162. Telegram 138330 From the Department of State to Certain Diplomatic Posts, June 5, 1976, 0118Z.1 2
TELEGRAM
Department of State
138330
P R 050118Z JUN 76
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY
CANBERRA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY DACCA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY BOGOTA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY CAIRO
PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY BONN
PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI
PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY JAKARTA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY TEHRAN
PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY ROME PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY TOKYO
PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY MEXICO
PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST
PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY COLOMBO PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM
PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY CARACAS
PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY BELGRADE PRIORITY
HELSINKI FOR SISCO, ROME PASS FODAG FOR INFO.
E.O. 11652: N/A
TAGS: UNWFC, PORG
SUBJECT: WORLD FOOD COUNCIL, SECOND SESSION, ROME, JUNE 14-16, 1976.
BACKGROUND
1. WORLD FOOD COUNCIL WILL HOLD SECOND SESSION AT MINISTERIAL LEVEL IN ROME JUNE 14-16. PREPARATIONS FOR IT WERE CARRIED FORWARD BY BUSINESS-LIKE PREPARATORY MEETING MAY I0-14. USDEL WILL BE JOSEPH J. SISCO, UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS. THIS LEVEL OF REPRESENTATION REAFFIRMS HIGH IMPORTANCE ATTRIBUTED BY SECRETARY KISSINGER TO GLOBAL FOOD PROBLEM AND US ROLE IN RESOLVING IT. WHAT FOLLOWS IS AN OUTLINE OF U.S. VIEWS WHICH SHOULD BE SHARED WITH HOST GOVERNMENTS IN EFFORT TO DEVELOP COMMON POSITION ON DESIRED OUTCOME OF THE SESSION.
ROLE OF WFC IN U.S. VIEW
2. CENTRAL OBJECTIVE OF WFC IN OUR VIEW IS TO BRING TOGETHER THE DISPARATE FACETS OF THE WORLD FOOD PROBLEM. THIS CAN BEST BE DONE BY DETERMINING A CENTRAL PURPOSE FOR COUNCIL ACTIVITY AND RELATING OTHER FACETS OF PROBLEM TO IT. AS WE SEE IT, CENTRAL PURPOSE AND HIGHEST PRIORITY IN FORESEEABLE FUTURE IS PROMOTION OF FOOD PRODUCTION IN LOW INCOME DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, PARTICULARLY THOSE WITH FOOD DEFICITS. IF UPCOMING SESSION ACCOMPLISHES NOTHING MORE THAN TO DETERMINE THIS TO BE COUNCIL’S CENTRAL PURPOSE, IT WOULD BE A MAJOR STEP FORWARD AND OTHER PRIORITIES AND FUTURE PROGRAM OF WORK WOULD BE SIMPLIFIED AND FOCUSED. SUBSEQUENT SESSIONS COULD BE DEVOTED TO LINKAGE OF VARIOUS ASPECTS OF FOOD TO PRODUCTION, SUCH AS EFFECTS OF FOOD AID ON PRODUCTION, RELATIONSHIP OF RESERVE POLICY TO PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION AND PRODUCTION, RESEARCH AND PRODUCTION, ETC. COUNCIL WOULD EXAMINE SUCH RELATIONSHIPS AND IMPACT OF VARIOUS FACETS OF PROBLEM ON ULTIMATE QUESTION OF PRODUCTION, RATHER THAN STUDY SUCH ASPECTS IN ISOLATION.
3. WPC CANNOT IN OUR VIEW TAKE ON FUNCTIONS OF NEGOTIATION OR DIRECTION OF ACTIONS BY OTHER INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES OR GOVERNMENTS. RATHER, ITS ROLE IS TO MAINTAIN OVERSIGHT OF WORLD FOOD SITUATION, IDENTIFY HIGH PRIORITY NEEDS AND GAPS, AND MAKE PROPOSALS DESIGNED TO MEET THESE NEEDS.
DESIRED OUTCOME OF SESSION
4. WE ARE CONVINCED IT WOULD BE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE FOR COUNCIL TO ENDEAVOR TO PRODUCE SERIES OF RESOLUTIONS, WHICH ARE LEGALISTIC IN NATURE, ENCOURAGE CONFRONTATION, AND HAVE QUESTIONABLE EFFECT. RESULTS OF SESSION SHOULD IN OUR VIEW BE IN FORM OF REPORT RATHER LIKE THAT OF PREPCOM, CONTAINING ANALYSIS OF CERTAIN ASPECTS OF GLOBAL PROBLEM, COUNCIL’S FINDINGS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS. U.S. WOULD HAVE NO MAJOR OBJECTION, FOR EXAMPLE, IN USING PREPCOM REPORT AS MODEL OF SESSION REPORT, BUT WOULD DESIRE ALTERATION OF CERTAIN SPECIFIC POINTS. OUR GENERAL VIEWS OF DESIRABLE OUTCOME INVOLVE THE THREE FIELDS OF FOOD PRODUCTION, FOOD AID, AND WORLD FOOD SECURITY.
5. PRODUCTION. USG WOULD EXPECT WFC TO REAFFIRM NEED FOR ACCELERATED WORLD FOOD PRODUCTION, EMPHASIZING 4 PERCENT A YEAR INCREASE IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. THIS WILL REQUIRE HIGH ANNUAL EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL RESOURCE FLOWS FROM ALL SOURCES. DEVELOPMENT OF WORKABLE CRITERIA DEALING WITH BOTH ALLOCATION AND USE OF SUCH RESOURCES, INCLUDING NATIONAL POLICIES GOVERNING PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION, WOULD BE A SIGNIFICANT STEP. EFFECTIVE USE OF RESOURCES IN DEVELOPMENT COULD PROVIDE ENCOURAGEMENT TO INCREASED FLOW OF EXTERNAL RESOURCES INCLUDING INVESTMENT. WHILE EMPHASIS ON HIGHER ASSISTANCE TARGETS FOR DONORS WOULD BE OF QUESTIONABLE VALUE AND IS NOT SUPPORTED BY U.S.
6. FOOD AID. TREATMENT OF FOOD AID IN PREPCOM REPORT IS ACCEPTABLE IN GENERAL, THE GLOBAL FOOD AID TARGET OF 10 MILLION TONS A YEAR HAS ALMOST BEEN MET THIS YEAR, BUT NEW DONORS ARE NEEDED IF TARGET IS TO BE FULLY MET OR SURPASSED. (CURRENT U.S. PROGRAM AMOUNTS TO 60 PERCENT OF TARGET.) NEVERTHELESS, FOOD AID MUST BE CONSIDERED TRANSITORY STOP-GAP ACTIVITY WHICH IS PRESENTLY NECESSARY BUT CANNOT BE RELIED UPON INDEFINITELY OR FOR GREATLY INCREASED LEVELS OF SUPPORT. WE BELIEVE THAT THE LINKAGE BETWEEN FOOD AID AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT DESERVES GREATER ATTENTION. JUST AS WE HAVE TARGETS FOR FOOD AID, AND ARE PREPARED TO DISCUSS CRITERIA FOR FOOD AID FLOWS, WE NEED CRITERIA FOR USE OF FOOD AID TO TARGET IT ON DEVELOPMENT. WHILE WE WILL CONTINUE TO COOPERATE IN MAKING FOOD AID AVAILABLE IN RESPONSE TO NEEDS, WE WILL OPPOSE INCREASES IN TARGET.
7. FOOD SECURITY. PREPCOM REPORT ON FOOD SECURITY EMPHASIZES SECRETARIAT PROPOSAL TO DISAGGREGATE PROBLEM AND SINGLES OUT ISSUES OF 500,000 TONS INTERNATIONAL RESERVE FOR EMERGENCIES (IRE) TO BE CHANNELED THROUGH WFP; NATIONAL RESERVES FOR FOOD AID EMERGENCIES AIMED AT EARMARKING A PERCENTAGE OF A DONOR COUNTRY’S YEAR-END GRAIN STOCKS EQUAL TO 25 PERCENT MORE THAN ITS NORMAL FOOD AID PROGRAM; AND INTERNATIONAL FOOD SECURITY RESERVE AMOUNTING TO 15 MILLION TONS. USG BELIEVES THAT WORLD FOOD SECURITY CANNOT BE ATTAINED BY THIS APPROACH. WHILE WE HAVE NO OBJECTION TO 500,000 TON TARGET FOR IRE OR USE OF WFP CHANNEL BY DONORS, WE PLAN TO CONTINUE TO HANDLE HOST OF OUR EMERGENCY FOOD AID BILATERALLY, FOR WHICH WE ANNUALLY PROVIDE ABOUT 300,000 TONS OF GRANT FOOD AID. REGARDING ANNUAL EARMARKING OF GRAIN STOCKS FOR FOOD AID, USG CONSIDERS THIS WOULD BE AN EXCEPTIONAL BURDEN TO BE BORNE MAINLY BY A SMALL GROUP OF FOOD EXPORTERS AND, IN ANY CASE, INAPPLICABLE TO U.S. PRODUCTION AND MARKETING SYSTEM. U.S. HISTORICAL RECORD OF MEETING BOTH ITS COMMERCIAL AND FOOD AID EXPORT COMMITMENTS, TOGETHER WITH CONTINUATION OF ITS MARKET-ORIENTED, FULL-PRODUCTION POLICY, SUPPLY BEST ASSURANCE OF MEETING THESE COMMITMENTS. SECRETARIAT-RECOMMENDED SECURITY RESERVE STOCKS OF 15 MILLION TONS ARE UNFORTUNATELY AIMED AT PROTECTING LDC’S ALONE AND WOULD NOT MEET WORLD NEEDS IN TIME OF GLOBAL FOOD SHORTAGES. USG HAS TABLED PROPOSAL IN INTERNATIONAL WHEAT COUNCIL FOR SYSTEM TO STOCK 30 MILLION TONS OF FOOD GRAINS AS REQUIRED TO MEET EXPECTED FUTURE WORLD PRODUCTION SHORTFALLS. SUPPORT FOR CONCEPT OF SUCH RESERVES SYSTEM TO MEET GLOBAL NEEDS WOULD BE MOST USEFUL ACTION WFC COULD TAKE UNDER RUBRIC OF WORLD FOOD SECURITY.
ACTION REQUESTED.
8. PURPOSE OF THIS EXERCISE IS TO BUILD COMMON POSITION AMONG MAJORITY OF WPC MEMBERS ON FORM AND SUBSTANCE OF FINAL DOCUMENT THAT WILL EMERGE FROM MEETING. GIVEN SHORT DURATION OF SESSION, IT IS OBVIOUSLY IMPORTANT TO OBTAIN AS MUCH AGREEMENT AS POSSIBLE ON A COMMON APPROACH PRIOR TO THE SESSION. HENCE, EMBASSY IS REQUESTED TO DISCUSS ABOVE WITH APPROPRIATE HIGH LEVEL OFFICIALS WHO PLAN ATTEND OR ARE INVOLVED IN PREPARATIONS FOR WFC SESSION TO PERSUADE THEM OF U.S. VIEW. EMBASSY SHOULD FOCUS THEIR ATTENTION ON ACTIONS WE CONSIDER MOST IMPORTANT FOR COUNCIL TO TAKE AND OBTAIN THEIR VIEWS ON THESE MATTERS. E.G., WHAT ARE THEIR VIEWS AS TO MAJOR PURPOSE OF WFC? WHAT OUTCOME DO THEY EXPECT FROM SESSION: REPORT WITH RECOMMENDATIONS, RESOLUTIONS, OR OTHER? WHAT IS THEIR REACTION TO OUR VIEWS ABOVE? DEPARTMENT WOULD APPRECIATE REPORT BY COB AT POST TUESDAY JUNE 8 AND WILL THEN TAILOR REPRESENTATIVES TO WFC SECRETARIAT TO REFLECT SUPPORT FOR U.S. POSITIONS. USDEL HOPES TO DISCUSS ABOVE WITH OTHER DELEGATIONS DURING COURSE OF SESSION, BUT PRELIMINARY REACTIONS WOULD BE HELPFUL IN DEVELOPING OUR STRATEGY FOR 3-DAY MEETING.
9. REPLIES SHOULD BE REPEATED INFO TO HELSINKI FOR SISCO AND ROME FOR FODAG.
10. MOSCOW IS ON INFO BECAUSE MATERIAL IS COVERED BY SEPTEL. ROBINSON
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files, D760217–0894. Limited Official Use; Priority. Drafted by Cobb; cleared by Placke, Wisner, Haganson, and in USDA, AID, and Department of Treasury; and approved by Morey. Sent to Buenos Aires, Canberra, Dacca, Ottawa, Bogota, Cairo, Paris, Bonn, Guatemala, New Delhi, Jakarta, Tehran, Rome, Tokyo, Nairobi, Mexico City, Islamabad, Bucharest, Colombo, Stockholm, London, Caracas, and Belgrade. Repeated to Helsinki for Sisco and Rome for FODAG.↩
- In hopes of developing common positions, the Department instructed selected posts to communicate to host governments U.S. views on issues to be addressed at the second session of the World Food Council.↩