CAPE VERDE - CAP-VERT - CABO VERDE

His Excellency António Mascarenhas Monteiro, President of the Republic of Cape Verde

On behalf of the Member States of the Inter-States Committee on Drought Control in the Sahel, and on behalf of the Republic of Cape Verde, I would like to start by congratulating you, Excellency, on your election and on the brilliant manner in which you have been able to lead this Conference's work. Likewise, I would like to congratulate FAO through its Director-General, for this welcome initiative and for the detailed preparatory work of this Summit which has brought together so many distinguished personalities from different continents.

This conference, which was convened at such a timely moment is meeting at a time when the food situation and malnutrition in many of our countries pose a very serious concern. This concern is deeper still when it is certain that in spite of the degradation of poverty and malnutrition, the donor community has, in the last years, considerably reduced the food aid granted to the countries in need.

In a world, which is supposed to be aiming for solidarity and in which major global problems affect us all, it is a matter of urgency to implement national and international measures which will solve this disturbing situation.

Food scarcity and malnutrition are scourges which nowadays affect many populations in many countries, especially in African countries, having a negative impact on their economic and social development and on the full development of the physical and mental potential of the affected populations. It is, therefore, incumbent upon us to reverse this situation once and for all, and I hope that this Summit will be an important landmark in this regard. The elimination of hunger and malnutrition, in the world, is a goal that can be attained if all of us, in a concerted and determined manner, implement the necessary measures.

The international community, in general, and the developed nations in particular, have a key role to play in framing collective efforts in order to eliminate malnutrition and hunger in the world, thus, making an important contribution towards establishing conditions which would lead to improved food security in the developing countries.

The factors causing hunger and malnutrition in the world are multiple and they are all of a different nature. I therefore consider that, if we all make an effort and help each other, we can and shall take urgent steps in order to ensure food for all human beings.

In this context, developed countries can make a valuable contribution to the eradication of hunger and malnutrition in the world by increasing the amount of food aid under the programme as well as by granting substantial aid to combat drought and desertification and also, by establishing technical and financial conditions which will allow developing countries to considerably increase their productive capacity.

Within this framework, the access of developing countries to modern technologies becomes extremely important. It is also important for these countries to have access to financial resources. In this context, it is of great concern to note the restrictive measures that have been adopted by some international financial institutions by progressively eliminating special financial arrangements for agricultural development projects for developing nations whose rural populations represent more than 55 percent of their economically active population.

I am aware of the fact that the affected countries, must adopt micro-economic policies and appropriate development strategies in order to strengthen their productive capacity and facilitate an increase in food production. At the same time, the affected countries must work together, in order to create a harmonious relationship amongst the various interest groups in their populations, by adopting policies that will allow everybody to participate freely and fully respecting human rights in governing their countries so as to create a stable social and political climate to encourage productive activities.

In the Sahelian countries, which have been severely affected by drought and desertification, an increase in food production is one of the most efficient means of combatting poverty. The effort made in this field by our countries, has produced some positive results and it is thanks to these efforts, despite numerous natural constraints, the food situation as a whole has not deteriorated in the last 10 years in the Sahelian countries.

If, on the one hand, climatic factors have contributed to this improvement, it is also true that this situation reflects the positive impact of the food security system of Sahelian countries, especially macro-economic policies that are being updated, markets that are being liberalized and information on agriculture which is being disseminated among the population.

The application of the food aid charter also increased efficiency in this sector whilst the general health condition of the population and access of these populations to clean water have also improved.

In Cape Verde, drought and desertification have intensified in the last few years, so it has not been possible under the prevailing natural conditions and, with the technologies introduced at present, to talk of food self-sufficiency. The food deficit is too large.

It should be mentioned that of the entire area of the country, only 10 percent is arable land. It is, therefore, essential to state that food security should be paid much greater attention because it is a strategic factor for Cape Verde's development. Food aid represents around 20 percent of the total international aid made available to my country and has become a key factor in improving food security in the country.

The primary objective of food aid is to offer the possibility to achieve this security and to favour human development and become a resource that will facilitate human and social development in the long term. We should refer here to the fact that Cape Verde has usefully and efficiently used the funds generated by food aid in order to finance development projects, which are themselves directed at strengthening food production capacity, apart from supporting and creating thousands of jobs.

In view of the beneficial effects that food aid grants have in reducing malnutrition and in eliminating hunger, as well as in the economic and social development of our country, we believe that this type of aid has to be increased further.

I take this opportunity to thank those partners in our development who have generously contributed with food aid, thus establishing better food security conditions in Cape Verde.

Unfortunately, our food security is seriously threatened this year because the situation is especially difficult because the crop year that is coming to an end now has been affected by very low levels of rain which are in fact the worst for the last 50 years. I would, therefore, like to make an appeal to our development partners to consider making an additional contribution to food aid this year.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the CILSS countries and the Sahel Club have embarked on an ambitious project called "Sahel 21" aimed at promoting debate on the Sahel and its long-term development, and we will be expecting to produce a collective project for the future which, with the participation of populations, may be a pragmatic response to the model to be used to improve food security based on our own resources.

We have had 22 years of experience accumulated amongst CILSS countries and cooperation agencies and this allows us to be optimistic about our future. This optimism is even stronger if we take account of the fact that in order to discharge this very difficult but morally challenging task, our national and regional capacity, and political will are coupled with the measures contained in the Plan of Action adopted by this Summit.

I am convinced that the implementation of this Plan of Action, the measures of which I endorse, will bring substantial gains in the struggle against malnutrition and will also foster a major improvement in the food security systems of affected countries.