|
|
|
|
|
POSSIBLE APPROACHES AND DRAFT REPORTING FORMAT FOR MONITORING PROGRESS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WORLD FOOD SUMMIT PLAN OF ACTION |
1. The Committee at its Twenty-third Session, when considering arrangements for monitoring and reporting on implementation of the World Food Summit’s Plan of Action, recalled that these should be based on three streams of reports - reports from national governments, reports on UN agency follow-up and inter-agency coordination, and reports from other relevant international institutions.
2. The Committee agreed on a provisional reporting procedure to be followed in 1997 which was to be based on the structure of the World Food Summit (WFS) Plan of Action and cover all its commitments and objectives. The Committee also requested the Secretariat to prepare for its consideration a standard reporting format for successive years. The Committee decided that an open-ended working group would be held immediately before the 1998 session to examine proposals for this purpose, taking into account the experience of the first reporting cycle , the progress with food insecurity and vulnerability information and mapping systems (FIVIMS) , and experiences derived from reporting mechanisms and formats in follow-up to other conferences and conventions.
3. This document, in line with the Committee’s request, proposes arrangements for monitoring the implementation of the WFS Plan of Action at future sessions of the Committee and provides a draft standard reporting format. In Section II the document considers possible approaches that the Committee could follow to monitor implementation of the Plan of Action, analysing the advantages and disadvantages of each. Section III presents suggestions for organising the work of the Committee at future sessions in relation to the various monitoring options discussed in Section II. Finally, Section IV proposes a standard reporting format which has been developed in a manner to fit any of the options proposed.
4. In developing the draft reporting format, the following considerations were taken into account: (i) the need for a format that would be simple and straightforward from the standpoint of the providers of the information (i.e. member countries, UN agencies and other relevant international institutions), (ii) the need for a format that would be flexible enough to allow countries to reflect specific characteristics of their food security situations and circumstances, and (iii) the need for a format that would provide an adequate basis for analysing policy implications by the Secretariat.
5. Three possible approaches for monitoring progress in implementing the Plan of Action are considered below, namely:
In considering these options, the related issue of the frequency of reporting periods (annual or biennial), discussed under Section III below, should be borne in mind.
6. The Plan of Action is made up of seven commitments, 27 objectives and 182 individual actions covering enormously diverse and wide-ranging areas. This makes reporting on the implementation of the Plan of Action in its entirety a difficult task from the standpoint both of the reporting streams and of the Secretariat of the CFS.
7. Experience with the provisional procedure followed in 1997 shows that most countries’ reports have followed the proposed reporting framework, in that information has been provided on actions taken in pursuance of specified commitments and objectives. However, in these reports, varied emphasis has been given to reporting on past plans and programmes, ongoing programmes, and future plans to improve food security, and the reports have not always focused on the issues involved. Some countries have chosen to provide a report that is more descriptive and analytical, but these reports do not usually provide precise information about the relationship of specific actions to the objectives and commitments in the Plan of Action. Some countries have reported only on certain aspects of food security action such as food stocks or reserve policies.
8. From the standpoint of the providers of information, especially the member countries, the diversity of subjects covered in the Plan of Action means that a large number of institutions must be called upon to contribute to the implementation report. This may create difficulties for the national coordinating unit. It is also likely to lead to delayed and incomplete reporting. While the deadline set by the CFS for submitting reports this year was 31 January 1998, only five reports were received by that date and only 34 by the end of February 1998. The consolidated progress report by the Secretariat will be finalised on the basis of the 68 reports received as of 31 March 1998. While many more reports are expected to arrive prior to the June session of the CFS, this will be too late for inclusion in the consolidated report. Furthermore, some member countries may have been discouraged from reporting in view of the complexity of the information gathering process, the subsequent analysis involved, and of the resources required to prepare reports.
9. Discrepancies in the nature of the information provided, and in the timeliness of reporting, will also hamper the ability of the Secretariat to prepare the consolidated report needed for the Committee’s consideration. In processing the national reports this year, considerable time and effort has been spent to locate the actions reported in relation to the relevant objectives and commitments in the WFS Plan of Action. In cases where the information provided was too general or vague, little fruitful use could be made of it.
10. It is also likely that reporting on the implementation of the Plan of Action in its entirety on every occasion may tend to be repetitive because of the time it takes to establish new actions, obtain and observe significant results and analyse their contribution to the objectives pursued, as had been noted by some delegates at the Twenty-third Session of CFS. The Committee may also find difficulty in organising its own work during future sessions, and in making full use of the abundant and widely diverse information made available to it, thereby affecting the usefulness of the monitoring process vis-à-vis the purposes for which it has been established, as certain experiences from monitoring other United Nations conferences suggests. It appears that this option, for a number of different reasons raises intrinsic complexities which the alternatives proposed below attempt to overcome.
11. This approach would involve focusing on only one commitment or group of commitments during each reporting period, although highlights of actions taken and results achieved for the entire Plan of Action would continue to be reported each time. The more limited scope of each report would alleviate the burden of assembling information and allow member countries to focus on analysing the issues and reasons for, or obstacles to, progress. The number of issues to be considered by CFS in a single session would be reduced, thereby enabling a more substantive and in-depth discussion to take place.
12. A reporting schedule limited to one commitment each year would require the full time span from 1999 to 2005 for the entire Plan of Action to be considered. By grouping the commitments under three broadly compatible themes, the Committee could monitor implementation of the entire Plan in a three-year cycle under an annual reporting rhythm, or a six-year cycle under a biennial reporting rhythm. Grouping the commitments under two broadly compatible themes would permit the Committee to monitor the entire Plan in a two-year cycle under an annual reporting rhythm, or a four-year cycle under a biennial reporting rhythm. The implications of these options for phased monitoring of the entire Plan on the organisation of the Committee’s work in future sessions are considered at more length in Section III below.
13. Despite some merits, this approach still poses a number of difficulties. This is due to the fact that a number of commitments contain actions that address more than one main subject and thus have relevance to more than one commitment. Isolating certain commitments from others would in several instances impede the joint consideration of related actions recommended under different objectives and commitments and contributing to the same subject matter. The result would also make both the reporting task and the monitoring function by CFS more difficult. A further elaboration of the phased monitoring approach to avoid such inconveniences is proposed for consideration as a third option.
14. This option retains the phased approach proposed under Option 2 but considers the subjects addressed by each commitment with greater focus and in a more integrated manner. It is based on identifying for each commitment, the main subjects that it addresses and considering all the actions that are related to each such subject, including those recommended under different commitments. This would ensure that all linked recommendations in the Plan of Action can be covered in the monitoring process when considering a specific subject, and despite the fact that reporting would not cover the entire Plan of Action. Such an approach should facilitate assembling information by the respective institutions concerned at national level, and would facilitate the organization of monitoring by the CFS on the basis of subjects that enable more integrated examination and conclusions.
15. The subjects dealt with by various commitments, and the linked actions, are presented in Annex 2.
16. As in Option 2, under this option also, reporting and monitoring would focus each time on a grouped set of commitments but would include, in addition, the linked actions found under other commitments. The consideration of all the linked actions would facilitate the monitoring of progress in the implementation of the Plan of Action by enabling a focused and integrated examination by CFS.
17. The phased approach is expected to give more significance to the analysis of results in relation to actions, by increasing the intervals between consideration of a particular subject. In addition, it should lighten the burden on reporting countries and institutions, allow for more efficient use of Secretariat resources in preparing consolidated reports and analyses, and facilitate management of the CFS agenda.
18. If the option of a phased approach based on groups of commitments is adopted, the following suggestions could be considered as possible methods for scheduling the sequence of monitoring reports to be reviewed by the CFS:
19. As noted above, either of the suggested groupings, or others that the Committee may wish to consider, can be adapted to either an annual or a biennial reporting rhythm. Regarding periodicity, it should be borne in mind that annual reporting would require very careful planning in order for countries to prepare and submit reports enough in advance of the CFS session to enable preparation of the Secretariat’s consolidated report for consideration by the Committee, with reports due at the latest by 28 February each year, if the June meeting date is maintained, or earlier, if the meeting date reverts to April. Although the reporting deadlines would remain the same, biennial reporting should permit a more relaxed approach. This would enable the reporting agenda to match the timing of FAO Council sessions in relation to the ECOSOC sessions, if the Committee’s monitoring sessions of the Plan of Action were scheduled for odd years. Such a schedule would also enable the Committee to give more systematic consideration to the results of debates on WFS follow-up that will take place during the FAO Regional Conferences in even years.
20. The Committee may wish to take into consideration that, depending on its choices relative to the number of commitments to be monitored during a reporting period, and to the annual and biennial rhythm of reporting, it may, between 1999 and 2005 consider the entire Plan of Action seven times or between one and four times, as indicated in the following table. The Secretariat suggests that two or three full cycles of review of the Plan of Action before the Mid-term Review in 2006 may be considered appropriate, and underlines the advantage of a biennial reporting rhythm with respect to the reporting burden and the arrangements for monitoring by the CFS.
|
|
|
|
|
2 or 3, in two groups [/ These are just examples of possible groupings and sequences.] / [/ Under this option, the year without a reporting session could come earlier than 2005.] / |
2 or 3, in two groups 2/ [/ This schedule conforms with the Secretariat’s suggestion in para 20.] / |
|
2 or 3, in three groups 2/ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
term Review |
|
term Review |
term Review |
21. The decision taken on the approach and periodicity to be followed for monitoring the WFS Plan of Action will have wider implications for the overall organisation of the Committee’s future work. The Committee at its Twenty-third Session considered a proposal to organise its work beyond the 1998 Session around three main items, under the general subject of Follow-up to the World Food Summit. The Committee agreed that these three items, namely, "Assessment of the World Food Security Situation", "Report on Progress in Implementation of the WFS Plan of Action", and "Thematic Issues", represented a useful starting point, but considered that it would be premature to decide this issue until more experience had been gained with the various procedures to be developed and used on a trial basis during 1997. With regard to the coverage of thematic issues, it was proposed that a planning be done at the 1998 session on themes linked to Summit implementation which might be considered by the Committee in future sessions.
22. The Committee will thus need to determine how it intends to organise its agenda so that appropriate attention can be given to important thematic issues as well as to the monitoring of the WFS Plan of Action
. An important point to be considered at the outset concerns the manner in which the Committee’s future debates on the assessment of the world food security situation will be handled. Traditionally, this subject has been a standing item, and has usually been taken up as the first item of business, in order to obtain the Committee’s views and recommendations regarding short-term developments and outlook at national and global level. For the future, the situation assessment will also have to take account of country reports on progress towards achieving Summit targets as well as analyse the significance of movements in key indicators of food security and nutrition status that will be monitored by FIVIMS at the national and global levels.
23. The Committee had requested that, for its Twenty-fourth Session in 1998, the assessment of the world food security situation be considered as part of the Report on Progress in the Implementation of the Summit Plan of Action , and the agenda for CFS/24 has been prepared accordingly. Two separate documents have been prepared to support the discussion.
24. For the future, the Secretariat considers that an annual assessment of the world food security situation and progress toward the Summit targets of reducing the number of undernourished by half by 2015 and achieving food security for all, should continue to be prepared separately from the annual or biennial report on measures taken and results achieved in implementing the WFS Plan of Action. This is due to differences in the content of the two documents, and because of the sheer volume of material to be covered. However, at sessions where both documents will be debated, the Committee may wish to consider reviewing them together under a single agenda item, as this would facilitate drawing an integrated set of conclusions and recommendations that would relate results obtained from measures taken to implement the Plan of Action with observed progress towards the achievement of Summit targets.
25. Between now and the Mid-term Review that will be undertaken in 2006, the Committee will hold seven annual sessions. Taking into account that the Committee will normally be able to deal with only three substantive agenda items at any one session, and that consideration of the situation assessment and the progress report are likely to require the time that would normally be allotted to two agenda items, regardless of whether they are debated together or separately, the following possibilities may be considered for organising the Committee’s work.
26. Under an annual reporting system for monitoring the WFS Plan of Action, there would be little choice but to take up each of the three main items proposed to CFS/23, at each future session. During each session’s debate, topics of interest could be identified and one thematic issue selected for in-depth review at the next session.
27. Under a biennial reporting system, there would be somewhat more choice. For example, the Committee could consider in one year the progress report along with, for example, the assessment and one thematic issue. In the next year it could consider the assessment followed by debate a two thematic issues emerging from previous examinations of progress.
28. It may be recalled that, upon the agreement of the FAO Conference in 1995, the standing item on nutrition has been transferred from the Committee on Agriculture (COAG) to CFS on a trial basis. In as much as the document prepared for this item in each of the earlier COAG meetings, as well as for CFS/23 in 1997, has covered a nutrition-related thematic issue, the Committee may wish to provide for coverage of this item under its examination of thematic issues. If the biennial schedule for the consideration of this standing item is to be maintained, than a nutrition-related topic should be included as one of the three items to be taken up by the Committee at its Twenty-fifth Session in 1999.
29. The draft format has been developed using a structure which is straightforward, builds upon existing information flows but without duplication of information and should allow for a degree of flexibility to reflect the specific food security situations of countries, in keeping with the Committee’s recommendations. The standard format would have two sections. Section I would provide a general assessment of progress towards the Summit’s overall goal of food security for all, highlighting the main factors that contributed or hindered such progress. Section II would focus on the Commitments themselves and on relative results and measures, as per the scope of the reporting occasion. The draft standard format is provided in Annex 1.
30. In Section I, countries would be requested to provide a general assessment of progress towards achieving food security for all and their national Summit 2015 target, using verifiable indicators to the extent feasible, and drawing on FIVIMS, once established, as an analytical aid. Countries would also be invited to highlight the main factors and measures that significantly impacted on the reported overall progress. Under this section, countries would be able to consider any aspect of the Plan of Action which they deemed worth highlighting.
31. In focusing on national progress towards the 2015 target of the Summit, Section I should be used to report at intervals on the number of undernourished [/ In connection with preparation of the FIVIMS guidelines, it has been noted that the meaning of undernourished in this context refers to those that are underfed.] / , using a standard method. However, most countries do not yet have a baseline figure for this number, and FAO uses indirect data for its estimates. Some countries use indicators other than the number of undernourished to monitor the results of their actions to achieve food security. Accordingly, it is considered premature at this stage to propose a single indicator on which systematic reporting is requested. With the improvement of national information that the establishment of a FIVIMS is likely to make possible, it is expected that a growing number of countries will be able to set a baseline number of undernourished in the population as well as a target for 2015, and to report at intervals on progress towards reaching this target. Some countries may wish to use FAO estimates as an indicator for this purpose.
32. In Section II of the format, the national reports would focus on the commitments selected for consideration at a particular monitoring occasion. Under each objective in the Plan of Action, an assessment of progress would be provided highlighting the causes to which such results can be attributed. The more detailed reporting on actions would include a description of actions and actors, direct results obtained from the actions, and perspectives for policy orientation, as applicable. To help focus reporting on only the most significant information and to avoid repetition, countries would be invited to report both on actions that had the most impact on the results, and on new or substantially reinforced or reoriented actions. To facilitate analysis, the tabular format for this section requires relating individual measures taken to relevant actions in the Plan of Action. The format could be made available to countries both in hardcopy and in electronic form.
33. In following-up on the implementation of the WFS Plan of Action in 1997, United Nations agencies and other international institutions were requested to provide a short report highlighting areas of actions and work underway in relation to specific commitments and objectives in the Plan of Action, using the provisional national reporting format for guidance.
34. It is intended that future reporting by United Nations agencies and other relevant international institutions be guided by the descriptions of responsibilities listed under each objective in the Plan of Action. The monitoring of sub-regional and regional implementation would make use of the reports of institutions at this level, as well as of information from international institutions with special bodies at such levels.
Name of the country:
Name of the reporting institution or unit:
Contact point (Name and Official Title):
Telephone: E-mail: Fax:
Institutional arrangements established for the follow-up of the WFS Plan of Action (if any) :
SECTION I
General progress in implementing the World Food Summit Plan of Action.
(This section should not exceed three pages.)
1. Overall progress towards achieving food security for all. This sub-section provides a general assessment of progress towards achieving food security for all and towards achieving the national target for reducing the number of undernourished people in the country by 2015, using verifiable indicators to the extent feasible and drawing on FIVIMS, once established, as an analytical aid.
2. Main factors and measures. This sub-section highlights the main factors and measures that significantly impacted on the above reported overall progress. In this section, countries are invited to consider any aspect of the Plan of Action they deem worth highlighting during this reporting period.
SECTION II
Report on the progress towards Objectives under each Commitment.
(One form should be used for each objective under the commitments and subjects specified by CFS for the reporting period.)
Objective: (reference to be inserted by the Secretariat according to the scope of reporting for each reporting period)
3. General information and analysis.
A. Progress made towards achieving the Objective:
B. Main factors and measures which have contributed towards progress:
C. Constraints faced and planned reorientations (as applicable) :
4. Tabular information. Please complete the following tables on measures taken that had most impact on the results described above, and on those that have been newly-introduced, or substantially reinforced or reoriented during this reporting period.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Note: Titles of objectives have been abbreviated for purposes of this table.
| Commitments and Objectives | Recommended Actions |
Actions |
| COMMITMENT ONE |
|
|
| Subject Ensuring an enabling social, political and economic environment. |
|
|
|
||
| Objective 1.1 |
|
|
| To prevent and resolve conflicts peacefully and create a stable political environment respectful of human rights. | All actions 1.1 (a) - 1.1 (e) Note: 1.1 (a), 1.1 (b) and 1.1 (e) also linked to other objectives |
5.1 (b) 5.1 (c) |
| Objective 1.2 |
|
|
| To ensure stable economic conditions. | All actions 1.2 (a) - 1.2 (c) Note: 1.2 (a) and 1.2 (b) also linked to other objectives. |
3.4 (g) 6.1 (a) 6.1 (b) 6.1 (c) |
| Objective 1.4 |
|
|
| To provide equal opportunities for all in economic and political life. | All actions 1.4 (a) - 1.4 (d) Note: 1.4 (a) and 1.4 (b) also linked to other objectives. |
2.1 (c) 2.1 (d) 5.4 (c) |
Commitments and Objectives
Recommended Actions
Subject Ensuring gender equality.
Objective 1.3
To ensure empowerment of women and protect their interests.
To ensure gender equality through improving women’s access to productive resources.
To ensure gender equality through developing women’s skills.
To ensure gender equality through improving gender perspective in research and collection and dissemination of gender-related data.
Note: 1.3 (f) also linked to other objectives.
Commitment and Objectives
Recommended Actions
COMMITMENT TWO
Subject Promoting access to productive resources and employment.
Objective 2.1
To improve access to employment opportunities and pursue poverty eradication and sustainable food security for all as a policy priority.
Note: all are also linked to other objectives.
To improve access to productive resources, inputs, technologies and skills.
Note: 2.1 (e) also linked to other objectives.
Subject Promoting access to adequate, safe food and its effective utilisation.
Objectives 2.2 and 2.3
To develop and periodically update national food insecurity and vulnerability information and mapping systems (FIVIMS) and related food security and nutrition information.
Note: both also linked to other objectives.
Commitments and Objectives
Recommenced Actions
To ensure adequate and safe food supplies and enable food insecure households to meet their food and nutritional requirements.
Note: 2.2 (b) and 2.3 (e) also linked to other objectives.
Subject Promoting access to basic education and primary health care.
Objective 2.4
To promote access for all, especially the poor and disadvantaged, to basic education and primary health care.
All actions 2.4 (a) - 2.4 (d) Note: 2.4 (b), 2.4 (c) and 2.4 (d) also linked to other objectives.
Commitments and Objectives
Recommended Actions
COMMITMENT THREE
Subject Pursuing sustainable production and rural development policies.
Objectives 3.1 and 3.2
To achieve sustainable food, agriculture, fisheries and forestry production.
All actions 3.1 (a) - 3.1 (i) and 3.2 (a) - 3.2 (k) Note: 3.1 (a), 3.1 (d), 3.1 (g), 3.1 (h), 3.2 (a), 3.2 (h) also linked to other objectives.
Objectives 3.3 and 3.4
To strengthen research and scientific cooperation and promote transfer and use of technologies, skills development and training appropriate to the food security needs of developing countries.
All actions 3.3 (a) - 3.3 (d) and 3.4 (a) -3.4 (i) Note: 3.3 (a) - 3.3 (d), 3.4 (c), 3.4 (f), 3.4 (g), 3.4 (h) and 3.4 (i) also linked to other objectives.
Objective 3.5
To formulate and implement rural development strategies, in low and high potential areas, that promote rural employment, skills formation, infrastructure, institutions and services, and reinforce local productive capacity.
All actions 3.5 (a) - 3.5 (o) Note: 3.5 (a), 3.5 (c), 3.5 (e), 3.5 (f), 3.5 (g), 3.5 (i), 3.5 (m), 3.5 (n) and 3.5 (o) also linked to other objectives.
Commitments and Objectives
Recommended Actions
COMMITMENT FOUR
Subject Ensuring that food trade and overall trade policies are conducive to fostering food security for all through a fair and market-oriented world trade system.
Objective 1.1
To use opportunities arising from the international trade framework.
All actions: 4.1 (a) - 4.1 (h)
Note:
4.1 (b), 4.1 (d), 4.1 (e), 4.1 (f),
4.1 (g) and 4.1 (h) also linked to other objectives.
Objective 1.2
To meet essential food import needs in all countries.
All actions: 4.2 (a) - 4.2 (g) Note: 4.2 (g) also linked to other objectives.
Objective 1.3
To support continuation of Uruguay Round reform process.
All actions: 4.3 (a) - 4.3 (c) Note: 4.3 (a) also linked to other objectives.
Commitments and Objectives
Recommended Actions
COMMITMENT FIVE
Subject Preventing and preparing for emergencies.
Objective 5.1
To reduce demands for emergency assistance.
All actions: 5.1 (a) - 5.1 (c) Note: all are also linked to other objectives.
Objective 5.2
To establish prevention and preparedness strategies for vulnerable countries and regions.
All actions: 5.2 (a) - 5.2 (d) Note: all are also linked to other objectives.
Objective 5.3
To develop efficient and effective emergency response mechanisms.
All actions: 5.3 (a) - 5.3 (g) Note: 5.3 (b), 5.3 (e) and 5.3 (f) also linked to other objectives.
Objective 5.4
To strengthen linkages between relief operations and development programmes.
All actions 5.4 (a) - 5.4 (c) Note: 5.4 (c) also linked to other objectives.
Commitments and Objectives
Recommended Actions
COMMITMENT SIX
Subject Promoting investment in sustainable development.
Objective 6.1
To create the policy framework and conditions
for encouraging public and
private investment.
All actions 6.1 (a) - 6.1 (d) Note: all are also linked to other objectives.
Objective 6.2
To mobilise and optimise resource use.
All actions 6.2 (a) - 6.2 (n) Note: 6.2 (h), 6.2 (i), 6.2 (j) and 6.2 (k) also linked to other objectives.
Commitments and Objectives
Recommended Actions
COMMITMENT SEVEN
Subject Implementing and monitoring the WFS Plan of Action.
Objectives 7.1 and 7.5
To adopt national actions to enhance food security, (7.1) on the basis of shared responsibility (7.5).
All actions 7.1 (a) - 7.1 (h) and
7.5 (a) - 7.5 (d)
Note:
7.1 (f) also linked to other objectives.
Objective 7.2
To improve sub-regional, regional, and international cooperation in support of national efforts.
All actions 7.2 (a) - 7.2 (o) Note: 7.2 (a), 7.2 (b), 7.2 (c) and 7.2 (e) also linked to other objectives.
Objective 7.3
To monitor implementation of the WFS Plan of Action.
All actions 7.3 (a) - 7.3 (h)
Subject Clarifying content of the right to food.
Commitments and Objectives
Recommended Actions
Objective 7.4
To clarify content of the right to adequate food and the fundamental right of everyone to be free from hunger, and to give particular attention to full and progressive realisation of this right.
All actions 7.4 (a) - 7.4 (e) Note: 7.4 (e) also linked to other objectives.