bring us nearer to the ideal of food security was extremely important'. He, there-
fore, redrafted the compact before sending the revised text to the FAO Council `in
order to make it more easily acceptable to all'. Nevertheless, a small number of
major developed countries maintained their reservations, and dissociated them-
selves from the compact that was adopted by the FAO Conference in November
1985. Their objections were illuminating. Apart for calling for more consultation
in preparing the compact, and that the text should have been more explicit as
to its voluntary and non-binding nature, they considered that the compact was
unnecessary to stimulate further action this field. They also considered that the
compact was unbalanced and unclear regarding the obligations of developing and
developed countries, and the roles of food trade and NGOs, in strengthening
food security. The majority of FAO member states, in supporting the compact,
considered that it set out `the moral values and lines of action' that all should
follow in attaining `the commonly shared objective of improved world food
security and the elimination of hunger and malnutrition' and that it `would
strengthen the resolve of all people to pursue the objective of food security'.