Cubadebate

Statement by Juan Antonio Fernández Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Cuba, on Behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement

Geneva, 9 March 2009

Mr. Chairman:

I have the honor to speak on behalf of the Non Aligned Movement.

Allow me first of all to express the appreciation of the Movement to the various panelists for their presence with us this morning, and for their very interesting presentations.

The NAM welcomes the convening of this panel discussion, which takes place in the context of the actions being carried out by the Human Rights Council to insert the human rights dimension into the international debate on the world food crisis. It is to recall that the Council, at the request of the NAM, devoted its first thematic special session in history to this important subject, and that a proper follow up is being implemented.

Mr. Chairman:

Hunger constitutes a violation of human dignity. The global food crisis poses a serious challenge to the fight against poverty and hunger, as well as to the efforts by developing countries to attain food security and achieve the objective to halve the number of undernourished people by 2015 and other development goals.

The multiple and complex causes of the food crisis require a comprehensive, coordinated and sustained response by the international community. Any possible solution should include a multi-faceted approach requiring short, medium, and long-term actions. The human rights dimension should be fully taken into account by the international economic, trade and financial institutions, which, by the way, must be re-founded so as to make them open, equitable, non-coercive, rules-based, predictable and non-discriminatory.

Achieving food security would require strengthening and revitalizing the agriculture sector in developing countries, including through international cooperation, the empowerment of small and medium scale farmers, technical assistance, access to and transfer of technology and exchange of knowledge and experience.

The policy of subsidies and other market distortions by developed countries severely harm the agricultural sector in developing countries. Developed countries should therefore refrain from pursuing in the implementation of this policy, and show their commitment to the promotion and protection of the right of all individuals to be free from hunger, consistent with the right to food.

In this regard, we pose the following questions to the panelists:

1. The current economic and financial crisis has, inter alia, aggravated the impact of the world food crisis all over the world, with particular emphasis on developing countries. Which structural changes are needed at the international level, so as to avoid the recurrence of such crises?

2. Developing countries have strongly struggled, and continue to do so, for the full implementation of the right to development. What impact could the full implementation of the right to development have in the capacity of developing countries to face similar crises in the future?

Thank you.