28 July 1989

37th plenary meeting

Europe-Africa permanent link through the Strait of Gibraltar

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling its resolutions 1982/57 of 30 July 1982, 1983/62 of 29 July 1983, 1984/75 of 30 July 1984, 1985/70 of 26 July 1985 and 1987/69 of 8 July 1987,

Having considered the conclusions contained in the interim report prepared in compliance with Council resolution 1987/69 by the Executive Secretaries of the Economic Commission for Africa and the Economic Commission for Europe on the progress being made in the studies relating to the project for a Europe-Africa permanent link through the Strait of Gibraltar,

Bearing in mind the new dynamism being brought to the region owing, in particular, to the proclamation of the Maghreb Arab Union and to the greatly expanding land transport infrastructure leading to the Strait of Gibraltar,

Noting the resolution adopted on 6 January 1989 by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe regarding measures to encourage the construction of a major traffic artery in south-western Europe and to study thoroughly the possibility of a permanent link across the Strait of Gibraltar,

Also noting the resolution adopted by the Conference of African Ministers of Transport, Communications and Planning at its sixth meeting held at Kinshasa in March 1988, concerning the establishment of an entity for the development of transport in the North Africa region,

Aware that the studies on the permanent link have continued to other regional projects, such as the connection of the electricity grids of Morocco and Spain and the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline,

Welcoming the co-operation between the Economic Commission for Africa, the Economic Commission for Europe, the Governments of Morocco and Spain and the Transport Study Centre for the Western Mediterranean,

Conscious of the importance of the project for the development of transport in the region, the consolidation of North-South relations and the promotion of scientific and technological research at the international level,

1. Invites interested Governments and the enterprises and institutions concerned, as well as other competent organizations, to participate in the International Symposium on the Permanent Link to be held at Marrakesh from 16 to 18 May 1990 with a view to the implementation of the project;

2. Also invites the countries concerned to co-operate with the Economic Commission for Africa and the Economic Commission for Europe in accelerating the creation of transport networks leading to the Strait of Gibraltar and in harmonizing transport regulations with a view to facilitating the transport of goods and merchandise between the two areas;

3. Requests the Executive Secretaries of the Economic Commission for Africa and the Economic Commission for Europe:

(a) To submit, at the Marrakesh Symposium, a global evaluation of the studies and work relating to the project based on the reports of the Executive Secretaries transmitted by the Secretary-General to the Economic and Social Council;

(b) To allocate as far as possible the resources necessary for the evaluation of the studies and work relating to the project and of the results and recommendations of the Marrakesh Symposium;

(c) To submit an interim report on the project to the Economic and Social Council at its second regular session of 1991.