27 July 1985

Meeting 50

Water resources development and follow-up to the Mar del Plata Action Plan

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling General Assembly resolution 32/158 of 19 December 1977, by which the Assembly adopted the report of the United Nations Water Conference and approved the Mar del Plata Action Plan,

Guided by resolution VIII of the United Nations Water Conference, in which the regional commissions were called upon to play a central role in the promotion of intergovernmental co-operation as a follow-up to the Mar del Plata Action Plan on integrated water resources development and management,

Recalling also Council resolution 2043(LXI) of 5 August 1976, in which it requested the Secretary-General to make adequate provisions so as to enable the regional commissions to carry out their activities effectively, and 1979/67 of 3 August 1979, in which it recommended that the secretariats of the regional commissions should be provided with sufficient manpower and financial resources to enable them to discharge the expanded responsibilities assigned to them by the United Nations Water Conference in relation to the execution of the Mar del Plata Action Plan,

Recalling further the recommendation on institutional strengthening at the regional level contained in paragraph 82 (iii) of the Lagos Plan of Action for the Implementation of the Monrovia Strategy for the Economic Development of Africa,

Requests the Secretary-General to continue to strengthen the secretariat of the Economic Commission for Africa in the area of water resources so that water experts can be deployed to the Multinational Programming and Operational Centres to assist member States in the planning and execution of their water development activities and in the follow-up to the recommendations contained in the Mar del Plata Action plan.