50th plenary meeting

29 July 1982

Transport and Communications Decade in Africa

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling its resolutions 1979/61 of 3 August 1979, 1980/46 of 23 July 1980 and 1981/67 of 24 July 1981 on the Transport and Communications Decade in Africa,

Noting the decision by which the Conference of African Ministers of Transport, Communications and Planning, at its first session, held at Addis Ababa from 9 to 12 May 1979, adopted the global strategy for the implementation of the programme for the Transport and Communications Decade in Africa, as well as the programme of action for the first phase (1980-1983) of the Decade,

Noting further resolution CM/Res.889 (XXXVII) on the Transport and Communications Decade in Africa, adopted by the Council of Ministers of the Organization of African Unity at its thirty-seventh ordinary session, held at Nairobi from 15 to 26 June 1981,

Recalling the decision by which the Conference of African Ministers of Transport, Communications and Planning, at its second session, held at Addis Ababa from 16 to 18 March 1981, authorized the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa to organize four consultative technical meetings between member States, interested African intergovernmental organizations and donors,

Recalling also General Assembly resolutions 35/108 of 5 December 1980 and 36/177 of 17 December 1981 concerning the organization of consultative technical meetings with a view to mobilizing additional financial resources for the financing of the programme for the Decade,

Referring to resolution 422 (XVI) of 10 April 1981 of the Conference of Ministers of the Economic Commission for Africa, in which the Conference in the main requested the Commission to continue to monitor the progress in the implementation of the programme for the first phase of the Decade, to update the programme, to organize four consultative technical meetings and to undertake the preparation of the plan of action for the second phase (1984-1988) of the Decade,

Referring also to resolution 435 (XVII) of 30 April 1982 of the Conference of Ministers of the Economic Commission for Africa, in which the Conference requested the Executive Secretary to monitor the follow-up to the first four consultative technical meetings and recommended that a fifth meeting should be organized for the countries of North Africa, East Africa and the islands of the Indian Ocean,

Considering that sustained efforts should be made to mobilize additional resources in order to ensure the implementation of the programme for the Decade,

Conscious of the role which the Economic Commission for Africa plays as the lead agency in the implementation of the Decade,

1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on the Transport and Communications Decade in Africa;

2. Notes with satisfaction the progress thus far made concerning the implementation of the first phase (1980-1983) of the Decade and the encouraging results of the four consultative technical meetings, held at Lome from 8 to 11 June 1981, Yaounde from 28 to 30 September 1981, Abidjan from 27 to 30 November 1981 and Ouagadougou from 20 to 23 January 1982;

3. Further notes with appreciation the contribution made by certain countries towards the implementation of the programme for the Decade;

4. Appeals to donor countries, financing organs and various financial institutions to increase their financial support to the programme for the Decade in view of the fact that the total volume of the resources thus far mobilized is well below the amount required to finance the whole of the programme for the first phase;

5. Requests the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa to organize, during the second half of 1983, a fifth consultative technical meeting on roads, maritime transport and ports for the countries of North Africa, East Africa and the islands of the Indian Ocean;

6. Appeals once again to donor countries and financing institutions to participate fully and positively in the fifth consultative technical meeting;

7. Requests the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa to maintain good co-ordination between the financing sources and the African ountries in order to monitor the follow-up to the four consultative technical meetings by closely assisting the countries in their contacts with donors and in formulating and presenting their requests for financing;

8. Notes the measures taken by the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa with regard to the preparation of the plan of action for the second phase (1984-1988) of the Decade and requests him to submit a report on its preparation to the Economic and Social Council at its second regular session of 1983;

9. Further notes the establishment of the Inter-Agency Co-ordinating Committee, comprising the African Development Bank, the African Postal and Telecommunications Union, the Economic Commission for Africa, the International Telecommunication Union, the Organization of African Unity, the Pan-African Telecommunications Union, the Union of National Radio and Television Organizations of Africa and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, with a view to harmonizing and co-ordinating studies for the prompt implementation of the project on a regional satellite communication system for Africa;

10. Reiterates its request to the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa to continue to intensify his efforts with a view to assisting the Inter-Agency Co-ordinating Committee in the study on the regional satellite communication system for Africa, and to give assistance to African States in the full implementation of the programme for the first phase of the Decade;

11. Requests the General Assembly at its thirty-seventh session to provide the Economic Commission for Africa with the financial and other resources, using, inter alia, extrabudgetary funds and existing resources to the maximum extent possible, to enable it to hold the fifth consultative technical meeting scheduled for 1983, to complete the preparation of the plan of action for the second phase of the Decade and to fulfil efficiently its role as the lead agency for the implementation of the Decade.