26 July 1989

35th plenary meeting

Role of the United Nations in the early identification, analysis and monitoring of world economic developments

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling its resolution 1988/75 of 29 July 1988,

Emphasizing the role of the United Nations and the common interest in strengthening international co-operation in the economic and social fields for the purpose of ensuring balanced and sustained growth and development of the world economy,

Acknowledging the importance of short-term macro-economic forecasting and of longer-term projections of world socio-economic development,

Acknowledging also that the early identification of macro-economic disturbances is an important element in averting their potentially negative effects at both the national and international levels,

Recognizing that each country must be able to provide and obtain timely information on developments, trends and processes affecting all countries,

Recognizing the special requirements of developing countries that may have deficiencies in their infrastructures for gathering and analysing socio-economic information on global trends and emerging problems affecting the development process,

Noting that in view of the world-wide repercussions that sudden economic shocks can have, the international system's capacity for early identification of potential trouble spots should be improved,

1. Highly commends the Secretary-General for the survey of the mechanisms and means currently available within the United Nations system for early identification, analysis and monitoring of world economic developments;

2. Acknowledges that for the early identification of emerging problems, the United Nations should aim at improving its analytical and forecasting activities on a co-ordinated basis and should:

(a) Strengthen information links within the United Nations;

(b) Improve existing mechanisms and means of providing socio-economic data available in the United Nations in a comprehensive and readily accessible form for the use of policy makers and others;

(c) Further develop links and increase the flow of information between the United Nations and national research and information centres, wherever feasible;

(d) Expand the analysis of options and possible actions that might be taken in connection with emerging problems in the world economy, with a view to encouraging Member States to improve their own analytical work and forecasting activities;

3. Requests the Secretary-General to present to the Economic and Social Council at its second regular session of 1990 proposals that could be implemented within existing resources to improve the work of the United Nations on the early identification, analysis and monitoring of emerging problems in the world economy in accordance with the present resolution.