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PAGE 01 PANAMA 04946 241618Z
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ACTION IO-14
INFO OCT-01 ARA-16 ISO-00 AGR-20 AID-20 EB-11 RSC-01
COME-00 TRSE-00 SWF-02 AF-10 EA-11 EUR-25 NEA-14
OIC-04 PA-04 PRS-01 USIA-15 DRC-01 /170 W
--------------------- 051029
R 232249Z AUG 74
FM AMEMBASSY PANAMA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 1599
INFO USMISSION UN NEW YORK
AMEMBASSY ROME
UNCLAS PANAMA 4946
ROME FOR FODAG
FROM USDEL FAO REGIONAL CONFERENCE
E.O. 11652: N/A
TAGS: FAO, ECON, EAGR, UN, PN
SUBJECT: THIRTEENTH FAO REGIONAL CONFERENCE FOR LATIN AMERICA:
WRAP-UP
1. SUMMARY: LAST SEVERAL DAYS SUBJECT CONFERENCE INCLUDED STATE-
MENT BY REGIONAL REP., GENERAL DISCUSSION, MOVIES, BY CUBA AND
ISRAEL, ADOPTION OF TECH. STAGE REPORT, RAISING OF BANANA
QUESTION BY PANAMA, FAREWELL STATEMENT BY D. A. BOERMA, ADDITION
TO AGENDA OF PROGRAM OF ACTION ON ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW ECONOMIC
ORDER, AND CLOSING DISCUSSION WITH GENERAL TORRIJOS, TOGE-
THER WITH OTHER ITMES OF CLOSING. END SUMMARY.
2. AGENDA ITEM 8-STATEMENT BY FAO REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE
FOR LATIN AMERICA (SAMPER) BRIEFLY OUTLINED PRESENT SITUATION
AND LATEST TRENDS IN AGRICULTURE IN LATIN AMERICA, INCLUDING
REFERENCED TO CLIMATE AND PRICES AS IMPONDERABLE VARIABLES.
REAL ROOTS OF PRESENT LA AGRICULTURAL SITUATION WERE SAID TO
BE QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND HISTORIC
PROCESS WHICH HAS SHAPED PRESENT AGRARIAN AND INSTITUTIONAL
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STRUCTURES OF REGION. MENTION WAS MADE THAT 15 MINI-
STERS AND VICE MINISTERS ARE ATTENDING CONFERENCE. COMMENT:
RELATIVELY UNINSPIRED ADDRESS WAS FOLLOWED BY EQUAL QUALITY
GENERAL DEBATE.
3. ISRAEL (OBSERVER) SHOWED 10-15 MIN. MIVIE OF FIELD PROJECT IN LA
TO ILLUSTRATE THREE MAIN POINTS OF CONFERENCE (INTEGRATED RURAL
DEVELOPMENT, INTERNAL LIMITATIONS ON EXPORTS, AND ENVIRONMENT
AND DEVELOPMENT). CUBA LIKEWISE SHOWED 40 MIN. MOVIE ABOUT
DEVELOPMENT OF CUBA. BOTH MOVIES IN SPANISH.
4. AGENDA ITEM 9-ADOPTION OF TECHNICAL STAGE REPORT. REPORT
WAS ADOPTED WITHOUT MAJOR CHANGE,BUT RECOMMENDATIONS IN FORM OF
RESOLUTIONS WERE DEFERRED UNTIL NEAR END OF CONFERENCE.
PANAMA INTERJECTED BANANA CONTROVERSY SPEECH AT THIS POINT, AS
REPORTED EARLIER, TOGETHER WITH PROPOSAL TO CENSURE ACTION OF
BANANA MULTINATIONAL COMPANY.
5. FAO'S DG BOERMA IN BRIEF FAREWELL SPEECH THANKING PANAMA FOR
HOSTING CONFERENCE ACKNOWLEDGED PANAMA 'S CONCERN OVER BANANA
CRISIS AND INDICATED HIS FEELING THAT IT WAS APPROPRIATE FOR
PANAMA TO INTRODUCE RESOLUTION ON THIS MATTER AT THIS TIME.
BOERMA MENTIONED,HOWEVER, THE EXISTENCE OF OTHER FORA,
SUCH AS INTERGOVERNMENTAL GROUP ON BANANAS OF FAO'S COM-
MITTEE ON COMMODITY PROBLEMS (CCP), WHICH HE THOUGHT SHOULD
CONSIDER THE PROBLEM ALSO.
6. WITHOUT WARNING OR DISCUSSION (AND AFTER ADOPTION OF
AGENDA ON MONDAY, AUGUST 19, QITHOUT NEW ITEM), NEW AGENDA
"ITEM IV-13, STATEMENT AND PROGRAM OF ACTION ON THE ESTABLISH-
MENT OF A NEW ECONOMIC ORDER (DOCUMENT LARC/74/10)" APPEARED
ON AUGUST 22 ORDER OF DAY AS DISCUSSION ITEM. SUBJECT
GENERATED NO INTEREST; ONLY ONE OBSERVER SPOKE.
7. DISCUSSIONS OF FAO ACTIVITIES IN REGION, FIELD PROGRAM AND
WORLD FOOD PROGRAM, ELICITED USUAL DEMANDS FOR MORE ATTENTION
TO REGION AND STRENGTHENING REGIONAL OFFICE,BUT THERE WERE NO
SURPRISES AND FEW INNOVATIVE SUGGESTIONS.
8. IN FORMAL CLOSING PRIOR TO END OF SESSION, GENERAL
TORRIJOS GAVE FEW GENERAL COMMENTS, THEN OPENED FLOOR FOR QUESTIONS.
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ONE QUESTIONER SOUGHT HIS VIEWS ON CURRENT BANANA PROB-
LEM AND IN COURSE OF DETAILED RESPONSE GENERAL INDICATED RATHER
CLEAR INTENTION TO TAKE OVER MULTINATIONAL COMPANY INVOLVED. HE
ALSO ADDED THAT NEXT BANANA TRAIN WHICH RAN WOULD SOUND MORE LIKE
THE FATHERLAND. ANOTHER QUESTIONER ASKED ABOUT STEPS BEING TAKEN
IN RELATION FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE WHEN DARIEN GAP IS CLOSED.
HE REPLIED QUOTE ALL POSSIBLE STEPS END QUOTE.
9. REGARDING SITE NEXT REGIONAL CONFERENCE IT NOW APPEARS
LIKELY PERU'S INVITATION WILL BE ACCEPTED WITHOUT CONTEST
FROM ARGENTIAN.
10. IN HEADS OF DELEGATIONS MEETING THURSDAY NO CONSENSUS
REACHED ON SINGLE REGIONAL CONDIDATE FOR DIRECTOR GENERAL.
11. MOST RESOLUTIONS BEING ADOPTED TOO LATE ON CLOSING DAY
TO INCLUDE IN THIS REPORT.
JORDEN
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