英國首相布朗:促G8全力協助解決糧食短缺 | 環境資訊中心
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英國首相布朗:促G8全力協助解決糧食短缺

2008年04月15日
摘譯自2008年4月10日ENS英國,倫敦報導;范仕穎編譯;蔡麗伶審校

英國首相布朗。圖片來源:Office of the Prime Minister英國首相布朗(Gordon Brown )呼籲八大工業國G8成員對世界銀行等國際組織施壓,要求針對國際食物價格上漲的危機展開行動,因為食物價格自6月以來估計已上漲了55%。

在一封給八大工業國高峰會之主辦單位日本首相福田康夫(Yasuo Fukuda)的信中,布朗要求會員國共同來推動一個全面整合的回應,包含國際社群到高漲的食物價格和其效應,尤其要關注世界上最貧窮的人民。

日本目前為G8的主辦國,將於2008年的7月7日到9日的北海道舉行年度的G8高峰會。

身為前國庫大臣的布朗建議世界銀行和國際貨幣基金組織投入短期的支援,「食物輸入國家因為現在較高的國際食物價格而困於付款的困難,國際貨幣基金組織(IMF)應在已制訂的機制下給予即時的協助。」

布朗表示我們應該將食物的議題與氣候變遷和極端天氣的狀況,進行更多的關係連結。「近期主要穀物產出國的輸出量之缺乏,是氣候變遷之下可預料的後果。加上未來幾年極端天氣出現的頻率和程度也會越來越嚴重,」他表示,「世界糧食計畫(WFP)強調了食物價格的上漲,會加速世界上最窮人口對食物的需求。」

「國際社群需要一個完全面整合後的回應,」布朗寫道,「我們需要針對極端嚴峻情形,採行短期行動方案,並著手提供中程的應對機會和挑戰的架構。」

日本首相福田康夫。圖片來源:Government of Japan世界銀行總裁-美國的佐利克(Robert Zoellick),4月10日表示他與首相布朗也有同樣的想法,佐利克表示針對緊急危機,國際社群必須填補起由聯合國世界糧食組織(UNWFP)所推算的至少5億美金的食品落差。

農業必須是優先考慮的選項,佐利克重申了銀行於2009年會增加下非洲南撒哈拉農業借貸至兩倍的聲明,金額由4.5億美金增加到8億美金。

佐利克補充道:「我們需要完成多哈會談(Doha Round)中提到的世貿組織(WTO)之全球貿易對話。」

布朗同意在全球貿易的部分仍有許多可著力的地方。「我們應該對WTO的貿易會談加倍努力,WTO讓許多貧窮國家有機會接觸已開發國家的市場,並且減低富國裡無效浪費的補貼。」

布朗也說,「大量的貿易配套協助非常重要,而持續性的國際農業研究的支持也至關重要,同時也要進行國際性研究系統的更新,已達到減少貧窮和飢餓的的衝擊。」

British Prime Minister Urges G8 to Help the Hungry
LONDON, UK, April 10, 2008 (ENS)

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called upon the Group of Eight, G8, to press international institutions such as the World Bank to take action on a growing crisis in global food prices, which have increased by an estimated 55 percent since June.

In a letter of April 9 to Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who is hosting the G8 summit this year, Brown asked his counterpart to push for a "fully coordinated response" from the international community to rising food prices and their effects, particularly on the world's poorest people.

Japan currently holds the G8 presidency and will host the annual G8 summit in Hokkaido in July 7 to 9.

Brown, a former chancellor of the exchequer, suggested short-term World Bank and IMF support. "Net food importing countries suffering from balance of payments difficulties as a result of higher global food prices should be given rapid access to IMF support under established mechanisms."

Brown said more should be done to link food issues with climate change and "extreme weather conditions." Recent crop failures in major producing countries are reminders of the expected consequences of climate change, as the frequency and severity of extreme weather events increase in years to come," he wrote. "And the World Food Programme has highlighted that the increase in food prices will accentuate the food needs for the world's poorest people."

"The international community needs a fully co-ordinated response," Brown wrote. "We need both short-term action to deal with immediate hardship, and a medium term response, which will provide a framework for tackling the opportunities and challenges."

World Bank President Robert Zoellick of the United States indicated today that he is thinking along the same lines as Prime Minister Brown. Zoellick said that for the immediate crisis, the international community must fill the at least $500 million food gap identified by the UN's World Food Programme to meet emergency needs.

Saying that agriculture must become a priority, Zoellick repeated the Bank's announcement that it will double agricultural lending for Sub-Saharan Africa over the next year, from $450 million to $800 million.
"And," Zoellick said, "we need to complete the Doha Round," of global trade talks at the World Trade Organization, WTO.

Brown agrees that more can be done in terms of trade. "We should surely redouble our efforts for a WTO trade deal that provides greater poor country access to developed country markets and cuts distortionary subsidies in rich countries," he wrote.

"A large aid for trade package will be crucial" and continuing international support for agricultural research also will be "crucial," wrote Brown, "along with reform of the international research system to achieve even greater impact on poverty and hunger."

全文及圖片詳見:ENS

作者

蔡麗伶(LiLing Barricman)

In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.