30 July 1982

Financing of the Multinational Programming and Operational Centres of the Economic Commission for Africa on an established basis

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling General Assembly resolutions 32/197 of 20 December 1977 and 33/202 of 29 January 1979 on the restructuring of the economic and social sectors of the United Nations system, in particular the designation therein of the regional commissions as, inter alia, the main general economic and social development centres within the United Nations system for their respective regions, having responsibility for the promotion of subregional and regional co-operation,

Bearing in mind resolution 3ll (XIII) of 1 March 1977 of the Conference of Ministers of the Economic Commission for Africa, by which the Conference established the Multinational Programming and Operational Centres to foster sectoral and subregional integration,

Recognizing the prominent role given to subregional and regional economic integration in the Lagos Plan of Action for the Implementation of the Monrovia Strategy for the Economic Development of Africa as a means towards achieving the establishment of an African economic community by the year 2000,

Recognizing also that the Multinational Programming and Operational Centres constitute an integral part of the Economic Commission for Africa, through which the Commission effectively carries out aspects of its mandate, as set forth in its terms of reference, and that they serve as the principal mechanism of the Commission for fostering economic and technical co-operation at the subregional level in Africa,

Recalling General Assembly resolution 35/64 of 5 December 1980 on special measures for the social and economic development of Africa in the 1980s,

Recalling also General Assembly resolution 36/178 of 17 December 1981 in which the Assembly called for a report by the Secretary-General on the financing of Multinational Programming and Operational Centres on an established basis,

Taking into account the views, expressed by the Conference of Ministers of the Economic Commission for Africa in its resolution 450 (XVII) of 30 April 1982, on the need to correct the present situation regarding the inadequacy of the human and financial resources available to the Centres as a result of which their very existence is threatened,

Having considered the report of the Secretary-General on the financing, on an established basis, of the Multinational Programming and Operational Centres of the Economic Commission for Africa, prepared pursuant to General Assembly resolution 36/178,

1. Takes note with interest of the report of the Secretary-General on the financing, on an established basis, of the Multinational Programming and Operational Centres of the Economic Commission for Africa;

2. Expresses its appreciation to the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme for requesting the Administrator of the Programme to continue to provide the support of the Programme to the five Multinational Programming and Operational Centres during the whole of the third programming cycle, 1982-1986, which is in accordance with the recommendation contained in paragraph 50 of the report of the Secretary-General;

3. Renews its call upon other organs, organizations and bodies of the United Nations system, as well as intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, to give their fullest support to the activities of the Multinational Programming and Operational Centres of the Economic Commission for Africa;

4. Calls upon the Secretary-General to further explore ways and means of ensuring substantial increases in contributions from extrabudgetary sources, including bilateral donors;

5. Takes note of the financial support being given to the Multinational Programming and Operational Centres by States members of the Economic Commission for Africa through voluntary contributions to the United Nations Trust Fund for African Development and through facilities of the host Government, and urges them, where possible, to increase such contributions;

6. Invites the General Assembly, at its thirty-seventh session, to examine the proposals contained in paragraphs 47 to 49 of the report of the Secretary-General concerning regular budget financial resources, with a view to arriving at a decision on the funding the Multinational Programming and Operational Centres on an established basis, bearing in mind, inter alia, the action taken on this question by the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa.