17 December 1981

Assistance to Chad

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolutions 34/120 of 14 December 1979 and 35/92 A and B of 5 December 1980 on reconstruction, rehabilitation and development of Chad and emergency humanitarian assistance to that country,

Taking into account the report of the Secretary-General on emergency humanitarian assistance to Chad,

Noting with satisfaction that a mission was dispatched to Chad by the Secretary-General to review with the Chad authorities the needs of the country, in accordance with paragraph 3 of General Assembly resolution 35/92 A,

Deeply concerned about the massive destruction of property and the serious damage to the economic and social infrastructure of Chad during the past fifteen years,

Affirming the urgent need for financial and material support from the international community to the Government of Chad in its efforts for the reconstruction, rehabilitation and development of the country and to meet immediate humanitarian needs,

Bearing in mind the concern expressed by Member States about the deterioration of the socio-economic situation as a result of the fighting in Chad and the interest they have shown in its speedy return to normal conditions of life and its reconstruction and development,

Considering that Chad is in a particularly disadvantageous position as a least-developed, land-locked and drought-stricken country,

Noting the urgent appeal made to the international community by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity in resolution AHG/Res.102 (XVIII) adopted at its eighteenth ordinary session, held at Nairobi from 24 to 27 June 1981, and by the Chairman of the delegation of Chad in the General Assembly on 7 October 1981,

Aware of the need to take urgent steps to mobilize financial and material assistance for the reconstruction of Chad,

1. Commends and encourages the efforts exerted by the Government and people of Chad for national reconstruction, rehabilitation and development and for assistance to victims of the civil war;

2. Expresses its gratitude to Member States, institutions and agencies that have provided assistance to Chad but regrets that all the emergency humanitarian needs listed in the report of the Secretary-General have not yet been met;

3. Appeals to all Member States, governmental and non-governmental organizations, and the specialized agencies and programmes of the United Nations system, in particular the United Nations Children's Fund, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the World Food Programme and the World Health Organization, to provide the necessary assistance, as a matter of urgency, to the Government of Chad to enable it to come to the aid of the people affected by the civil war, in conformity with the report of the Secretary-General;

4. Urgently appeals to all Member States, the specialized agencies and other bodies of the United Nations system and international financial and economic institutions to provide generous emergency aid to Chad, through bilateral or multilateral channels, to meet its reconstruction, rehabilitation and development needs, in conformity with the report of the review mission that visited Chad from 26 October to 6 November 1981;

5. Requests the Secretary-General to organize a pledging conference at Nairobi in the first half of March 1982, in close co-operation with the Organization of African Unity and the Government of Chad, to help Chad carry out its reconstruction programme;

6. Urges Member States and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to consider taking part in the Pledging Conference for Assistance to Chad and to contribute generously in support of the objective of the Conference;

7. Requests the appropriate programmes and agenices of the United Nations - in particular the United Nations Development Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the World Food Programme, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the United Nations Children's Fund - to co-operate closely with the Secretary-General in organizing an effective international programme of assistance and to report periodically to him on the steps they have taken and the resources they have mobilized to assist Chad;

8. Invites the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Children's Fund, the World Food Programme, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Bank and the International Fund for Agricultural Development to bring the special needs of Chad to the attention of their governing bodies, for their consideration, and to report on the decisions of those bodies to the Secretary-General by 15 July 1982;

9. Appeals to the international community to contribute to the special account for Chad which has been established under the auspices of the United Nations Trust Fund for Special Economic Assistance Programmes for the purpose of facilitating the channelling of contributions to Chad;

10. Requests the Secretary-General:

(a) To organize an international programme of financial, technical and material assistance for Chad so as to enable it to meet its short-term and long-term reconstruction, rehabilitation and development needs;

(b) To have the report of the review mission to Chad disseminated as widely as possible;

(c) To contact the Government of Chad with a view to the urgent appointment of a resident co-ordinator who will also be his special representative for reconstruction, rehabilitation, development and emergency relief operations in Chad;

(d) To ensure that appropriate financial and budgetary arrangements are made for the establishment of an effective international programme of assistance for Chad and for mobilizing that assistance;

(e) To keep the situation in Chad under review and to report to the Economic and Social Council at its second regular session of 1982 and to the General Assembly at its thirty-seventh session on the implementation of the present resolution.