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 SIPDIS 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 -------------- ¶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 NNNN 2003ROME03404 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED