1984-1985.

For its future programme, His Majesty's Government's priorities in the Sixth Five-Year Plan are self-sufficiency in foodgrains; self-sufficiency in animal husbandry; more land is to be made available for agriculture through irrigation; great importance has been placed on forestry and also fisheries. We hope that FAO and UNDP will assist Bhutan in achieving some of its goals in order that the Bhutanese people may reach a better nutritional standard and will be able to fare for themselves and be wholly self-sufficient one day.

Most of the FAO projects in Bhutan are in the agricultural sector, followed by animal husbandry, then forestry and also fisheries.

Due to the increased cooperation with FAO and full justification for it, the Royal Government of Bhutan would greatly welcome FAO's representation in Bhutan through the system of double accreditation, preferably with the posting of a Programme Officer of FAO in Thimphu. We entirely accept this and feel that it would facilitate administrative procedures and simplify the communication problems.

I.P. ALVARENGA (El Salvador): Señor Presidente: permítame, en primer lugar, felicitarlo a usted y a los demás miembros de la mesa por su elección. Quisiéramos ante todo referirnos al ambiente en el cual se reúne esta Conferencia.

Empezaremos poniendo una nota de optimismo. Creemos que estamos en una época de grandes realiza‐ciones. Una de ellas es el acceso de todos los Estados, por pequeños que sean, a su independencia. El colonialismo que hasta épocas recientes era una normal institución internacional, está liquidado como concepto y en un tiempo breve será eliminado materialmente.

En ese contexto, nos llena de alegría saludar y dar una cordial bienvenida a los países recientemente independizados que han ingresado a nuestra Organización: Antigua y Barbuda, Belice, San Cristóbal y Nieves y Vanuatu.

Nosotros estamos seguros, Señor Presidente, que la humanidad saldrá de sus presentes problemas y que una etapa más feliz y más fructífera habrá de presentarse en el camino de la civilización.

Pero tenía plena razón Marañón, un genial pensador de esa noble y querida Madre Patria, España, país que, dicho sea de paso, nos ha dado la enseñanza luminosa de que para pasar de una dictadura a la libertad, que para ganarse el respeto universal, bastan una política ponderada interior y exterior. Tenía razón, repito, Gregorio Marañón, cuando afirmó: "La humanidad es como esos niños enclenques a los que cada etapa del crecimiento les pone en el trance de morir. La humanidad yace dolorida por uno de esos estirones de su juventud milenaria".

No podemos ocultarnos que esta Conferencia tiene lugar rodeada de condiciones sombrías que ponen en peligro la vida y la salud de la humanidad.

Sobresale el problema de la guerra y el armamentismo. La guerra se libra ya entre hermanos de diversos países, ya entre hermanos del mismo país, paradójicamente dándosele al último tipo de conflictos el nombre de "guerrra civil", cuando en realidad se trata de la más incivil de las guerras.

El armamentismo lo practican las grandes potencias con medios terrificantes que amenazan con aniquilar no solo al respectivo rival, sino al género humano entero. Unos piensan que son débiles porque pueden destruir a sus potenciales enemigos solo 8 veces, como lo ha señalado recientemente un escritor alemán; y deciden aumentar sus armas para equipararse a quienes puede destruirlos 16 veces. Pero éste aumentará su poder hasta ser capaz de destruirlos 32 veces y así sucesivamente. Si un día tuviesen que emplearse tales medios aterradores, se constatará que bastaba destruirse una vez: y que el resto del esfuerzo bélico era un desperdicio de recursos.

Los países en desarrollo, nos armamos con igual o mayor culpa que las grandes potencias. Como bien nos lo ha señalado en diversas ocasiones nuestro Director General, los países en desarrollo gastamos en armamentos un caudal ingente de nuestros escasos recursos.

Y lo más triste es que haya países en desarrollo que celebren el armamentismo de los grandes; es más, que se sumen jubilosos a la carrera armamentista y al guerrerismo, escudándose en una concepción de la historia tipo "cowboy", tipo película del Lejano Oeste, en la cual quienes están de una parte son todos buenos y los que están en la otra son todos malos.

La paz, señor Presidente, es esencial para construir un mundo mejor; en particular, es indispensable para el desarrollo agrícola y la producción de suficientes alimentoso

Pero la paz es responsabilidad de todos y cada uno de los países. Ninguno puede violar el derecho de un pueblo a la autodeterminación y pedir la incolumidad del suyo; ninguno puede pensar que es justo el terrorismo que exporta y no el que sufre; ninguno debe creer que puede armarse y condenar el armamentismo de los demás, cualquiera que sea el principio idelógico que invoque. Nunca antes, Gomo en estos momentos, tuvo tanto valor la verdad que encierra aquella famosa frase de Benito Juárez, uno de los más ilustres hijos del querido y hermano pueblo mexicano: "El respeto al derecho ajeno, es la paz".

Otro elemento alarmante que circunda a esta Conferencia es la crisis economica mundial; huérfana, como se sabe, de una explicación unívoca, conjuga diabólicamente inflación y recesión, y es agravada por las medidas despiadadas con las cuales se pretende combatirla, como los altos intereses y el proteccionismo. Como de costumbre, el peso de la crisis recae con mayor fuerza en los más débiles.

Es innecesario que nos detengamos en estos aspectos, abundantemente documentados y expuestos por el Director General y muchos autorizados delegados.

Esta Organización, Señor Presidente, no tiene por función específica luchar por la paz; pero su labor benemérita es indirectamente una positiva contribución cotidiana a la misma, aparte las intrínsecamente valiosas labores que le están encomendadas.

De ahí que nuestra delegación en todo momento ha dado su pleno apoyo a la FAO, el cual ratificamos en esta ocasión. El Programa de Labores y Presupuesto presentado por el Director General responde adecuadamente a los mejores intereses de la Organización y sus Estados Miembros. Es encomiable la forma en que se ha tratado de conciliar la aspiración de los países en desarrollo a una mayor asistencia, con la insistente demanda de los Estados Miembros desarrollados de que se reduzca el crecimiento del presupuesto. Aunque la consideramos una realidad que se hace bien en respetar, nunca hemos encontrado adecuada justificación a esta demanda, pues creemos que, honestamente, los países que ya contribuyen con generosidad a la FAO podrían aumentar su ayuda con buena voluntad, como la demostrada por Estados Unidos y Canadá en esta misma plenaria, la cual celebramos y feli‐citamos. Creemos que los países desarrollados socialistas deberían colaborar con un monto mucho mayor del que ahora cooperan, sobre todo si consideramos los ingentes recursos que emplean en la asistencia bilateral. En especial, creemos que el mayor exportador de armas al Tercer Mundo, la Unión Soviética, debiera cesar de hacerse el desentendido en materia de ayuda multilateral a la agricultura y la alimentación. El Premio Nobel de la Paz, Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, desde las páginas de la revista de la Sociedad Internacional para el Desarrollo, es decir, fuentes ambas a las que sería imposible acusarlas de veleidades pro-imperialistas, nos recuerda que en 1981 esa potencia exportó armas a los países en desarrollo por un valor de 15 000 millones de dólares. Las agencias noticiosas han informado, no sabemos con cuanto apego a la realidad, que un solo país ha recibido en días recientes 1 000 millones de dólares en armas de tal potencia. Sería maravilloso si al menos el uno por ciento de esa cifra fuese destinada a las nobles tareas de la FAO.

Entre estas, por cierto, creemos que el Director General ha hecho una correcta selección de prioridades y estrategias.

El fomento de la investigación y la tecnología no pueden sino ser saludados con satisfacción. Apoyamos a este respecto los cambios institucionales propuestos.

Las actividades complementarias de la Conferencia Mundial de Reforma Agraria y Desarrollo Rural merecen un creciente y sotenido apoyo. Es imperioso mantener la atención puesta en la reforma agraria; pero nunca se insistirá suficientemente en que si se cierra el acceso a la tierra y otros recursos agrícolas a quien puede y quiere trabajarlos, se cierra el camino a cualquier progreso económico y social. Los demás programas relacionados con la reforma agraria y el desarrollo rural, nos merecen igualmente apoyo, en especial los concernientes a la promoción y participación de la mujer.

A este respecto, permítasenos excepcionalmente una breve referencia a nuestro país. En 1980 se inicio un programa de reforma agraria que comprendió dos pasos fundamentales: la expropiación de todas las propiedades mayores de 500 hectáreas y la transferencia obligatoria de toda explotación menor de 7 hectáreas al campesino que la cultivase.

En ambos se ha logrado un éxito sustancial, incluso en el aspecto productivo, no obstante la más despiadada campaña terrorista de la historia del continente americano que sufre nuestro país, la cual ha causado daños por un equivalente a 1 500 millones de dólares en 4 años. Blanco favorito de esa campaña destructiva, auspiciada por quienes irónicamente dicen defender la paz, han sido las cooperativas creadas por la reforma agraria, cuyas cosechas, maquinaria agrícola e instalaciones han sufrido frecuentes ataques. Blanco también favorito de una extrema derecha demente y asesina han sido dichas cooperativas, cuyos líderes ha pagado con su vida su servicio a los campesinos.

Volviendo a las prioridades de nuestra Organización, nos merecen pleno apoyo los otros programas agrícolas, económicos y sociales sobre todo en lo que dice a su sostén a la producción y la seguridad alimentarias.

A propósito de esta última, nuestra delegación ha apoyado y seguirá apoyando el nuevo concepto formulado por el Director General. Apoya igualmente la acción de la Organización basada en el informe del Comité de Seguridad Alimentaria en la forma aprobada por el Consejo, y pide que se continúe discutiendo el documento base preparado por el Director General, hasta lograr el máximo consenso posible sobre el mismo.

Deseamos igualmente reiterar nuestro apoyo a la creación de un banco internacional de recursos fito-genéticos. Aparta la bondad intrínseca de la idea que en varias ocasiones hemos sotenido, querríamos en este momento poner el acento en un aspecto que no debe pasar inadvertido. Al principio, este tema parecía que iba a introducir diferencias inzanjables entre países partidarios de la creación del banco, generalmente países en desarrollo y países opuestos al mismo, generalmente desa‐rrollados. En cambio, un franco, abierto y respetuoso intercambio de ideas fue limando asperezas y en breve tiempo nos hallamos ante una etapa constructiva donde parecen poderse conciliar los intereses encontrados. Este es un ejemplo iluminador de cómo el diálogo bien intencionado logra para todos mejores resultados que el choque violento. Un papel extraordinariamente valioso lo ha jugado la Secretaría, la cual ha demostrado máxima disponibilidad y capacidad para acorrer al llamado de los Estados Miembros recogiendo las legítimas aspiraciones de todos ellos.

No podemos referirnos a otros detalles del trabajo de nuestra Organización. Deseamos mencionar sólo pocos aspectos más.

Uno es el Programa de Cooperación Técnica, instrumento valiosísimo para contribuir a poner en práctica el Programa de Labores. Su agilidad, su adaptabilidad a las necesidades y prioridades de los países, su versatilidad, lo hacen una herramienta potente y precisa. Estamos de acuerdo en su reforzamiento y continuidad.

Para terminar con lo que concierne a la FAO en sentido estricto, creemos que se imponen algunas reformas institucionales en sus órganos de gobierno, sobre todo el Consejo, para adaptarlos a las nuevas situaciones que vive nuestra Organización. Digna de consideración es por ejemplo una suge‐rencia formulada por el delegado de Costa Rica.

Mención especial deseamos realizar del Programa Mundial de Alimentos, que al estar cumpliendo 20 años de abnegada y útilísima labor, nos da un motivo más para felicitar a su capaz y dinámico Director Ejecutivo, así como a su personal, especialmente a la Subdirección de América Latina y el Caribe, cuyo jefe y funcionarios nos merecen plena confianza y estimación:

El PMA ha recibido recientemente refuerzos presupuestarios y ello nos complace. Todo lo que contri‐buya a fortalecer el Programa nos merece apoyo. Es deseable, sin embargo, que los países donantes no apliquen parámetros distintos a la FAO. No pueden fomentar el crecimiento en un caso y truncarlo en otro; lo ideal sería promover el desarrollo de ambos organismos.

Concluimos formulando votos sentidos porque nuestra Organización crezca vigorosa y fecunda. Que todos le demos el mayor sostén posible, sustrayendo esfuerzos a la violencia y los armamentos. Hay que ayudar a alimentar, no a matar.

A. DAHMOUCHE (Algerie): Nous nous trouvons dans un contexte conjoncturel extrêmement préoccupant pour la sécurité des Etats et des Peuples.

La sécurité des Etats et surtout celle des Pays en voie de développement est troublée par l'exacer‐bation des tensions Est-Ouest qu'accompagne une remise en cause des rares acquis de la détente.

Le clivage entre les grandes puissances nucléaires en érigeant en zones d'influence exclusives toutes les aires géographiques du monde, nous ramène à des situations historiques remettant en cause le droit des peuples à disposer d'eux-mêmes.

Alors que l'interdépendance entre les Nations s'accroît, que l'interaction des intérêts devient plus complexe, resurgit paradoxalement une vision primaire et manichéenne des relations interna‐tionales qui tend à installer un climat d'insécurité permanent nous rapprochant du point de rupture.

La course aux armements, trouvant dans la spirale des tensions sa justification, s'en trouve même relancée dans les Pays en voie de développement où l'on estime à 1,3 million: de dollars par minute es dépenses à des fins militaires. Dans ces mêmes pays, l'un des effets des dépenses militaires t de contribuer à maintenir en activité les puissantes industries d'armements des Pays développés, i détriment d'investissements dans l'agriculture.

La sécurité des Etats est aussi compromise par les hypothèques pesant sur les négociations commerciales globales. Les positions rigides exprimées par les Pays développés, en bloquant les exportations des pays du tiers monde, accroissent les menaces d'instabilité.

De Cancun à Belgrade les espoirs et 1 'énergie investis pour refondre l'ordre économique interna‐tional actuel ont été stérilisés par l'attitude négative des Pays industrialisés, principalement par ceux qui contrôlent les sources de financement et les mécanismes des marchés internationaux.

La détérioration de la situation économique et financière des Pays en voie de développement, ne pouvant qu'accentuer, à fortiori en période de crise, la logique de la dégradation, il serait illusoire de fonder des espoirs sur les perspectives d'une reprise porteuse d'effets d'entrainement, favorisant de meilleures conditions de développement des Pays du tiers monde.

Les exhortations au réalisme, si sages soient-elles, ne devraient pas avoir pour effet de désagréger les solidarités naturelles ou de diluer les options politiques fondamentales des Etats.

En termes de sécurité alimentaire, la sécurité des peuples n'est donc pas à l'abri des turbulences qui agitent les systèmes des relations économiques internationales. Elément de la sécurité interne des Pays en voie de développement, elle concourt au maintien de la paix et de la stabilité internationales.

Les inquiétudes nouvelles relatives à la production alimentaire mondiale cette année et à la détério‐ration des indicateurs de la situation alimentaire n'autorisent pas un optimisme quelconque dans ce domaine.

Dans l'immédiat et globalement considéré, il n'y aurait aucun danger de grave pénurie mondiale, mais le spectre d'une dépendance alimentaire accrue est déjà un phénomène actuel.

En 1981 les Pays en voie de développement sont devenus pour la première fois des importateurs nets de produits agricoles. L'Organisation pour l'Alimentation et l'Agriculture estime avec justesse que l'interdépendance croissante de l'agriculture mondiale signifie en fait une plus grande dépen‐dance alimentaire des Pays en voie de développement.

Ceci est d'autant plus vrai que plus de la moitié de tous les stocks existants sont détenus par un seul Pays, qui a - par ailleurs - décidé de réduire sa production; la dépendance à l'égard de l'aide alimentaire augmentera particulièrement vite dans les Pays à faible revenu de l'Afrique, au sud du Sahara. Ces pays importent déjà plus de 46 pour cent de leurs besoins céréaliers.

Nombre de Pays ne seront pas en mesure de couvrir complètement leurs besoins croissants par des importations commerciales normales à cause de la détérioration de leur balance des paiements et de la hausse des coûts des importations. Entre temps, ils doivent exporter davantage pour importer davantage de produits alimentaires. Or, l'effondrement des cours des produits de base, conjugué à la montée des protectionnismes, notamment sur les produits transformés et semi-transformés, concourt à l'instauration d'une situation d'insécurité alimentaire.

Dans ce contexte, nous notons avec préoccupation le profil bas du budget de l'Organisation pour l'Alimentation et l'Agriculture pour l'exercice 1984-85.

Ce Budget ne doit pas représenter l'amorce d'une tendance qui matérialiserait à terme un gel de la satisfaction des besoins des Pays en voie de développement. Déjà l'objectif de l'élimination de la faim dans le monde, retenu initialement pour 1985 par la Conférence mondiale de l'Alimentation en 1974, est ajourné à la fin du siècle.

Elle matérialiserait un rétrécissement du champ multilatéral et induirait une dévalorisation graduelle du rôle considérable de la FAO

Dans un climat de dégradation continue de la situation politique internationale, les atteintes quotidiennes portées aux institutions des Nations Unies à la fois dans leur fonction naturelle de cadre de négociations et de vecteur de l'esprit de coopération internationale, y compris pour l'aide au développement, expriment un recul de 1'esprit de dialogue. Il complète la généralisation des pratiques discriminatoires et la recherche de 1'avantage politique à travers les relations économiques.

Que les Nations Unies soient contestées dans leur capacité à conduire l'entreprise de restructu‐ration des relations économiques internationales par certains de leurs fondateurs mêmes, met en évidence une volonté de pérenniser les pôles oligarchiques. Seule une vision appréhendant les problèmes de la paix, de la sécurité et du développement dans leurs interactions réciproques est de nature à garantir à nos Pays la stabilité et le développement.

Le débat sur l'alimentation et l'agriculture a constamment été traité dans un cadre étriqué, et pratiquement amalgamé aux questions les plus diverses qui font l'objet de négociations multila‐térales dans le cadre du nouvel ordre économique international.

Au mieux, il a été traité dans la rubrique générale du commerce. Le débat est évidemment circonscrit par les pays qui jouent un rôle déterminant dans ce domaine.

L'adoption par le Comité de la sécurité alimentaire à sa 81ème session, puis par le Conseil de la FAO à sa 83ème session, du "Rapport du Directeur général de la FAO sur la sécurité alimentaire mondiale - Principes et méthodes: une nouvelle approche", doit être considérée comme une contri‐bution à l'entreprise de restructuration des rapports alimentaires entre les pays développés et les pays en voie de développement.

Nous partageons l'idée que le cadre conceptuel actuel de la sécurité alimentaire est devenu obso‐lescent. Sa remise en cause est même quelque peu tardive si l'on se réfère aux actions entamées dans d'autres domaines et d'autres instances internationales du système des Nations Unies.

Face à la politisation croissante de l'assistance alimentaire et à l'instabilité structurelle des marchés des produits, la valeur et la portée du nouveau concept de la sécurité alimentaire sont fondées non pas en raison du paradoxe relevé entre la baisse de la consommation alimentaire par habitant dans les pays en voie de développement et l'abondance des disponibilités à l'échelle mondiale, non pas en raison des effets de ce paradoxe sur les prix, mais à cause de la concen‐tration croissante des stocks, essentiellement au niveau de certaines grandes puissances.

Le danger réside dans le fait que dans les années à venir nous aurons à faire face à un quasi-monopole de fait d'un pouvoir alimentaire mondial sans précédent.

Dans ce contexte mondial d'insécurité politique, il faut garder à l'esprit l'ampleur du risque couru.

Cette inquiétude n'est pas sans rapport avec l'approche de notre pays sur cette question qui le lie aux efforts entrepris pour l'établissement d'un nouvel ordre économique international, mais qui suppose cependant que l'on se dégage des mécanismes traditionnels raccordant la sécurité alimentaire mondiale à de simples aménagements des mécanismes des marchés internationaux, ou faisant confiance, plus aux jeux régulatoires du marché, qu'aux stocks de sécurité.

Les oppositions qui se manifestent contre les revendications des pays en voie de développement dans les négociations globales ont leurs reflets naturels dans la question de la sécurité alimentaire mondiale et notamment sur les deux objectifs que sont la stabilité des approvisionnements et des marchés et les garanties d'accès aux approvisionnements.

Il est clair que ces deux objectifs heurtent des intérêts commerciaux à l'échelle mondiale par le biais des forces dites du marché et pour lesquelles dans un contexte de récession, la relance des échanges des ressources alimentaires domine les questions de l'aide alimentaire et de l'aide à l'agriculture.

La résistance qui se manifeste contre l'adoption intégrale du concept de sécurité alimentaire tend - sur le fond - au maintien de la vulnérabilité des pays en voie de développement face aux forces connues ou occultes du marché.

M. le Président, la dégration des termes de l'aide alimentaire n'aide pas à atteindre 1'autosuffisance alimentaire ni à favoriser son dépassement, étant admis qu'elle revêt un caractère temporaire. Elle induit aussi une dépendance plus étroite à l'égard des surplus des pays donateurs.

Il faut aussi se préoccuper des pratiques des principaux pays donateurs qui conditionnent souvent leurs apports en ressources à des réformes de structures internes.

Enfin, régression et infléchissement des orientations de l'aide alimentaire n'encouragent pas les efforts tendant à stimuler les transactions triangulaires lorsque des excédents sont dégagés par un pays en voie de développement aux motifs que l'aide alimentaire doit essentiellement provenir de la production des principaux pays donateurs et doit s'intégrer à leurs motivations politiques spécifiques.

Ils n'ouvrent pas davantage de perspectives au développement des pêches dans l'aide alimentaire par le biais d'opérations triangulaires. Les objectifs de promotion alimentaire et d'accroissement des échanges entre les pays déficitaires en application des résolutions prises par les pays non alignés à la Havane en 1979 et précisés par le Programme d'action de Caracas sur la coopération économique entre les pays en voie de développement en mai 1981, sont également compromis.

Nous ne déduisons pas cependant de ce qui précède que la situation dans le domaine alimentaire soit sans issue. Les possibilités concrètes d'une meilleure répartition des ressources existent et il ne tient qu'à nous de les mettre en oeuvre.

Compte tenu de la grave crise qui prévaut actuellement dans le domaine de la politique internationale, une incompréhension volontaire ou non des besoins de la communauté dans le domaine alimentaire pourrait s'avérer un facteur aggravant de remise en cause de la détente.

Cela, nous en sommes persuadés, personne ne le souhaite et la vision apocalyptique que nous offre actuellement le spectacle de la famine sur une bonne partie de notre planète devrait suffir à susciter un esprit de générosité et de solidarité dont la FAO a toujours été l'inspiratrice.

A. PINOARGOTE CEVALLOS (Ecuador) Señor Presidente: Es la primera vez, desde que la Conferencia de la FAO se reúne en Roma, que tenemos como Presidente al Secretario de Agricultura de los Estados Unidos de América. Felicito al señor Block por este alto encargo y congratulo a esta Conferencia por su acierto. El señor Block representa a la más importante producción agrícola del planeta y al gobierno del señor Reagan que, según se nos informó en el octogésimo cuarto período de sesiones del Consejo, está interponiendo todos sus esfuerzos para que el multilateralismo no sea herido de muerte con un proyecto de ley que del crecimiento cero llevaría a la FAO, y otros organismos de las Naciones Unidas, a un decrecimiento neto, progresivo, y funesto. Nuestro reconocimiento y apoyo al Presidente de esta vigésimosegunda Conferencia de la FAO. Nuestra cordial bienvenida a los nuevos miembros de la organización: Belice, Antigua y Barbuda, San Cristóbal y Nieves, y Vanuatu. Igualmente felicitamos a los señores He Kang, de China; Demetrios Christodoulo, de Chipre; y Javier Gazzo, de Perú, Vicepresidentes de esta Conferencia, quienes con la válida experiencia de sus países y por lucidísimos méritos personales coadyuvarán para que este vigésimosegundo período de sesiones brinde un aporte señero a la comunidad internacional, que hoy se agita en una de sus peores crisis. Cabalmente, con el proposito de hincar hitos, a un nuevo derrotero internacional, creo que se deben tener muy en cuenta los luminosos conceptos del señor Bruno Kreisky, vertidos durante su disertación a la memoria de Frank MacDougall, en la tercera plenaria de esta Conferencia. El espectro del hambre jamás podrá ser combatido con eficacia mientras no se estructure una amplia estrategia común que fa‐cilite la realización de los postulados de la FAO. En caso de no ser así todos los magníficos es‐fuerzos que realiza esta Organización corren el peligro de volverse frágil hojarasca, juguete de los vientos de la guerra o presa del fuego atómico. La mente visionaria del señor Kreisky ños ha advertido con escalofriante clarividencia que, así como hace medio siglo la salida política de la crisis econó‐mica fue la guerra, hoy la humanidad se ve nuevamente caminando hacia el abismo empujada por un gasto anual en armamentos que superó los 700 mil millones de dólares en 1982, según el Instituto de Investi‐gaciones sobre la Paz, de Estocolmo. Entre tanto el hambre, cada día, devora a millones de seres huma‐nos a lo ancho del globo terráqueo, porque a lo largo, hacia el norte, se concentran excedentes que manipulan el mercado internacional. Los precios reales de la producción agropecuaria, básica de los países en vías de desarrollo, permanecen excesivamente bajos, y deprimidos por una continua inestabi‐lidad, mientras el esquema proteccionista de los países industrializados no da lugar a una recupera‐ción. De otra parte, el mercado financiero se ha contraído, y retorcido, con un débito de 700 mil millones de dólares del Tercer Mundo. Adoptándose políticas financieras de índole policial que lo único que logran es estrangular más a todos. Pues la consigna de ajustar cinturones para asegurar el pago de esa deuda está alcanzando serios aprietos para el mundo desarrollado. Ya que, al dismi‐nuir drásticamente el consumo del Tercer Mundo, los grandes estados industrializados han logrado un nivel de desempleo sin precedentes. De acuerdo a datos proporcionados por el doctor Kreisky, en su brillante conferencia, son 35 millones los desocupados en el área industrializada, con una carga financiera anual que, bordeando los 168 mil millones de dólares, está haciendo estremecer al hasta hace poco airoso sistema de Previsión y Bienestar Social. De manera que en el próximo quinquenio habría que crear 20 millones de plazas de trabajo en los países desarrollados sólo para evitar un mayor número de parados. Es decir que, de seguir las cosas tal como están, la indisoluble interdepen‐dencia económica internacional de nuestros días nos puede llevar a un colapso colectivo. Porque el círculo vicioso se cierra peligrosamente cuando ese paro de los industrializados causa un descenso en la adquisición de materias primas que produce el Tercer Mundo. De allí la urgente necesidad de plantear, y acordar, una estrategia común a fin de salir de la crisis. El doctor Kreisky, citando al Premio Nobel de Economía Leontief, propone un Segundo Plan Marshall de alcance mundial, "combi‐nando la garantía de préstamos bancarios viejos y nuevos a condición de que los tipos de interés se redujeran lo suficiente con una sustancial asistencia directa a las zonas más pobres". Condonan-

do incluso una tercera parte de esa deuda de 700 mil millones de dolares, esto es, dando por perdidos, los países industrializados, 233 mil millones de dolares; en lugar de incrementar el monto total como está haciendo ahora el sistema bancario, al aplicar intereses adicionales por el nuevo plazo y el mayor riesgo.

Señores Delegados, esta propuesta no puede quedar flotando en este foro sin ser debidamente apoyada. Este es el meollo de la situación y debe ser acometido en la perspectiva que se sugiere por razones pragmáticas, no por humanitarismo. Si no se arregla previamente este marco fundamental de las relaciones económicas internacionales, seguiremos, como hasta ahora, en la FAO, la UNCTAD, el GATT, la Asamblea General, las Negociaciones Globales, el Diálogo Norte - Sur, etc., sin llegar a posiciones válidas que permitan vislumbrar un sendero de soluciones, que acerque políticamente al Este y al Oeste y económicamente al Norte y al Sur. El Gobierno de la República del Ecuador, por iniciativa de su Presidente, el doctor Osvaldo Hurtado Larrea, ha formulado un llamamiento, a través de SELA y CEPAL, a los países latinoamericanos a efectos de elaborar una estrategia común para la recuperación económica. El 11de febrero último el Presidente Hurtado solicitó al SELA y a CEPAL la elaboración de un documento encaminado a la búsqueda de soluciones conjuntas para la crisis económica de América Latina y el Caribe.

Este documento, denominado "Respuestas de América Latina ante la crisis económica internacional", fue entregado a nuestro mandatario el 15 de mayo pasado y debatido en una reunión de representantes personales de los Jefes de Estado de América Latina y el Caribe, en los primeros días de agosto, en Santo Domingo, República Dominicana. En esta reunión se recomendó celebrar una conferencia económica regional al más alto nivel en la capital ecuatoriana, y se constituyó un grupo de seguimiento formado por Argentina, Costa Rica, República Dominicana, Jamaica y Perú, cuyos Jefes de Estado asistirán a la Conferencia Económica Regional en Quito, el próximo mes de enero. Se abordará una agenda integral con miras a estructurar esa estrategia. En esa agenda, que he llamado integral porque no está exclusivamente referida al problema de la deuda externa, se tratará también sobre el suministro de alimentos, que es lo que a nosotros en la FAO particularmente nos preocupa. La seguridad alimentaria tiene claras implicaciones de ejercicio de soberanía así como una íntima vinculación con la crisis financiera, ya que muchos países se ven privados de divisas para adquirir materias primas y alimentos. De no encontrarse un acuerdo amplio, que no sólo mire el interés de los prestamistas sino también los aspectos políticos, sociales y económicos, se estimulará el problema del hambre que en estos momentos en América Latina se manifiesta mediante lo que se denominan las "guerrillas sociales", consistentes en asaltos a negocios de alimentos para obtener un pan que comer. En definitiva, para sobrevivir.

En tal virtud la Delegación del Ecuador, consecuente con su política internacional, quiere, de forma especial, consignar una vez más su restricto respaldo a las labores de la FAO. Reitera al Director General, señor Saouma, la felicitación expresada en el Consejo respecto a sus esfuerzos por dar una mayor eficiencia a la organización, obteniendo un crecimiento del 3,6 respecto al nivel actual en lo que concierne a los programas técnicos y económicos, en base a una racionalización severa de los gastos corrientes de administración. Apoyamos el concepto revisado y ampliado de Seguridad Alimentaria, también las doce orientaciones generales para el reajuste agrícola internacional. Nos adherimos al principio y a la práctica de una libre y amplia disponibilidad de los recursos fitogenéticos, considerados patrimonio de la humanidad. Observamos con atención los planteamientos sobre la Reforma Agraria y el Desarrollo Rural, en particular lo concerniente a un desarrollo rural integral con el objeto de extirpar la miseria de la vida del trabajador agrícola; a lo cual el gobierno democrático del Ecuador le ha dedicado ingentes esfuerzos. Por lo mismo hacemos llegar nuestra grave preocupación en lo que atañe a la situación financiera del Fondo Internacional de Desarrollo Agrícola (FIDA), que viene prestando una valiosa ayuda a los pequeños y medianos agricultores. Es menester que se cumplan los compromisos asumidos para la primera reposición y, al mismo tiempo, que se continúe hacia una positiva conclusión las negociaciones para la segunda reposición.

Así como participamos con creciente interés en la necesaria labor de enlace y coordinación que puede efectuar, y efectúa, el Consejo Mundial de Alimentos en lo que concierne a las tendencias, estrategias, y prioridades alimentarias en las regiones en desarrollo de Africa, Asia, América Latina y el Caribe; también aplaudimos la excelente labor que realiza el Programa Mundial de Alimentos (PMA), el cual en sus veinte años de actividades ha beneficiado a 170 millones de personas. Solamente en 1982 el PMA, en actividades de desarrollo y ayuda de emergencia, entregó alimentos por un valor de 800 millones de dólares. El Ecuador está realizando con el PMA un proyecto de nutrición materno-infantil que precisamente atiende a los sectores más necesitados de la población y también ha recibido ayuda de emergencia debido a los desastres naturales causados por el fenómeno "El Niño". Felicitamos al Director Ejecutivo del PMA, señor James Ingram, y esperamos ampliar en un futuro cercano el marco de proyectos que se gestionan con esa organización.

El Ecuador es un país de clara vocación agrícola, exportador tradicional de bananos; café y cacao, que en estos dos últimos años está desarrollando intensamente su producción pesquera, pese, incluso, a las adversidades de la naturaleza. Prestamos nuestra decidida colaboración a través del Consejo de la FAO y de sus diferentes comités, y esperamos seguirlo haciendo con mayor énfasis en el futuro. Siempre bregando por imprimirle una nueva dimensión a la concepción tradicional de la solidariedad internacional, en sus diferentes aspectos, acentuando ese énfasis en los países de menores recursos, como los africanos, cuyas condiciones de vida son verdaderamente dolorosas.

The meeting was suspended from 15.45 to 16.00 hours
La séance est suspendue de 15 h 45 à 16 h
Se suspende la sesión de las 15.45 a 16.00 horas

CHAIRMAN: Distinguished delegates, I welcome on your behalf the Right Honourable Mary Eugenia Charles, Prime Minister of Dominica, who also has the Portfolios of Foreign Affairs and Finance. She will do us the special honour of addressing this Conference on behalf of her Government, but before I give the floor to the Right Honourable lady, I will ask the Director-General to address us.

DIRECTOR-GENERAL, Mr Chairman, Honourable Prime Minister, Honourable Ministers, distinguished Ambassadors and delegates, ladies and gentlemen:

It gives me great pleasure once more to welcome to our Conference another Head of Government of a Member Nation. The presence of such dignatories not only enhances the prestige of the FAO Conference but increases the importance of our deliberations. I particularly wish to salute the Honourable Eugenia Charles who has the distinction of being the first woman Head of Government in the Caribbean.

Miss Charles became a member of Parliament in 1970. Dominica became independent in 1978 and Miss Charles was elected to the high office of Prime Minister in July 1980. She also holds the Portfolios of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She is also at present the Chairman of the Organization of the Eastern Caribbean States.

At the invitation of her Government, I had the pleasure and privilege to visit Dominica last year. The island is mountainous and clothed with green verdent vegetation. It has a rugged beauty all of its own. In spite of the recent ravages of two hurricanes, its luxuriant landscapes would gladden the hearts of environmentalists and naturalists.

Since Dominica became a member, at the Twentieth session of the Conference in 1979, we have been cooperating actively. Emergency assistance has been provided to help rehabilitate agriculture and forestry following hurricane David in 1979 and again after hurricane Allen in 1980. Assistance has been provided for the construction of agricultural feeder roads; in reducing post-harvest losses; with the provision of fertilizers; and more recently in the organizing of a training course for plant quarantine officers.

A few days ago Mr Chairman, I had the honour to welcome to the Conference His Excellency Jaafar Mohamed Al Nimeri, President of the Democratic Republic of Sudan, a country of more than 2.5 million square kilometres. Today we greet with equal courtesy and deference Her Excellency Eugenia Charles, Prime Minister of Dominica, an island of 722 square kilometres. If anything, Mr Chairman, this should amply illustrate the plurality and diversity of FAO's membership. The importance of agriculture and its natural resources to Dominica is enshrined in its Coat-of-Arms which, drawing heavily on its French heritage, says "Après le bon Dieu c'est la Terre" - After God Comes the Earth.

Mr Chairman, it gives me great pleasure to extend a warm and hearty welcome to Prime Minister Charles and to invite her to address the Conference.

H.E. MARY EUGENIA CHARLES (Prime Minister of Dominica): Thank you, Mr Chairman and Mr Director-General. I am very grateful to you for affording me the opportunity to address the Conference.

When I first took over the reins of government in the Commonwealth of Dominica at the end of July 1980, I reviewed many of the institutions in our country and I reflected on the international institutions in which we hold membership. At the time I was amazed at the number of agencies which existed in the United Nations Organizations, and I wondered at the necessity of so many and varied a number. After three years of working with some of the agencies, I have learned to value those with which I work most closely. Naturally the agencies which devote their resources to agriculture took priority in my thinking since we are an agricultural country.

If I may be permitted to say, the first to come to mind was IFAD, perhaps because they had not yet been able to do anything for us in Dominica. We are all aware of the difficult climate facing multi-national financing agencies who provide much needed concessional resources to the developing world. I am glad to say that, in spite of the very great difficulties that IFAD has been facing, under my administration they have been able to enter into a very successful and meaningful project with us during my administration. The project probably has a very formal aim, but to us in Dominica it is simply known as: 'IFAD grow more food for your own eating.'

We have approached IFAD for additional funding for an integrated rural development programme and I hope that the international community will ensure that the funds are available so that we can continue to grow in our agricultural pursuits. The Food and Agriculture Organization is one of those agencies with which we work very closely. We have learned to appreciate the assistance given to us, especially in the aftermath of hurricanes David in August 1979 and Allen in July 1980.

The assistance given in inputs for agriculture, boat building, and livestock fencing, was timely and well chosen. There is of course a larger project which we have asked FAO to do for us, and we hope that the funding will soon be available: that is for the purpose of stabilizing our land and soil, which has been very disturbed by the hurricanes. But by and large assistance given us by FAO is technical.

I wonder if the UN agencies ever give thought to the frustration which they cause by identifying the problem for us, writing out reports on the remedies to be applied, and then leaving us flat on our faces because, as we hear so often,"we are not a funding agency". Will you, Mr Chairman, permit me to throw out a new idea to be pursued by your Director-General - that in each country which FAO serves, the Organization should choose one particular field, and should study it - if of course it is not already overstudied. In our country we have at least seven studies for every aspect of life and no implementation planned. Having studied - or having studied the already prepared studies in that field - a plan for implementation should be worked out with the authorities in the country, and the FAO should put un the funds to assist the country, or to assist the country to seek out the additional funds needed and then assist us in implementing the plans for growth in that particular field. In short, we should not spread ourselves too thin on the ground by taking up a multitude of fields and then achieving little, if any, of them.

Such a plan as I have indicated would require the goodwill of the international community to give the sort of funding which will permit such actions. FAO realizes, and must realize, that your presence is needed. We wish to respect your presence, and let it be seen and felt in our area. I am of the opinion that there is a real place for FAO in each developing country, but I think it should choose a field in which it intends to serve that country and put maximum effort into that endeavour. In fact, it should look after the programme "from the cradle to the grave" if I may use an expression from another place. I am sure that this is no new gospel that I am preaching.

The difficulty appears to be that in seeking to carry out this scheme to raise levels of nutrition and standards of living, to improve the production, assessing, marketing and distribution of all food and agricultural products from farms, forests and fisheries, to promote rural development and improve the living conditions of rural populations - and above all, to eliminate hunger - FAO, because of its funding, has to nibble at all the projects put before it instead of adopting one stance which would be useful for that particular country. I feel sure that the reason for this is that the level of funding is insufficient to permit such comprehensive programmes to be adopted. You in FAO have the experts; therefore you must give authority to the particular country to decide which is the aspect which should have priority and what is required to give effect to the implementation of plans, and where the resources to carry this through can be sought.

Too often, international agencies are carried away by the demands of loud and persistent groups in the Member States. Not sufficient attention is given to finding out whether these groups really represent persons in the rural areas or farming communities, and as a result funds are ill utilized for purposes for which these agencies have been founded. I know of course that these instances arise because of FAO's anxiety to assist individuals as well as countries and I would like to keep that aspect of FAO's work - but I ask that it be dealt with with great caution.

Criticism such as this is given for the purpose of making the agencies more effective, for ensuring that the aims are always pursued. Those of us in government do not expect only the voice of authority

to be heard, but we seek clear cooperation from international agencies. We request that far reaching inquiries be made before money is committed, to ensure that persons who are meant to be benefitted, do in fact reap the benefits meant for them.

While we are on the subject of benefits, let me say quite categorically here that the Caribbean region seems to be short-changed in all the international agencies because of the historical and geographical mistake of putting the small regions in the Latin-American context. When Britain took her independence of her former British colonies she did this over a period of 20 years; as a result, a home had to be found for each new independent country. Geographically it made sense to place us with Latin-America, but the Latin-American countries - most of which have stretched out the hand of friendship to the British Caribbean, which hand we have ourselves warmly grasped - are vast areas compared to us. Their needs are great, and there does exist the language barrier although on both sides we are making real efforts to breach this. Therefore most of the resources do not proliferate in large enough quantities fast enough for us in the Caribbean. We are insistent therefore that we must be treated as a sub-group in the regional grouping, and that programmes and funding must be particularly directed to us. We know that this has now been given some thought, but the action is too slow for us. We are a small region in a hurry to catch up with the Twenty-first century forecast. We are not yet asking that we become a separate region, but we are demanding that we be considered a sub-region of sufficient importance to have programmes specially designed for our needs and funding to implement these programmes. Though we are small and poor, we believe we have shown by our talent, our vigour, and our determination that we know what is good for us and the direction in which we are going. We have a plurality of ideologies in our region, but we all believe that we must seek the greatest good for the greatest number.

This is perhaps a reason for our dissatisfaction with the international community over the events of the past month in Grenada. The international community without studying the situation, without ascertaining the facts, without assessing usas a Sub-region,decided that we were too small, too poor and too unimportant to be able to make decisions for ourselves. That is the reason, no doubt, for the scepticisism that the Organization of East Caribbean States had the legal right and had formed the intention to assist their kith and kin in Grenada. All attention was paid, not to Barbados and Jamaica, who were in the same position, but the United States of America, because we estimated that they had the means and were in a position physically to react to an urgent call for assistance. I am sorry that our action has caused the USA to be villified for action taken at our request. If the international community is honest with itself, it will now admit that the wishes and request of the people of Grenada have been followed, and that sovereign people have a right to speak out for themselves. Let us never forget that it is the people who are sovereign - not the land or the boundaries. The international community remained silent for four years when a sovereign people were subjected to domination, torture and false imprisonment by a handful of people, most of whom in fact had invaded their shores and were not wanted. The people of Grenada requested and welcomed the rescue mission of last October mounted by their kith and kin with the help of two other Caribbean states and the United States. In the same way, we feel we know that we can approach FAO to assist us to fight the battle against hunger.

We are all rural populations, in spite of some of us having some industrialization programmes going. The Commonwealth of Dominica in particular depends on agriculture and will do so for the foreseeable future. As the lead agency for rural development in the UN system, I know that FAO will not fail us.

The Director-General, as he has stated, visited our island and has seen our potential for growth in the agricultural and agro-industrial fields. We should be happy if he would return to see us again soon, to see the progress we have made since his visit, and to estimate for himself how well we have put to use the assistance FAO has given us.

On behalf of the people of the Commonwealth of Dominica, I wish to thank you for your past assistance from FAO and your promise of further assistance in the future. I wish to say again: thank you very much for permitting me to address you today.

My delegation also takes this opportunity to extend on behalf of the Government of Liberia our kind sentiments and appreciation to member countries that were responsive to our country's invitation to attend a donor's conference which recently took place in Berne, Switzerland.

Mr Chairman, the adverse effects of the world economic crises in these past years are aggravating a phenomenal deterioration of agricultural production in the developing countries today. The economically weak ones, especially those in Africa, continue to be burdened with problems of unfavorable balance of payment, deteriorating terms of trade, lack of foreign exchange, and deplorable public financial crises all of which prevent or make it more difficult, if not impossible, for such poor countries to conveniently pay off their external debts or to even import some of the basic needs for survival. Equally so, the food and agriculture situation in most developing countries continues to take on a downward trend simply because most governments cannot adequately execute relevant programmes to induce farmers to actively increase production. The lack of adequate financing, appropriate research capabilities, recurring drought, population growth and urbanization are among factors hampering increased output.

In spite of all these world-wide realities, some more fortunate members of our world community continue to enjoy the blessings of favourable climatic conditions, fertile arable land, and a high level of appropriate technology. Other countries, on the other hand, who have foreign exchange earning resources, have by virtue of their natural resource-possession been able to turn unfavourable situations into favourable conditions.

The latter group, which has fortunately overcome the more urgent and crucial problems which contribute to instabilities and the constant undermining of government efforts in fighting poverty, disease and malnutrition, have now turned to the building of warfare and the accumulation of destructive weapons. Thus, forgetful of yesterday's struggle, the means of survival for mankind is unfortunately being replaced by the means of wanton destruction.

We are all aware that Africa is a continent of a fair size: it holds about one third of the UN votes, with a reasonable treasure of human resources - a population of well over 450 million people, half of which are below the age of fifteen. It is a continent of great potential so that only events such as mentioned by earlier speakers, have conspired against its progress, thus making our future gloomy and a hostage of the past.

The FAO must be commended for its efforts and commitment to tackle some of these problems hostile to agriculture.

The Director-General and his staff were aware of these when they prepared the budget that needs our support.

My delegation supports the Programme of Work and Budget as put forward in the document and is in general agreement with the priorities and strategies as outlined. Nevertheless, we regret that forestry fell short of the desired attention in the Programme of Work and Budget. However, we hope that the required importance will be attached to forestry in the next programme.

My delegation realizes that much emphasis must be placed on agriculture because of the fact that agriculture provides the basic livelihood requirements for the masses; as it provides funds and generates resources for supplying the capital needed for industrial development and foreign exchange. Thus agriculture remains the major tool for socio-economic development.

In recognition of this, our Government continues to make important changes in its economic and social policies in order to involve subsistence farmers in the monetized economy by encouraging the growing of food surpluses and cash crops. The provision of services such as extension, credit, marketing and input supply underlines our basic agricultural policies.

Agricultural extension has become the main thrust of our agricultural development programme since farmers can be quickly reached through extension. Consequently, various agricultural development strategies, including small scale estate farming and integrated rural development projects, have been inaugurated in the past few years, some of which have been successfully implemented. However, much disappointment has resulted in our efforts in the development of small industrial corporations where emphasis is mainly placed on the production of crops for export markets. Further efforts are still being made to improve these corporations and any assistance will be most welcomed. Some measure of success, however, has been achieved in our integrated rural development programme, with the major objective being to improve the overall quality of life in the rural areas by increasing the income level of the masses and providing basic facilities. The programme is being assisted by the World Bank, USAID, the German Government, and quite recently by the African Development Bank.

Rubber production, which accounts for Liberia's second most important export, continues to take a declining position due to the low market price, inadequate credit facilities and poor farm management problems. In order to help minimize these problems the Liberian Rubber Development Unit, assisted by the World Bank, CDC and ODA, established in 1977, has been actively involved in a programme of replacing 40 000 acres of low-yielding rubber trees with high-yielding varieties and rehabilitating about 23 000 acres of mature untapped rubber. Price however still remains a problem. We therefore request the FAO to assist in conducting a study through which a price policy would be established.

Forestry resources, which include timber and logs, account for Liberia's third important export. The Liberian Government, assisted by FAO and other external donors, is now making headway in developing this sector.

But we have realized that these strategies cannot by themselves sustain or expand production without the provision of the necessary institutions and services. These include research, extension, training, marketing, credit arrangements, and cooperative development. We have therefore endeavoured to provide such services within our meagre resources.

As extension is the major link between research and the farmers, it is our desire to fully develop and integrate it into the decentralization approach of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Our training programme covers all aspects of training necessary to translate most of the efforts of the Ministry of Agriculture into usable information and together with other technical packages to be carried to farmers through extension services. Consequently, extension workers must be well trained in a variety of areas in order for them to respond to the problems relative to various crops and livestock, as well as those dealing with supportive services. It is our ardent hope that the Technical Cooperation Programme would afford us the means for training extension workers and special programme technicians.

We would also appreciate assistance from the FAO, foreign governments and other multi-donor agencies to bring about an organized small farmers' marketing system. Planning and evaluation are essential components of the development process, and we cannot over-emphasize the need for assistance in developing such capabilities in the Ministry of Agriculture.

Despite all efforts made by governments present here, it can once more be echoed that the disease emanating from the world economic situation, coupled with factors contributing to crop failures, as discussed in the Pan-African paper presented at the World Food Security meeting, has compelled most inhabitants of the poorer regions to go to bed on an empty stomach. My delegation continues to support the wider concept of the World Food Security programme, as was approved during the Committee's last meeting. The Director-General must be commended for his conclusive statement on food security: "All people at all times must have both physical and economic access to the basic foods they need". There should be no reason for a huge storage of surplus food in one area when others need it for their daily survival.

Even though much effort is given to improving Liberia's food security situation, we are still seriously faced with the problem of under-production of rice, which is our staple food. Between 1974 and 1981, rice production remained at 255 000 metric tonnes; this stagnation in no way met the high increase in domestic demand for rice especially for urban centres. Moreover, the growth in popu-lation has contributed adversely to the rice supply situation. This condition has therefore encouraged the importation of rice. Rice imports increased from 30.6 thousand metric tonnes in 1975 to about 104 thousand metric tonnes in 1981 at a cost of 43 million dollars; this figure accounted for 53 percent of all food imports for that year. However, in 1982-83 we have experienced a 300 percent increase in the production of rice probably due to the Expansion Rice Programme initiated by the government and assisted by the IFAD and FAO.

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) financed smallholder Rice Seed Project is steadily progressing in the production of high quality seed for distribution to small farmers. But the project's financial resources are limited in providing logistic support for distributing seeds. Additionally, assistance in fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides and the foreign training component in seed technology would enhance the work of the project.

It is because of the desire to reduce the dependency on imported food that efforts are being made to accelerate local production. In this direction some of our army personnel have been mobilized into an agricultural batallion to assist in food production. The project is being guided by technical assistance from the FAO. Each sub-political area in our country is also implementing self-help agricultural activities geared towards self-sufficiency in food production.

Livestock production has not been a part of the traditional agriculture and as such the country had depended on imports for its meat supply. However, in recent years, efforts have been made to encourage farmers to engage in both pasture and animal husbandry projects but climatic conditions, disease, particularly trypanosomiasis, and the availability of fodders and concentrates appropriate for small farms are still constraints. We thank FAO and other organizations for their support given to the Pan-African rinderpest and CBPP campaign and the war against animal trypanosomiasis.

Industrial and artisanal fisheries have great potential in Liberia but much external assistance and investment supports are needed to develop and transform these potentials into viable realities.

In this light, my delegation would very much like to emphasize the need for greater external assistance in both technical and financial aid to upgrade our agricultural situation in order to help us achieve self-sufficiency in our basic food needs.

My delegation would also like to take this opportunity to thank FAO for its input in all current and proposed agricultural development programmes in Liberia. The FAO Representative in our country has been most helpful.

We recognize that FAO needs considerable support from all its member countries particularly from the developed, industrialized, and oil-producing countries, in order to implement its field programmes and its proposed Programme of Work and Budget for the period 1984-85. We appeal to all nations for their generous support towards this worthy cause.

N.R. SABILLON REYES (Honduras): Señor Presidente, señores delegados, Honduras, en primer lugar, desea expresar su complacencia y satisfacción por la incorporación de cuatro nuevos Estados soberanos como lo son Belice, San Cristóbal y Nieves, Vanuatu, Antigua y Barbuda. Lo hacemos en la seguridad de que estos hermanos países contribuirán con su ingreso a fortalecer la FAO.

Mi país se hace presente en esta 22^a Conferencia en momentos bien difíciles en el plano político, economico y social en el mundo, particularmente en ciertas Regiones y, dentro de esta situación, en la región Centroamericana. El Gobierno y el pueblo de Honduras son conscientes de la gravedad de esta situación y por ello nos estamos esforzando en superarla. Es así como nuestro Gobierno propuso en el seno de la Organización de Estados Americanos un plan de internacionalizar la paz en el área centroamericana.

Sin embargo, los objetivos buscados en este plan hasta el momento no han producido los frutos deseados y se continúa viviendo en el área centroamericana en un ambiente de tensiones y violencias.

Reconocemos, valoramos y apoyamos los esfuerzos que los países amigos que forman el grupo de Contadora están realizando en busca de la paz deseada. No obstante, la situación de tensión ha llevado a Honduras, un país amante de la paz y de limitados recursos, a que tenga que dedicar parte de estos recursos a prepararse para su defensa y seguridad; situación que el país jamás ha promovido, ni mucho menos apoyado. La situación en el país se agrava mucho más por su situación geográfica que por su política humanitaria. En ese sentido ha abierto sus fronteras a miles de refugiados de los países vecinos. En el momento actual existen aproximadamente 70.000 refugiados, ocupando mi país en la actualidad el quinto lugar en el mundo como país receptor de refugiados.

Señor Presidente, señores delegados, ustedes comprenderán que la situación de un país con limitados recursos se convierte prácticamente en insostenible con la afluencia masiva de ciudadanos de países vecinos. En esta oportunidad queremos dejar constancia de nuestro reconocimiento al Alto Comisionado de las Naciones Unidas para Refugiados y a otras agencias de las Naciones Unidas, que han proporcionado recursos y ayuda. En conformidad con lo anterior, en esta oportunidad deseamos apelar al sistema de las Naciones Unidas y de los otros países para que nos brinden su ayuda en este empeño y en los esfuerzos que puedan realizarse para incorporar a esta numerosa población de refugiados en un proceso de desarrollo digno, humano y acorde con los planteamientos hechos en distintas reuniones a nivel mundial.

En este resumido bosquejo de la situación de mi pais y de los esfuerzos que se están realizando y paradójicamente por estos esfuerzos en busca de la paz y de auxilio a esos miles de ciudadanos refugiados, se ha querido darle un calificativo que proyecta una imagen completamente distorsionada de la verdadera realidad que vive Honduras.

Compartimos plenamente la preocupación expresada por la mayoría de los delegados en relación con los graves y cruciales problemas que aquejan a muchas regiones del mundo y específicamente a los países en vías de desarrollo. Problemas caracterizados por el hambre, motivados por la falta de acceso a los recursos productivos, principalmente la tierra, derecho del uso de agua y acceso a los servicios complementarios de la producción de alimentos y la seguridad alimentaria, el desempleo y el subempieo, los sistemas de precios agropecuarios y las relaciones de intercambio y su inestabilidad, en detrimento de los esfuerzos realizados para el desarrollo de nuestros países; el endeudamiento y la honerosa carga que significa el servicio de dicha deuda y la necesidad de una nueva concepción del desarrollo, basada en relaciones justas y soberanas entre los países.

Los problemas directamente relacionados con el Programa y Proyectos de Desarrollo, nuestra delegación los planteará en las Comisiones respectivas; pero deseamos dejar constancia de nuestro reconocimiento y agradecimiento al Director General, por el dinamismo demostrado por la FAO en promover y organizar diferentes actividades regionales y subregionales, en las que Honduras ha participado, así como también con misiones técnicas y apoyo directo a nuestros programas nacionales de desarrollo. Este apoyo ha sido de enorme utilidad y beneficio para el país y sabemos que, sin el interés y apoyo personal del Director General, muchas de las actividades desarrolladas en el país durante el año 1982/83 no se hubiesen realizado.

Finalmente, señor Presidente, mi país desea manifestar su apoyo al Programa de Labores y Presupuesto presentado por el Director General a consideración de esta Conferencia.

A.S. ALWAN (United Nations Economic Commission for Western Asia): On behalf of the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Western Asia, I wish to congratulate the Chairman and his colleagues for being chosen to preside over this important session of the Conference. I am confident that under your able leadership this session will proceed successfully towards the achievement of the planned objectives.

I would like also to avail myself of this opportunity to express our deep appreciation to Dr Edouard Saouma, Director-General of FAO, and the Secretariat for organizing this session of the FAO Conference, and for making excellent Conference arrangements.

Agriculture and rural development is one of the major concerns of the United Nations Economic Commission for Western Asia. Though the relative importance of agriculture has declined during the recent past, it continues to play an important role in the overall socio-economic development of the region. Agriculture, besides being the major source of income, after petroleum, for the majority of the population, provides the non-agricultural sectors with food, raw materials and labour. It should be noted, however, that agricultural development of the region has not been up to expectations. The rate of growth in food and agricultural production has been quite low in most of the countries in the region; the gap between the domestic production and consumption has become larger. Consequently, the self-sufficiency ratio for the major food commodities has sharply declined during the recent years.

In major producing countries the low rate of growth in agricultural production, particularly in the wake of explosive growth of food demand in the region, has resulted in high prices and soaring import bills, thus highlighting the serious food security position of the region. The region is now among the world's largest importers of foodstuffs.

The United Nations Economic Commission for Western Asia has observed these developments in the agricultural sector of the region with concern. In its programme of action the problems of food and agriculture rank among the highest priorities. In the relatively short period of time since its inception in 1974, the Commission has played a significant role in support of agricultural development and cooperation. This has been made possible by the exemplary cooperation and joint efforts of the Food and Agriculture Organization, through the Joint ECWA/FAO Agriculture Division, which has been able to tackle these problems on three major fronts, namely, agricultural planning and adjustment, regimai cooperation and agricultural and rural institutions.

There has been systematic consultations with FAO on programme formulation, which implies that the programme focus closely follows the areas of concentration of FAO'activities, i.e., agricultural information and planning, food security, resource use and conservation, agrarian reform and rural development, etc.

Dissemination of information on agricultural development in the region has continued through the annual publication "Agriculture and Development", now established as a major source of information, review and appraisal of the regional agricultural situation and outlook together with special reviews on national agricultural development experiences.

A study on agricultural development in Saudi Arabia, which evaluates the land and water resources potential, regional cropping patterns, the cost of production on traditional and commercial farms and agricultural price and marketing margins was completed. The study also includes an in-depth analysis of the past and current development plans and discusses the relationship between programme implementation and sector growth. A similar study is planned to be completed on Iraq in December 1983. These studies are being presented to an expert group meeting on constraints in agricultural planning, which is scheduled to be held during December 1983.

A case study on agricultural prices in Iraq is expected to be completed shortly. The study attempts to demonstrate the relationship between agricultural policy and over-all socio-economic policy, to evaluate the importance of incentives and agricultural production, to suggest alternatives to the present price policy, and to identify policy options for consideration by the Government. Similar studies for Jordan and Yemen Arab Republic and other countries are planned to be completed in December 1983.

In the area of food security, a study on food security issues in Saudi Arabia was completed. The study includes a number of propsoals and recommendations on food production, procurement, supply management and distribution.

At the request of the Government of Yemen, a joint ECWA/FAO mission was launched in March 1982 to prepare proposals for food security projects on the provision of bufferstock and emergency reserves and the construction of the necessary storage facilities.

A study on food security in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Stip is scheduled for completion during 1983. The study will include various aspects of food production, conservation, storage and distribution. The other two studies which are planned to be completed during 1983 relate to post-harvest losses of cereals in Iraq and Egypt.

In the field of agricultural resource management and desertification control, ECWA is playing an active role in the Interagency Working Group on Desertification Control (IAWGD) and has formulated a broad programme of action in this field.

The final report of the Expert Meeting on Management, Conservation and Development of Agricultural Resources (Damascus, May 1981) has been published and distributed. In the follow-up to this meeting, a number of proposals for external financing have been prepared.

At the request of UNEP a paper was proposed on Planning for Integrated Agricultural Resource Management and Development in the ECWA region (Desertification Control, November 8, 1983), while a paper on the status and management of agricultural resources in the ECWA region was prepared for the UNEP/USSR monograph "Desertification; scientific fundamentals and strategies of control". In the context of UNEP's first general assessment of progress in implementation of the Plan of Action to Combat Desertification (PACD), a study on Regional Assessment of Desertification in the ECWA region was completed and submitted to UNEP.

A case study on Agricultural Resource Management and Desertification Control in Iraq, which reviews the extent of desertification and the measures taken by the Government for its control, and outlines a future plan of action in the context of UN-PACD, has been completed, while a study on pastoral and livestock management systems and strategies in the ECWA region is expected to be completed by the end of 1983.

The main activities of ECWA in rural development during the 1982-83 biennium were focussed towards the holding of two regional meetings during the last quarter of 1983. An Expert Group meeting on Review of Experiences with Rural Development Projects in the Countries of Western Asia was held from 29 September to 2 October in Baghdad. That meeting was primarily based on six national case studies, of which five (on Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Democratic Yemen and Syria) were especially prepared for this meeting. These studies reviewed selected rural development projects with respect to their organization and management, performance vis-à-vis objectives, effects and impact, innovative features and technical assistance needs.

The results of this Expert Group Meeting were presented to the Regional Intergovernmental Consultation on Rural Development in the Near East, which was jointly held by ECWA and FAO at Baghdad from 3 to 6 October 1983. This meeting reviewed the national agrarian reforms and rural development experiences since WCARRD and discussed the issues of growth with equity, rural poverty alleviation, people's participation innovative experiences in rural development and monitoring and evaluation of rural development projects and programmes.

Two case studies on Rural Poverty Alleviation in Egypt and in Democratic Yemen were completed. These studies were based on socio-economic indicators of rural poverty, prepared in follow-up to the WCARRD Plan of Action, and examined the incidence of rural poverty and the extent to which the national development strategies incorporated the elements of poverty alleviation as laid down in the WCARRD Programme of Action. Causal factors were defined, the impact of policy actions on the alleviation of rural poverty assessed, and a number of proposals made for initiating or strengthening policy measures and action programmes.

A report on the organization and management of state farming in Iraq was completed.

The report recommended strengthening of economic principles in state farm management and a certain degree of decentralization.

In follow-up to the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development, the Economic Commission for Western Asia continues to participate in the interagency efforts conducted under the leadership of FAO, to achieve programme development, promote policy action and increase investment activity towards the benefit and well-being of the rural population.

It is hoped that, with its move to its permanent headquarters in Baghdad, ECWA will be better equipped to meet the challenges of its mandate and will continue to play its catalytic role in promoting national development through regional action.

In conclusion, may I wish this Twenty-second session of the FAO Conference complete success in its important deliberations.

NGUYEN VAN TANHN (Observateur de la Confédération mondiale du travail): Je voudrais joindre mes félicitations à celles qui vous ont été adressées par les honorables délégues qui m'ont précédé à cette tribune pour votre élection à la présidence de la Conférence.

Bientôt se seront écoulées dix années depuis la convocation de la Conférence Mondiale sur l'Alimentation à Rome en 1974. Dans ses documents la FAO a estimé que plus de 400 millions d'êtres humains souffraient de dénutrition dans les années 70.

La situation mondiale ne s'est pas améliorée. Les chiffres officiels le démontrent, et le fait non seulement persiste, mais tend à empirer. Les pays connaissant une situation alimentaire précaire sont encore plus nombreux. Les indices FAO de la production alimentaire mondiale par habitant révèlent que celle-ci a régressé dans 1'ensemble des pays moins avancés. La production agricole des pays en développement est soit en stagnation soit en faible augmentation, mais surtout la production par tête d'habitant reste stationnaire. La production par habitant a régressé dans de nombreux pays, elle est bien inférieure à la croissance démographique.

Il serait trop facile d'accuser la Nature d'être le principal responsable par ses calamités et ses catastrophes.

La sécheresse et les typhons sont peut-être inévitables, mais ces phénomènes naturels sont souvent aggravés par l'action de l'homme, et malheureusement frappent essentiellement les pauvres trop faibles politiquement pour obtenir le strict nécessaire de ce qui est disponible pour satisfaire leurs besoins essentiels, pendant que les riches deviennent plus riches et les forts, plus puissants.

Nous pouvons, sans exagération, dire que notre société avec ses structures sociales injustes n'a pas la volonté d'en sortir ou la capacité d'intervenir.

Les désordres actuels de la production agricole peuvent être imputés à toute une série de causes. Des êtres humains (hommes et femmes, enfants, jeunes et vieux) meurent de faim chaque jour. Les animaux domestiques, les chiens et les chats des pays développés souffrent d'embonpoint. On nous rapporte qu'environ 500 millions de tonnes de céréales, soit plus du tiers de la production mondiale, sont, chaque année, utilisées pour nourrir les animaux, et cette proportion augmente sans cesse. Mais il ne faudrait pas minimiser la responsabilité majeure des sociétés transnationales ainsi que leurs relais politiques nationaux dans les pays du Tiers Monde qui ont réussi à extravertir les économies rurales en les mettant au service d'un nombre restreint de marchés presque tous situés dans les pays industrialisés. C'est par leur biais qu'ont été introduits partout dans le monde des modes de consommation, de nutrition et de culture sans rapport avec les besoins des populations des pays du Tiers Monde. Les pays en développement sont devenus des importateurs des produits alimentaires que traditionnellement ils exportaient. L'importation des produits alimentaires crée une balance commerciale déficitaire les précipitant dans la dépendance. Les déficits des balances commerciales sont encore amplifiés par le surprix que réclament ceux qui détiennent le contrôle des marchés. La détérioration croissante des balances commerciales laisse les pays du tiers monde exsangues et les empêche de mener à bien les plans de développement dont ils ont tant besoin, et nous sommes en plein dans la troisième décennie de développement des Nations Unies!

Nul n'ignore les interactions entre différents facteurs: nationaux et internationaux, techniques et sociaux, politiques et économiques, mais nous continuons à affirmer que le développement national doit prendre avant tout en considération les besoins essentiels de la population; il en est de même du développement rural et des aspirations de la population rurale qui dépense son énergie, lutte contre les conditions naturelles et en même temps fait face à celles créées par 1'homme pour faire vivre les autres et survivre.

Nous osons espérer que la priorité a été déjà donnée au développement rural et au principe de la participation populaire. Mais cette participation ne peut être acquise que si la population a foi et enthousiasme dans ces activités. Il consiste à tout faire pour redonner la confiance à la population rurale, plusieurs fois déçue et blasée par des promesses non tenues, par des experts trop irréalistes, par des efforts non soutenus, intermittents, insuffisants. Mais avant tout, il faut combattre le sentiment de frustration de la population rurale devant le trop grand décalage entre le cadre de vie urbaine et de vie rurale, avec les richesses accumulées par les privilégiés d'un côté et la misère rurale de l'autre, devant la hausse de prix des inputs agricoles (machines, insecticides, engrais...) et les produits de consommation manufacturés, et la baisse en valeur relative des produits agricoles, fruits de beaucoup de labeur, de sueur et d'efforts. Une politique de prix différentiels, préférentiels avec des péréquations adéquates, une politique de subventions, d'encouragement en matière de crédit et de bonus, une politique d'aide technique, opérationnelle adaptée aux conditions physiques et sociologiques du milieu, constituent des conditions sine qua non d'une stratégie de développement rural. Les fruits des labeurs du monde rural doivent être appréciés à leur juste valeur. Il faut donner aux paysans la possibilité d'avoir des revenus plus élevés, des conditions de travail moins dures, une perspective d'amélioration de leur condition de vie et de leur avenir.

Il est illusoire de vouloir développer la campagne sans la désenclaver aussi bien sur le plan technique et physique que sur le plan psychologique. Cela veut dire que des investissements en matière de réseau de communication (routes, ponts,...), d'électrification, d'enseignement et d'information sont nécessaires. Cela veut dire aussi que la présence des instituteurs/institutrices, des animateurs/animatrices à la campagne constitue un acte de solidarité et de foi indispensable, un soutien moral et technique d'une importance capitale. Cette présence physique sur le terrain ne peut être crédible et efficace que si le gouvernement apporte son soutien matériel et logistique adéquat. Au moment où le chômage affecte beaucoup d'hommes de compétence et de bonne volonté, on peut estimer qu'avec des mesures gouvernementales pertinentes la campagne pourra recevoir assez de cadres qualifiés indispensables pour leurs programmes de développement.

Si le tableau actuel de la situation alimentaire mondiale est sombre, il risque encore de s'obscurcir davantage parce qu'il a de profondes conséquences sur l'environnement et sur les possibilités futures d'inverser les processus engagés. Deux phénomènes menacent la survie d'une grande partie de l'humanité: la déforestation et la désertification.

La déforestation est rapide: plusieurs dizaines de millions d'hectares de forêts disparaissent chaque année. On estime que la superficie des forêts tropicales a reculé, entre 1970 et 1980, de 110 millions d'hectares, soit environ 6 %. La situation, il est vrai, varie d'un pays à l'autre, mais ce phénomène est devenu une grave menace dans de nombreux pays d'Afrique, d'Amérique latine et d'Asie. Les causes de la déforestation sont multiples, mais signalons trois causes qui nous paraissent essentielles :

- la nécessité d'obtenir des devises en exportant. La demande de bois est croissante dans les pays industrialisés;

- des modes de cultures inadaptés, fruits partiels de la montée de la faim;

- la coupe intensive pour obtenir du bois de feu, seule source d'énergie pour une large majorité de l'humanité, la plus pauvre

Est-ce la pauvreté de ceux qui subissent cette crise de l'énergie qui justifie, de notre part, le silence sur cette crise énergétique?

La FAO affirme que si l'on ne réagit pas rapidement, la situation risque de devenir très grave. La réduction des forêts a aussi d'importants impacts sur le climat. Le régime des pluies se trouve altéré, le contrôle des inondations est rendu plus ardu, la faune et la flore sont appauvries, etc.

Chaque année le désert grandit, aidé qu'il est dans sa tâche par la surexploitation de la nature par l'homme. En Afrique sahélienne, le désert fait des progrès constants vers le Sud, il hypothèque le développement futur de ces régions par la disparition de terres arables.

Il faut en ces domaines une action mondiale, parce que si rien ne change, si l'on se contente d'attendre une reprise économique généralisée, on risque de voir accroître la masse des affamés. La catastrophe est proche en Afrique, les plus hautes instances en conviennent. Les importations de produits agricoles des pays en développement ont continué à augmenter et déséquilibrent encore plus les termes d'échanges de ces pays, les plaçant dans une situation de dépendance chaque jour plus accentuée.

La Banque Mondiale et la Communauté Economique Européenne ont compris les dangers de cette situation. Ces institutions se font les avocats d'une autonomie alimentaire accrue. La force de leur propos est cependant fort amoindrie par la myopie politique des principaux dirigeants politiques et des gouvernements des pays concernés.

Dans le court terme, la Confédération mondiale du travail (CMT) demande instamment que soit instaurée une meilleure collaboration entre tous les organismes et toutes les institutions qui agissent pour améliorer la situation alimentaire mondiale.

Il manque pour les pays du Tiers Monde des moyens financiers nécessaires pour leur permettre un véritable démarrage d'une politique de Réforme agraire et de Développement rural mettant ainsi en oeuvre le Programme d'Action formulé à la Conférence Mondiale sur la Réforme Agraire et le Développement Rural en 1979.

Des projets aussi longs et aussi coûteux que ceux qui luttent contre la déforestation et la désertification exigent eux aussi une étroite collaboration entre tous les milieux intéressés.

Il ne faudrait pas non plus perdre de vue les intérêts immédiats des populations rurales qui doivent être associées à tous les niveaux et étapes lors de la mise en oeuvre de ces programmes.

La Conférence donnerait ainsi une attention particulière aux problèmes qui préoccupent actuellement le mouvement syndical et les masses des travailleurs ruraux, attention capable de promouvoir le bien-être et l'amélioration du niveau de vie en milieu rural.

The World Federation of Trade Unions,which groups over 206 million organized workers living under different social systems and at different levels of development, is deeply concerned at the present extremely critical situation of food shortage, the underdevelopment of agriculture and under-utilization of agricultural possibilities in vast areas of the world, particularly in the developing countries.

Twenty-one years have already elapsed since the World Indicative Plan for Agricultural Development was presented within the framework of FAO in 1962. That plan established the guidelines for a programme that was to make hunger and undernourishment mere bitter memories of an unpleasant past for the peoples of the developing countries by the year 1985. Furthermore, it envisaged turning the agricultural sector into a dynamic development factor instead of a traditionally stagnant and weak one.

But what do we have now? We have 500 million people (or 900 million, according to other statistics) who suffer from hunger. Tens of thousands of them die of it every year, especially in the developing world. The agriculture of developing countries still remains largely underdeveloped economically. Unprecedented mass unemployment and underemployment in the capitalist world, particularly in the developing countries, have resulted in rural exodus, with millions forced to live in overcrowded urban slums in inhuman conditions and living a life of even greater poverty.

In addition, food aid given by some capitalist countries, namely the USA, to developing countries is being constantly used as a weapon to interfere in the internal affairs of, and to pressure, recipient countries.

This extremely grave situation has caused deep anxiety among workers and their trade union organizations the world over. They view this situation as a direct result of the continued prevalence of an unjust and unequitable international economic order which perpetuates colonial exploitation and underdevelopment, and sanctions the manipulation and near total control of the food and agricultural sector in developing countries by the agro-food transnationals. These transnationals have been appropriately termed veritable dealers in the underdeveloped countries' wants, since their economic power and big profits have been built on the hunger and weak agricultural sectors of the developing countries.

The World Federation of Trade Unions would like to underline here that this tragic situation is neither inevitable nor irreversible. There are enough resources on our planet which could produce sufficient quantities of food and assure a decent life for all. The present development crisis (which in many developing countries is heavily influenced by the agrarian crisis) is a manmade crisis, caused essentially by the continued dominance of outdated structures which hamper the full utilization of the production forces. At the same time, the colossal wastage of human resources resulting from the massive rate of unemployment and underemployment in rural areas in not inevitable. The experience of a number of countries clearly demonstrates that unemployment and under-utilization of human resources can be eliminated through a successful solution of the basic question of agrarian reform and rural development, as part of an overall economic and social development strategy.

It is the firm belief of the World Federation of Trade Unions and its affiliated trade union centres that the present tragic situation can, and should, be reversed through planned development in which rural workers and their organizations should play a prominent role. This concept has been stressed in a number of studies, including the documents of the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development. But for such a development to be ensured, it is absolutely necessary that the centres of decision should be within the country and not at the headquarters of agri-business transnational corporations which dominate virtually almost all principal internationally-traded agricultural commodities. It is imperative in this connection that serious and urgent national and international measures are taken to eliminate the grip of transnational corporations which monopolise the trade in agricultural commodities.

A basic prerequisite for the achievement of such a planned development is the implementation of radical agrarian reforms that allow a full and just utilization of agricultural resources and prevent exploitation by vested interests - the property-owning feudal and semi-feudal and capitalist classes. Such reforms should lead to expansion of the domestic market and full utilization of human resources, alleviating the tremendous problems of unemployment and underemployment in developing countries.

It is necessary to point out at this juncture that rural workers in many countries remain to be among the most, if not the most, exploited workers in the world. Four years have already elapsed since the WCARRD adopted extremely important documents, now known as Peasants' Charter. But progress in securing its implementation has been thwarted by a lack of "political will" in many countries. Particularly deplorable in this regard.is the non-implementation of provisions relating to the rights of agricultural workers and peasants and the very spirit of the recommendation concerning people's participation in development. It is absolutely necessary that serious efforts are made to overcome the obstacles and assure the implementation of the Peasants' Charter.

The world trade union movement is deeply disturbed by policies often recommended by the International Monetary Fund (as a condition for assistance to countries) which involve the removal of food/ subsidies and cuts in social services which particularly hit the rural workers. Such policies make a mockery of the very essence of the development strategy adopted by the United Nations under the Third UN Development Decade and only aggravate the situation. It has to be recognized that hunger, poverty and other social problems are caused by exploitation and unequal economic relations as between peasant producers and agri-business corporations as well as between developing countries exporting agricultural commodities, on the one hand, and the transnational conglomerates, on the other. An end should be put to such policies and a responsible and serious attitude should be adopted in this regard.

The world trade union movement also strongly deplores the use of food aid by some states as a political weapon which practically' amounts to the use of hunger and poverty as a weapon to perpetuate their domination and control over the destinies of people.

The World Federation of Trade Unions calls at the same time for a joint investigation by the FAO, UNCTAD, ILO and the international trade union organizations of the shameful practice of "fixing" commodity prices by those who exercise market power - the agri-business transnational corporations. This grave issue must be brought to the attention of world public opinion and the international community, as the human cost of non-implementation of a New International Economic Order must be seen in all its grim dimensions.

Two important international trade union conferences held recently - the Eighth Conference of the Food Trade Union International in September 1983 and the Ninth Conference of the Agriculture Trade Union International in October 1983 - have discussed in depth the present critical situation of food and agriculture - at the national, regional and international levels. The discussions centred on promoting united actions by the trade unions, farmers' organizations, cooperative organizations and concerned international inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations on the urgent questions of agrarian reform, rural development, eradication of hunger and rural poverty and related issues. The conclusions of both conferences stressed the need for participation of rural workers and their organizations in development planning, for achieving self-sufficiency in food, to ensure that gains of development are equitably distributed and to give the highest priority to the fight against rural poverty and hunger in the world.

The WFTU and the two TUIs are planning to convene shortly an International Trade Union Conference focusing on the fight against hunger and malnutrition as part and parcel of the democratic development strategies.

The World Federation of Trade Unions and the world trade union movement would like to underline that the struggle, against hunger and poverty and for social and economic development is being undermined by the growing massive arms race, particularly in the nuclear field. Badly needed resources for development, financial and otherwise, are being diverted to destructive purposes and increasing the danger of a third World War, instead of being used to feed the people and solve their aggravating social and economic problems. Consequently, wide sections of world public opinion demand and end to the arms race, for reduction in military spending and the transfer of these huge allocations to meet urgent civilian needs. The World Federation of Trade Unions supports the UN efforts in promoting disarmament and will actively participate in the World Disarmament Campaign launched by the UN. It is prepared to work together with the FAO in campaigns for educating public opinion on the issues of peace, disarmament and reconversion. We hope that this wish of ours will be positively met by FAO.

The meeting rose at 18.45 hours
La séance est levée á 18 h 45
Se levanta la sesión a las 18.45 horas