The 33rd FAO Conference
Rome, 19 - 26 November 2005
Agenda item 5: Review of the State of Food and Agriculture

General Statement by Minister of Agriculture Terje Riis-Johansen, Norway

Mr Chair,

1. Five years have passed since the Summit in New York gave us the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In September this year, the world’s leaders gathered again in New York, and reconfirmed their commitment to fighting hunger and poverty guided by the MDGs. But the September Summit also confirmed that despite a reduction in poverty at the global level, progress is too slow in too many regions.

2. The adoption of the Millennium Development Goals led to an increased awareness and understanding of the importance of agriculture and sustainable rural livelihoods in the fight against poverty. FAO ought to be a key player in these efforts. Regrettably, FAO has not been in the frontline among the UN agencies. We have repeatedly called for reforms. We have repeatedly called for a more focused FAO. We have repeatedly encouraged FAO to further develop and refine its comparative advantages. We have repeatedly stressed that these comparative advantages are its position as a global knowledge organization and that its focus should primarily be on its normative role. We have repeatedly urged FAO to align itself with the general reform processes within the UN system, both at country level and within the overall system.

3. Let there be no doubt, Norway is a firm supporter of FAO and the UN as a whole. Our political and financial investment in the UN system has been and will continue to be significant. Therefore, we are confident that our criticisms and expressions of concern will be understood as advice from a well-meaning friend.

4. That said, we are encouraged by recent developments in FAO. This year FAO published the report The Road Ahead on its role as regards the MDGs. The Independent External Evaluation is now on track, and we urge member states to assist in keeping up the momentum of the evaluation process. Finally, the Director General has presented us with his reform proposal. Much can be said about the timing, process and details. But Norway would like to stress that the proposal is generally in line with what we have been advocating. The Summit in September reaffirmed the necessity of UN reform, and the Director General’s proposal should be seen as part of this broader process. Norway strongly encourages the Director General and the organisation as a whole to continue their work for a more focused, efficient and relevant FAO. And we urge the member states to support these efforts.

Mr Chair,

5. The Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources. The Treaty has now entered into force. Norway would recommend that the governing body decides in consultation with the Director General, on a process for setting up a secretariat that will meet the functional requirements of this new instrument.

6. The establishment of the Global Crop Diversity Trust is well under way. Norway is pleased to be playing a role in facilitating, both politically and financially, the realization of this important project. I would also like to mention a very important initiative that will help to secure critical gene bank collections; The Svalbard Arctic Seed Depository. This would function as the ultimate safety net for the protection and conservation of crop genetic resources. Norway has decided to continue to develop the plans for the Svalbard Arctic seed depository. We invite the FAO member countries to support this exciting and important venture.

Mr. Chair

7. Norway is committed to the agricultural reform process as defined in the Doha mandate. For Norway it is important to reach a result, but it must also be a result we can live with. We are prepared to work towards full modalities for agricultural products in 2006.


8. Trade in agricultural products holds considerable potential for some developing countries. Norway is one of the few countries that have fully opened their markets to all least developed countries. However, imports from LDCs have not increased significantly since we did this in 2002. This clearly demonstrates the need for capacity building in LDCs if they are to benefit fully from trade preferences. In this context, I would also like to point out, as was recently underlined by the ACP-countries in the WTO negotiation, that continuing of long standing preferences is important for many developing countries.

Mr Chair,

9. FAO’s normative role is particularly important. One vital norm is gender equality. Women play a crucial role in agriculture in developing countries, and gender equality should be mainstreamed into all FAO activities. Furthermore, we know that the spread of HIV/AIDS is closely linked to lack of gender equality. We urge the Director-General to redouble his efforts in this regard. Norway would also like to point out, that for FAO to have credibility in these issues, it must look more carefully at how they are dealt with internally. We are concerned about the small number of female professionals in FAO. We suggest that FAO sets goals for improvements and gives the membership an update on the gender balance of professional staff at subsequent conferences.

10. FAO has had a number of successes in the field of normative work. I’ve already mentioned the Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources. Other, equally important, instruments are Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, Codex Alimentarius, the International Plant Protection Convention and the Voluntary Guidelines on the Right to Adequate Food. Norway calls on the member countries to adopt the voluntary guidelines, and welcomes FAO’s initiative to create a new entity to implement them.

Mr Chair,

11. We are deeply concerned about the alarming situation in forestry. Internationally binding instruments are much needed if we are to reverse the negative trend. FAO has been asked to take a lead among the international organisations in our efforts to achieve this. Norway welcomes the priority FAO gives to developing normative instruments, and we hope to see continued and intensified efforts in this field.

12. A key factor in rural development is access to land. But access is often not enough in itself. A lack of effective legal protection and formal policy systems at all levels leaves people vulnerable and with little opportunity for improving their economic and social conditions. Norway, together with the other Nordic countries, has been working actively to launch the new Commission for the Legal Empowerment of the Poor. We see this as an important instrument for reaching the Millennium Development Goals, and as an innovative approach to development. In this respect, we must, however, acknowledge the special situation of indigenous people.

13. Mr Chair, FAO is facing many challenges, and the threat of an avian flu pandemic has put further strains on the organisation in the past year. We commend FAO for the important lead it has taken in these efforts. We are pleased to announce that Norway has decided to respond to FAO’s appeal with the equivalent of USD 1.000.000, and that we are considering additional funds.

14. Norway has repeatedly pointed out the importance of a holistic approach to food safety and quality, and we therefore welcome the introduction of this approach as presented in the Director General’s reform proposal and as implemented in the fight against avian flu. The threat of avian flu also highlights the importance of a “farm to table approach”, where safeguarding public health is the ultimate goal.

14. While every effort should be done to tap already committed resources for fighting a pandemic, new and fresh money will be needed. We must avoid a situation where funds that have been allocated to other priority activities are diverted to the fight against an influenza pandemic. We would welcome a common UN appeal as soon as possible, based on the information we received at the meeting in Geneva two weeks ago. We are facing a global public health threat and in Norway’s view, we share a collective responsibility for providing adequate response. Norway has therefore suggested that burden-sharing among Member States could be based on the UN scale for contributions.

15. In conclusion, Mr. Chair, Norway is committed to achieving the Millennium Development Goals. We will continue our long-term commitment to international development. We remain committed to increasing our efforts in the area of rural development. FAO is a key partner in these efforts and Norway will continue as a staunch supporter of a reformed FAO that is able to deal efficiently with the many challenges ahead.

Thank you for your attention.