29 July 1983

Special measures for the social and economic development of Africa in the 1980s

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling General Assembly 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 General Assembly resolution 35/56 of 5 December 1980, the annex to which contains the International Development Strategy for the Third United Nations Development Decade,

Recalling also section II of General Assembly resolution 36/182 of 17 December 1981, section II of Assembly resolution 37/212 of 20 December 1982 on the Industrial Development Decade for Africa, as adopted, and Assembly resolutions 37/140 of 17 December 1982 on the Transport and Communications Decade in Africa and 37/245 of 21 December 1982 on the situation of food and agriculture in Africa,

Recalling further General Assembly resolution 37/139 of 17 December 1982, by which the Assembly, inter alia, urged donor countries to provide substantial and sustained levels of resources for promoting the accelerated development of African countries and the effective implementation of the Lagos Plan of Action for the Implementation of the Monrovia Strategy for the Economic Development of Africa, and to contribute generously to the United Nations Trust Fund for African Development,

Deeply concerned at the continuing low level of economic activities in Africa and the devastating effects of the current world economic crisis on the particularly vulnerable economies of the countries in the region, twenty-six of which are now classified as least developed among the developing countries,

Fully aware that the Lagos Plan of Action and the Final Act of Lagos provide a framework of priority actions for achieving the rapid overall economic and social development of Africa, as reiterated in the Addis Ababa Declaration on the Occasion of the Silver Jubilee Anniversary Celebration of the Economic Commission for Africa, adopted on 29 April 1983 by the Conference of Ministers of the Commission,

Recognizing the primary responsibility of the African countries for their development and the importance of the mobilization of their national resources for their socio-economic development,

Convinced of the need for increased and sustained external resources in order to achieve the aims and objectives of the Lagos Plan of Action and the Final Act of Lagos,

Recalling that there is a need for a thorough evaluation of the application of special measures for the social and economic development of Africa during the mid-term review and appraisal of the International Development Strategy for the Third United Nations Development Decade,

Having considered the third report of the Secretary-General on special measures for the social and economic development of Africa in the 1980s, which reviews special measures taken by the international commun ity for the social and economic development of Africa in the 1980s,

1. Takes note of the third report of the Secretary-General on special measures for the social and economic development of Africa in the 1980s;

2. Expresses its regret that, despite efforts undertaken by the international community over the last three years, the resources thus provided are not commensurate with African development requirements;

3. Notes the disappointing results of the Fourth Biennial Pledging Conference for the United Nations Trust Fund for African Development, held at Addis Ababa on 2 May 1983;

4. Renews its call to the organs, organizations and bodies of the United Nations system to examine measures to increase the resources for the execution of the programmes for the Industrial Development Decade for Africa and the Transport and Communications Decade in Africa and to apply the special measures in a comprehensive and co-ordinated manner;

5. Urges donor countries to provide substantial and sustained levels of resources for promoting the accelerated development of African countries and the effective implementation of the Lagos Plan of Action and the Final Act of Lagos, and to contribute generously to the United Nations Trust Fund for African Development;

6. Invites all international financial institutions, particularly the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Development Association and the International Fund for Agricultural Development, to continue to consider actively increasing substantially their development assistance to Africa and to treat the matter of making a special effort in support of African social and economic development with the urgency it requires;

7. Stresses its deep concern at the gravity of the food situation in Africa and the continuing decline in the food self-reliance ratio, and urgently calls upon the African countries to accord due priority to food and agricultural production in their national and subregional plans, and urges donor countries and international agencies to increase their support for the implementation of the measures contained in the Lagos Plan of Action in the area of food and agriculture;

8. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to allocate the necessary resources to the Economic Commission for Africa, taking into account its role as the main economic and social development centre within the United Nations system for the African region, in accordance with General Assembly resolutions 32/197 of 20 December 1977 and 33/202 of 29 January 1979;

9. Further requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its thirty-ninth session, through the Economic and Social Council at its second regular session of 1984, a comprehensive report, prepared on a uniform basis and including figures, on the activities throughout the United Nations system in relation to Africa, as well as on the progress made in the implementation of the present resolution.