CHAIRMAN: I am sorry about the delay but we have been waiting for the draft reports. We have before us three Draft Reports, REP/5, REP/6 and REP/7; REP/7 will be distributed here in the Room and so I will take it slowly. Could we begin by taking REP/5 on Relations and Consultations with International Organizations?
Mr Carandang, you have the floor.
Horacio M. CARANDANG (Chairman, Drafting Committee): The Drafting Committee has the honour to present to you the Draft REP/5 which contains the Relations and Consultations with International Organizations. I just want to inform you that probably this is a Draft Report which has cost the Committee the greatest amount of time and discussion in the Drafting Committee. We had difficulty in trying to approve this report precisely because there were only a few interventions and the Committee has difficulty in reflecting what was the sense of the debate; whether we had to attribute to the Conference as a whole an opinion that has been voiced just by a few delegations, and I think this was the basic difficulty we have had in the Drafting Committee, that is, how to interpret the opinions of the Commission.
Therefore, it is presented again to you. We have had difficulty in interpreting the sense of the Committee before but this time we had great difficulty and it took us a long time. It is now being submitted to you and it is up to you to judge whether it is an adequate reflection of the proceedings of the debate. Thank you very much.
CHAIRMAN: Thank you, Mr Carandang. We will now take the report paragraph by paragraph.
PARAGRAPHS 1 TO 8
PARAGRAPHES 1 A 8
PARRAFOS 1 A 8
F.A Shamin AHMED (Bangladesh): First of all I would like to compliment the Drafting Committee for producing this excellent report in such a short time, and despite difficulties, as narrated by the Chairman of the Committee.
Mr Chairman, I would like to draw your kind attention to paragraph 3. This paragraph deals with the importance of coordination in maximizing the impact of FAO's work and benefits to member countries.
This was highlighted in the interventions of many distinguished delegates, some of whom also pointed out that in order to enhance FAO's activities in this regard resources were required. This aspect was also addressed in his concluding remarks by the Chairman of that afternoon's proceedings. While summing up the discussion of the Agenda Item, Ambassador Nanjira of Kenya, who presided over the proceedings of the Commission that afternoon said, amongst other things - and I have this in the Verbatim which has since been brought out - page 14 of the Verbatim, under the subtitle Chairman, paragraph 4 of his Verbatim statement: it says that there is a call for FAO to increase its activities, but it has also been pointed out that in order for FAO to enhance its activities it needs the tools to do the job; it needs the tools to do the job.
Mr Chairman, we feel that this element should find a place in this paragraph and I would therefore suggest that after the first sentence of paragraph 3, which ends with "should be given priority", we may add, after your consideration, another sentence. My suggested sentence would form the second sentence of the paragraph which means that after the first sentence we might add another sentence which would read as follows: "It pointed out also, however, that resources were required to enhance FAO's activities in this regard". I shall read it again: "It pointed out also, however, that resources were required to enhance FAO's activities in this regard."
Sra. Mery HURTADO SALAMANCA (Colombia): En primer lugar, mi delegación quiere felicitar al Presidente del Comité de Redacción y a todos los miembros de él.
Mi delegación tiene una enmienda en el mismo sentido que lo ha expresado el representante de Bangladesh, y proponemos que en la segunda parte, en la segunda oración que comienza: "Puso de relieve que se debia dar prioridad a la presencia de la FAO en las actividades del sistema de las Naciones Unidas, siempre que la Organización tuviera alguna ventaja comparativa". Hay un punto. Nosotros proponemos que se cambie ese punto, y en su lugar se ponga una coma y que continúe la frase diciendo: "indicando sin embargo que la FAO deberla poder contar con los recursos necesarios para participar activamente en dichas actividades", y luego que la oración continúe como está.
CHAIRMAN: Could I have the reaction of the Chairman of the Drafting Committee, please?
Horacio M. CARANDANG (Chairman, Drafting Committee): Mr Chairman, I think the two amendments that have been proposed have really only one meaning and that is, that in order to engage in all the coordination activities required you need resources; so I think the Committee has to choose between these two amendments and I think we can pick either of them because they are really one and the same thing. I think, in fact, probably it would not be against the sense of the Drafting Committee if we put this back again, because the Drafting Committee really thought about the need for resources, although perhaps it was thought that it was understood, but I think it is not. It would be perfectly all right if we put in the reference to resources; and that, I think, has been in the mind of the Drafting Committee all along.
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J.C. MACHIN (United Kingdom): I too would like to compliment the Drafting Committee, for their excellent work, and I can very well understand the point the Chairman of the Drafting Committee made about trying to reflect the sense of the discussions we had. On the amendments that have been proposed, again I can understand the relevance of what is being said.
Can I suggest an alternative which I think picks up what the Chairman of the Drafting Committee has said. I think there is a degree of understanding that whatever the Organization does has to be met from resources. Would it therefore be acceptable to say at the end of the first sentence at the beginning of paragraph 3: "The Conference underlined the importance of coordination in maximizing the impact of FAO's work and benefits to member countries within existing resources".
CHAIRMAN: Could I have the reaction of the two delegates proposing the changes to this last one?
Sra. Monica DEREGIBUS (Argentina): Si fuera usted tan amable, podría sugerir pedir a la delegación del Reino Unido que repitiera su enmienda, porque no hemos podido tomarla.
J.C. MACHIN (United Kingdom): Yes, I will certainly repeat it. At the end of the first sentence of paragraph 3, delete the full stop and simply add three words: "within existing resources".
F.A. Shamin AHMED (Bangladesh): I am not quite in agreement with what the distinguished delegate of the United Kingdom has said, because "within existing resources" is quite different from "resources where needed"; so I am really not in agreement with this.
Sra. Mery HURTADO SALAMANCA (Colombia): Nuestra delegación está de acuerdo con lo que acaba de decir el representante de Bangladesh en el sentido de que los recursos deben ser reales, debemos contar con recursos, los necesarios.
Amin ABDEL MALEK (Liban) (Langue originale arabe): J'approuve la proposition de l'honorable délégué du Bangladesh, appuyée par le délégué de Colombie, surtout que la proposition du délégué du Royaume-Uni n'est pas suffisante. Nous avons déjà discuté de ce problème, et nous avons demandé des ressources suffisantes et non des ressources disponibles. C'est pour cela que j'approuve la proposition du Bangladesh et de la Colombie.
Vanrob ISARANKURA (Thailand): The thing I feel now is we have three proposals. I think to make it clear I would like to ask the Chairman of the Drafting Committee just to reduce the three proposals to only one, and we will follow what the Chairman of the Drafting Committee wants. I think let the Chairman of the Drafting Committee work for us.
CHAIRMAN: I think this problem is very complicated. We can follow one of two courses : ask the Chairman of the Drafting Committee to find a draft which would work; or I could ask the delegates of Bangladesh and Colombia together to find an agreed text. I accept the point that the wording proposed by the delegate of the United Kingdom is not quite the same.
Horacio M. CARANDANG (Chairman, Drafting Committee): Actually the sense of the proposal by the delegates of Bangladesh and Colombia is the same, and probably it would be better if it went after the second sentence, because then we should realize first of all that the work of coordinating with the UN bodies can be carried to such an extent that it will require too many - a lot of resources - and therefore when you talk about comparative advantage, and priority should be given; some sort of priority should be given; these are rather important points, because if you have to attend all the coordination meetings in the UN, I know our own country cannot do it will entail too many resources.
Therefore I think it should go after the second sentence; and probably whichever we take, but I would take the one that has been given to us. It was pointed out also, however, that resources were required to enhance FAO's activities in this regard. I think this would convey the meaning of the two amendments put together - and I would prefer it probably after the second sentence, because you talk about their priority and maximizing comparative advantage and then you need resources to do this.
CHAIRMAN: Thank you. I think you are right in saying that we should leave the two sentences as they are and add another sentence after that. Can I ask the Secretary to read it out.
Ms C. FORTHOMME (Secretary, Commission II): It would be a new third sentence after "should be given priority". It would read: "It was pointed out also however that resources were required to enhance FAO activities in this regard."
Sra. Mnica DEREGIBUS (Argentina): Mi delegación quisiera hacer una pequeña enmienda solamente de forma. Al inicio de la segunda oración del párrafo siete, quisiéramos incluir las palabras "a este respecto". "A este respecto, convino en que...". Añadir "a este respecto" al inicio de la segunda oración del párrafo 7.
Igor MARINCEK (Switzerland): As regards paragraph 8, the Chairman of the Drafting Committee has already recalled in his introductory remarks that there were only a few delegations who spoke on this Item. Some delegations mentioned the study of the Nordic countries and encouraged the Organization to take due note of this study. If we say "A few Member Nations", that does not reflect the debate. "Some" is probably the neutral word to be used in this connection.
CHAIRMAN: Can I ask the Chairman of the Drafting Committee whether he can accept that change?
Horacio M. CARANDANG (Chairman, Drafting Committee): We have the Verbatim Record and we know that eleven members of this Organization took the floor in this debate. The number who took the floor regarding the study was two. It is up to the Commission to say whether that is a few or some. Those are the facts; it is a moot point. I cannot judge which is the more appropriate wording.
CHAIRMAN: It is two out of eleven. I do not know what the percentage is.
Igor MARINCEK (Switzerland): Among the two there was a country who spoke for the Nordic countries. That already makes more than two. In fact, of the eleven, it is already many, so maybe that would be the right word. When the Commission was sitting, I recall that the Chairman was asking the Nordic countries to give this report to everybody, and I think that was a great encouragement in general. A good reflection would be "many" but it could be "some".
Sra. Mery HURTADO SALAMANCA (Colombia): Mi delegación propone que quede el párrafo como está. No nos ofrece dificultades y nos parece que está muy bien redactado. Además, refleja lo que realmente fue el debate. Fueron realmente, un grupo muy pequeño o pequeño.
CHAIRMAN: It is a small group.
Art WRIGHT (Canada): If indeed there were eleven participants in the debate, and two of them spoke in regard to this, that works out that about eighteen percent of those who spoke were in favour of these proposals. Eighteen percent is to me closer to "some" than it is to "a few", so I would support the Danish representative, and I do not think "some" would offend either the sense of the meeting or the spirit of the discussion.
J.C. MACHIN (United Kingdom): I entirely agree with the comments of my Canadian colleague. In English "some" reflects rather better the sense of the discussion than "a few".
CHAIRMAN: This is a really difficult problem. Frankly, as Chairman, not as a Danish delegate, I prefer the word "some" because "a few" has a certain connotation. Any objection?
Paragraphs 1 to 8, as amended, approved
Les paragraphes 1 à 8. ainsi amendés, sont approuvés
Los párrafos 1 a 8. asi enmendados, son aprobados
Draft Report of Commission II. Part 5. as amended, was adopted.
Le Projet de Rapport de la Commission II. cinquième partie, ainsi amendé.
est adopté.
El Proyecto de Informe de la Comisión II. Parte 5. asi enmendado, es
aprobado.
Ms C. FORTHOMME (Secretary, Commission II): I wanted to draw to the attention of delegates that we have a sentence missing in paragraph 5. At the end of the first sentence the following words are missing: "and noted that FAO/WHO had made some resources available for this purpose." It comes at the end of the first sentence of paragraph 5.
Horacio M. CARANDANG (Chairman, Drafting Committee): I have no particular remarks regarding this. We had a relatively easy time. There were only a few comments on the emphasis on the preparations in the regions for the Conference, and there was hardly any controversy regarding this draft. I hope it can be adopted as quickly here.
PARAGRAPHS 1 TO 6
PARAGRAPHES 1 A 6
PÁRRAFOS 1 A 6
Igor MARINCEK (Switzerland): In the document submitted to Conference the important role to be played by the media is highlighted, and in paragraph 4 we speak of World Food Day and there is a linkage, so I think it would be better to add a sentence highlighting the role of the media. I can propose such a sentence: "In this connection the Conference pointed to the important role to be played by the media in raising the awareness of the public with regard to the themes and results of the ICN."
Horacio M. CARANDANG (Chairman, Drafting Committee): The Drafting Group did not address this issue, but we know it is a very important matter. If the Committee thinks it is reflected in the way it has been taken up in the Commission debate, I think it is appropriate that we reflect it.
Ms C. FORTHOMME (Secretary, Commission II): The sentence comes at the end of paragraph 4. "In this connection the Conference pointed to the important role to be played by the media in raising the awareness of the public with regard to the themes and results of the ICN".
Horacio M. CARANDANG (Chairman, Drafting Committee): One problem is that it is important to point out their role, but once you attribute to Conference a decision giving importance to this, as the saying goes, in order to achieve the end, you must have the means. It will be incomplete if you say you need the media and you do not have the means. You should put something in relation to the means; what provisions can be made towards achieving this end?
CHAIRMAN: It is quite clear that it was mentioned during the debate by several delegates. It is equally clear that there could be a problem in relation to resources.
Igor MARINCEK (Switzerland): In this particular context, I do not think the question of resources is the important point because the media are well provided with resources and materials. It is more an invitation to keep them informed. That is the work normally done by the Information Division of the FAO and WHO. If the media are sent this part of the report, they are being invited to take an interest in this Conference. We cannot act for the media; it is the media themselves who are invited to act.
CHAIRMAN: In view of the explanation given by the delegate of Switzerland, with which I fully agree, I hope the Commission can accept this additional sentence, which does not necessarily bear on FAO resources. It bears primarily on activities in the media.
Harald HILDEBRAND (Germany): At the end of the fourth line in paragraph 6 may I suggest that the word "international" be replaced by "global" to retain uniformity of phrasing with paragraph 4. I understand that regional is international, so it should read "implementation of the Plan of Action and national, regional and global levels".
CHAIRMAN: I do not think that represents a difficulty.
Paragraphs 1 to 6. as amended, approved
Les paragraphes 1 à 6. ainsi amendés, sont approuvés
Los párrafos 1 a 6, asi enmendados, son aprobados
Draft Report of Commission II. Part 6. as amended, was adopted
Le Projet de Rapport de la Commission II. sixième partie, ainsi
amendé, est adopté
El Proyecto de Informe de la Coínisión II. Parte 6. asi enmendado, es aprobado
The meeting was suspended from 15.40 to 16.00 hours.
La séance est suspendue de 15 h 40 à 16 heures.
Se suspende la sesión de las 15.40 a las 16.00 horas,
Horacio M. CARANDANG (Chairman, Drafting Committee): I have the honour of presenting to you the draft prepared by the Drafting Committee, REP/7, on the Pledging Target of the World Food Programme.
I should like to correct an error in paragraph 6. At the end of paragraph 6 there is a sentence which should not be there. It should be a separate paragraph and it should read like this: "The Conference also presented its best wishes to the Chairman of Commission II,
Mr H.J. Kristensen, who will retire in the near future." By mistake it became part of paragraph 6 which has nothing to do with this sentence. It should be a separate paragraph altogether.
Ms C. FORTHOMME (Secretary, Commission II): I would draw your attention in the English version to an error in paragraph 5, the third sentence: this now reads, "On the other hand, the need for food aid, which even apart from the needs for refugees, displaced persons and returnees, was still at a high level ... "
CHAIRMAN: We will now go through the report.
F.A. Shamin AHMED (Bangladesh): I have a very small observation to make on paragraph 1. It relates to the second line where the amount US$1.5 billion has erroneously been shown as US$1.500 million. I think there should be either a comma or no punctuation.
CHAIRMAN: That is noted.
Mohamed S. KARBOUJ (Syria) (Original language Arabic): In the Arabic text there is no problem, but I notice that in the English text the second sentence ends with the words "refugee feeding". It should be:
"food aid for refugees", not "refugee feeding".
CHAIRMAN: Yes, we have taken note of that.
Ibrahim MOHAMED MOUSSA (Djibouti): Je voudrais attirer votre attention vers la fin de l'avant-dernière phrase et je voudrais proposer un amendement concernant la partie qui commence par: "Comme il se dégage essentiellement de ces rapports que, notamment en Afrique, le fossé entre production vivrière et besoins alimentaires continue de se creuser...". A cet endroit-là, au lieu de continuer avec "une aide alimentaire accrue", je propose que l'on fasse ressortir qu'il y a nécessité de donner une assistance supplémentaire visant â accroître la production des cultures vivrières au niveau national.
Cela donnerait donc: "... continue de se creuser, une assistance supplémentaire visant à accroître la production des cultures vivrières et diminuer l'importation permettant d'atteindre l’autosuffisance alimentaire sera nécessaire. Cependant, pendant cette période, une aide alimentaire accrue serait envisagée". Ou quelque chose dans ce sens-là.
Donc, après la virgule se situant après "continue de se creuser", je propose cet amendement.
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CHAIRMAN: There is a problem here. What is written is what Mr Ingram said in his introduction, and I would not be the one to change what he said. I hope the delegate of Djibouti will accept that. It was what Mr Ingram said when he was introducing this Item. I understand your point, but can we leave the sentence as it is?
Ibrahim MOHAMED MOUSSA (Djibouti): S'il vous est difficile de changer la phrase mentionnée ici, la délégation de Djibouti propose que cette idée soit reflétée quelque part concernant la nécessité d'une assistance supplémentaire visant à accroître la production de cultures vivrières dans les pays.
CHAIRMAN: Let us be clear about this. The first five paragraphs of this Draft Report should reflect what Mr Ingram said in his introduction. The following paragraph should say what Mr Dutia said in his introduction. But you probably have a point, and we should like to come back to it when we get to the comments of the Commission. I hope you will agree to come back to that later.
Harald HILDEBRAND (Germany): In paragraph 2, referring to the sentence starting on the sixth line from the bottom "As a result...”, I would suggest inserting a comma, after the word "emergency" because I think this deals with three kinds of food aid; for emergency situations, for refugees and for development.
CHAIRMAN: You have a point there. We will put in a comma.
R.J. PERKINS (Director, Commodities and Trade Division): In response to the point raised by the delegate of Djibouti, the Secretariat would suggest for the consideration of the Commission an extension of the present second sentence of paragraph 8 which ends with the words "food needs for important socio-economic development activities". The Secretariat would suggest for your consideration deleting the period, inserting a comma, and then going on to say "in particular the enhancement of local food production in recipient countries".
CHAIRMAN: I hope that meets the comment of the delegate of Djibouti.
Ibrahim MOHAMED MOUSSA (Djibouti): C'est ma préoccupation. Merci M. le Président. Je suis satisfait.
CHAIRMAN: Can you just read it out slowly, Mr Perkins?
R.J. PERKINS (Director, Commodities and Trade Division): Yes, Mr Chairman. At the beginning of the fifth line in the English version, that is the end of the second sentence, after the term "socio-economic development
activities" the period would be replaced by a comma and the sentence would continue with the following words "in particular the enhancement of local food production in recipient countries".
Sra. Mery HURTADO SALAMANCA (Colombia): Es sobre el mismo párrafo 8, en la página número 5, y hacia la mitad, que comienza asi: "La Conferencia manifestó que confiaba en que se mantuviera un equilibrio geográfico en la asignación de recursos, aunque reconoció que, debido a su volumen insuficiente en relación con las necesidades de alimentos", aquí la siguiente oración en español no es muy clara. Espero que las delegaciones de habla hispana me ayuden a corregir. Dice: "podrían ser necesarias para algunas elecciones difíciles en las asignaciones de recursos entre diversos proyectos". Esa oración no es muy clara en español. Mi delegación sugiere la siguiente enmienda, si se puede decir así. Quedaría después de "alimentos", se diría "sería más difícil la elección de los recursos entre los diversos proyectos". Es más corta y es más clara y en el fondo dice lo que debe ser.
CHAIRMAN: May I just take the formal point, the proposal to add to the earlier sentence the words which were read out by Mr Perkins; can you agree, as a Commission, to this? It is so agreed. This point, there seems to be a language problem. I am no good at Spanish and so cannot help. The Secretariat promises to take care of it. Is that all right for the delegate of Colombia? It should be clear at least.
Harald HILDEBRAND (Germany): So far as I remember reference had been made during our debate to the Committee on Food Aid Policies and Programmes. Therefore, I should deem it appropriate to include in paragraph 9 the following sentence, perhaps after sub-paragraph (d). After 9(d) insert (e) and then change the last paragraph to (f). The text would read "The Conference re-affirmed the role played by the Committee on Food Aid Policies and Programmes in guiding and monitoring WFP activities".
CHAIRMAN: Thank you. May I ask the Chairman of the Drafting Committee for his opinion?
Horacio M. CARANDANG (Chairman, Drafting Committee): I have to say frankly it was not raised during the debate in the Drafting Committee. I think if the Committee feels it appropriate to put this sentence in, I do not think we have any objection to including it.
CHAIRMAN: Thank you. I am not sure it was raised during the debate but the point is clearly an important one. Is there any objection to including this sentence? May I ask the delegates to accept this? It is so agreed.
Paragraphs 1 to 10. including Resolution, as amended, adopted
Les paragraphes 1 à 10. y compris la Résolution, ainsi amendés, sont
adoptés
Los párrafos 1 a 10. incluida la Resolución, así enmendados, son aprobados
Draft Report of Commission II, Part 7. as amended, was adopted
Le Projet de Rapport de la Commission II. septième partie, ainsi amendé.
est adopté
El Proyecto de Informe de la Comisión II. Parte 7. asi enmendado, es
aprobado
CHAIRMAN: I think we can safely say now that Commission II has been through all the items on its Agenda. We have had sixteen meetings in all and I personally have found them to be sixteen good meetings with a very open debate in a good working climate. I think quite a number of the items have contained discussions which were really forward-looking. I am sorry for using that word once again, Mr Shah, but I thank the members of the Commission sincerely for the way that they have accepted my way of conducting these meetings. It has been a pleasure for me to chair this Commission and I want to thank the two Vice-Chairmen from Sri Lanka and Kenya. Would the delegate from Kenya convey my thanks to your Ambassador and thank them for the help they have given me?
I think that the report which this Commission has produced, and where this last part goes to Plenary on Monday, shows that we have been through all these items in a good and constructive way. I wish to thank you all for helping me in this Commission and helping me to get through all the business within a reasonable period of time. I would also like to extend thanks to others. Firstly, the Drafting Committee; I think the Drafting Committee must have had a very good Chairman in getting through so quickly but my thanks go to all the members of the Committee.
I would also like to thank the Secretariat for their assistance. That applies perhaps first and foremost - sorry, Mr Shah - to my own Secretariat, my Secretary Mrs Forthomme, the Assistant Secretary Mr Savini, and the.two kind assistants behind me. I would also like to thank all the FAO staff who have helped here and, Mr Shah, you have had some hard work because you have been in on most meetings and you have introduced items and given answers to many of them. I think that the introductions, the brief ones, and the answers, the longer ones, have been very helpful to the Commission. I think we have had a good climate of cooperation.
Finally, Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to thank the interpreters for bearing with us; it must have been hard at times, and I would like to thank the messengers for the assistance they have given. I think we have had a good meeting and I thank you all sincerely.
Applause
Applaudissements
Aplausos
Angel BARBERO MARTIN (España): No quisiéramos que esta reunión terminara sin que pudiéramos expresarnos, y lo vamos a hacer en nombre propio como componentes de esta Comisión, y también en nombre del Grupo OCDE al cual tenemos ahora el honor de presidir.
Queremos decirle, señor Presidente, que usted ha hecho su trabajo con justeza y eficacia, y mano rígida pero suave. Ello ha sido fundamental para que estas deliberaciones hayan tenido el fruto que hemos podido comprobar
todos. Si usted se ha sentido a gusto, señor Presidente, con esta Comisión, nosotros mucho más. Estoy seguro que lo estoy diciendo en nombre de todos los que hemos estado aquí.
Pero además, nosotros sabemos que usted ahora en breve va a pasar a una etapa que en español llamamos jubilación. Esta palabra nos trae a la memoria la otra palabra que es júbilo. Entonces, nosotros le deseamos a usted que esta nueva etapa que va a abordar sea de júbilo para usted y todos los que más cercanamente le rodean.
CHAIRMAN: Thank you, delegate of Spain for your kind remarks. Now I think I can close the meeting.
The meeting rose at 16.30 hours.
La séance est levée à 16 h 30.
Se levanta la sesión a las 16.30 horas.
