130. Telegram 206146 From the Department of State to Certain Diplomatic Posts, October 17, 1973, 2227Z,.1 2
TELEGRAM
Department of State
206146
P 172227Z OCT 73
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO AMEMBASSY ROME PRIORITY
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY
INFO AMEMBASSY
BUENOS AIRES PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY
LONDON PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY PARIS
PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY BONN PRIORITY
USMISSION OECD PARIS PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
PRIORITY
USMISSION EC BRUSSELS
PRIORITY
USLO PEKING PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY MEXICO
PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI
PRIORITY
USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
PRIORITY
STATE 206146
E.O. 11652: N/A
TAGS: EAGR, FAO, IT,
UN
SUBJECT: WORLD FOOD CONFERENCE
REF: USUN 3753, ROME 10998
ROME FOR FODAG
1. THE FOLLOWING MAY BE USED AS INTERIM GUIDANCE IN RESPONDING TO INQUIRIES REGARDING THE U.S. PROPOSAL FOR A WORLD FOOD CONFERENCE.
2. IN HIS ADDRESS TO THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON SEPTEMBER 24 SECRETARY KISSINGER PROPOSED “THAT A WORLD FOOD CONGRESS BE ORGANIZED UNDER UNITED NATIONS AUSPICES IN 1974 TO DISCUSS WAYS TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE FOOD SUPPLIES, AND TO HARNESS THE EFFORTS OF ALL NATIONS TO MEET THE HUNGER AND MALNUTRITION RESULTING FROM NATURAL DISASTERS.”
3. PROCEDURE: ON OCTOBER 9, AT OUR REQUEST, AN ITEM ENTITLED “CONVOCATION OF A WORLD FOOD CONFERENCE UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE UNITED NATIONS” WAS INSCRIBED ON THE UNGA AGENDA AND ASSIGNED TO SECOND COMMITTEE (ECONOMIC, FINANCIAL). WE WILL REQUEST SECOND COMMITTEE TO REFER ITEM TO 55TH SESSION OF ECOSOC WHICH WILL MEET IN RESUMED SESSION OCTOBER 15-18. IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT ECOSOC, CHARGED WITH COORDINATION IN UN SYSTEM, WILL REQUEST THAT FAO CONSULT WITH ITS GENERAL CONFERENCE WHICH WILL CONVENE NOVEMBER 10 AND REPORT TO ECOSOC ITS RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING WFC NO LATER THAN END OF NOVEMBER. ECOSOC IN TURN WOULD REPORT ITS VIEWS TO SECOND COMMITTEE. AFTER DUE CONSIDERATION WE ANTICIPATE THAT THE UNGA WOULD PASS A RESOLUTION (TO BE INTRODUCED BY U.S.) CALLING FOR THE HOLDING OF A WFC UNDER UN AUSPICES, AT A GIVEN TIME AND PLACE. THE RESOLUTION WOULD CONTAIN GENERAL TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE CONFERENCE.
4. PURPOSE: THE GENERAL PURPOSE WOULD BE TO EXPLORE DESIRABILITY AND FEASIBILITY OF VARIOUS MEASURES OF INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION TO COPE WITH WORLD-WIDE PROBLEMS WHICH COULD ARISE FROM POSSIBLE SERIOUS IMBALANCES IN SUPPLY AND DEMAND FOR FOOD, INCLUDING THOSE CAUSED BY WIDESPREAD CROP FAILURE, INCREASING PRESSURE ON FOOD SUPPLIES RESULTING FROM POPULATION GROWTH AND RISING INCOMES, AND THE FAILURE OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AS A WHOLE TO INCREASE FOOD PRODUCTION RAPIDLY ENOUGH TO IMPROVE OVER-ALL NUTRITIONAL LEVELS. PURPOSE WOULD ALSO INCLUDE SIMILAR EXPLORATION WITH REGARD TO INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION TO IMPROVE DISASTER RELIEF FOR LOCALIZED EMERGENCIES. WE HOPE THAT THE CONFERENCE CAN EXAMINE SERIOUSLY IDEAS AND INITIATIVES WHICH ARE ALREADY BEING DEVELOPED, AS WELL AS ANY NEW PROPOSALS WHICH MAY BE PUT FORWARD.
5. WE ARE DEVELOPING SPECIFIC IDEAS CONCERNING THE AGENDA FOR THE CONFERENCE AND PLAN TO CONSULT WITH MAJOR FOOD PRODUCING AND IMPORTING COUNTRIES PRIOR TO OFFERING AN APPROPRIATE DRAFT RESOLUTION FOR UNGA CONSIDERATION.
6. AUSPICES: THE UNITED NATIONS SECRETARIAT HAS LITTLE EXPERTISE IN THE AREA OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE. THE FAO, LOCATED IN ROME, HAS THE STAFF AND FACILITIES NECESSARY FOR PREPARING THE CONFERENCE. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE SOVIET UNION IS NOT A MEMBER OF FAO. ACCORDINGLY, THE WFC SHOULD BE HELD UNDER UN AUSPICES, BUT WE WOULD PREFER THAT THE FAO SECRETARIAT PARTICIPATE IN A MAJOR WAY IN PREPARING FOR THE CONFERENCE. THIS WOULD INCLUDE FAO CONFERENCE COMMENTS REFERRED TO IN PARA 3, BUT THE MAJOR FAO INPUT WOULD COME AFTER PASSAGE OF THE UN RESOLUTION SETTING UP THE CONFERENCE.
7. LEVEL OF REPRESENTATION: WE BELIEVE THAT THE CONFERENCE WOULD HAVE GREATEST IMPACT IF IT WERE HELD AT THE MINISTERIAL LEVEL. IT SHOULD BE MADE CLEAR THAT WE CONTEMPLATE CONFERENCE ATTENDED BY REPRESENTATIVES OF MEMBER GOVERNMENTS--NOT AN OPEN MEETING ATTENDED BY PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS SUCH AS THE FIRST AND SECOND WORLD FOOD CONGRESSES.
8. TIMING: AT THIS TIME WE CANNOT PROVIDE ANY SPECIFIC GUIDANCE ON TIMING AND DURATION. CONCRETE PREPARATION OF THE CONFERENCE CANNOT BEGIN, HOWEVER, UNTIL THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ACTS ON OUR PROPOSAL--WHICH MAY BE AS LATE AS MID-DECEMBER. OUR EXPERIENCE INDICATES THAT MANY MONTHS MAY BE REQUIRED FOR ADEQUATE PREPARATION.
9. LOCATION: NO SPECIFIC GUIDANCE. FYI WE WISH TO HOLD OUR OPTIONS OPEN AMONG THE FOLLOWING BASIC ALTERNATIVES: (1) UNITED STATES--HOLDING WFC IN U.S. WOULD PERMIT US TO CAPITALIZE IN POLITICAL TERMS ON OUR INITIATIVE, BUT MIGHT UNJUSTIFIABLY HEIGHTEN EXPECTATIONS REGARDING U.S. ACTIONS AND INCREASE POSSIBILITY WE WOULD BE EXPECTED TO MEET BASIC COSTS. (2) ROME--WOULD PERMIT USE OF FAO CONFERENCE FACILITIES AND STAFF AND PROBABLY SAVE ON COSTS, BUT MIGHT BE LESS ATTRACTIVE TO UN AND OTHER SPECIALIZED AGENCIES. (3) ANOTHER SITE--MIGHT BE ATTRACTIVE ALTERNATIVE IF HOST GOVERNMENT OFFERED TO FINANCE BASIC COSTS, BUT U.S. WOULD LOSE SOME CREDIT FOR ITS INITIATIVE. END FYI.
10. ADDRESSEES SHOULD REPORT ANY REACTION GOVERNMENTS AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS TO ABOVE. KISSINGER
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files. Limited Official Use; Priority. Drafted by Mills; cleared in IO, USDA, NSC, EB, and S/S; and approved by Popper. Sent to Rome, USUN, Buenos Aires, Canberra, London, Ottawa, Paris, Bonn, the Delegation to the OECD in Paris, Brussels, the Mission to the EC in Brussels, Beijing, Moscow, Brasilia, Mexico City, Tokyo, New Delhi, the Mission to the U.N. in Geneva, and the Hague. The U.S. proposal to convoke a World Food Conference under U.N. auspices was circulated as U.N. Document A/9194. Kissinger’s September 1974 address to the United Nations General Assembly is scheduled for publication in Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, volume XXXVIII, Foundations and Organization of Foreign Policy, 1973–1976.↩
- The Department provided information to posts concerning the U.S. proposal for a World Food Conference.↩