HOLY SEE AT FAO CONFERENCE

VATICAN CITY, DEC 3, 2003 - Msgr. Renato Volante, head of the Holy See Delegation, spoke today on the occasion of the 32(rd) session of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Conference which is taking place from November 29 to December 10 in Rome.

In his speech, Msgr. Volante reaffirmed the Holy See's appreciation for 'the valuable action that FAO devotes in favor of the agricultural and food development' and recalled that as an observer his delegation wants 'to encourage the stakeholders' commitment ' governments, organizations of civil society and individuals ' and to support the efforts made to date for an 'appropriate and sustainable' management of the natural resources of Creation, in view of that auspicious food security, which should be made up to the dignity of human beings, in every part of our planet.'

Later on, referring to the World Food Summit which took place in 1996 and in which member states of the FAO committed to reduce the figure of 800 million hungry people in half by the year 2015, he said: 'Hunger and malnutrition not only prevent people from full development, but also constitute an evident denial of their fundamental rights, those rights stated and asserted in various international instruments and declarations. ... And only authentic solidarity, achieved through proportional contributions to budget resources, will make it possible to look ahead confidently.'

After recalling that food and agricultural resources mainly determine the productive capacity of countries and generate jobs and development, he underscored that the Holy See 'heartily wishes, because of the global vision of attention that the Church pays to the poorest and the weakest, that it would be possible to provide, in adequate form, assistance to all artisanal and practices which are in fact the basic economic reality for most developing countries.'

Msgr. Volante concluded by reminding those present of the 'Final Declaration: International Alliance against Hunger,' adopted in 2002 at the of the 'World Food Summit ' Five Years Later,' and affirmed that the issue depends on willingness and political responsibility. He then went on to say: 'The concept of responsibility ' is present in the different aspects of the sectors of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, keeping particularly in mind questions connected with environment and management of resources.'

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