26 July l985

52nd plenary meeting

Industrial Development Decade for Africa

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling resolution 49l (XIX) of 26 May l984 of the Conference of Ministers of the Economic Commission for Africa on the implementation of the programme for the Industrial Development Decade for Africa,

Recalling General Assembly resolution 39/233 of l8 December l984, in which the Assembly endorsed the appeal made by the Seventh Conference of African Ministers of Industry, held at Addis Ababa from 26 to 28 March l984, for the allocation of at least $5 million, on a permanent annual basis, from the regular budget of the United Nations to enable the United Nations Industrial Development Organization to assist the African countries and the intergovernmental organizations concerned in the implementation of the programme for the Industrial Development Decade for Africa,

Welcoming the declaration on the critical economic situation in Africa made by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity at its twentieth ordinary session, held at Addis Ababa from l2 to l5 November l984, in which it endorsed the programme for the Decade and the recommendations of the Seventh Conference of African Ministers of Industry, in particular resolution l (VII) on the implementation of the programme for the Decade,

Conscious of the need to alleviate the effects of the current economic crisis in Africa, particularly in the priority industries which support the rehabilitation and revitalization of the food and agricultural sector,

Recalling resolution 2 (VIII) of March l985 of the Lusaka-based Multinational Programming and Operational Centre and similar resolutions in other such centres on the role that the centres have to play in the effective and speedy implementation of the Decade at the subregional level, particularly with respect to multinational projects,

l. Recognizes, and expresses appreciation for, measures taken or under way in Members States, intergovernmental organizations and the secretariats of the Organization of African Unity, the Economic Commission for Africa and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization to implement the programme for and the activities of the Industrial Development Decade for Africa, and urges all concerned to continue and intensify their efforts;

2. Takes note of the decision of the General Assembly to increase to an annual minimum of $5 million the allocation from the regular budget of the United Nations to the United Nations Industrial Development Organization for the Decade;

3. Calls upon the General Assembly to consider the allocation to the Economic Commission for Africa of $700,000, to be absorbed from the $5 million already approved - in Assembly resolution 39/233 - in the regular budget for the biennium l986-l987, to enable the Commission and the Multinational Programming and Operational Centres to conduct consultations and negotiations on ways of implementing multinational projects, including investment promotion;

4. Requests the secretariats of the Organization of African Unity, the Economic Commission for Africa and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization to continue providing their services to enable member States to implement the programme for the Decade effectively.