FAO RIGHT TO FOOD BUREAU: FIRST READING OF

UNCLAS ROME 003404

SIPDIS


FROM FODAG

STATE FOR IO/EDA KOTOK AND L/HRR K. GOROVE
USAID FOR RALPH CUMMINGS
USDA/FAS FOR HUGHES AND REICH

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AORC KUNR FAO
SUBJECT: FAO RIGHT TO FOOD BUREAU: FIRST READING OF
VOLUNTARY GUIDELINES


1. SUMMARY: THE BUREAU OF THE UN FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
ORGANIZATION (FAO) INTERGOVERNMENTAL WORKING GROUP (IGWG)
FOR THE ELABORATION OF VOLUNTARY GUIDELINES TO SUPPORT
THE PROGRESSIVE REALIZATION OF THE RIGHT TO ADEQUATE FOOD
IN THE CONTEXT OF NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY MET JULY 9-11
AND JULY 15 TO DISCUSS THE FIRST DRAFT OF THE VOLUNTARY
GUIDELINES. WHILE BUREAU MEMBERS AGREED TO FOCUS ON
NATIONAL ACTIONS AND PRUNE OUT MOST OF THE REFERENCES TO
INTERNATIONAL ACTORS IN THE GUIDELINES THEMSELVES, G-77
MEMBERS FELT STRONGLY THAT AN "INTERNATIONAL DIMENSION"
MUST FIGURE SOMEWHERE IN THE TEXT -- POSSIBLY IN THE
PREFACE. THE NEW DRAFT (WHICH DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN
AGREED DOCUMENT AND CONTAINS SECTIONS WHICH HAVE NOT YET
BEEN DISCUSSED) WILL BE WORKED ON FURTHER AT THE NEXT
BUREAU MEETING, SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER 16-18 (WITH ONE
ADDITIONAL DAY BEFORE OR AFTER STILL TO BE DECIDED.)
END SUMMARY.


2. THE BUREAU OF THE FAO IGWG FOR THE ELABORATION OF
VOLUNTARY GUIDELINES TO SUPPORT THE PROGRESSIVE
REALIZATION OF THE RIGHT TO ADEQUATE FOOD IN THE CONTEXT
OF NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY MET JULY 9-11 AND JULY 15 TO
DISCUSS THE FIRST DRAFT OF THE VOLUNTARY GUIDELINES. THE
BUREAU HAD BEFORE IT A 23-PAGE DRAFT PREPARED BY THE
SECRETARIAT (E-MAILED TO IO/EDA JULY 3, 2003). BUREAU

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MEMBERS AGREED THAT THE FIRST DRAFT WAS LONG, REPETITIVE,
AND HARD TO UNDERSTAND. BUREAU MEMBERS WORKED
PRODUCTIVELY ON A FIRST READING OF THE DRAFT, DELETING
LIBERALLY (THE CURRENT VERSION IS A GOOD 6 PAGES SHORTER)
AND AGREEING TO PRUNE OUT MOST REFERENCES TO
INTERNATIONAL ACTORS FROM THE GUIDELINES THEMSELVES. G-
77 BUREAU MEMBERS INSISTED, HOWEVER, THAT THEY WOULD
REVERT TO THE ISSUE, POSSIBLY UNDER A HEADING
"INTERNATIONAL FRAMEWORK" IN THE PREFACE. THE GROUP
AGREED TO DELETE THE ENTIRE SECTION ON "REMEDIES" AND
CONSIDERABLY SOFTEN THE "MONITORING" AND "NATIONAL HUMAN
RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS SECTIONS."


3. THE TEXT WHICH EMERGED FROM THE FIRST DRAFTING
SESSION (E-MAILED TO IO/EDA JULY 28) DOES NOT REPRESENT
AN AGREED TEXT. IN FACT, THE BUREAU HAS STILL TO DISCUSS
SOME SECTIONS. BETWEEN NOW AND THE NEXT SESSION IN
SEPTEMBER (SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER 16-18, WITH AN
ADDITIONAL DAY EITHER SEPTEMBER 15 OR 19) THE BUREAU WILL
HAVE THE DOCUMENT TRANSLATED AND CIRCULATED TO CHAIRS OF
REGIONAL GROUPS SO THAT BUREAU MEMBERS MAY HAVE THE
ADVANTAGE OF REGIONAL GROUP COMMENTS BEFORE THE NEXT
SESSION; THE SECRETARIAT WILL ALSO PROVIDE THE TEXT TO
NGOS PRESENT AT THE IGWG AND SUMMARIZE THOSE NGO COMMENTS
FOR THE BUREAU'S INFORMATION.

COMMENT
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4. BUREAU MEMBERS WORKED CONSTRUCTIVELY AND WITH COMMON
PURPOSE. NONETHELESS, THE GUIDELINES ARE STILL A LONG
WAY FROM THE PRACTICAL TOOL WHICH THE U.S. ENVISAGED IN
ITS STATEMENT TO THE IGWG. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR
WASHINGTON AGENCIES TO REVIEW THE CURRENT TEXT WITH A
VIEW TO STRENGTHENING THE SECTIONS ON FOOD SAFETY NETS
AND MARKETS. END COMMENT. TAMLYN

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2003ROME03404 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED