28 July 1983

Standardization of definitions and terminology for mineral resources

The Economic and Social Council,

Recognizing the continuing need for internationally consistent and easily understood statistics on mineral production and consumption,

Taking into account the discussions in the Committee on Natural Resources at its eighth session on the report of the Secretary-General on the standardization of definitions and terminology for mineral resources, which summarized the results of the meeting of the group of experts appointed by the Secretary-General in pursuance of Council resolution 1979/72 of 3 August 1979,

1. Endorses the report of the Secretary-General on the standardization of definitions and terminology for mineral resources;

2. Notes that the Council, in resolution 1979/72, requested the group of experts to report to the Committee on Natural Resources, and expresses its concern that the report, which was unanimously adopted by the group, had been amended by the Secretary-General before it was issued;

3. Requests, therefore, that the action to be taken in response to the requests contained in the paragraphs below be based on the report in its original form;

4. Requests the Secretary-General to take into account the recommendations in the report relating to the activities of the United Nations in the reporting, compilation and publication of statistics on mineral production and consumption;

5. Also requests the Secretary-General to consider which additional activities would be required to implement those recommendations, including those concerning definitions and terminology for individual minerals and metals, as well as statistics on the secondary recovery of metals;

6. Urges Governments to take into account the recommendations of the group of experts and to give the report the widest possible distribution;

7. Further requests the Secretary-General to report the progress made in pursuance of the requests contained in paragraphs 4 and 5 above to the Statistical Commission at its twenty-third session.