25 May 1988

13th plenary meeting

Public administration and finance for development

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling General Assembly resolutions 35/56 of 5 December 1980, the annex to which contains the International Development Strategy for the Third United Nations Development Decade, 36/194 of 17 December 1981 on the United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, particularly paragraph 3 thereof, 34/137 of 14 December 1979 on the role of the public sector in promoting the economic development of developing countries, and 35/80 of 5 December 1980, 39/219 of 18 December 1984 and 40/213 of 17 December 1985 on the role of qualified national personnel in the social and economic development of developing countries,

Reiterating the importance of the effective and speedy implementation of General Assembly resolution S-13/2 of 1 June 1986 on the United Nations Programme of Action for African Economic Recovery and Development 1986-1990,

Recalling also all relevant Council resolutions concerning public administration and finance for development,

Stressing the importance of public administration systems for economic and social development in developing countries and of accelerating the development of the low-income countries, in particular the least developed countries,

1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on the Special Action Programme in Public Administration and Management for Africa;

2. Notes the process of reviewing the public administration and managerial needs of African countries and the progress made so far in identifying the project proposals, the utilization of the trust fund established by the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, the interest expressed in the Special Action Programme by donor countries, and the support provided by the United Nations Development Programme in collaboration with other organizations of the United Nations system;

3. Requests the United Nations Development Programme to intensify its efforts to mobilize additional financial resources for the implementation of the Special Action Programme, and urges donor countries and institutions, as well as regional development banks, to the extent possible, to make available additional resources for the Programme;

4. Urges all organs and organizations of the United Nations system and the international community to provide full and effective support to accelerate the implementation of projects identified under the Special Action Programme, to initiate, at the request of interested countries, projects at the subregional and regional levels, and to take early action to identify further projects at the country level;

5. Invites the Secretary-General to submit a progress report on activities undertaken under the Special Action Programme to the Council at its first regular session of 1989;

6. Requests the Secretary-General to include in his report to the Ad Hoc Committee of the Whole of the General Assembly on the Review and Appraisal of the United Nations Programme of Action for African Economic Recovery and Development 1986-1990 updated information on the Special Action Programme in Public Administration and Management for Africa.