A/RES/62/190 GA

United Nations A/RES/62/190 General Assembly Distr.: General 11 February 2008 Sixty-second session Agenda item 54 (a) 07-47517 Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 19 December 2007 [on the report of the Second Committee (A/62/419/Add.1)] 62/190. Agricultural technology for development The General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions 58/218 of 23 December 2003, 59/227 of 22 December 2004, 60/193 of 22 December 2005 and 61/195 of 20 December 2006, Recalling also the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, 0F 1 Agenda 21, 1F 2 the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21,2F 3 the Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development 3F 4 and the Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (“Johannesburg Plan of Implementation”),4F5 as well as the Monterrey Consensus of the International Conference on Financing for Development, 5F6 Reaffirming the commitment to implement Agenda 21, the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21, the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, including the time-bound goals and targets, and the other internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, Reaffirming also the goals set in paragraph 19 of the United Nations Millennium Declaration, 6F7 to halve poverty and hunger by 2015, Reaffirming further that eradicating poverty is the greatest global challenge facing the world today and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development, particularly for developing countries, and that although each country has the primary responsibility for its own sustainable development and poverty _______________ 1 Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June 1992, vol. I, Resolutions Adopted by the Conference (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.93.I.8 and corrigendum), resolution 1, annex I. 2 Ibid., annex II. 3 Resolution S-19/2, annex. 4 Report of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg, South Africa, 26 August– 4 September 2002 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.03.II.A.1 and corrigendum), chap. I, resolution 1, annex. 5 Ibid., resolution 2, annex. 6 Report of the International Conference on Financing for Development, Monterrey, Mexico, 18-22 March 2002 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.02.II.A.7), chap. I, resolution 1, annex. 7 See resolution 55/2. A/RES/62/190 2 eradication and the role of national policies and development strategies cannot be overemphasized, concerted and concrete measures are required at all levels to enable developing countries to achieve their sustainable development goals as related to the internationally agreed poverty-related targets and goals, including those contained in Agenda 21, the relevant outcomes of other United Nations conferences and the United Nations Millennium Declaration, Recalling the 2005 World Summit Outcome, 7F8 Recalling also its resolution 60/265 of 30 June 2006, Recognizing that the achievement of many of the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, is currently off track in many countries, and emphasizing that vigorous implementation of all development commitments will be needed without delay if the Goals are to be achieved, Remaining concerned that Africa is the only continent currently not on track to achieve any of the goals of the Millennium Declaration by 2015, and in this regard emphasizing that concerted efforts and continued support are required to fulfil the commitments to address the special needs of Africa, Noting the preparatory work being carried out by the Commission on Sustainable Development for its next two-year cycle, with the thematic focus on agriculture, rural development, land, drought, desertification and Africa, Concerned by the relatively slow progress so far in achieving the above- mentioned goals, especially the hunger target and goals, and recognizing the need to redouble the efforts of the international community in its attempt to reach the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, Reaffirming that agriculture plays a crucial role in addressing the needs of a growing global population and is inextricably linked to poverty eradication, especially in developing countries, and that enhancing the role of women at all levels and in all aspects of rural development, agriculture, nutrition and food security is imperative and that sustainable agriculture and rural development are essential to the implementation of an integrated approach to increasing food production and enhancing food security and food safety in an environmentally sustainable way, Considering the increasing need to innovate in agriculture and food production to adapt, inter alia, to climate change, urbanization and globalization, Cognizant that technological methods to advance these goals should be sustainable, accessible and of benefit to poor people, taking into account relevant international instruments and the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, Recognizing that appropriate, affordable and sustainable agricultural technologies can play an important role in helping Member States alleviate poverty and eradicate hunger, 1. Calls upon Member States, especially those in a position to do so, and relevant United Nations organizations to make greater efforts to promote the _______________ 8 See resolution 60/1. A/RES/62/190 3 development and transfer of appropriate technologies in and to developing countries under fair, transparent and mutually agreed terms, as well as to support national efforts to foster the effective utilization of local know-how and technology and promote agricultural research and technologies to enable poor rural men and women to increase agricultural productivity and enhanced food security; 2. Underlines the need for Member States to make their knowledge and know-how in the field of agricultural technology and agricultural innovation systems more accessible, in particular to poor people, subject to appropriate arrangements; 3. Reiterates that the eradication of poverty, hunger and malnutrition, in particular as they affect children, is crucial for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and that rural and agricultural development should be an integral part of national and international development policies, calls for increased productive investment in rural and agricultural development to achieve food security, in this regard calls for enhanced support for agricultural development and trade capacity-building in the agricultural sector in developing countries, including by the international community and the United Nations system, and encourages support for commodity development projects, especially market-based projects, and for their preparation under the Second Account of the Common Fund for Commodities; 4. Notes with satisfaction the contribution made by the Technology for Agriculture initiative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; 5. Urges the relevant bodies of the United Nations system to support the efforts of Member States, in particular developing countries, to take full advantage of new knowledge in agricultural technology, agricultural innovation, research and development to achieve relevant Millennium Development Goals, specifically the eradication of poverty and hunger; 6. Calls upon public and private institutions to further develop improved varieties of crops that are appropriate for various regions, especially those challenged by environmental factors, including climate change, and to develop and manage these crops in a sustainable manner, and calls for further efforts by all stakeholders to ensure that improved crop varieties are made available and affordable to smallholder farmers in a manner consistent with national regulations and relevant international agreements; 7. Underscores the importance of support to agricultural research, and calls for continued support to international agricultural research systems, including the International Agricultural Research Centres of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, as well as other relevant international organizations; 8. Recognizes the importance of relevant institutions providing effective mechanisms for public-private agricultural advisory services as well as extension, financial and market services to farmers, in particular smallholder farmers, so that the benefits of new knowledge, agricultural innovation systems and improved technology may reach them and be used by them; 9. Invites Member States, especially those in a position to do so, and relevant regional and international organizations to allocate financial and technical resources to support the development of efficient, productive and environmentally sound technologies for sustainable agriculture in developing countries; A/RES/62/190 4 10. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its sixty-fourth session a report on the implementation of the present resolution. 78th plenary meeting 19 December 2007

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