ETHIOPIA - ETHIOPIE - ETIOPIA

His Excellency Negaso Gidada, President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

I am extremely pleased to take the floor after having heard a great story about the beginning of the return of Rwandan refugees back home into Rwanda, after having been liberated from those who had held them hostage. It is indeed a great day.

I wish from the outset to thank most sincerely all those who have worked so much to make this Summit a reality. I wish most particularly to commend the Director-General of FAO for having taken this initiative to ensure the convening of this timely Summit. I would also like to take this opportunity to express appreciation to the Government of Italy for all the arrangements made to make the Summit a success.

Twenty-two years have passed since the 1974 World Food Conference which had proclaimed that "every man, woman and child has the inalienable right to be free from hunger and malnutrition" and set the goal of eradicating hunger from human society within a decade.

But we are still in a world in which a large proportion of the world's population, mostly in the developing world, continue to live below the poverty line, most of them chronically malnourished.

The kind of abject poverty we see in the world, mostly in the developing countries, cannot be justified at all. It cannot be explained by lack of capacity in an age which is characterized by material abundance and unimaginable technical growth. The responsibility for mistakes by individual countries for this cannot be ignored. Nor can it be said that the causes of the persistence of poverty are limited to what takes place within individual states. We must admit that collective efforts at the international level have left much to be desired. It is only enough to refer to the debt burden which continues to impede progress towards the alleviation of poverty by those who are determined to do all that is necessary at the national level.

In view of the fact that the causes of poverty, hunger and malnutrition are multidimensional, we should adopt an integrated approach if we are to succeed in arresting their continued spread. In this regard, the removal of the obstacles to the economic development of developing countries whether it is in connection with the debt overhang or in the area of trade requires greater international cooperation.

The population of Africa is growing at almost twice the rate of growth of food production. A continent that can easily feed itself has to import 25 percent of its food. Hunger is rampant. The conditions faced by women in particular are most pressing.

Thus, to achieve food security in Africa, boosting domestic agricultural food production is a must. Access to food must be improved through overall economic development emphasizing agricultural, and rural development.

In this context, international support for those who are determined to transform their agricultural sectors on which the overwhelming majority of their peoples depend for their livelihoods, is vital. For countries such as Ethiopia the expanded use of irrigation is crucial in this regard. It is impossible to have sustainable agricultural growth while remaining perennially dependent on unreliable precipitation; thus the vital need for equitable utilization of the waters of international watercourses. This is especially a must in regions where countries are exposed to recurrent droughts and where, because of a variety of reasons, the status quo regarding the utilization of transboundary rivers is patently unjust and inequitable. Countries and international organizations cannot continue to turn a blind eye to this issue which is supported neither by moral considerations nor by political wisdom. Problems of this nature no doubt have potentially serious implications for peace and stability.

In this regard, the resolution of conflicts and the existence of peace is a prerequisite to achieving food security. It is our firmly held conviction that the democratization of society would contribute importantly to peace and stability, and by extension, to achieving food security.

Ethiopia is a country bestowed with abundant natural resources. But because of prolonged internal conflict and war, poor agricultural policies, backward agricultural technology and infrastructure as well as erratic weather, recurrent famine has been a feature of our country. Since the overthrow of the dictatorship in 1991 we have been concentrating on raising food production. First of all, it was necessary to free farmers from state intervention that had stifled their productive capacity. Farmers are permitted to grow what they wish and to sell their products anywhere at free market prices. On top of this, much more fertilizer is made available and provisions made for the greater use of extension services. Policies relating to population, women and investment that contribute to the achievement of food security were adopted in recent years.

Five years have passed since dictatorship was overthrown in my country, and an agricultural and rural-centred development strategy spanning five years is under implementation throughout the country.

The results achieved in the last two years have been very encouraging. We are producing more and more food and it is my belief that Ethiopia will be self-sufficient in food in a short span of time.

But our efforts can produce sustainable growth if the international climate is conducive and if our endeavours are not frustrated by the known impediments we face like the debt overhang.

It is my earnest hope that the Plan of Action that has been endorsed by the Summit will serve as a collective blueprint for the international community for joint action to eradicate poverty from a world which has no justification for allowing its widespread existence. No doubt, agreement on a course of action would mean little if what is agreed is not implemented. It is in this spirit that I wish to express my country's commitment to what we will decide at this Summit together.

We in Ethiopia have seen what it means to die of hunger and we will do everything in our power so that we never see those dark days again. Today, in this distinguished gathering, we join you in renewing our commitment to fight hunger and malnutrition and to achieve the great slogan "Food for All".