157. Telegram 157672/Tosec 50126 From the Department of State to Secretary of State Kissinger, July 3, 1975, 1855Z.1 2
TELEGRAM
Department of State
157672
O 031855Z JUL 75
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO USDEL
SECRETARY IMMEDIATE
STATE 157672 TOSEC 050126
Exdis
E.O. 11652: GDS
TAGS: EAGR
SUBJECT: RESULTS OF THE WORLD FOOD COUNCIL
FOR SECRETARY FROM UNDER
SECRETARY ROBINSON.
SUMMARY: IN FIRST MEETING OF THE WORLD FOOD COUNCIL JUNE 23-27 IN ROME, LDC’S SHOWED MORE INTEREST IN MANEUVERING FOR POLITICAL CONTROL OF COUNCIL AND ITS SECRETARIAT THAN IN WORKING TO SOLVE THEIR OWN FOOD PROBLEMS. LATINS AND AFRICANS (LED BY SENEGAL, GUINEA AND MEXICO, BUT ABETTED BY ALGERIAN OBSERVER DELEGATION) WERE IN FOREFRONT OF DRIVE TO DEPOSE SECRETARIAT’S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JOHN HANNAH. ASIANS WERE MORE MODERATE AND EGYPTIAN MAREI, AS COUNCIL PRESIDENT, PLAYED GENERALLY HELPFUL ROLE. WHILE WE AND OTHER DEVELOPED COUNTRIES TRIED TO FOCUS COUNCIL WORK ON NEED TO EXPAND LDC PRODUCTION, LDC’S GENERALLY WERE DRIVING TOWARD ACTIONS WHICH DC’S SHOULD TAKE FOR THEM (EXPANDED FOOD AID, CREATION OF NEW FUND FOR AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT AND FOOD SECURITY SYSTEM). USSR AND EE’S SAT ON FENCE AND ENCOURAGED LDC’S IN THEIR ATTACKS. FOR FUTURE, IT APPEARS THAT CONTROL OVER MECHANISMS LIKE THIS WILL BE MAJOR ISSUE AT SEVENTH UNGA SPECIAL SESSION. MAINTENANCE OF WESTERN AND U.S. INFLUENCE IN DEALING WITH FOOD ISSUES IN FORUMS LIKE WFC WILL BECOME INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT. THE ATTACK ON HANNAH HAS SEVERELY IMPAIRED HIS EFFECTIVENESS, BUT WE SHOULD NOT AGREE TO WALDHEIM KNUCKLING UNDER TO LDC PRESSURE TO REMOVE HIM. END SUMMARY.
1. THE WORLD FOOD COUNCIL, AT WHICH I REPRESENTED THE UNITED STATES, HELD ITS FIRST SESSION IN ROME, JUNE 23-27. THE CONCLUSION OF THE SESSION SAW A DRIVE BY THE GROUP OF 77 TO BRING THE COUNCIL FIRMLY UNDER G-77 CONTROL BY CHALLENGING THE COMPETENCE OF ITS PRESENT SECRETARIAT, CALLING FOR REMOVAL OF ITS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, JOHN HANNAH, AND SEEKING TO AUGMENT THE ROLE OF THE COUNCIL PRESIDENT, SAYID MAREI OF EGYPT.
2. THE 36-MEMBER COUNCIL WAS DEVISED AT LDC INSISTENCE AS A MINISTERIAL-LEVEL MECHANISM TO FOLLOW-UP RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE WORLD FOOD CONFERENCE (WFC). IN SEEKING TO ESTABLISH THE COUNCIL AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, UN SECRETARY GENERAL WALDHEIM APPOINTED JOHN HANNAH AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR BECAUSE OF HIS PRIOR EXPERIENCE IN DEVELOPMENT WORK AND PARTICULARLY HIS ROLE AS A DEPUTY SECRETARY BB GENERAL OF THE WFC. WALDHEIM HAD ALREADY ASKED HANNAH TO TAKE CHARGE OF ESTABLISHING THE INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT (ANOTHER WFC SPIN-OFF). THIS, PLUS WALDHEIM’S FAILURE TO CONSULT ADEQUATELY WITH LEADERS OF THE G-77, HAS CONVINCED MANY LDC SPOKESMEN ON FOOD MATTERS THAT HANNAH’S APPOINTMENT WAS TRADED FOR A U.S. PLEDGE OF SUPPORT FOR WFC FOLLOW-UP GENERALLY AND THE FUND IN PARTICULAR. HANNAH, THEREFORE IS WIDELY VIEWED AS A USG PLACEMENT. (ED MARTIN’S APPOINTMENT TO HEAD UP THE WORLD BANK CONSULTATIVE GROUP ON FOOD PRODUCTION AND INVESTMENT FURTHER COMPOUNDS THE PROBLEM.)
3. AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND, TWO CONFLICTING SETS OF EXPECTATIONS DEVELOPED FOR THE COUNCIL’S FIRST SESSION, CONVENED TO REVIEW THE STATUS OF WFC FOLLOW-UP. THE NINE DEVELOPED COUNTRY MEMBERS GENERALLY FOLLOWED THE LINE, WHICH I PRESENTED ON BEHALF OF THE U.S., THAT THE SESSION SHOULD IDENTIFY GAPS, SET PRIORITIES AND PREPARE FOR A SECOND SESSION AT WHICH SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD BE FORMULATED TO ACCELERATE AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT. THE TWENTY-FOUR LDC’S GENERALLY CALLED FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION TO SECURE THREE-YEAR FOOD AID COMMITMENTS TOTALING TEN MILLION TONS ANNUALLY, ESTABLISH THE INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT AND [GARBLE] SECURITY SYSTEM. THE THREE SOCIALIST MEMBERS WORKED AT FANNING SPARKS INTO FLAMES FROM THEIR POSITION ON THE FENCE.
4. ALTHOUGH THE LDCS HAD NO SPECIFIC PROPOSALS FOR ACTION WHICH THE COUNCIL COULD TAKE, THEIR FRUSTRATION BOILED OVER INTO A VICIOUS ATTACK ON HANNAH, PERSONALLY, WHEN THEY WERE WITHOUT INTERPRETATION FOR A LAST MINUTE G-77 MEETING CALLED TO TRY TO DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COUNCIL ACTION. THE ATTACK WAS LED BY RADICAL SPOKESMEN FROM SENEGAL, GUINEA AND MEXICO. IT WAS JOINED BY OTHERS, INCLUDING THE USSR AND HUNGARY, BUT NOT BY THE ASIAN BLOC -- WHO RECOGNIZED THAT THEY WOULD HAVE THE MOST TO LOSE IF THE COUNCIL SHOULD COLLAPSE. A RELATIVELY SOBER APPROACH BY THE ASIANS AND A CONCILIATORY STANCE BY THE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES -- WITH FORTHRIGHT SUPPORT FOR HANNAH AND HIS STAFF EXPRESSED BY THE UK AND US -- PREVENTED A BREAKDOWN.
5. BUT THE RESULTS OF THE SESSION ARE DISAPPOINTING. LITTLE PROGRESS WAS MADE ON IDENTIFYING THE SPECIFIC ISSUES ON WHICH THE COUNCIL COULD FOCUS HIGH-LEVEL ATTENTION, AND THE G-77 HAVE INSISTED ON REMOVAL OF THE ENTIRE SECRETARIAT AND RESTRUCTURING THE COUNCIL WHICH WOULD ASSURE THEIR POLITICAL CONTROL OVER ITS FUTURE WORK. (THE DECLARATION OF THE G-77, LESS ITS PREAMBLE, IS AT PARA 8 AS IT WAS INCORPORATED INTO THE REPORT OF THE COUNCIL SESSION WITHOUT ADOPTION).
6. THE RESULTS OF THE SESSION HAVE SOME IMMEDIATE CONSEQUENCES FOR U.S. POLICY:
A. CONTROL OVER MECHANISMS TO DEAL WITH THE WORLD FOOD PROBLEM IS LIKELY TO BE A DIVISIVE ISSUE AT THE UNGA SPECIAL SESSION THIS FALL. OUR STRATEGY FOR CONTAINING THIS THRUST SHOULD TURN ON THE CONTRAST BETWEEN ASIAN CONCERNS FOR INTERIM AID AND LONGER-TERM EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS AND AFRICAN AND LATIN PREOCCUPATION WITH RECOGNITION AND A DOMINANT ROLE FOR THE LDCS.
B. MAINTAINING WESTERN, PARTICULARLY U.S., INFLUENCE AT SENIOR LEVELS IN THE VARIOUS INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS DEALING WITH THE FOOD PROBLEM WILL BECOME INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT. THIS IS ESPECIALLY SIGNIFICANT IN LIGHT OF THE ELECTION THIS FALL OF A NEW [GARBLE]. THE CANDIDACY OF DAVID HOPPER OF CANADA HAS PROBABLY SUFFERED AND A TREND TOWARD POLITICALIZATION OF FAO ACCELERATED.
C. SUSTAINING U.S. LEADERSHIP ON THE FOOD ISSUE HAS BEEN COMPLICATED BY THE ATTACK ON HANNAH. HIS EFFECTIVENESS IN THE FOOD COUNCIL HAS BEEN SEVERELY IMPAIRED, AND THE GROUP OF 77 HAS DEMANDED HIS REMOVAL BY WALDHEIM IN TERMS FROM WHICH THEY ARE NOT LIKELY TO RETREAT AT ANY REASONABLE PRICE. BUT IT IS SIGNIFICANT THAT THE G-77 TOOK PAINS TO CONFINE THEIR CRITICISM OF HANNAH TO THE WORLD FOOD COUNCIL AND NOT THE INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOR WHICH HE ALSO HAS RESPONSIBILITY. OBVIOUSLY, WE CANNOT ASSENT TO HANNAH’S SUMMARY REMOVAL, BUT HE MAY ULTIMATELY CHOOSE TO RESIGN OF HIS OWN ACCORD SINCE HE DID NOT TAKE THE JOB ON A PERMANENT BASIS.
7. BILL BUFFUM DISCUSSED THE HANNAH ISSUE WITH AMBASSADOR MOYNIHAN YESTERDAY BEFORE THE LATTER’S DEPARTURE FOR GENEVA AND MY RETURN FROM THE MIDDLE EAST. MOYNIHAN IS TO MEET INFORMALLY WITH WALDHEIM THIS WEEK AND TAKE THE LINE -- WITH WHICH I CONCUR -- THAT THE U.S. CANNOT AGREE TO WALDHEIM KNUCKLING UNDER TO LDC PRESSURE AND HUMILIATING HANNAH BY REMOVING HIM. RATHER, HANNAH SHOULD BE ALLOWED TIME TO CONSIDER HOW THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE COUNCIL SECRETARIAT CAN BE RESTORED AND, IF NECESSARY, RESIGN IN HIS OWN TIME.
8. THE GROUP OF 77 ... DECLARES IT ESSENTIAL TO ADOPT THE FOLLOWING MEASURES:
A. TO MAINTAIN THE BUREAU AS ELECTED IN THE COURSE OF THE FIRST SESSION (23-27 JUNE 1975).
B. TO NOMINATE AN ADEQUATE SECRETARIAT WITH A BALANCED REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION ANSWERABLE TO THE WORLD FOOD COUNCIL.
C. TO MAINTAIN THE COMPOSITION AND TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE WORKING GROUP ON THE DRAFTING OF THE RULES OF PROCEDURE OF THE COUNCIL, PROVIDING IT WITH ALL NECESSARY FACILITIES FOR THE COMPLETION OF ITS WORK.
D. TO CHARGE THE PRESIDENT (OF THE COUNCIL), IN WHOM THE GROUP REAFFIRMS ITS CONFIDENCE, WITH THE TASK OF CONVENING, WITHIN A REASONABLE PERIOD, A NEW SESSION OF THE COUNCIL AND TO ENSURE THAT THE SESSION RESULTS IN THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE AFOREMENTIONED OBJECTIVES. INGERSOLL
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files. Confidential; Exdis; Immediate. Drafted by Placke, cleared by Boeker (in draft), Morey (in draft), and Borg; and approved by Robinson. Kissinger was on vacation in the Virgin Islands.↩
- Robinson summarized for Kissinger the negotiations at the first meeting of the World Food Council.↩