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312. The Conference felt that the figure of $750 million mentioned in the draft resolution was a realistic one, especially when considered in the light of the fact that the pledging target of $440 million set for the period 1975-76 had already been passed by $160 million, and that total contributions for the period might eventually reach the $650 million mark.

313. The Conference noted that the provisional agenda adopted for the first session of the Committee on Food Aid Policies and Programmes included a review of the progress made in implementing the recommendation of the World Food Conference on food aid policies; the establishment of minimum food aid targets for dairy and fish products, and oils and fats, at the request of the World Food Council; and a review of the progress made toward earmarking stocks and/or funds for an emergency reserve to be placed at the disposal of WFP pending the establishment of a food grain reserve as recommended by the Seventh Special Session of the UN General Assembly. In this connexion it noted that the establishment of such a reserve would enable the Programme to respond rapidly and effectively to requests for emergency assistance without the need of special appeals for the purpose, and would free more of its resources for activities in the field of social and economic development.

314. The Conference unanimously endorsed the draft resolution, and considered the target figure of $750 million acceptable; although many delegates felt that it should be considered as a minimum. The hope was expressed that not only would traditional donors increase their normal pledges, but that new donors - especially developing countries in a position to do so would come forward, and that those which had been occasional donors in the past would become regular donors.

315. The Conference expressed the hope that the high standards of performance of the World Food Programme secretariat under the guidance of the Executive Director over the last seven and a half years should be maintained in the future. The opinion was expressed that the Programme was now well able to handle significantly greater quantities of resources, for operations over an expanded field.

316. The Conference noted with satisfaction the advantages of multilateral food-aid activities as exemplified by WFP.

317. The Conference emphasized the desirability of implementing forms of forward planning for ensuring regular resources to the Programme which ought not to depend only upon surpluses as the source of supplies. It noted with satisfaction that the cash resources of the Programme, which could well be augmented in consequence, were being utilized for the local purchase in developing countries of necessary commodities, thereby encouraging agricultural production in those countries indirectly as well as for projects aimed at increasing food production directly - the only long-term solution to the problem of world hunger. The desirability of using to a greater extent carriers belonging to developing countries, whenever this might be possible, was also mentioned.

318. General approval was expressed that so large a portion (80 percent) of the Programme's resources had, during 1975, been committed for development projects in the LDCs and MSA countries as well as those which had just acceded to independence. One delegate in stressing the need to give assistance to newly independent countries in Africa and to liberation movements in Southern Africa, recognized by OAU, also supported the idea that the Committee on Food Aid Policies and Programmes of WFP should discuss the question of collaboration with UNHCR on assistance to refugees from Chile.

319. The Conference recommended the intensification of food aid to the newly independent countries, particularly Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique and Sao Tomé e Principe. Several delegates recommended that food aid should also be extended to all liberation movements which were recognized by the UN General Assembly or the OAU, and which were struggling against foreign domination or racism.1/

[ 1/ The following delegations did not accept the term "racism" if that term was understood as including Zionism:

In this connexion other delegates expressed their object ions and reservations. Furthermore several delegates stressed the importance of providing food aid to the Chilean resistance movements, political prisoners and refugees. Other delegates expressed disagreement with this idea since this involves interference in the national sovereignty of a member country. The Conference requested the Executive Director of the World Food Programme to study carefully these proposals and recommendations and make a submission to the next session of the Committee on Food Aid Policies and Programmes, which would take into consideration that any action should not conflict with the terms of reference of the World Food Programme.

320. The Conference then adopted the following resolution:

Resolution 19/75

TARGET FOR WFP PLEDGES FOR THE PERIOD 1977/78

THE CONFERENCE,

Recalling the provisions of Resolution 4/65 that the World Food Programme is to be reviewed before each pledging conference,

Recalling the provisions of operative paragraph 4 of its Resolution 4/73 of 28 November 1973 that, subject to the review mentioned above, the next pledging conference should be convened at the latest early in 1976, at which time governments should be invited to pledge contributions for 1977 and 1978, with a view to reaching such a target as may be then recommended by the General Assembly and the Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations,

Noting that the review of the Programme was undertaken by the Intergovernmental Committee of the World Food Programme at its Twenty-Seventh Session and by the FAO Council at its Sixty Sixth Session,

Having considered Resolution 1/66 of the Council, as well as the recommendations of the Intergovernmental Committee,

Recognizing the value of multilateral food aid as implemented by WFP since its inception and the necessity for continuing its action both as a form of capital investment and for meeting emergency food needs,

(Adopted 27 November 1975)

321. The Conference emphasized the importance of the outcome of the Seventh Special Session of the UN General Assembly which was regarded as a turning point in terms of both the substantive agreements achieved and the spirit of cooperation that infused the deliberations. It indicated its support for Resolution 3362 (S-VII) on Development and International Economic Cooperation which should provide a framework and guidelines for the Organization's future work.

322. In discussing the Resolution, the relevance of its various sections to other issues under different agenda items of the Conference was stressed, including the review of longer-term trends and policies, FAO's programme of work and medium-term objectives, a comprehensive strategy for agricultural commodities, guidelines for international agricultural adjustment, international agricultural research and development of agro-industries. Attention was also drawn to the relevance of the Resolution to animal husbandry and zootechnical research.

323. The Conference welcomed in particular the support of the UN General Assembly for strengthening the three pillars of world food policy, namely: increasing food production in developing countries; strengthening of world food security; and improving consumption patterns and nutrition.

324. The Conference stressed that in gearing its programmes and policies to accord with the objectives of the Resolution relevant to FAO's work, FAO should re-examine its own relationship with other bodies of the UN system. Particular reference in this connexion was made to transfer of resources in the agricultural sector. FAO was urged to further develop its relationship with financial institutions such as the World Bank and the Regional Banks, as well as providing cooperation to the proposed International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) , so as to facilitate the flow of resources for increased agricultural production. In this connexion, a number of delegates welcomed the commitment by developed countries for an increase in official development assistance. Similarly. supporting the recommendations of the Resolution on international trade, the need was stressed for forging links between the work of FAO, especially that of its Committee on Commodity Problems (CCP), and the activities of UNCTAD and GATT, with a view to facilitating integrated consideration of production and trade aspects on the one hand, and to avoid duplication of work and efforts on the other hand. The hope was expressed that FAO would be fully associated in the preparatory work and follow-up of the decisions of the forthcoming UNCTAD.

325. The Conference underlined the importance of the promotion of processing of raw materials in producing developing countries, as foreseen in paragraph 1.3(e) of the General Assembly's resolution, in order that they might benefit from the value added, increased employment, and intensification and diversification of exports to the developed countries.

326. Under industrial cooperation while developed countries were called upon to encourage participation by their enterprises in development projects within the framework of the development plans and programmes of the developing countries, such participation should be carried out in accordance with the laws and regulations of the developing countries concerned. The developing countries were called upon to encourage the enterprises of developed countries to participate in their development. In this context, it wee pointed out that the Industry Cooperative Programme (ICP) had been working on these lines and that there was need for an intensification of the efforts of ICP in agro-allied industries. With respect to science and technology, besides stressing the need for transfer of technology from developed to developing countries' emphasis was laid on the transmittal between developing countries of know-how, skills and technology, and FAO was urged to facilitate this process.

327. With reference to Section (v) of the Resolution, on food and agriculture, the Conference noted that it reaffirmed a number of resolutions of the World Food Conference. The Committee on World Food Security wee requested to examine the implementation of the principles, objectives and guidelines on the International Undertaking on World Food Security ant the Conference urged a speedy conclusion to the relevant international discussions and negotiations going on in the appropriate fore. Particular importance wee attached to achieving a consensus on the level of world food grain stocks. The recommendation of the Seventh Special Session of the UN General Assembly to earmark stocks and/or funds for an emergency reserve with a target of not less than 500 000 tone to be placed at the disposal of the World Food Programme, pending the establishment of a food grain reserve, was welcomed . Supply of inputs, especially fertilizers and pesticides, wee crucial to increasing food production in developing countries. The Conference called for an adequate and speedy response to the Seventh Special Session's recommendations and to the appeal by the Director-General for contributions to the International Fertilizer Supply Scheme, as well as increased bilateral aid, to enable the most severely affected countries to obtain their fertilizer requirements during 1975-76. Particular importance was also attached to the General Assembly's call for a halving of post-harvest food losses by 1985, to which the Organization should respond vigorously and effectively.

328. The Conference noted that a number of subjects discussed at the Seventh Special Session were likely to be the subject of further negotiations at the forthcoming Conference on International Economic Cooperation, which would be opening at Ministerial level in Paris in mid-December 1975. The Conference authorized the Director-General to arrange for FAO's participation in the work of the IEC Conference as envisaged in the Final Declaration of the last Preparatory Meeting.

329. In the period since November 1974, the decisions taken at the World Food Conference and subsequently endorsed by the UN General Assembly had led to the creation of the World Food Council and the Consultative Group on Food Production and Investment in Developing Countries, whilst substantial progress had been made toward the creation of an International Fund for Agricultural Development. The Conference reviewed the terms of reference of the World Food Council and the Consultative Group on Food Production and Investment, their initial activities and their relationship with FAO as it had developed so far. It also discussed the possible future relationship between FAO and the International Fund for Agricultural Development.

330. The Conference felt that the objectives pursued by governments in deciding on the establishment of these new bodies would only be met insofar as they led to a major intensification of substantive action at the international level to resolve the world food problem especially in the area of production. FAO remained the agency with primary responsibility for questions of food and agriculture within the United Nations system, and the role of the new organs should be to carry out teaks that went beyond FAO's mandate, including the coordination of inter-sectoral approaches to the food problem. In this connexion the Conference noted that relationships between FAO and the other bodies dealing with foot and agriculture would probably be reviewed by the ad hoc Committee on the Restructuring of the Economic and Social Sectors of the United Nations System, set up under UN General Assembly Resolution 3362 (S-VII).

331. The Conference recalled that the basic terms of reference of the World Food Council had been laid down in World Food Conference Resolution XXII. It felt, however, that there should be a clearer and more specific demarcation of functions and responsibilities between FAO and the World Food Council, in order to avoid possible confusion of action at governmental level. The secretariat arrangements for servicing the World Food Council were reviewed, and here again the Conference felt that there wee need for further clarification of the respective responaibilities of the United Nations and FAO. In the Conference's view, FAO should carry out for the World Food Council all technical work in the Organization's fields of competence, thus providing the basis for the World Food Council to take decisions of a policy nature. In this connexion, it was recalled that the World Food Council, at its first session, had stated that its secretariat "should be small and of high professional competence, ant should draw fully on the expertise of other agencies, especially FAO". The Conference also noted that, as recorded in the report of the Sixty-Seventh Council Session, a provisional agreement had been reached between the Director-General and the United Nations Secretariat on a possible basis for apportioning costs between the United Nations and FAO. The Conference felt that it could give only interim approval to the arrangements envisaged, pending a review of the question by the Sixty-Ninth Council Session, on the basis of a report which should be submitted by the Director-General. The Conference also felt that the Council at that session should consider a draft arrangement covering the relationship between FAO and the World Food Council, which could then be transmitted for final approval by the Conference at its following session.

332. Reservations were expressed by some delegates over the procedure adopted for the appointment of the Executive Director of the World Food Council. It was pointed out that the procedure which should be adopted in future, the title, functions and responsibilities of the post, as well as the organization of the Secretariat, were under consideration by the ad hoc Working Group on the Rules of Procedure of the World Food Council.

333. The Conference noted and endorsed the arrangements envisaged by the FAO Council for relationships with the Consultative Group on Food Production and Investment. Here again, it felt that there should be no duplication of functions at secretariat level, and that the work of the Consultative Group should be kept under regular review by the Council to ensure complementarily of action with FAO.

334. The Conference felt that the successful establishment of the International Fund for Agricultural Development would be an event of major importance, in the first place for the developing countries, but also for FAO. The Organization should do everything possible to facilitate the creation of the Fund, the start of its activities and the effective conduct of its operations. Since it was envisaged that the Fund was to be established as a Specialized Agency, its relations with FAO should be studied and governed by a formal agreement. The Conference therefore requested the Director-General to prepare negotiations for such an agreement for approval by the Council and Conference.

335. At the outcome of its debate, the Conference noted the proposed resolution on relations between FAO, the United Nations and the International Fund for Agricultural Development and requested that it be incorporated in the Resolution on the Implementation of the New International Economic Order within the Ambit of FAO

336. The Conference noted that FAO's activities related to assistance to African Liberation Movements had been welcomed by the other UN bodies. The Conference endorsed ECOSOC Resolution 1978 (LIX) urging all Specialized Agencies to accelerate the full and speedy implementation of the relevant resolutions. It urged the intensification of assistance to the newly independent States of Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, Sao Tomé e Principe, and Mozambique. Considering the unsettled conditions, special programmes should be launched to assist Angola.

337. The Conference emphasized the importance of the concept of collective self-reliance through Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries (TCDC), and recalled the provisions of UN General Assembly Resolution 3251 (XXIX), which inter alia invited the participating and executing agencies of the UN Development System to carry out the measures contained in the recommendations addressed to them in the report of the UNDP Working Group on TCDC. The Conference underscored those recommendations which urged the agencies to review their present procedures, organizational arrangements, programmes and projects, in order to develop and apply new concepts for promoting technical cooperation among developing countries; and to provide equitable opportunities to the developing countries for making their expertise, training facilities, equipment and consultancy services available for assistance programmes of the UN system. It was felt that the action so far taken by FAO did not constitute an adequate response to the relevant UN, ECOSOC and UNDP Governing Council recommendations, and that further action WAS needed. The Council should make periodic reviews of progress in this regard. In the context of technical cooperation among developing countries, the need was emphasized of using the national institutions for FAO's regular and extra-budgetary programmes. It was suggested that, though UNDP had been given a central promotional and coordination role, FAO initiatives should assist in ensuring that priorities of the agricultural sector received due attention in technical cooperation among developing countries.

338. The Conference welcomed the Director-General's initiatives concerning cooperation at the regional level with the UN bodies and other intergovernmental regional organizations, especially the support given to the ESCAP Committee on Agricultural Development and the arrangement to convene in 1976 a FAO/ECLA Latin-American Food Conference. The Conference also welcomed the establishment of an African Inter-Ministerial Committee which might represent the corresponding regional arm of the World Food Council, but stressed the need for clearly defining the responsibilities of the Comittee vis-à-vis the World Food Council and FAO.

339. The Conference was informed of Resolution 19 on "Agrometeorological activities in aid of food production" adopted by the Seventh Congress of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in the summer of 1975, in response to the recommendations addressed to WMO by the World Food Conference. The resolution aimed at ensuring the meteorological and climatological input into FAO's Global Information and Early Warning System on Food and Agriculture and, through assistance projects, at putting developing countries in a position to apply existing knowledge in the field of agrometeorology. The Conference welcomed this resolution and invited the Director-General to foster collaboration between FAO and WMO in respect of various activities related to increasing agricultural production and to related climate and weather factors and influences.

340. Several delegates invited the Director-General to consider increasing FAO's participation in the Common Register on Development Activities (CORE) established under the auspices of the Inter-Organization Board for Information Systems and Related Activities (IOB). The Director-General was also invited to examine the feasibility of making increased use of the International Computing Centre (ICC), Geneva, inter alia for AGRIS and CARIS.

341. The Conference noted with satisfaction the Recommendation and Convention on Rural Workers' Organizations and their Role in Economic and Social Development which was adopted by the Sixtieth Session of the ILO Conference (June 1975). The Director-General was requested to cooperate fully with ILO in assisting in its implementation by member countries, as many of the articles referred to matters also related to FAO's activities. As indicated in the Recommendation, it should be one of the objectives of national rural development policies to facilitate the establishment and growth, on a voluntary basis, of strong and independent organizations of rural workers as an effective means of ensuring their participation in economic and social development and the benefits resulting therefrom. National federations of rural workers should be represented on the boards of institutions and services for rural and agricultural development at national, provincial and local levels, and FAO should encourage this action . Some delegates urged that rural workers organizations should be associated with the implementation of FAO field projects, and if such organizations did not exist in the project area, the project should encourage their establishment and participation. FAO and UNDP should study ways and means to support projects proposed and directly carried out by rural workers organizations, which should be actively assisted by the government departments concerned, as well as by the FAO and UNDP country offices.

342. It was stressed that FAO should assist in informing public opinion on the problems, and on the positive roles and contributions of rural workers' organizations, thus helping better to appreciate the characteristics, behavior and problems of peasants and their organizations.

343. Finally, satisfaction was expressed at the envisaged intensification of cooperation with international trade union organizations; it was requested that the reports of forthcoming and other FAO consultations with trade unions be distributed to governments. Concerning regional consultations with trade unions in 1976 and 1977, it was suggested that governments be invited to participate and that concrete food and agricultural problems be included in the agenda.

344. The Conference requested the Director-General to report on progress made and actions undertaken during the biennium on this subject to the next FAO Conference.

345. The Conference took note of a report on some of the more significant developments in relations between FAO and intergovernmental organizations (other than the United Nations and Specialized Agencies), and international non-governmental organizations that had taken place since its Seventeenth Session. It also noted the report of an informal meeting of representatives of international non-governmental organizations attending the Eighteenth Session.

346. The Conference discussed a proposal for the establishment of official relations with the Latin American Economic System and adopted the following resolution:

Resolution 20/75

RELATIONS OF FAO WITH SELA

THE CONFERENCE,

Bearing in mind the decisions of the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean to establish the Latin American Economic System (Sistema Económic Latinoamericano) (SELA) as a regional organization to coordinate international relations and intensify cooperation between the countries Or the region in the international economic ambit,

Bearing in mind further that the mayor principles and objectives in the Constituent Convention of SELA are directed toward uniting the mutual interests and efforts of the member countries of the Latin American Region for the sake of cooperation and economic development to the advantage of their peoples,

Recognizing the need to strengthen regional cooperation within the ambit of food and agriculture and to strengthen relations between FAO, the Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLA) and SELA,

Considering the desirability of establishing close collaboration between the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Latin American Economic System,

(Adopted 26 November 1975)

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