24 May 1990

13th Plenary Meeting

1990/28. World social situation

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling its resolution 1989/72 of 24 May 1989 and General Assembly resolution 44/56 of 8 December 1989,

Noting that in paragraph 10 of General Assembly resolution 44/56 the Secretary-General was requested to submit an interim report on the world social situation to the Assembly in 1991, through the Commission for Social Development and the Economic and Social Council,

Noting also paragraph 3 of Council resolution 1989/72,

Having considered the supplement to the 1989 Report on the World Social Situation,

Noting with satisfaction that the supplement takes into account the concerns and guidelines specified in Council resolution 1989/72,

Bearing in mind the importance of the report on the world social situation for increasing awareness of the advances made towards the goals of social progress and better standards of living, established in the Charter of the United Nations, and of the obstacles to further progress,

Concerned about the worsening economic situation in many developing countries, particularly that of the least developed countries, including the significant decline in living conditions, the persistence and increase of widespread poverty in a large number of countries and the decrease of the main social and economic indicators of those countries,

Believing that there is a need for greater efforts by the United Nations system to study and disseminate data on the existing world social situation, particularly in regard to the developing countries,

1. Decides to include in the agenda of its first regular session of 1991, bearing in mind paragraph 13 of General Assembly resolution 44/56, an item entitled "World social situation", for the purpose of considering, inter alia, the interim report on the world social situation and the report requested in paragraph 3 of Council resolution 1989/72;

2. Requests the Secretary-General, in preparing the interim report, to take into account paragraph 4 of Council resolution 1989/72, in which the Secretary-General was requested, in preparing the 1993 report, to give high priority to an analysis of the main indicators of social progress and standards of living, and to make a comprehensive analysis of the main causes and circumstances that explain negative trends in those indicators; chapters devoted to the study of specific social problems were to be related to global economic and social situations, taking into account both national and international conditions.