That's the right that the US refuses to recognize, unless it's interpreted merely as "a goal or aspiration [!] to be realized progressively that does not give rise to any international obligations." Let's look at the actual wordings of the Rome Declaration and the US dissent.
The Rome Declaration on World Food Security, approved by the Committee on World Food Security at the conclusion of its 22nd Session on 31 Oct 1996: <http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/w3613e/w3613e00.htm>.
Extracts from relevant international conventions concerning access to adequate food as both an individual right and a collective responsibility: <http://www.fao.org/Focus/E/rightfood/right6.htm>.
The US dissenting opinion:
***** World Food Summit
Interpretive Statements
The U.S. delegation filed a number of interpretive statements in connection with the Rome Declaration and Plan of Action adopted by the Summit on November 13, 1996. The U.S. delegation also filed replies to the Iraqi and Marshall Island statements. These submissions will appear in the report of the World Food Summit.
Interpretative statements for the record by the Government of the United States of America
I. ROME DECLARATION ON WORLD FOOD SECURITY
First Paragraph:
The United States understands and accepts the provisions of the Rome Declaration on World Food Security and the World Food Summit Plan of Action regarding the "right of everyone to have access to safe and nutritious food" to mean that governments should not interfere with the effective opportunity or ability of their citizens to obtain safe and nutritious food.
In joining consensus on this and other similar paragraphs, the United States does not recognize any change in the current state of conventional or customary international law regarding rights related to food. The United States believes that the attainment of any "right to adequate food" or "fundamental right to be free from hunger" is a goal or aspiration to be realized progressively that does not give rise to any international obligations nor diminish the responsibilities of national governments toward their citizens.
Fourth Paragraph:
The United States understands and accepts the reference to a "right to development" in this and other paragraphs of the Rome Declaration on World Food Security and the World Food Summit Plan of Action to mean a right inherent in the individual that is an integral part of all human rights and fundamental freedoms. The lack of development cannot be invoked to justify abridgment of internationally recognized human rights.
Seventh Paragraph:
The United States understands that the sentences in this paragraph are linked and must be read together, in the sense that all measures by a State affecting food security must be consistent with the charter of the United Nations and international law.
Ninth Paragraph:
The United States understands the reference to external debt relief for developing countries to mean such measures as may be mutually agreed between the debtors and creditors.
Tenth Paragraph:
The United States understands that this paragraph describes the actions States intend to take individually through their own national policies and collectively, as appropriate, with a view to realizing the goals enumerated.
II. WORLD FOOD SUMMIT PLAN OF ACTION
Twelfth Paragraph:
The United States understands and accepts this paragraph to require actions taken by governments to implement the Plan of Action through the national laws and polices which must be in conformity with all human rights and fundamental freedoms. Various religious and ethical values, cultural backgrounds and philosophical convictions do not diminish the need for full respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Fifty-third Paragraph:
With regard to subparagraph (e), the United Stated notes that it is not among those countries that have agreed to an official development assistance target. Such a target would detract from the more important issues of the effectiveness and quality of aid and the policies in the recipient country. The United States will continue to provide high quality aid on a case-by case basis as appropriate.
Sixty-first Paragraph:
The United States understands and accepts that calls for action under particular treaties are germane only to States that are party to those treaties. Moreover, any specific actions called for can only be within the mandates of the organizations or bodies concerned. The United States does not understand this paragraph to support the development of any treaty, international agreement, or code of conduct regarding food security.
As to subparagraph (e), the United States believes that the term "voluntary guidelines" refers to voluntary programs to be implemented at national level to ensure that governments do not interfere with the effective opportunity or ability of their citizens to obtain safe and nutritious food, and which can be supplemented by other voluntary standards such as the donor guidelines for humanitarian food aid being developed within the OECD Development Assistance Committee.
<http://www.fas.usda.gov/icd/summit/interpre.html> *****
The US replies to the statements of the representatives of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Iraq:
***** World Food Summit
Right of Reply to Plenary Statements
Marshall Islands
In exercise of the right of reply to the statement of the representative of the Marshall Islands, the United States of America request that the following statement by included in the report of the World Food Summit:
The Compact of Free Association with the United States represents a negotiated, comprehensive settlement of all nuclear claims. Under that agreement, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has in the past and continues to provide food assistance to the Marshall Islands.
Iraq
In exercise of its right of reply under Rule 20 of the World Food Summit rules of procedure, the United States of America requests that the following be published in the report of the Summit:
Contrary to the statement of the representative of the Republic of Iraq, the suffering of the Iraqi people is caused by the continued failure of the Iraqi regime to fulfill international obligations. The United Nations Security Council has established the means by which Iraq could export oil in order to finance the importation of additional food and medicines. Iraq can relieve the hardships of its people by complying fully with relevant Security Council resolutions.
<http://www.fas.usda.gov/icd/summit/reply.html> *****
I'll let Fidel have the last word:
***** Excmo. Sr. Fidel Castro Ruz, Presidente de los Consejos de Estado y de Ministros de la República de Cuba
El hambre, inseparable compañera de los pobres, es hija de la desigual distribución de las riquezas y de las injusticias de este mundo. Los ricos no conocen el hambre.
El colonialismo no fue ajeno al subdesarrollo y a la pobreza que hoy sufre una gran parte de la humanidad. Tampoco son ajenos la hiriente opulencia y el derroche de las sociedades de consumo de las antiguas metrópolis que sumieron en la explotación a gran parte de los países de la tierra. Por luchar contra el hambre y la injusticia han muerto en el mundo millones de personas.
¿Qué curas de mercurocromo vamos a aplicar para que dentro de 20 años haya 400 millones en vez de 800 millones de hambrientos? Estas metas son, por su sola modestia, una vergüenza.
Si 35 000 personas mueren de hambre cada día, la mitad niños, ¿por qué en los países desarrollados se arrancan olivares, se sacrifican rebaños y se pagan cuantiosas sumas para que la tierra no produzca?
Si el mundo se conmueve con razón cuando ocurren accidentes, catástrofes naturales o sociales que matan a cientos o miles de personas, ¿por qué no se conmueve de la misma forma ante este genocidio que tiene lugar cada día delante de nuestros ojos?
Se organizan fuerzas de intervención para prevenir la muerte de cientos de miles de personas en el este de Zaire. ¿Qué es lo que haremos para evitar que mueran de hambre cada mes un millón de personas en el resto del mundo?
Son el capitalismo, el neoliberalismo, las leyes de un mercado salvaje, la deuda externa, el subdesarrollo, el intercambio desigual, los que matan a tantas personas en el mundo.
¿Por qué se invierten 700 mil millones de dólares cada año en gastos militares y no se invierte una parte de estos recursos en combatir el hambre, impedir el deterioro de los suelos, la desertificación y la deforestación de millones de hectáreas cada año, el calentamiento de la atmósfera, el efecto invernadero que incrementa ciclones, escasez o excesos de lluvias, la destrucción de la capa de ozono y otros fenómenos naturales que afectan la producción de alimentos y la vida del hombre sobre la tierra?
Las aguas se contaminan, la atmósfera se envenena, la naturaleza se destruye. No es sólo la escasez de inversiones, la falta de educación y tecnologías, el crecimiento acelerado de la población; es que el medio ambiente se deteriora y el futuro se compromete cada día más.
¿Por qué la producción de armas cada vez más sofisticadas después que concluyó la guerra fría? ¿Para qué se quieren esas armas sino para dominar al mundo? ¿Para qué la feroz competencia por vender armamentos a países subdesarrollados, que no los harán más poderosos para defender su independencia y donde lo que hay que matar es el hambre?
¿Por qué sumar a todo esto políticas criminales, bloqueos absurdos que incluyen alimentos y medicinas para matar de hambre y enfermedades a pueblos enteros? ¿Dónde está la ética, la justificación, el respeto a los derechos humanos más elementales, el sentido de tales políticas?
Reine la verdad y no la hipocresía y la mentira. Hagamos conciencia de que en este mundo debe cesar el hegemonismo, la arrogancia y el egoísmo.
Las campanas que doblan hoy por los que mueren de hambre cada día, doblarán mañana por la humanidad entera si no quiso, no supo o no pudo ser suficientemente sabia para salvarse a sí misma.
<http://www.fao.org/wfs/index_es.htm> ***** -- Yoshie
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