BOTSWANA

His Excellency Sir Ketumile Masire, President of the Republic of Botswana

It is indeed an honour and privilege for me to address you on this occasion of the World Food Summit. An occasion which should go down in the annals of the history of our organization, as a turning point, in the international relations and solidarity among nations of the world, in our continuing effort to seek lasting solutions to the world problems of hunger and malnutrition. The fact that 800 million people throughout the world do not have enough food to meet their basic nutritional needs, and that 200 million children are chronically undernourished is a disturbing revelation. It is my strong conviction that no effort should be spared in addressing such a basic problem.

While we all continue to be concerned about the continued decline in food production in the developing world, especially in the sub-Saharan Africa, we are equally aware that production in the developed countries continues to increase. The situation, therefore, is that total world food production is currently sufficient to meet world demand. Despite this fact, we continue to be faced with the dilemma of moving food stocks from areas of surplus production to those of deficit. This, I believe, is a very crucial subject that I hope will be addressed by this meeting.

I do not doubt that with the necessary political will and effort, the international community can be equal to the task this august assembly will entrust to the Heads of State and Government gathered here in Rome. I recognize the gravity of the issues before us, and my delegation and I intend to stay committed to the outcome of the decisions of this important assembly. We will be guided in our actions, here and afterwards, by how closely our views are shared by like-minded people across the globe. Thus, we will continue to uphold the principle of accountable governance; and the promotion of equal opportunity among men and women. The Government of Botswana has for a number of years endeavoured to promote these inalienable rights and privileges of its citizens.

We in Botswana continue to uphold, all freedoms of worship, speech and association on the part of our citizens. In this regard, I would like to draw particular attention to the concerns, shared by many in my country; such as, the sovereign duty of Government to stabilize population and the promotion of ease of access to safe health care services, to those who need them the most. We recognize that several international fora, including the Copenhagen Social Summit and the Cairo Conference on Population with its Plan of Action, to name but a few, have dealt with these matters. As regards civil liberties, as well as family planning and general health care; these aspects are equally relevant to this Summit on food. In this regard, our view would be to reconcile the need to provide food for all with associated demands. This should be the overriding consideration of this Summit on food.

During our deliberations, we need to recognize that the political and socio-economic environment is inextricably connected with the requirement of enduring food security for all. In this regard, we would welcome international and transboundary relations that respect the sanctity of human life and that resist efforts which encourage policies of using food for settling political differences between nations. This conference should be unequivocal in condemning efforts of which the ends result in the blatant violation of the dignity of the poor and the landless of the world or serve to reduce their access to food. We welcome, any restraining clauses in the Rome Declaration on World Food Security that discourage such tendencies. We welcome the spirit of the Declaration and can associate with its broad statement of principles.

Turning to the Plan of Action, we accept the emphasis put on the physical and economic access of individuals to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet the dietary needs of an active and healthy person. While we recognize the crucial and catalytic role FAO would need to play, in implementing and monitoring this Plan, we call on the international community, to provide the necessary food aid in order to respond adequately to emergencies. In a similar vein, equitable access to stable food supplies would need to be ensured. Governments should recognize the urgency of stabilizing problems of poverty, hunger and malnutrition, in order to reduce rural-urban migration within their borders. Vulnerability mapping of peoples and areas under hunger and malnutrition stress is needed periodically at all levels of assistance in proper targeting of relief assistance.

We note that governments have responsibilities towards creating an enabling environment for private and group initiatives within national boundaries to devote skills, efforts and resources, including private investment towards the common goal of Food for All. We recognize that farmers, fishermen, foresters and other food producers and providers have a critical role in achieving food security, and therefore, their involvement and enablement are crucial for the success of our endeavours.

We in Botswana believe wholeheartedly that providing enough food for all who need it can be attained. It is, therefore important to ensure sufficient linkages between food supplies and household needs security. It is in this regard that we pledge our unflinching commitment and resolve to the vision as espoused in the Plan of Action on World Food Security, namely, the eradication of hunger in all countries, reducing the number of the undernourished to half the present level no later than 2015 or better still, to undertake medium-term reviews to ascertain whether such a target cannot be achieved sooner than the year 2010. This is a tall order, indeed, but we believe it can be achieved with enough goodwill and commitment from all of us.

It is, therefore, my solemn duty to pledge to this august assembly my Government's commitment and my own resolve to work towards the attainment of the Objectives and Actions envisaged throughout the World Food Summit's Plan of Action, including Commitments 1 through 7, thereto, as reached at this assembly.

Finally, may I through you, Mr. Chairman, take this opportunity to thank the Government and the people of Italy, for the kind hospitality extended to myself, my wife and the Botswana delegation since we arrived in this historic city of Rome. I would also like to thank the Director-General of FAO, Dr. Jacques Diouf, for convening this first Summit on World Food Security at this level of representation. It has been a memorable experience and a comfort for me to participate at this forum. It is my sincere hope that our deliberations during this Summit will be translated into positive actions that will go a long way in producing tangible solutions to the problems of hunger and malnutrition which have bedeviled the world for generations.