26 July 1990

36th Plenary Meeting

1990/62. 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 and General Assembly decision 44/438 of 19 December 1989, in which the Assembly endorsed Economic and Social Council resolution 1989/98 of 26 July 1989,

Recalling also General Assembly resolution 44/236 of 22 December 1989, by which the Assembly proclaimed the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, and aware that the Decade covers locust and grasshopper infestation,

Noting with satisfaction the general desert locust situation reported by the Emergency Centre for Locust Operations of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, which shows that only small populations of the desert locust were present in Africa and the Near East,

Conscious of the need for the continuation of short-term, medium-term and long-term efforts if desert locust and grasshopper infestations are to be contained both today and in the future,

1. Welcomes the note by the Secretary-General containing the report 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. Expresses its appreciation to the international community for the assistance provided to affected countries and calls for continued support for the short-term, medium-term and long-term efforts required to combat locusts and grasshoppers;

3. Notes with satisfaction the considerable progress made in initiating research aimed at finding new and environmentally acceptable approaches to locust control, in particular the joint research project of the United Nations Development Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations on the development of environmentally acceptable strategies for desert locust control, the Desert Locust Research and Development Register prepared by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the pesticide testing and vetting scheme developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and a joint donor research programme on the development of bio-pesticides;

4. Calls upon the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to assist the countries concerned in strengthening their preventive control capabilities for desert locust control by ensuring that technically appropriate programmes are developed that are complementary to and integrated with those of regional bodies;

5. Requests the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, over the short and medium term, to reinforce existing structures and current technologies, including early warning systems such as ARTEMIS (Africa Real Time Environmental Monitoring using Imaging Satellites), which contribute to preventive control;

6. 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 1991 an up-to-date report on the implementation of the international strategy for the fight against locust and grasshopper infestation, particularly in Africa.