WORLD FOOD SUMMIT FIVE YEARS LATER:TWO WEEKS TO GO

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ROME 002565 SIPDIS USDA FOR FAS: MARY CHAMBLISS, LYNN REICH, DICK HUGHES AND CHRISTIAN FOSTER; SECRETARY'S STAFF FOR JOHN WILSON STATE FOR E STAFF, IO/EDA ROSE BERSTEIN;EB PATRICK HUDAK USAID/EGAD FOR ADMINISTRATOR'S STAFF, R.CUMMINGS,J.GRIECO, J.LEWIS AND J.EBERLEY FROM FODAG E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC EAID EAID EAID FAO AGR AORC FAO AGR AORC FAO AGR SUBJECT: WORLD FOOD SUMMIT FIVE YEARS LATER:TWO WEEKS TO GO REF: A) ROME 895; B) SECSTATE 101829; C) ROME 2487 UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ROME 02565 01 OF 03 281206Z ¶1. SUMMARY: THIS CABLE UPDATES ON PREPARATIONS FOR THE JUNE 10-13 WORLD FOOD SUMMIT FIVE YEARS LATER (WFS5YL) MEETING IN ROME, JUNE 10-13, 2002. SOME 50 HEADS OF STATE/HEADS OF GOVERNMENT ARE EXPECTED, MOSTLY FROM DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. ITALY, SPAIN, BELGIUM AND SWEDEN ARE THE ONLY OECD HEADS OF STATE/GOVERNMENT ATTENDING. THE FAO IS STILL DEVELOPING IDEAS FOR SIDE EVENTS TO COMPLEMENT PLENARY STATEMENTS, ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS AND A CIVIL SOCIETY/GOVERNMENTS MULTISTAKEHOLDER DIALOGUE. MOST OECD DONORS ARE PRIVATELY UNENTHUSIASTIC, HOWEVER, ABOUT A RECENTLY-ANNOUNCED FAO EVENT WHICH IS BILLED AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO MATCH PROJECTS WITH FUNDING. SOME 600 NGOS ARE ALREADY OFFICIALLY "ACCREDITED" TO THE CITY OF ROME-SPONSORED "NGO FORUM" IN NEARBY EUR. TWO INFORMAL MEETINGS ON THE DRAFT WFS5YL DECLARATION HAVE CLARIFIED SOME PROCEDURAL ISSUES, AND SURFACED SOME ISSUES OF CONCERN TO COUNTRIES (BUT HAVE ALSO SEEN SOME FRICTION DUE TO UNREALISTIC G-77 EXPECTATIONS THAT THE OECD (AND THE EU, IN PARTICULAR) WOULD BE READY TO NEGOTIATE. END SUMMARY. WHO'S COMING -------------- ¶2. THE LATEST (UNOFFICIAL)COUNT IS 40 HEADS OF STATE AND 10 HEADS OF GOVERNMENT. AS EXPECTED, MOST ARE FROM DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. FOUR OECD HEADS OF GOVERNMENT ARE EXPECTED TO ATTEND: ITALY, SPAIN, BELGIUM AND SWEDEN. G- 77 HEADS OF STATE/GOVERNMENT ARE REPORTED TO INCLUDE: NIGERIA, SOUTH AFRICA, MOZAMBIQUE, INDONESIA, UGANDA, UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ROME 02565 01 OF 03 281206Z PAKISTAN AND MOROCCO. MOST COUNTRIES WILL BE REPRESENTED AT THE LEVEL OF MINISTERS OF AGRICULTURE AND DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE EXPECTED PARTICIPATION CONTACT TAMLYNL@STATE.GOV OR LAMBERTD@FAS.USDA.GOV. SCHEDULE -------------- ¶3. GENERAL: -- THE GENERAL OUTLINE FOR THE FOUR DAY MEETING IS: MORNING AND AFTERNOON (POSSIBLY EVENING) PLENARY SESSIONS FOR COUNTRY STATEMENTS, ROUNDTABLES FOR HEADS OF DELEGATION (TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY),PRESS CONFERENCES (THROUGHOUT) AND A MULTISTAKEHOLDER DIALOGUE WITH CIVIL SOCIETY (WEDNESDAY). THE FAO IS PLANNING A PLETHORA OF SIDE-EVENTS ON TOPICS RELATING TO NUTRITION, AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT. NO COUNTRY-SPONSORED SIDE EVENTS ARE ALLOWED AT THE FAO DUE TO "SPACE LIMITATIONS." AN NGO FORUM IN NEARBY EUR WILL BE OPEN TO DELEGATES. -- WE HAVE ALSO LEARNED THAT THE FAO IS PLANNING TO HOLD SOME 13 "PROJECT FAIRS" WHERE SUB-REGIONAL FOOD SECURITY STRATEGIES WILL BE PRESENTED BY FAO STAFF TO AN AUDIENCE TO INCLUDE DONORS AND RECIPIENTS. SPECIFIC PROJECTS WILL BE IDENTIFIED FOR POSSIBLE FINANCING. (COMMENT: MOST OECD COUNTRIES ARE UNENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THE PROPOSAL: FEW IF ANY ARE COMING TO THIS MEETING CHECKBOOK IN HAND TO SIGN UP FOR SPECIFIC PROJECTS. END COMMENT.) ¶4. MONDAY, JUNE 10: UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 ROME 02565 01 OF 03 281206Z --OPENING CEREMONY (TO FEATURE ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER BERLUSCONI, UN SECRETARY GENERAL KOFI ANNAN, MAYOR OF ROME VELTRONI, FAO DIRECTOR GENERAL JACQUES DIOUF AND THE FAO INDEPENDENT CHAIR OF COUNCIL, AMBASSADOR AZIZ MEKOUAR.) -- ADOPTION OF WFS5YL DECLARATION (SEE PARAS 8-9) --COUNTRY STATEMENTS WILL COMMENCE O/A 11:00 A.M. AND CONTINUE IN THE AFTERNOON PLENARY. PRIME MINISTER BERLUSCONI IS THE CHAIR OF THE WFS5YL; HE IS NOT EXPECTED TO STAY PAST THE MORNING SESSION AND ONE OF THE SIX VICE- CHAIRS WILL ASSUME THE CHAIR AFTER THAT. NB: THE UNITED STATES IS ONE OF THE VICE CHAIRS (NAME STILL TO BE COMMUNICATED TO FAO). AT A MINIMUM, THE VICE CHAIR WILL NEED TO CHAIR ONE THREE-HOUR PLENARY SESSION. TUESDAY, JUNE 11: -- COUNTRY STATEMENTS CONTINUE IN PLENARY. -- THE FIRST OF THREE ROUNDTABLES FOR HEADS OF DELEGATION (PLUS ALTERNATE) WILL COMMENCE. THE TOPIC IS: "THE WORLD UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PTQ2149 PAGE 01 ROME 02565 02 OF 03 281206Z ACTION SSO-00 INFO LOG-00 AGRE-00 AID-00 ANHR-00 EB-00 E-00 UTED-00 TEDE-00 IO-00 OIC-02 SS-00 TEST-00 R-00 SAS-00 /002W -------------- B48516 281206Z /38 R 281240Z MAY 02 FM AMEMBASSY ROME TO SECSTATE WASHDC 3919 INFO USDA FAS WASHDC 2145 USMISSION USUN NEW YORK USMISSION GENEVA UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 03 ROME 002565 SIPDIS USDA FOR FAS: MARY CHAMBLISS, LYNN REICH, DICK HUGHES AND CHRISTIAN FOSTER; SECRETARY'S STAFF FOR JOHN WILSON STATE FOR E STAFF, IO/EDA ROSE BERSTEIN;EB PATRICK HUDAK USAID/EGAD FOR ADMINISTRATOR'S STAFF, R.CUMMINGS,J.GRIECO, J.LEWIS AND J.EBERLEY FROM FODAG E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC EAID EAID EAID FAO AGR AORC FAO AGR AORC FAO AGR SUBJECT: WORLD FOOD SUMMIT FIVE YEARS LATER:TWO WEEKS TO GO FOOD SUMMIT PLAN OF ACTION: RESULTS ACHIEVED, OBSTACLES UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ROME 02565 02 OF 03 281206Z MET AND MEANS OF OVERCOMING THEM." THERE WILL BE SIXTY PARTICIPANTS PER ROUNDTABLE TO ACCOMMODATE ALL PARTICIPANTS. EACH ROUNDTABLE HAS A G-77 AND AN OECD CHAIR. THE OECD CHAIRS ARE BELGIUM (SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DEVELOPMENT),CANADA (MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE) AND (TO BE CONFIRMED) NEW ZEALAND (MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND TRADE. THE G-77 CO-CHAIRS HAVE NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED. THE UNITED STATES IS SIGNED UP FOR THE FIRST ROUNDTABLE ON TUESDAY MORNING. (COMMENT: WE HEARD LATE FRIDAY 5/24 THAT ALL THREE ROUNDTABLES MAY BE HELD SIMULTANEOUSLY. END COMMENT.) -- OTHER FAO-ORGANIZED SIDE EVENTS (TO BE CONFIRMED) INCLUDING SEMINAR TUESDAY MORNING ON MEETING THE MILLENIUM SUMMIT HUNGER GOALS. ¶5. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12: -- PLENARY CONTINUES -- LAST ROUNDTABLE HELD WEDNESDAY MORNING -- SIDE EVENTS CONTINUE (INCLUDING WORLD BANK PRESENTATION TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR 5:00 - 7:00 P.M.; ALSO EVENT ON "RURAL WOMEN: CRUCIAL PARTNERS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST HUNGER" IN THE MORNING) -- MULTISTAKEHOLDER DIALOGUE (WITH CIVIL SOCIETY) 2:30 - 5:30 P.M. -- ALL DAY PARLIAMENTARIANS EVENT AT THE ITALIAN PARLIAMENT (INCLUDING PRESENTATIONS ON THE ROLE OF PARLIAMENTARIANS IN FIGHTING HUNGER, AND DISCUSSION OF THE WORLD FOOD SUMMIT GOALS.) (SEE WWW.IPU.ORG/SPLZ- E/WFS5.HTM UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ROME 02565 02 OF 03 281206Z ¶6. THURSDAY, JUNE 13: -- PLENARY CONTINUES (NGOS, OBSERVER DELEGATIONS AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION STATEMENTS) -- WFS5YL CONCLUDING PLENARY THURSDAY AFTERNOON AT 3:00 P.M. U.S. EVENTS -------------- ¶7. PREPARATIONS FOR U.S. EVENTS ARE BEING COORDINATED BETWEEN ROME AND WASHINGTON. A U.S. AGRICULTURE BIOTECHNOLOGY SIDE EVENT IS SCHEDULED FOR TUESDAY AFTERNOON (5:00 - 7:00 P.M.) AT THE EXCELSIOR HOTEL AND WILL FEATURE EMINENT SPEAKERS ON BIOTECHNOLOGY. AN AFRICAN PARTNERSHIP BREAKFAST IS SCHEDULED FOR TUESDAY MORNING. THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE WILL HOST AN IICA (INTER-AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR AGRICULTURE) BREAKFAST TUESDAY MORNING AS WELL. THE U.S. HAS A DEDICATED PRESS SITE RESERVED FOR MONDAY, JUNE 10 (AFTERNOON),TUESDAY, JUNE 11 (LATE MORNING),TUESDAY, JUNE 11, (AFTERNOON) AND WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12 (AFTERNOON). (THIS IS NOT A COMPLETE SCHEDULE OF U.S. SIDE EVENTS OR PRESS BRIEFINGS. FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION CONTACT FODAG.) THE DECLARATION -------------- ¶8. FORMAL NEGOTIATIONS OF THE WFS5YL DECLARATION WILL START AT THE COMMITTEE ON WORLD FOOD SECURITY (CFS) MEETING (JUNE 6-8). CFS CHAIR AIDAN O'DRISCOLL (IRELAND) UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 ROME 02565 02 OF 03 281206Z HAS OFFERED TO BE IN ROME AS EARLY AS JUNE 4 (AFTERNOON) TO CONTINUE INFORMAL DISCUSSIONS OF THE DECLARATION ALONG WITH CO-CHAIR MARY MUCHADA (AMBASSADOR OF ZIMBABWE). G- 77 CHAIR (AMBASSADOR NOURI-NAEENI OF IRAN) ALSO HELD TWO INFORMAL MEETINGS (MAY 17 AND MAY 24)WITH A VIEW TO FACILITATING THE WORK OF THE CFS. THE UNITED STATES CIRCULATED TALKING POINTS (CONTAINED IN REFTEL B DEMARCHE) ON ITS POSITION ON THE DECLARATION TO ALL ROME PERMANENT MISSIONS. SEPTEL WILL DISCUSS THE MAY 24TH MEETING. ¶9. COMMENT: THE INFORMAL MEETINGS HAVE IRONED OUT SOME PROCEDURAL ISSUES, IN PARTICULAR, CLARIFYING THAT THE DRAFT DECLARATION FROM THE JUNE 2001 OPEN ENDED WORKING GROUP (OEWG) WILL BE THE BASIS FOR DISCUSSION, THAT NEW LANGUAGE WILL BE ACCEPTED AND THAT SOME LANGUAGE NEEDS TO BE UPDATED TO REFLECT RECENT MEETINGS. USEFUL INFORMATION HAS SURFACED AT THESE MEETINGS (SUCH AS THE G- 77 SUPPORT FOR AN INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCE AGAINST HUNGER, AND JAPAN'S INTEREST IN NEW PARAGRAPHS ON FORESTRY AND FISHERIES),BUT THERE HAS ALSO BEEN SOME FRICTION BETWEEN UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PTQ2151 PAGE 01 ROME 02565 03 OF 03 281207Z ACTION SSO-00 INFO LOG-00 AGRE-00 AID-00 ANHR-00 EB-00 E-00 UTED-00 TEDE-00 IO-00 OIC-02 SS-00 TEST-00 R-00 SAS-00 /002W -------------- B48521 281207Z /38 R 281240Z MAY 02 FM AMEMBASSY ROME TO SECSTATE WASHDC 3920 INFO USDA FAS WASHDC 2146 USMISSION USUN NEW YORK USMISSION GENEVA UNCLAS SECTION 03 OF 03 ROME 002565 SIPDIS USDA FOR FAS: MARY CHAMBLISS, LYNN REICH, DICK HUGHES AND CHRISTIAN FOSTER; SECRETARY'S STAFF FOR JOHN WILSON STATE FOR E STAFF, IO/EDA ROSE BERSTEIN;EB PATRICK HUDAK USAID/EGAD FOR ADMINISTRATOR'S STAFF, R.CUMMINGS,J.GRIECO, J.LEWIS AND J.EBERLEY FROM FODAG E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC EAID EAID EAID FAO AGR AORC FAO AGR AORC FAO AGR SUBJECT: WORLD FOOD SUMMIT FIVE YEARS LATER:TWO WEEKS TO GO G-77 AND THE EU (EXACERBATED BY CANADA) OVER THE FACT UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ROME 02565 03 OF 03 281207Z THAT THE EU WILL ONLY HAVE ITS POSITION READY FOR THE CFS, AND NOT EARLIER. U.S. WILLINGNESS TO COMMENT ON THE DRAFT DECLARATION HAS BEEN WELL RECEIVED. END COMMENT. NGO PARTICIPATION -- SECURITY ISSUES -------------- ¶10. A PARALLEL NGO FORUM WILL BE HELD IN NEARBY EUR (A SUBURB OF ROME). THE CITY OF ROME IS HOSTING THE EVENT. (MORE INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT THE WEBSITE WWW.FORUMFOODSOVEREIGNTY.ORG) THE FAO LIAISON FOR THIS EVENT TOLD MISOFF THAT SOME 600 NGOS ARE ALREADY REGISTERED FOR THE FORUM PLENARY. 450 NGOS WILL BE FROM DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, AND 150 NGOS WILL BE FROM DEVELOPED COUNTRIES. THE NGO PLENARY WILL MEET EVERY MORNING WITH A VIEW TO PRODUCING AN NGO "DECLARATION." AFTERNOONS AT THE NGO FORUM WILL BE DEDICATED TO WORKSHOPS ON VARIOUS TOPICS. WFS5YL CREDENTIALS WILL ALLOW DELEGATES TO ATTEND THESE EVENTS. A CITY-APPROVED MARCH THROUGH ROME IS PLANNED ON SATURDAY, JUNE 8 ON THE THEME OF "FOOD SOVEREIGNTY." ¶11. MANY OF THESE NGOS WILL ALSO BE ACCREDITED TO THE SUMMIT ITSELF, AND WILL HAVE TWO DEDICATED ROOMS AT THE FAO (ONE FOR ORGANIZATIONAL MEETINGS, THE OTHER FOR SIDE- EVENTS.) THE NGO ORGANIZERS ASSURED MISOFF THAT THE NGOS ARE BEING CAREFULLY SCREENED, AND THERE WILL BE NO VIOLENT GROUPS ACCREDITED. FAO MANAGEMENT, FOR ITS PART, DECLINES TO MAKE SUCH BLANKET GUARANTEES, BUT SEEMS REASONABLY CONFIDENT THAT THE NGOS GATHERED AT THE WFS5YL ARE THERE TO SUPPORT THE EVENT, RATHER THAN DISRUPT IT. UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ROME 02565 03 OF 03 281207Z ¶12. USEFUL WEBSITES: -- GENERAL FAO/WFS5YL INFORMATION :WWW.FAO.ORG -- PARLIAMENTARIAN'S EVENT (JUNE 11): WWW.IPU.ORG/SPLZ- E/WFS5.HTM -- NGO FORUM: WWW.FORUMFOODSOVEREIGNTY.ORG HEILEMAN UNCLASSIFIED > 2002ROME02565 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED