Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume E–14, Part 1, Documents on the United Nations, 1973–1976

143. Telegram 136529 From the Department of State to All Diplomatic and Consular Posts, June 25, 1974, 2111Z.¹ ²

June 25, 1974, 2111Z

TELEGRAM
Department of State
10697

R 252111Z JUN 74

FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO ALL DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR POSTS

STATE 136529

INFORM CONSULS
E.O. 11652: N/A
TAGS: EAGR

SUBJECT: WORLD FOOD CONFERENCE - VIEWS AFTER SECOND PREPCOM
REFERENCE STATE 10697

1. THIS MESSAGE WILL BRING POSTS UP TO DATE ON US PREPARATIONS FOR WORLD FOOD CONFERENCE AND OUR VIEW OF HOW ISSUES APPEAR TO BE DEVELOPING AFTER TWO SESSIONS OF PREPARATORY COMMITTEE.

2. CONFERENCE SECRETARIAT - WFC SECGEN MAREI HAS SO FAR DONE FINE JOB IN DIRECTING ATTENTION OF PARTICIPATING GOVERNMENTS TO PRIORITY ISSUES, URGING REALISM IN CONSIDERATION BOTH ISSUES AND OBJECTIVES AND WORKING TO AVOID CONFRONTATIONAL BLOC APPROACH TO PROBLEMS. FAO HAS THUS FAR PLAYED MAJOR ROLE IN SECRETARIAT PREPARATIONS BUT DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL JOHN HANNAH (FORMER AID ADMINISTRATOR) HAS ORGANIZED TOP INTERNATIONAL EXPERT STAFF AND IS NOW PLAYING KEY PART IN SECRETARIAT ACTIVITIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS.

3. SECOND PREPCOM - GENEVA MEETING JUNE 4-8 OF SECOND SESSION PREPCOM APPROVED MODIFIED VERSION PROVISIONAL AGENDA FOR WFC AND DISCUSSED AT LENGTH ASSESSMENT OF WORLD FOOD SITUATION. IN ASSESSMENT REVIEW, LDC’S EMPHASIZED IMPORTANCE INCREASED PRODUCTION IN THEIR COUNTRIES AND CONSEQUENT NEED FOR AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE, TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AND FINANCING OF NECESSARY INPUTS, PARTICULARLY FERTILIZER. REDUCTIONS IN BARRIERS TO THEIR EXPORTS AND LONGER TERM ARRANGEMENTS FOR FOOD AID WERE ALSO CONSISTENT ELEMENTS OF LDC PRESENTATIONS. EASTERN EUROPEANS AND SOVIETS AVOIDED DISCUSSION OF SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES, STRESSING IDEOLOGICAL SHORTCOMINGS OF ASSESSMENT, I.E., ABSENCE OF REFERENCE TO NEED FOR FUNDAMENTAL REFORM OF SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC STRUCTURES. DC’S SPOKE OF NEED FOR UPDATING INFORMATION, PREPARING PROJECTIONS BASED ON ALTERNATIVE ASSUMPTIONS, AND IMPROVING ANALYSIS TO DEFINE PROBLEM AREAS MORE CLOSELY. DC’S EXPRESSED GENERAL SUPPORT FOR INCREASED FOOD PRODUCTION IN LDC’S, CONTINUED FOOD AID AND PRUDENT LEVEL OF WORLD FOOD STOCKS.

4. WORK ON AGENDA ALSO DEMONSTRATED HIGH LEVEL LDC CONCERN WITH FOOD PRODUCTION AND OBTAINING FROM DC’S MEANS OF INCREASING THEIR PRODUCTION PREFERABLY ON CONCESSIONAL TERMS. SOME RELUCTANCE ACCEPT NEED TO IMPROVE THEIR OWN POLICIES AND PRIORITIES IF MORE AID WERE TO BE JUSTIFIED AND FOOD GOALS WERE TO BE REACHED, BUT UNDER PRESSURE DC’S POINT ACCEPTED IN PRINCIPLE. ON TRADE ITEM, LDC’S FOLLOWED ARGENTINE LEAD AND INSISTED ON INCLUSION OF EXPANSION OF EXPORT MARKETS FOR LDC’S.

5. (SUBSTANTIVE PORTIONS OF PROVISIONAL AGENDA FOLLOW.) NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMMES OF ACTION: (A) MEASURES FOR INCREASING FOOD PRODUCTION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WITHIN THE WIDER FRAMEWORK OF DEVELOPMENT; (B) POLICIES AND PROGRAMMES FOR IMPROVING CONSUMPTION PATTERNS IN ALL COUNTRIES, AND AIMING AT ENSURING ADEQUATE AVAILABILITY OF FOOD IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES PARTICULARLY TO VULNERABLE GROUPS; (C) THE STRENGTHENING OF WORLD FOOD SECURITY THROUGH MEASURES INCLUDING INTER ALIA A BETTER EARLY WARNING AND FOOD INFORMATION SYSTEM, MORE EFFECTIVE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL STOCKHOLDING POLICIES AND IMPROVED ARRANGEMENTS FOR EMERGENCY RELIEF AND FOOD AID; (D) SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES AND MEASURES IN THE AREA OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND ADJUSTMENT WHICH ARE RELEVANT TO THE FOOD PROBLEM, INCLUDING MEASURES TOWARD STABILIZATION, AND EXPANSION OF MARKETS FOR EXPORTS FROM DEVELOPING COUNTRIES; (E) ARRANGEMENTS FOR FOLLOW-UP ACTION INCLUDING APPROPRIATE OPERATIONAL MACHINERY ON RECOMMENDATIONS OR RESOLUTIONS OF THE CONFERENCE.

6. SECOND PREPCOM IN GENERAL SHOWED MUCH HIGHER LEVEL OF ACTIVITY AND REASONABLE AMOUNT OF COHESION AMONG LDC’S WHO CAUCUSED SEVERAL TIMES IN REGIONAL GROUPINGS AND AS G-77 WHILE SEVERAL INTERVENTIONS MADE ON BEHALF 77 BY ALGERIAN AS THEIR LEADER, ON OTHER ISSUES THERE WAS FREQUENT INDIVIDUAL OR EVEN BLOC DISAGREEMENT, WITH LATIN AMERICAN GROUP MOST OFTEN ALONE. WEO’S HAD ONE GOOD MEETING BUT PRESENTED NO AGREED POSITIONS. WHILE TRADE RECEIVED CONSIDERABLE ATTENTION FROM LDC’S, WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT TRADE DEBATES WITH THEM WILL NOT LOOM SO LARGE IN WFC AS TO CONSTITUTE SERIOUS ADVERSE ELEMENT.

7. JUDGING FROM THEIR BEHAVIOR THUS FAR, EASTERN EUROPEANS AND SOVIETS MAY BE FAIRLY NEUTRAL FACTOR IN WFC. SEVERAL INTERVENTIONS MADE ON BEHALF OF GROUP BUT OTHERS NOT SO DESCRIBED. TWICE THEIR PROPOSALS ATTACKED BY LDC’S AND PROMPTLY ABANDONED. IN DISCUSSION AGENDA, THEY PROVED WARY NOT ONLY OF MENTION STOCKPILING AND FOOD AID BUT INCREASED AID TO LDC FOOD PRODUCTION AS WELL. WHILE SOVIETS HAVE DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL IN SECRETARIAT, HE HAS NOT ASSUMED ACTIVE ROLE.

8. AMONG DC’S, MAJOR GRAIN PRODUCERS HAVE SHOWN HIGHEST LEVEL OF PREPARATION AND CONCERN. HOWEVER, EUROPEAN COMMUNITY IS SHOWING INCREASED INTEREST AND HAS EXPRESSED DESIRE CONSULT CLOSELY WITH U.S. AS POSITIONS ARE DEVELOPED. GERMAN DELEGATE MADE SEVERAL INTERVENTIONS ON BEHALF EC BUT UNITY NOT MAINTAINED ON ALL ISSUES. U.S.-EC DIFFERENCES ON TRADE POLICIES STILL EVIDENT.

9. ON SPECIFIC WFC ISSUES, OUR POSITION ON ITEMS 3 AND 4 REMAINS AS STATED IN PARA 11D OF REFTEL WITH EMPHASIS ON NECESSITY OF NEED FOR JOINT DONOR-RECIPIENT ACTIONS. ON STOCKPILING, WE HAVE REITERATED OUR SUPPORT IN PRINCIPLE FOR THE PROPOSAL OF FAO DIRECTOR GENERAL BOERMA FOR AN INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM OF NATIONAL STOCKPILES. THIS INVOLVES INTERNATIONALLY AGREED GUIDELINES FOR NATIONAL RESERVE PROGRAMS, EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION ON NATIONAL RESERVES AND CROP PROSPECTS, AND REGULAR CONSULTATIONS ON THE RESERVE POLICIES OF PARTICIPATING GOVERNMENTS AND ON THE FUTURE WORLD SUPPLY-DEMAND SITUATION. MORE SPECIFIC U.S. POLICY ON FOOD AID AND FOOD RESERVES IS CURRENTLY UNDERGOING INTENSIVE EXAMINATION WITHIN THE U.S. GOVERNMENT.

10. OUR ATTITUDE ON TRADE IS FUNDAMENTALLY UNCHANGED FROM THAT STATED IN REFTEL. WE HAVE BEEN POINTING OUT TO LDC’S WITH SOME SUCCESS THAT INTERESTS OF MOST OF THEM LIE IN ASSURED IMPORTS OF BASIC FOOD PRODUCTS RATHER THAN DISCRIMINATION IN FAVOR OF THEIR FOOD EXPORTS, SINCE VAST MAJORITY OF THESE COUNTRIES ARE AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE FOR SOME TIME NET IMPORTERS OF SUCH COMMODITIES.

11. CONFERENCE TIMETABLE - THIRD PREPCOM IS SCHEDULED SEPTEMBER 23 - OCTOBER 5. AT THIS MEETING WE HOPE ARRIVE AT GENERAL AREAS OF AGREEMENT ON MAIN SUBSTANTIVE ITEMS AND LARGELY COMPLETE PREPARATION OF DRAFT RESOLUTIONS FOR APPROVAL AT WFC. THIRD PREPCOM WILL BE PRECEDED BY ONE WEEK WORKING GROUP MEETING TO REVIEW PROPOSALS PRESENTED BY INDIVIDUAL COUNTRIES ON SUCH TOPICS AS A WORLD FOOD BANK, AN AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT FUND AND WORLD DECLARATION ON HUNGER. PRIOR TO THESE MEETINGS, U.S. PLANS CONSULT WITH EC IN BRUSSELS AND WEO COUNTRIES UNDER OECD AUSPICES IN PARIS. AMBASSADOR MARTIN, U.S. COORDINATOR FOR WFC, WILL IN ADDITION BE VISITING NUMBER OF COUNTRIES IN ASIA, AFRICA AND LATIN AMERICA FOR DIRECT BILATERAL CONSULTATIONS.

12. POSTS ARE URGED TO SOLICIT VIEWS ON WFC ISSUES IN THEIR CONTINUING CONTACTS WITH HOST GOVERNMENTS AND REPORT SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS IN EVOLUTION HOST GOVERNMENT POSITIONS. SISCO

1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files. Limited Official Use. Drafted by E.A. Casey; cleared by Placke and Mills, and in the Departments of Treasury (in substance) and Agriculture; and approved by Martin.
2. The department informed posts about issues concerning the upcoming World Food Conference after two meetings of the Conference’s Preparatory Committee.