Andorra, 2008

“I am committed to

truth, not to what is established,” said Gandhi. The

Millennium Development Goals, which seek between

now and 2015 to eradicate extreme poverty, achieve

universal primary education, promote gender equality,

reduce infant mortality, fight the spread of such

diseases as HIV/AIDS and malaria, and guarantee

environmental sustainability, are a challenge to us all,

individually and collectively. Each human being is

unique and respect for others must be both universal

and imperative.

The world is paradoxical. We meet here during

these weeks to speak of the food crisis and famine in

the world, and we do so 63 years after having set in

motion actions and structures within the framework of

the United Nations to eradicate such phenomena.

In 2008, well into the twenty-first century, of the

2.5 billion poor people living in the countries of the

South, 950 million live in conditions of extreme

poverty. The forecasts of the International Fund for

Agricultural Development indicate that, by 2025, the

world will have 2 billion more people living in

conditions of extreme poverty.

In one year, the world has been confronted, as it

was in the last century, by mass movements of

populations driven by hunger. The Governments of the

wealthiest countries, international agencies and

non-governmental organizations (NGOs) stand helpless

before the worsening malnutrition and social tensions

that have resulted.

The Secretary-General declared in his 2007 report

on the Millennium Development Goals that the world

does not want more promises. However, reality in its

crudest aspect has put us through disturbances in recent

months caused by people who are suffering famine in

various countries. On Tuesday, the President reminded

us in his opening speech of the perils of our current

situation. We face a global financial crisis, a global

energy crisis, a global food crisis and climate change.

Faced with this situation, it is inevitable that we ask

ourselves the questions: What did we do wrong? What

is it that does not work?

The prices of basic food products have risen by

50 per cent in one year, and a group of United Nations

experts has determined that the price of goods around

the world has risen by 30 per cent since January 2008.

If we take into account that there are 1.4 billion people

living on less than $1.25 a day, there are far too many

people living in the world today in extremely

precarious conditions, with no access to schools,

potable water or basic health care and hygiene.

Some experts say that the food crisis is the result

of the failure of development policies that were

adopted to encourage economic and social progress in

countries classified as poor. Those countries often have

substantial natural resources and could produce basic

products, such as cereals, but reality is obstinate and

the fact is that two thirds of developing countries are

net importers of food products.

Alfred Sauvy, the economist and sociologist, said

that the milestone of the economy is not labour but

consumption. That is the source of one of the principal

current problems. Consumer goods are scarce and

demand exceeds supply. The Director-General of the

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United

Nations (FAO), Jacques Diouf, forecasts an increase of

56 per cent in the cost of imports of cereals for the

more disadvantaged countries, but he also forecasts an

increase of 53 per cent for the European countries.

The current crisis is closely related to the

geographical distribution of productivity. Perhaps

production should be increased in the places where

people are suffering famine and less surplus sent from

countries with more resources, since it contributes to

increasing the dependency of the poor countries. In that

respect, we agree with the decision of the World Bank

to double its loans for agriculture to Africa, with a

provision of $800 million for 2009.

At the same time and in order to correct the

distortions that have been created in the markets, the

liberalization of agricultural markets must be

accompanied by measures of support for small local

farmers so as to avoid the temptation of giving up

production in favour of importing foreign food

products. In fact, liberalization would have to be

reinvented. Rather than serving as a common pattern

for all countries, it would have to be applied according

to the specific circumstances of each country, while the

pros and cons are analysed with caution.

On the other hand, the subject of agricultural

subsidies has not been resolved definitively, nor has

true freedom of trade, which would serve to help the

41 08-51851

countries that need it most, been established.

Liberalization would also have to involve an increase

in productivity and the development of human

resources, basic infrastructures, access to technology

and knowledge including respect for the environment.

In other words, it would have to contribute to

sustainable development, as indicated in the Doha

Outcome Document of July 2008.

The current crisis shows the vulnerability of the

present system. In that regard, without ignoring hard

realities, Andorra fully shares the approaches agreed in

Rome in June during the High-Level Conference on

World Food Security: the Challenges of Climate

Change and Bioenergy. Since 2005, the Government of

Andorra has worked on development cooperation with

all of the major international bodies, vulnerable

countries at their request, NGOs and civil society.

In the current context and in accordance with the

call from world leaders, major international actors and

international specialized and regional organizations,

we have assisted the most affected countries through

financial contributions to FAO and NGO initiatives.

We also cooperate on support for agricultural trade and

production in Burkina Faso, Colombia and Morocco

through NGOs active in the field. For that reason, we

endorse the future options being used to maintain

biological diversity, sustainable forestry practices and

the adaptation of new technology that can help to

promote ecological balance and slow the effects of

climate change.

Demographic growth on a planet that already has

more than 6.7 billion inhabitants; chemical and

industrial pollution; ill-adapted land use; desertification

and water; the interaction of animal, vegetable and

horticultural species; international trade and the

movements of peoples are all destabilizing factors that

are now upon us and very real. We have to address

them with all the means available to us. Guaranteeing

food for everyone on our planet is basic, essential and

vital. Sixty-three years ago we thought that today, in

the twenty-first century, this would be a fact, an

outdated concept, a matter achieved, the success of our

dreams. Sadly, we were wrong. Now, we need to be

strong. To keep going and face up to the most

pessimistic forecasts which warn us of the failure of

the Millennium Development Goals.

We have made the diagnosis, we are aware that

the policies we have encouraged in recent decades have

not fulfilled our expectations. But we still have time to

rectify this and for this reason I would like to

congratulate both the Secretary-General for his

initiatives and the rest of the international bodies and

civil society for the specific actions they are

implementing around the world.

Speeches, reports and fine words are necessary

but we suffer from a serious inability to act. Let us not

hide behind excuses. Let us take action based on the

facts. The dignity of every human being obliges us to

do so and humanity deserves it!