27 July 1984

Meeting 50

Matters arising from the biennial report of the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa for 1982-1983

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling resolution 403(XVI), adopted on 10 April 1981 by the Conference of Ministers of the Economic Commission for Africa, on the biennial report of the Executive Secretary of the Commission for 1979-1980,

Recalling also section IV of the annex to General Assembly resolution 32/197 of 20 December 1977 on the restructuring of the economic and social sectors of the United Nations system, in which, inter alia, it is stipulated that the regional commissions should be enabled fully to play their role under the authority of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council as the main general economic and social development centres within the United Nations system for their respective regions,

Recalling further General Assembly resolution 38/199 of 20 Decmeber 1983 on special measures for the social and economic development of Africa in the 1980s, in which, inter alia, the Assembly 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 the Final Act of Lagos and to contribute generously to the United Nations Trust Fund for African Development,

Convinced that a strengthened secretariat of the Economic Commission for Africa is an imperative necessity for the States Members of the Commission, both individually and collectively, particularly in view of the current economic and social crisis facing Africa,

1. Appeals to the international community, particularly the developed countries of Western and Eastern Europe, North America, Japan and the members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, other developing countries in a position to do so, and international and regional financial institutions to contribute generously at the Fifth Biennial Pledging Conference for the United Nations Trust Fund for African Development;

2. Requests the Secretary-General to provide additional resources to the Economic Commission for Africa as the centre for general social and economic development within the United Nations system for the African region so as to enable it, in general, to assist member States more effectively and, in particular, to develop the required capacity and capability in the field of evaluation of programmes and projects.