17 December 1981

United Nations Conference on New and Renewable Sources of Energy

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolutions 3201 (S-VI) and 3202 (S-VI) of 1 May 1974 containing the Declaration and the Programme of Action on the Establishment of a New International Economic Order, 3281 (XXIX) of 12 December 1974 containing the Charter of Economic Rights and Duties of States, and 3362 (S-VII) of 16 September 1975 on development and international economic co-operation,

Recalling also its resolution 35/56 of 5 December 1980, containing the International Development Strategy for the Third United Nations Development Decade,

Recalling further its resolutions 33/148 of 20 December 1978, 34/190 of 18 December 1979 and 35/204 of 16 December 1980 and Economic and Social Council resolutions 2119 (LXIII) of 4 August 1977, 1978/61 of 3 August 1978 and 1979/66 of 3 August 1979 and decision 1980/187 of 25 July 1980, regarding the convening and preparation of the United Nations Conference on New and Renewable Sources of Energy,

Convinced of the importance of developing new and renewable sources of energy in order to contribute to meeting requirements for continued economic and social development, particularly in the developing countries, through, inter alia, the transition from the present international economy based primarily on hydrocarbons to one based increasingly on new and renewable sources of energy,

Stressing that the primary responsibility for promoting the development and utilization of new and renewable sources of energy rests with individual countries, that in this regard international co-operation is indispensable and should be directed to assist and support national efforts; that developed countries bear a special responsibility to ensure that both their bilateral and multilateral efforts contribute actively to this end and that other countries in a position to do so should also continue to promote efforts in this regard,

Reaffirming that the United Nations system should fully participate in and support the implementation of the Nairobi Programme of Action for the Development and Utilization of New and Renewable Sources of Energy through adequate institutional arrangements and additional and adequate resources, and that it is imperative to increase the responsiveness of the system in this respect,

Reaffirming further that the final decision on further institutional measures will be taken by the General Assembly at its thirty-seventh session,

Recognizing the urgent need for adopting effective measures to facilitate the transfer and adaptation of technology from developed to developing countries in particular and for mobilization of financial resources for the development of new and renewable sources of energy in developing countries,

Taking note of the report adopted by the United Nations Conference on New and Renewable Sources of Energy on 21 August 1981,

Taking note also of the report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Conference on New and Renewable Sources of Energy,

Noting with satisfaction the agreements reached on some issues at the United Nations Conference on New and Renewable Sources of Energy, contained in the report adopted by the Conference,

Expressing deep concern that no final decisions were taken on some other important questions,

Recognizing the need for continuing commitment and efforts on the part of the international community in the implementation of the Nairobi Programme of Action for the Development and Utilization of New and Renewable Sources of Energy, adopted by the Conference, I Nairobi Programme of Action for the Development and Utilization of New and Renewable Sources of Energy

1. Expresses its appreciation and thanks to the Government and people of Kenya for the excellent facilities and generous hospitality provided for the United Nations Conference on New and Renewable Sources of Energy, held at Nairobi from 10 to 21 August 1981;

2. Endorses the Nairobi Programme of Action for the Development and Utilization of New and Renewable Sources of Energy;

3. Urges all Governments to take effective action for the implementation of the Nairobi Programme of Action, and to maintain and/or establish, as the case may be, national focal points to facilitate such implementation;

4. Requests the organs, organizations and bodies of the United Nations system to participate fully in and support the implementation of the Nairobi Programme of Action, in the short-term, medium-term and long-term context, in particular for the benefit of developing countries in accordance with their national plans and priorities;

5. Calls upon all specialized intergovernmental organizations and institutions in the field of new and renewable sources of energy to extend their co-operation in the implementation of the Nairobi Programme of Action;

6. Invites all non-governmental organizations concerned in both the developing and developed countries, to support and contribute to the implementation of the Nairobi Programme of Action;

II Intergovernmental body

1. Stresses that there should be an intergovernmental body in the United Nations specifically concerned with new and renewable sources of energy and entrusted, inter alia, with guiding and monitoring the implementation of the Nairobi Programme of Action;

2. Decides that the final arrangements with regard to the intergovernmental body will be adopted by the General Assembly at its thirty-seventh session;

3. Further decides, without prejudice to the final institutional arrangements, to establish an Interim Committee on New and Renewable Sources of Energy, patterned on the Preparatory Committee for the United Nations Conference on New and Renewable Sources of Energy, which will hold only one session of not more than two weeks, that session to be held in the first half of 1982, and which will report to the General Assembly at its thirty-seventh session through the Economic and Social Council, and decides to entrust it with the immediate launching of the implementation of the Nairobi Programme of Action;

4. Takes note with appreciation of the offer of the Government of Italy to act as host in Rome to the meeting of the Interim Committee on New and Renewable Sources of Energy in 1982;

5. Decides that the Interim Committee, taking into account the provisions of paragraph 60 of the Nairobi Programme of Action, shall concentrate, inter alia, on:

(a) The recommendation of policy guidelines for different organs, organizations and bodies within the United Nations system in regard to new and renewable sources of energy, on the basis of the Nairobi Programme of Action;

(b) The formulation and recommendation of action-oriented plans and programmes for carrying out the Nairobi Programme of Action in accordance with the areas of priority action identified in the Programme, in particular in paragraphs 47 to 56 thereof;

(c) The promotion of the mobilization of resources required in the implementation of the Nairobi Programme of Action;

(d) The recommendation of guidelines to the financial organs, organizations and bodies of the United Nations system in the financing of activities related to the implementation of the measures contained in the Nairobi Programme of Action, with a view to helping to ensure the implementation of the measures in the Programme related to financial resources;

6. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the Interim Committee at its session in the necessary background documentation on the above-mentioned subjects, with particular emphasis on the mobilization of financial resources and the areas for priority action identified in the Nairobi Programme of Action, namely:

(a) Energy assessment and planning;

(b) Research, development and demonstration;

(c) Transfer, adaptation and application of mature technologies;

(d) Information flows, education and training;

7. Calls upon organs, organizations and bodies of the United Nations system to inform the Interim Committee of the activities they have already initiated, particularly as regards the source-specific measures identified in paragraphs 36 to 45 of the Nairobi Programme of Action with a view to assisting the Interim Committee in guiding and monitoring its implementation;

8. Decides that, bearing in mind the provisions of the present resolution, the issues for discussion by the Interim Committee in 1982 shall include submission of specific recommendations for action by the General Assembly at its thirty-seventh session regarding, in particular, the areas for priority action and ways and means of mobilizing financial and other resources for new and renewable sources of energy;

III Secretariat support

1. Takes note of the recommendation of the Secretary-General for providing the substantive support services required by the above-mentioned intergovernmental body, contained in the report of the Secretary-General, with a view to facilitating fully the tasks entrusted to the Interim Committee in paragraph 5 of section II above, and requests that these interim arrangements be put into effect immediately;

2. Calls upon all organs, organizations and bodies of the United Nations system to provide the fullest possible support to the arrangements proposed so as to ensure, in particular, adequate preparation for and follow-up to the 1982 meeting of the Interim Committee which is to launch the implementation of the Nairobi Programme of Action;

3. Decides to review secretariat support arrangements in the light of long-term needs at the thirty-seventh session of the General Assembly in the context of the final decision on further institutional measures and taking into account any comments the Interim Committee may wish to offer on these issues;

IV Co-ordination within the United Nations system

1. Calls upon all organs, organizations and bodies of the United Nations system to organize their work and rationalize their activities according to established priorities in such a way as to meet the need for implementing the Nairobi Programme of Action;

2. Decides to entrust the Director-General for Development and International Economic Co-operation, within the framework of his mandate as defined by the General Assembly in its resolutions 32/197 of 20 December 1977 and 33/202 of 29 January 1979, with the task of co-ordinating the contributions of the organs, organizations and bodies of the United Nations system;

3. Decides also that, in order to ensure the necessary co-operation and co-ordination for the implementation of the Nairobi Programme of Action, a co-ordinating capacity for new and renewable sources of energy in the Office of the Director-General, who would exercise the supervisory role, should be provided for, making full and efficient use of resources already existing within the United Nations and subject to the normal procedures of the General Assembly, and decides to review the arrangements for this co-ordinating capacity for new and renewable sources of energy at its thirty-seventh session;

4. Notes with approval the decision by the Administrative Committee on Co-ordination to constitute an ad hoc working group to prepare proposals for interagency follow-up to the Nairobi Programme of Action for presentation to the Interim Committee at its meeting in 1982;

5. Stresses that, in order to facilitate the implementation of the Nairobi Programme of Action, the ad hoc working group of the Administrative Committee on Co-ordination should, inter alia:

(a) Undertake a thorough review of the current and planned activities of the United Nations system in the light of the recommendations of the Nairobi Programme of Action, with a view to facilitating their adaptation and reformulation as may be necessary and to providing a basic framework for future projects and programmes;

(b) Establish ad hoc task forces as necessary, without prejudice to the establishment of such ad hoc task forces as may be recommended by the intergovernmental body, in accordance with paragraphs 66 and 67 of the Nairobi Programme of Action;

V Regional and subregional action

1. Emphasizes the importance of regional and subregional efforts for implementing the Nairobi Programme of Action and requests the regional commissions to undertake immediately, as necessary, the development of regional plans and programmes, bearing in mind, in particular, the areas for priority attention identified in paragraph 71 of the Nairobi Programme of Action, and to report thereon to the Interim Committee at its session in 1982;

VI Co-operation among developing countries

1. Recognizes that developing countries seek to enhance their collective self-reliance in various areas, which are in their mutual interest, through programmes of economic and technical co-operation in such areas as exchange of information, joint ventures in project development, joint efforts in research development, demonstration and adaptation of technologies for new and renewable sources of energy, and technical assistance, to supplement the indispensable action to be undertaken by the international community;

2. Calls upon in this context, the international community to take

measures to provide, as appropriate, support and assistance to the efforts of developing countries to accelerate co-operation among themselves in the field of new and renewable sources of energy;

VII Mobilization of financial resources

1. Emphasizes that the implementation of the Nairobi Programme of Action requires the mobilization of additional and adequate resources and that each country will continue to bear the main responsibility for the development of its new and renewable sources of energy, which would require vigorous measures for a fuller mobilization of its domestic financial and other resources;

2. Emphasizes that the implementation of the Nairobi Programme of Action involves numerous types of undertakings, ranging from supporting actions, including national assessment on new and renewable sources of energy for over-all energy development, and pre-investment activities, to capital investment in projects and programmes which require additional and adequate international financial resources, both public and private, from all developed countries, international financial institutions and other international organizations, and that developing countries in a position to do so should also continue to provide assistance to other developing countries;

3. Reiterates that the magnitude of the demand for financing such types of action or activities is already considerable and will increase in the years to come, particularly with the implementation of the Nairobi Programme of Action;

4. Requests that, for the purpose of undertaking the various activities in line with the Nairobi Programme of Action, the financial mechanisms and institutions of the United Nations system should be provided with additional and adequate funds to meet the growing requirements for preliminary supporting actions and pre-investment activities related to the development of new and renewable sources of energy in developing countries;

5. Urges financial mechanisms and institutions to respond more widely and effectively to national requests, as well as to requests from the subregional, regional and international organizations engaged in the development of new and renewable sources of energy in developing countries, according to the priorities established in the Nairobi Programme of Action and in response to recommendations of the intergovernmental body as regards its implementation;

6. Reaffirms, in this context, that specific and additional resources should be directed through such channels as the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Revolving Fund for Natural Resources Exploration, the long-term financial arrangements for science and technology, the United Nations Development Programme Energy Account and others directly or indirectly involved, in accordance with national plans and priorities;

7. Urges international and regional development financial organizations and institutions, in particular the World Bank, to provide additional and adequate resources specifically for large-scale supporting actions, pre-investment and investment activities in the field of new and renewable sources of energy, in accordance with national priorities;

8. Takes note of the measures taken by the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme to undertake a joint study for making as accurate an estimate as possible of the supporting actions and pre-investment requirements for new and renewable sources of energy in the developing countries in the 1980s and, in view of the urgency of meeting the needs of the developing countries in this field, requests that the final study be submitted to the Interim Committee, which is to launch the implementation of the Nairobi Programme of Action at its meeting in 1982;

9. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its thirty-seventh session on the progress made towards the implementation of consultative meetings as outlined in paragraph 91 of the Nairobi Programme of Action;

10. Urges all interested parties to accelerate consideration of other possible avenues that would increase energy financing, including the mechanisms being examined in the World Bank, such as an energy affiliate.