27 July 1989

36th plenary meeting

Countries stricken by desertification and drought in Africa

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling General Assembly resolutions 39/208 of 17 December 1984, 40/175 of 17 December 1985 and 42/188 of 11 December 1987, as well as Economic and Social Council resolution 1986/44 of 21 July 1986,

Recalling also General Assembly resolution 40/209 of 17 December 1985, in which the Assembly rationalized its consideration of desertification and drought issues,

Deeply alarmed by studies indicating that major climatic changes have taken place in Africa, making the present situation very critical, and by the disturbing assessment that emerged from the Scientific Round Table on the Climatic Situation and Drought in Africa, held at Addis Ababa in February 1984,

Greatly concerned at the tragic consequences of accelerating desertification, which has resulted in a substantial decline in agricultural output and contributed in particular to the worsening of the current economic crisis in Africa,

Taking note of the interest shown at the Paris Economic Summit, in July 1989, in matters relating to the control of desertification and, in particular, in the plan to establish a Sahel observatory,

Recalling that, pursuant to the United Nations Programme of Action for African Economic Recovery and Development 1986-1990, African Governments have undertaken to strengthen measures to combat desertification and drought, and bearing in mind the active support and commitment to action expressed forcefully by the international community, including the United Nations system, in General Assembly resolution 43/27 of 18 November 1988 on the mid-term review and appraisal of the implementation of the Programme of Action,

Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General on countries stricken by desertification and drought,

Taking note of the work of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme on this question and its decision 15/23 of 25 May 1989,

Welcoming the results and resolutions of the Ministerial Conference for a joint policy to combat desertification in the countries of the Permanent Inter-State Committee on Drought Control in the Sahel and the Economic Community of West African States, in the Maghreb countries, in Egypt and in the Sudan (COMIDES) held at Dakar in July 1984 and November 1985, and at Algiers in October 1988,

Welcoming also the renewed efforts of the United Nations Sudano-Sahelian Office to increase support to the countries and organizations concerned and to co-operate with them, in particular with the Permanent Inter-State Committee on Drought Control in the Sahel and the Intergovernmental Authority on Drought and Development,

Having considered the report of the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme on the activities of the United Nations Sudano-Sahelian Office,

Acknowledging that, in view of the scale and gravity of desertification and drought, programmes to combat those scourges require financial and human resources beyond the means of the countries concerned,

1. Recognizes the sustained and praiseworthy efforts made by the Permanent Inter-State Committee on Drought Control in the Sahel to combat desertification and drought, and welcomes its fruitful co-operation with Governments and United Nations organs and bodies;

2. Appeals urgently to the international community, particularly donor countries, while maintaining their support for the United Nations Programme of Action for African Economic Recovery and Development 1986-1990, to continue to support the Permanent Inter-State Committee on Drought Control in the Sahel, the Intergovernmental Authority on Drought and Development and the Ministerial Conference for a joint policy to combat desertification;

3. Welcomes with satisfaction the progress made by the International Fund for Agricultural Development through its Special Programme for Sub-Saharan African Countries Affected by Drought and Desertification;

4. Stresses the fundamental importance of South-South co-operation in executing programmes to combat desertification and drought and of the necessary support of the international community for such co-operation;

5. Notes with satisfaction the generosity and solidarity with which the international community has responded to the assistance needs resulting from the emergency in Africa, particularly with regard to food aid, emergency medical assistance and the fight against grasshoppers and locusts;

6. Recommends that, within the framework of bilateral and multilateral development assistance programmes, the fight against desertification and drought be given priority attention in keeping with the scope of those problems;

7. Urges the United Nations Sudano-Sahelian Office to assist the Sudano-Sahelian countries with regard to preparations for the United Nations conference on the environment and development and the follow-up actions resulting from the conference;

8. Requests the Secretary-General to place greater emphasis in the World Economic Survey on the situation and prospects of countries stricken by desertification and drought;

9. Further requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its forty-sixth session, through the Economic and Social Council, on the situation in countries stricken by desertification and drought and to prepare, as necessary, specific and co-ordinated proposals for action.