China on Monday urged the world to join hands in supporting agricultural development, particularly in developing countries, to realize the goal set by world leaders of halving the global population's suffering from hunger and poverty by 2015.

Speaking to the 33rd Session of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) held in Rome, Chinese Agriculture Minister Du Qinglin said developing countries should make greater endeavors to increase support and investment in the agricultural sector and establish a stable system for agricultural growth.

He said slow progress had been made after world leaders pledged, on the UN Millennium Summit held in 2000, to boost food and agricultural production in the world and cut hunger and poverty by half.

The minister also called on developed countries to help the developing ones in their efforts to eliminate hunger and poverty.

"It is necessary for developed countries to take concrete measures to honor their commitments on financing aid, debt relief and market access in supporting the agriculture development in the developing countries," he said.

Du urged the 185 members of the FAO to work together to create a favorable environment for agricultural trade and to establish an open, fair, transparent and unbiased international multilateral trade system to benefit all parties.

The Chinese agriculture minister said the FAO members should promote mutually beneficial cooperation for a win-win solution in order to address pressing issues and challenges such as poverty, plant pests and animal diseases.

Earlier, speaking to the same conference, FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf called on the audience to support his reform proposals aimed at reducing the group's bureaucracy and making it more flexible and responsive to members' needs.

He said the proposed new structure would facilitate the organization's efforts to help countries achieve the UN Millennium Goals.

Source: Xinhua