26 July 1991

31st plenary meeting

1991/65. World Decade for Cultural Development

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling General Assembly resolution 41/187 of 8 December 1986, in which the Assembly proclaimed the period 1988-1997 the World Decade for Cultural Development,

Taking into account General Assembly resolution 45/189 of 21 December 1990, in which the Assembly invited the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to include specific proposals on the modalities of a mid-term review, taking into account the views of Governments, in the second biennial report on progress in the implementation of the World Decade for Cultural Development to be submitted to the General Assembly at its forty-sixth session through the Economic and Social Council,

Welcoming the progress achieved and the efforts made by Member States, organizations and programmes of the United Nations system and intergovernmental and international non-governmental organizations to implement the Plan of Action for the Decade, and encouraging the continuation of such efforts,

Noting the suggestion made at the 11th meeting of the First (Economic) Committee, on 18 July 1991, that the United Nations and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization jointly establish an international commission to prepare a report on culture and development,

1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization on the progress of the World Decade for Cultural Development (1988-1997) during the period 1990-1991;

2. Invites Governments, organizations and programmes of the United Nations system and intergovernmental organizations to accord greater priority to the cultural factors affecting development, particularly in the implementation of the International Development Strategy for the Fourth United Nations Development Decade;

3. Expresses support for a global mid-term review of the World Decade for Cultural Development based upon the proposals outlined in paragraph 89 of the report of the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, on the understanding that the special debate on the Decade should take place at the forty-ninth session of the General Assembly, in 1994, and that the work involving the regional commissions should be undertaken in 1993.