A/RES/66/195 GA

United Nations A/RES/66/195 General Assembly Distr.: General 28 February 2012 Sixty-sixth session Agenda item 19 11-47052 *1147052* Please rec cle ♲ Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 22 December 2011 [on the report of the Second Committee (A/66/440)] 66/195. Agricultural technology for development The General Assembly, Recalling its resolution 64/197 of 21 December 2009 on agricultural technology for development, Recalling also the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, 1 Agenda 21, 2 the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21, 3 the Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development4 and the Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (“Johannesburg Plan of Implementation”),5 Recalling further the 2005 World Summit Outcome,6 Recalling its resolution 65/178 of 20 December 2010 on agriculture development and food security, Noting the previous work done by the Commission on Sustainable Development, in particular at its sixteenth and seventeenth sessions, highlighting the thematic focus on agriculture, Acknowledging the work performed by the High-level Task Force on the Global Food Security Crisis, established by the Secretary-General in 2008, and specifically its call for increased investment, as appropriate, in the development of agricultural technology as well as for the transfer and use of existing technologies, _______________ 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 See resolution 60/1. A/RES/66/195 2 on mutually agreed terms, especially for smallholder farmers, in particular rural women, and recalling the World Summit on Food Security, convened by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Rome from 16 to 18 November 2009, and underlining the importance of advancing and implementing agricultural technologies, Welcoming the commitments set out in the Joint Statement on Global Food Security, adopted in L’Aquila, Italy, on 10 July 2009,7 which focused on sustainable agriculture development, Recalling the High-level Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly on the Millennium Development Goals, held in New York from 20 to 22 September 2010, and its outcome document,8 reaffirming its commitment to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, and recognizing the beneficial impact that the adoption of agricultural technologies can have for the achievement of many of those goals, including for eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, empowering women and ensuring environmental sustainability, while remaining concerned about the pace of progress to date in achieving those goals, particularly in the least developed countries and in Africa, Taking note of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2011–2020 adopted at the Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, held in Istanbul, Turkey, from 9 to 13 May 2011,9 and recognizing the need to continue to work towards fulfilling the commitments made in the Programme of Action, Acknowledging the importance of the forthcoming United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Stressing the critical role of women in the agricultural sector and their contribution to enhancing agricultural and rural development, improving food security and nutrition and eradicating rural poverty, and underlining the fact that meaningful progress in agricultural development necessitates, inter alia, closing the gender gap and ensuring that women have equal access to agricultural technologies, related services and inputs and all the necessary productive resources, as well as to education and training, social services, health care, health services and financial services and access to and participation in markets, Acknowledging the role and work of civil society and the private sector in furthering progress in developing countries, in promoting the use of sustainable agricultural technology and the training of smallholder farmers, in particular rural women, Considering the increasing need to innovate in agri-food chains in order to respond to the challenges posed by, inter alia, climate change, the depletion and scarcity of natural resources, urbanization and globalization, and recognizing that agricultural research and sustainable agricultural technologies can greatly contribute to agricultural, rural and economic development, the adaptation of agriculture and food security and nutrition and help to mitigate the negative impact of climate change, land degradation and desertification, _______________ 7 Available from www.ifad.org/events/g8. 8 See resolution 65/1. 9 Report of the Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, Istanbul, Turkey, 9–13 May 2011 (United Nations publication, Sales No. 11.II.A.1), chap. II. A/RES/66/195 3 1. Welcomes the report of the Secretary-General on agricultural technology for development;10 2. Urges Member States, relevant United Nations organizations and other stakeholders to strengthen efforts to improve the development of appropriate sustainable agricultural technologies and their transfer and dissemination under fair, transparent and mutually agreed terms to developing countries, especially the least developed countries, in particular at the bilateral and regional levels, and to support national efforts to foster the utilization of local know-how and agricultural technologies, promote agricultural technology research and access to knowledge and information through suitable communication for development strategies and enable rural women, as well as men and youth, to increase sustainable agricultural productivity, reduce post-harvest losses and enhance food and nutritional security; 3. Encourages international, regional and national efforts to strengthen the capacity of developing countries, especially their smallholder farmers, in particular rural women, in order to enhance the productivity and nutritional quality of food crops, to promote sustainable practices in pre-harvest and post-harvest agricultural activities and to enhance food security and nutrition-related programmes and policies that take into consideration the specific needs of women and youth; 4. Calls upon Member States and relevant United Nations organizations and other stakeholders to mainstream gender into agricultural policies and projects and to focus on closing the gender gap to achieve equal access for women to labour- saving technologies, agricultural technology information and know-how, equipment, decision-making forums and associated agricultural resources to ensure that agriculture, food security and nutrition-related programmes and policies take into consideration the specific needs of women and youth; 5. Underlines the importance of supporting and advancing research in improving and diversifying crop varieties and seed systems as well as supporting the establishment of sustainable agricultural systems and management practices, such as conservation agriculture and integrated pest management, in order to make agriculture more resilient and, in particular, to make crops and farm animals, including livestock, more tolerant to diseases, pests and environmental stresses, including drought and climate change, in a manner consistent with national regulations and relevant international agreements; 6. Also underlines the importance of the sustainable use and management of water resources to increase and ensure agricultural productivity, and calls for further efforts to develop and strengthen irrigation facilities and water-saving technology; 7. Encourages Member States, civil society and public and private institutions to develop partnerships to support financial and market services, including training, capacity-building, infrastructure and extension services, and calls for further efforts by all stakeholders to include smallholder farmers, in particular rural women, in planning and taking decisions about making appropriate sustainable agricultural technologies and practices available and affordable to them; 8. Calls upon Member States to include sustainable agricultural development as an integral part of their national policies and strategies, notes the positive impact that North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation can have in this regard, and urges the relevant bodies of the United Nations system to include elements of _______________ 10 A/66/304. A/RES/66/195 4 agricultural technology, research and development in efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, with a focus on the research and development of technology that is affordable, durable and sustainable and that can be easily used by and disseminated to smallholder farmers, in particular rural women; 9. Requests relevant United Nations organizations, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the International Fund for Agricultural Development, to promote, support and facilitate the exchange of experience among Member States on ways to augment sustainable agriculture and management practices, such as conservation agriculture, and increase the use of agricultural technologies that have a positive impact on the entire value chain, including technology for post-harvest crop storage and transportation, especially in pressing environmental circumstances; 10. Underlines the instrumental role of agricultural technology, agricultural research and technology transfer on mutually agreed terms, as well as the sharing of knowledge and practices, in furthering sustainable development and in achieving the Millennium Development Goals, calls, therefore, upon Member States and encourages relevant international bodies to support sustainable agricultural research and development, and in this regard calls for continued support to the international agricultural research system, including the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research and other relevant international organizations and initiatives; 11. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its sixty-eighth session a report on the implementation of the present resolution. 91st plenary meeting 22 December 2011

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