UN Decletarion

Fifty-seventh session
Agenda item 168
International Year of Rice, 2004

Sponsors:

Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cuba, Cyprus, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Ecuador, Fiji, Gabon, Grenada, Guyana, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Madagascar, Mali, Malaysia, the Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Togo, Vietnam and Zambia.

International Year of Rice

The General Assembly,
Recalling resolution 2/2001 of the Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations,
Noting that rice is the staple food of more than half of the world's population,
Affirming the need to heighten awareness of the role of rice in alleviating poverty and malnutrition,
Reaffirming the need to focus world attention on the role that rice can play in providing food security and eradicating poverty in the attainment of the internationally agreed development goals, including those contained in the Millennium Declaration,1/

1. Decides to declare the year 2004 the International Year of Rice;
2. Invites the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to facilitate the implementation of the International Year of Rice, in collaboration with Governments, the United Nations Development Programme, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research Centres and other relevant organizations of the United Nations system and non-governmental organizations.

1/ Adopted on 16 December 2002

clare 2004 the International Year of Rice. But the idea had been circulating among major agricultural organisations since 1999 due to growing concern that fundamental issues needed to be tackled on a global level.

Today, a number of international institutions have come together to steer this vital project alongside the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation. This section provides information on the activities they are holding in the course of the Year, detailed reasons why the UN has launched a Year of Rice. It will be up-dated as the year progresses. Please don't hesitate to contact us with information concerning your own initiatives and plans.