26 July 1989

35th plenary meeting

International strategy for the fight against locust and grasshopper infestation, particularly in Africa

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling General Assembly resolutions 41/185 of 8 December 1986 and 43/203 of 20 December 1988, Economic and Social Council resolutions 1988/2 of 5 February 1988 and 1988/3 of 24 May 1988 and resolution 660 (XXIV) of 7 April 1989 of the Conference of Ministers of the Economic Commission for Africa,

Bearing in mind its resolution 1989/99 of 26 July 1989 on the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, and aware that the Decade will cover locust and grasshopper infestations,

Noting with satisfaction the almost general decline of locust and grasshopper infestations, owing to the determined efforts of the affected countries and the generous assistance of the international community,

Noting also the results of the Conference of Heads of State of the countries members of the Joint Anti-Locust and Anti-Avarian Organization held in Dakar in February 1989,

Conscious of the risk of a rapid resurgence of the locust and grasshopper infestation and of the possible reappearance of swarms as a result of widespread and abundant rainfall in the Saharan region and in other regions of the world,

Noting that small to medium-sized swarms of desert locusts have been reported or are anticipated in several Saharan countries between June and mid-August 1989 by the Emergency Centre for Locust Operations of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations,

Considering that a number of countries, particularly the poorest countries, have still to overcome the complex and harmful effects of the recent disastrous locust and grasshopper infestation,

1. Takes note with interest of the report of the Secretary-General and of that of the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations on the implementation of the international strategy for the fight against locust and grasshopper infestation, particularly in Africa;

2. Welcomes the creation of the International Desert Locust Task Force under the technical and operational responsibility of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations for the purpose of providing direct support to the countries affected, particularly seriously infested or relatively inaccessible regions;

3. Also welcomes the generous and effective co-operation that exists in this regard among the States members of the Maghreb Arab Union;

4. Further welcomes the appeal of the Conference of Heads of State of the countries members of the Joint Anti-Locust and Anti-Avarian Organization to the international community to strongly support the Organization in the rigorous implementation of the plan of action in the short, medium and long terms to combat locusts, adopted by the Council of Ministers of the Organization at its twenty-fourth session, held in N'djamena from 10 to 16 December 1988;

5. Expresses its support for the long-term research initiatives of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Development Programme and a number of Governments aimed at further developing more effective, economical and environmentally sound control methods, along with short-term activities and medium-term programmes for prevention and environmentally acceptable alternative long-term strategies for locust and grasshopper control;

6. Invites the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to continue to play its role as lead agency in locust control and related research activities, in close collaboration with other competent organizations and institutions, and to ensure that the proposals and plans of the International Desert Locust Task Force are implemented and fully complement the activities of national and regional authorities and donor activities;

7. Notes that although the present desert locust plague appears to have receded, continued vigilance will be required on the part of all concerned with regard to the locust population still present and the new swarms reported in several Saharan countries;

8. Expresses its appreciation to the international community for the assistance provided to the affected countries, and calls for continued support for short-term, medium-term and long-term efforts to control locusts and grasshoppers;

9. Appeals to the international community, particularly the developed countries, to make the necessary resources available to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and to co-operate with it in further developing remote-sensing techniques, training, the testing and evaluation of pesticides, the collection and dissemination of information, prevention, co-ordination and funding, and in establishing or strengthening national and regional early-warning systems in order to improve the ability of affected or vulnerable countries to cope with future threats;

10. Endorses the appeal made by the Secretary-General to the other executive heads of organizations of the United Nations system to remain vigilant and not to lose the expertise acquired in the past two years in controlling locust and grasshopper infestations, and requests the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to submit to the Economic and Social Council at its second regular session of 1990 an up-to-date report on the implementation of the international strategy for the fight against locust and grasshopper infestation, particularly in Africa.