The minister of development cooperation, Ms. Kari Nordheim-Larsen

General Statement at the 28th FAO Conference

Rome, 20 October - 2 November 1995

Mr. Chairman,

On behalf of the Norwegian Government I would like to congratulate you and your Vice-Chairmen upon your elections.

I also want to congratulate the Director-General, Mr. Jacques Diouf, for the preparations made for this Conference, his first as Director-General.

It is with great pleasure I welcome the new members of FAO, Azerbaijan Republic, Georgia, Moldova, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. This marks another important step towards making FAO a fully universal organisation.

Mr. Chairman,

The celebration of FAO's 50th anniversary in Quebec last week helped to draw the attention of the world community to a grim fact confronting us all: While some parts of the world struggle with overproduction, large parts of the world are hampered by hunger, malnutrition and lack of food security. This situation poses immense challenges to the international community. FAO has a major role to play in the struggle for a world without hunger. We therefore fully endorse the Director General's efforts to put food security at the top of the international agenda.

Mr. Chairman,

Food security is far more than food production and food supply. It includes sustainable management of natural resources, nutritional level, distribution and access of resources. We therefore need to take a broad approach to food security. However, the key problem is poverty. I therefore believe that when we prepare for the World Food Summit, social and political aspects must be fully included.

My Government strongly believes that better distribution of incomes is indispensable for achieving food security. More equal distribution of resources among a country's citizens is first of all the responsibility of national governments. Greater efforts to improve the situation for the poorest segments of the population is called for. The poor should be given increased access to land, technology and credit. Governments must also give higher priority to agriculture and food production in their general development policy. Emphasis needs to be put on agricultural education and on the development of human resources for girls and women in particular.

The contribution of the international community is also vital. It is indeed regrettable that about half of the member states of this organisation are not able, or willing, to keep up to date with their assessed contribution. It is also sad to see the decline in extrabudgetary funding and in overall development aid. "Donor fatigue" is generally attributed to budgetary constraints in the industrialised world. However, the OECD average of ODA is only 0.34% of GNP, thus one should rather talk of budgetary priorities.

Mr. Chairman,

The role of women in achieving food security can not be overestimated. Women are often the principal agricultural producers and have often the best knowledge of food systems and agriculture. In many parts of the world women farmers are suffering from lack of access to land and insecure land tenure. This obstacle to food security must be eliminated. The Food Summit will be instrumental in promoting the necessary shifts in policy.

It is essential that the Plan of Action we approve at the World Food Summit does not become only a short term plan for increased production. What is needed is long-term action plan reflecting all the various environmental, economical, social and political aspects of Food Security. The success of the Summit will be measured upon the extent to which all the concerned actors at the national and the international level take the necessary actions. Obviously, FAO cannot alone ensure the entire follow-up of the World Food Summit. FAO must involve the whole international community, including the UN organisations concerned, the international financial institutions and all national governments, in all the steps leading up to the World Food Summit and in its follow-up.

Mr. Chairman,

Norway has for a long time supported FAO's work in the field of sustainable development. In our view, food security can not be separated from a sustainable system of production and distribution. One of the greatest challenges FAO is facing is to demonstrate how the agreements reached in Rio can be translated into action. This will be to the benefit of it's member countries in all regions, but particularly to developing countries. FAO must fully integrate environmental concerns into the organisation's traditional activities. This is not only a question of harmonising development needs and environmental goals. Sustainable development, according to Agenda 21, also entails secured access to productive resources, increased equity in sharing outputs, increased self-reliance and improved organisation of the society.

Without a clear emphasis on safeguarding the natural resource base by forward-looking environmental policies, development in the agricultural sector will not be sustainable and long term food security will remain a distant dream.

FAO is currently undertaking important tasks in relation to biodiversity. Next year we will have the Technical Conference on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture in Germany. It will lead to the adaptation of a Global Plan of Action which could become an extremely important instrument in maintaining the variety of cultivated crops. A successful outcome of the ongoing work on the International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources is vital for the continued progress in plant breeding and for securing the future genetic base for the food production we all will depend on. Norway strongly supports FAO in these assignments.

Mr. Chairman,

FAO has a main role to play as a leading international organisation for the utilisation and conservation of living aquatic resources. Fisheries and aquaculture contribute to a balanced diet and are becoming increasingly important in satisfying global nutritional needs. We therefore welcome the initiative taken jointly by FAO and the Government of Japan to organise a conference on the role of fisheries in food security in Kyoto later this year.

We have actively supported FAO's work on drafting a Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, and do welcome the draft Code as submitted to this Conference. We believe the Code is important in setting principles for global acceptable practices which will ensure the sustainable development of all our living marine resources.

Norway has for a number of years put great effort on establishing joint management regimes in order to protect the marine resources from over-exploitation and promoting a long term sustainability on at optimum level. Based on our own experiences, Norway has for two decades supported a number of developing countries in marine research and fisheries management, often in close cooperation with FAO.

Mr. Chairman,

There is a strengthened atmosphere of partnership in trade and development as a result of the Uruguay Round. We must, however, not forget the challenges facing the poorest countries before they can benefit from the liberalisation of trade. The newly established WTO may become instrumental in assisting the Least Developed Countries in taking advantage of the trade regime. To this end, it is my intention to make the first contribution to a Technical Assistance Fund to be administrated by WTO.

The recent Mid-term Review of the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries demonstrated clearly that the world community today stands at a crossroad. There is a grave danger that the way may lead to a widened global poverty gap. If this gap is to shrink, the least developed countries themselves must strengthen their national policies. At the same time the international measures in favour of these countries must be improved. The notion of partnership between recipients and donors in the Programme of Action must also include the multilateral institutions. In this context, I have appreciated that the Director General has stressed the importance for FAO to focus it's attention on the countries where the need is greatest.

Mr. Chairman,

This FAO Conference takes place at a time when the United Nations as a whole is facing new challenges and is entrusted with an enlarged range of activities. There is a strong feeling among members of the UN system that increased efficiency and improved performance of the UN system is necessary. In these efforts to reform the UN to meet the challenges of the next century, FAO will have to play its vital part. Attention has been on the lack of coordination and joint efforts of the UN's activities at country level. In my view there is a need to strengthen further the role of the UN Coordinators. Furthermore the new Country Strategy Notes may become an important tool in creating a more coherent UN at the field level. In order for this to be achieved, however, FAO and the other specialised agencies must find their roles as partners in the system, and respect the overall responsibilities of the UN Coordinator, and accept that FAO activities in the country are part of a coherent UN programme.

At the same time the UN system, FAO included, is confronting a deep financial crisis. The work of FAO is dependent on the participation of all countries for achieving common goals and for the formulation of common guidelines on policies, laws and strategies. To conclude, let me therefore stress the importance of reaching a consensus during this Conference on an appropriate Programme of Work and Budget for this important organisation.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.