8 July 1987

35th plenary meeting

Industrial Development Decade for Africa

The Economic and Social Council,

Taking note of resolution 1 (VII) of the Seventh Conference of African Ministers of Industry, on the implementation of the programme for the Industrial Development Decade for Africa,

Recalling resolution 8 adopted on 19 August 1984 by the Fourth General Conference of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and Industrial Development Board resolution 57 (XVIII) of 19 May 1984,

Taking note 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, as well as resolution 442 (XVII) of 30 April 1982 of the Conference of Ministers of the Economic Commission for Africa and General Assembly resolution 35/66 B of 5 December 1980, both concerning the formulation and implementation of the programme for the Industrial Development Decade for Africa,

Noting with regret that the allocation of $8.6 million for the Decade in the programme budget for the biennium 1986-1987 of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization was reduced to $2.7 million in view of resource constraints, and concerned about the financial constraints being experienced by that organization and the Economic Commission for Africa, which make the implementation of their Decade-related activities difficult,

Taking note of resolution CM/Res.1047 (XLIV) adopted by the Council of Ministers of the Organization of African Unity at its forty-fourth ordinary session and resolution 564 (XXI) of 19 April 1986 of the Conference of Ministers of the Economic Commission for Africa,

Taking into consideration the United Nations Programme of Action for African Economic Recovery and Development 1986-1990, adopted by the General Assembly at its thirteenth special session, in which the socio-economic problems of Africa were reviewed critically and specific measures for restructuring and rehabilitating the economies of African countries were presented,

Recognizing the crucial role that the industrial sector, as a supplier of major factor inputs, has to play in Africa's economic recovery and development, within the context of the programme for the Decade, as emphasized in Africa's Priority Programme for Economic Recovery, 1986-1990 and the United Nations Programme of Action for African Economic Recovery and Development 1986-1990,

Mindful of the fundamentally important link between industry and agriculture in Africa's Priority Programme for Economic Recovery, 1986-1990, and of the vital contribution which the implementation of the programme for the Industrial Development Decade for Africa would make to food production and the rehabilitation of agriculture in Africa,

Reiterating the region's commitment to transform, through the process of industrialization, the structure of its economies, which are currently overly dependent on the export of primary commodities,

Concerned at the persistent economic crisis facing the continent and the serious constraints that hamper the industrial development of the region, including the shortage of the skills, technological capability and financial resources required and the lack of a well-integrated network of strategic and core industries necessary for the implementation of the programme for the Decade,

Welcoming the conversion of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization into a specialized agency and the decision to convene the second session of the General Conference of that organization at Bangkok in November 1987,

Stressing the need to provide the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the Economic Commission for Africa with adequate resources to support the programme for the Decade,

1. Urges Member States, African and international organizations and the secretariats of the Economic Commission for Africa, the Organization of African Unity and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization to intensify their efforts to accelerate implementation of the programme for the Industrial Development Decade for Africa during the remaining four years of the Decade;

2. Reiterates the importance and priority which African countries accord to the industrial sector in view of its fundamental role in the implementation of Africa's Priority Programme for Economic Recovery, 1986-1990, and the full attainment of the objectives 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;

3. Appeals to the General Assembly to consider the possibility of providing the Economic Commission for Africa with adequate financial resources to enable it to carry out its activities related to the programme for the Decade, in accordance with Economic and Social Council resolutions 1985/61 of 26 July 1985 and 1986/63 of 22 July 1986 and the relevant recommendations made by the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination at its twenty-seventh session;

4. Notes the approval by the Industrial Development Board of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization of the programme budget for the biennium 1988-1989, from which $8.6 million were allocated for the Decade, and expresses the hope that the General Conference of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization will confirm the allocation when it adopts the programme budget;

5. Appeals to the international community and multilateral funding agencies, especially the United Nations Development Programme, the World Bank and the African Development Bank, as well as bilateral and multilateral donor agencies, financing institutions and development foundations, to increase the flow of investment and technical assistance resources to the industrial sector in Africa to make it possible to implement national and subregional investments and support projects and to facilitate the implementation of the programme for the Decade;

6. Proposes that Member States, subregional and regional organizations, and other international organizations should endeavour to ensure that the regional indicative planning figure for the fourth programming cycle contributes substantially to the accelerated implementation of Decade-related activities;

7. Calls for an independent mid-term evaluation of the implementation of the programme for the Decade as proposed at the Sixth Conference of African Ministers of Industry in resolution I (VI) and invites the United Nations Development Programme to consider financing that evaluation and to participate in its implementation in collaboration with the secretariats of the Economic Commission for Africa, the Organization of African Unity and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, as well as other relevant international bodies;

8. Urges the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the United Nations Development Programme, the World Bank, the African Development Bank and other African and international financial institutions to increase the use of African non-governmental organizations and consultancy organizations, as appropriate, in the preparation and execution of the projects they finance in Africa;

9. Appeals to doner countries, financial institutions and relevant international organizations, especially the United Nations Development Programme, to provide the necessary catalytic resources to African Governments, subregional and regional institutions and economic groupings dealing with industrial matters so as to facilitate arrangements for economic and technical co-operation among developing countries, which will assist in the implementation of the programme for the Decade;

10. Endorses the new orientation being given to the United Nations Industrial Development Organization as a result of its conversion into a specialized agency, thus enhancing its central co-ordinating role within the United Nations system on matters related to industry, in particular the priority being accorded to technical co-operation activities, development of industrial manpower, the system of consultations, small-scale and medium scale industries, industrial rehabilitation, investment promotion, development of technological capabilities, technical co-operation among developing countries, greater involvement of non-governmental organizations and the private sector, and the integration of women in the industrialization process;

11. Takes note of the intention of the African countries to proclaim an Africa Industrialization Day, which would be observed each year by all African countries;

12. Recommends that after appropriate evaluation of the Industrial Development Decade for Africa, the proclamation of a second such decade should be considered in order to accelerate further the industrialization of Africa, and requests the secretariats of the Economic Commission for Africa, the Organization of African Unity and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization to undertake, in consultation with Member States, African organizations and the competent United Nations organizations, the preparation of a programme for a second decade, to be submitted to the Conference of African Ministers of Industry.