Economic and social questions

Chapter I

Development and international economic and social policy

The discouraging world economic s i tuat ion–

sluggish growth, accelerating inflation, world

trade s low-down, worsening current-account

balances and higher energy pr ices–cont inued

t o o c c u p y a m a j o r p a r t o f t h e a t t e n t i o n o f

United Nations bodies during 1981.

L i t t l e p r o g r e s s w a s r e c o r d e d t o w a r d s t h e

launching of global negotiations on international

economic co-operation for development, origi-

nally scheduled to commence in 1980 (p. 378).

Accordingly, the General Assembly decided to

leave the item open to allow informal consulta-

tions to continue on the form the negotiations

should take. Technical work was under way to

promote greater economic co-operation among

developing countries, including preliminary con-

sideration of a global system of trade preferences

among them (p. 382).

The special concern the Organizat ion had

shown for more than two decades for the poorest

of the world’s poor was further demonstrated

at the United Nations Conference on the LeastDeveloped Countries (Paris, 1-14 September

1981).( 3 )

The Conference adopted the second

p h a s e – t h e S u b s t a n t i a l N e w P r o g r a m m e o f

Act ion for the 1980s–of the Comprehensive

New Programme of Action for these countries,

inaugurated in 1979 by the United Nations Con-

ference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

The Substantial New Programme was designed

to transform the economies of these countries

and enable them to achieve internationally ac-

cepted minimum standards of nutrition, health,

housing and education as well as job opportuni-

ties for all, particularly the rural and urban poor.

In December, the General Assembly endorsed

the Programme, called for its implementation

and arranged for its mid-term review in 1985.(15)

Earlier, the Economic and Social Council ap-

pealed for substantial aid to these countries,( 8 )

added Guinea-Bissau to the United Nations list

of the least developed countries(6)

and decided to

review Togo’s economic situation for its possible

inclusion in the list.(9)

The Assembly also appealed again to donor

nations to assist the land-locked developing coun-

tries build their transport and transit facilities(13)

and made a further request for contributions to

the United Nations Special Fund for Land-locked

Developing Countries, managed by the United

Nations Development Programme.(16)

Reiterating the need to strengthen economic

co-operation for development within the United

Nations system, the Economic and Social Coun-

ci l cal led for the Internat ional Development

Strategy for the Third United Nations Develop-

men t Decade , adop ted by the Assembly in

1980,(12)

to be applied in the work programmes

of United Nations organizations.(11)

The first of a new series of annual reports on the

world economic situation–the Trade and Develop-

ment Report, 1981 –was issued by UNCTAD.( 2 )

Another report , the World Economic Survey

1980-1981, (1)

was a background document for the

annual discussion in the Economic and Social

Council on international economic and social

policy, with special emphasis on current trends

(p. 384). A third assessment of current trends and

prospects for the 1980s was prepared by the Com-

mit tee for Development Planning, a s tanding

body of experts appointed by the Council.(4)

The

Council also considered a preliminary draft of a

report on long-term trends, offer ing a socio-

economic perspective of the world economy to the

year 2000 p. 388).

Several broad areas of economic and social de-

velopment were the object of special United

Nations studies. Following preliminary action

by the Council in July (10)

the General Assembly

called in December( 1 4 )

for implementation of anew United Nations work programme to study

the interrelationships between resources, envi-

ronment, people and development. The Council

also requested high priority for United Nations

s tud i e s on t he ro l e o f t he pub l i c s ec to r i n

economic development.(7)

Reports were submit-

ted on a unified approach to development analy-

s i s a n d p l a n n i n g , c o m b i n i n g e c o n o m i c a n d

social elements (p. 395). The Council called on

Governments to give special attention to increas-

ing the social impact of rural development poli-

cies,(5)

and arranged for the continued submis-

sion, every four years, of reports on agrarian

reform and rural development (p. 399). The As-

3 7 8 Economic and social questions

sembly decided to continue a computerized De-

ve lopmen t I n fo rma t ion Sys t em ope ra t ed by

the Information Systems Unit of the United

Nations Secretar ia t ’s Department of Interna-

tional Economic and Social Affairs.(17)

The improvement of development planning

(p. 396) and public administration (p. 398) in de-

veloping countries continued to be a focus of

technical co-operation activities.

Among other broad aspects of development

under consideration in 1981 were development

finance (p. 558), social development (p. 761),

and the relationships between disarmament and

d e v e l o p m e n t ( p . 9 6 ) a n d d e v e l o p m e n t a n d

human rights (p. 973).

P u b l i c a t i o n s : ( 1 )

Wor ld Economic Survey 1980-1981

( E / 1 9 8 1 / 4 2 ) , S a l e s N o . E . 8 1 . I I . C . 2 ; 1 9 8 1 - 1 9 8 2

(E/1982/46), Sales No. E.82.II.C.1. (2)

Trade and Develop-

m e n t R e p o t , 1 9 8 1 ( T D / B / 8 6 3 / R e v . 1 ) , S a l e s N o .

E.81.II.D.9. (3)

Report of the United Nations Conference on

the Least Developed Countries (A/C0NE.104/22/Rev.1),

Sales No. E.82.I.8.

Report: (4)

CDP, E/1981/27.

Resolutions: ESC: (5)

1981/15, 6 May (p 399); (6)

1981/34,

8 May (p. 412); (7)

1981/45, 20 July (p. 394); (8)

1981/46,

20 July (p. 405); (9)

1981/47, 20 July (p. 413);( 1 0 )

1981/51 22 July (p. 392); ( 1 1 )

1981/64, 23 July (p.

381). GA: (12)

35/56, annex, 5 Dec. 1980 (YUN 1980, p.

503); (13)

36/175, 17 Dec. 1981 (p. 414); (14)

36/179 (p.

393), (15)

36/194 (p. 410), (16)

36/195 (p. 416), 17 Dec.;(17)

36/237, 18 Dec. (p. 398).

Other publication: Towards the New International Economic

Order, Sales No. E.82.II.A.7.

Economic co-operation

P r o p o s e d g l o b a l n e g o t i a t i o n s

GE N E R A L AS S E M B L Y C O N S I D E R A T I O N . AS it

had decided in 1980,( 1 1 )

the General Assembly

resumed its thirty-fifth session on 15 January

1981 to consider four agenda items, among them

the launching of global negotiations on interna-

tional economic co-operation for development.

On the same day, the Assembly agreed to an oral

proposal by its President that he pursue consul-

tations on the subject and report on their out-

come at a later date.

At the final meeting of the thirty-fifth session,

on 14 September 1981, the President outlined

work done since October 1980, when an informal

consultative group had been established under

his chairmanship to seek general agreement on

launching the negotiations.( 1 4 )

That group had

ach i eved subs t an t i a l p rog re s s by December

1980, the President said, and he felt that it had

been close to agreement. He had set out the re-

sults in an informal text of 14 December that

dealt with both procedures and agenda for the

negotiations.

A w i d e m e a s u r e o f a g r e e m e n t h a d b e e n

reached, the President stated, on a four-stage

general framework for the negotiations: (1) the

central conference would establish objectives

and provide guidance with respect to the agenda

items; (2) the items would be sent to an existing

specialized forum in the United Nations system

–commodit ies to U N C T A D , for example–or to

an ad hoc group when no such forum existed, as

in the case of energy questions; (3) the outcome

of the second phase would be considered by the

central conference, which would be responsible

for assembling a package for approval by al l

Member States; and (4) the agreements would

be implemented. However, there was disagree-

ment in regard to the third stage, and specifically

as to whether the conference should be able to

change conclusions reached in a special ized

forum such as the International Monetary Fund,

whose procedures and vot ing s t ructures were

m o r e r e s t r i c t e d t h a n t h o s e o f t h e G e n e r a l

Assembly.

R e g a r d i n g t h e a g e n d a , t h e P r e s i d e n t s a i d

t h a t t h e r e w e r e s t i l l d i f f e r e n c e s o v e r t w o

a r e a s – e n e r g y , a n d m o n e y a n d f i n a n c e . T h e

major issue concerning energy was whether pre-

dictabil i ty of supplies and petroleum pricing

should be listed as distinct sub-items. Concern-

ing money and finance, the major question was

how to set out the functioning and reform of the

international monetary and financial system in

all its aspects.

He informed the Assembly that, following an

economic summit meeting of Western industrial

n a t i o n s ( O t t a w a , C a n a d a , 1 9 - 2 1 J u l y ) , t h e

United States had told him that the matter of

global negotiations should not be pursued until

the Assembly’s regular 1981 session. In the con-

viction that full participation in efforts to launch

t h e n e g o t i a t i o n s w a s v i t a l , t h e P r e s i d e n t

proposed–and the Assembly decided without

vote on 14 September–to include the item in

t h e d r a f t a g e n d a o f i t s t h i r t y - s i x t h ( 1 9 8 1 )

session.(12)

S p e a k i n g a f t e r t h e d e c i s i o n , C a n a d a a n d

China expressed regret that no agreement had

been reached on procedures and agenda. How-

ever, these States–together with the United

Kingdom, speaking for the European Communi-

ty (EC) members-generally felt that there had

been a narrowing of differences. Japan urged all

countries to recognize the serious economic and

political impact that might result from failure to

engage in construct ive North-South dialogue

and to adopt a more positive and constructive

attitude towards the negotiations. Norway, on

behalf of the Nordic countries, said they were

ready to accept the texts as they s tood and

hoped all States would join in a consensus. The

Development and international economic and social policy 3 7 9

United States reiterated its view that considera-

t ion of the negotiat ions should be deferred

unt i l af ter the Internat ional Meet ing on Co-

operat ion and Development–a conference of

22 heads of State or Government at Cancún,

Mexico, on 22 and 23 October , focusing on

North-South relationships.

Venezuela expressed the disappointment of

the Group of 77 developing countries that nego-

tiations had not formally commenced. Jordan,

on behalf of the Group of Arab States, termed

the progress meagre.

The readiness of the industr ial ized States

members of the Organisation for Economic Co-

operation and Development (OECD) to conduct

internat ional consultat ions and co-operat ion

with developing countries was affirmed in a com-

muniqué issued by an OECD ministerial meeting

on 16 and 17 June; the communiqué, forwarded

by a 13 July letter from Belgium,(3)

also reviewed

member countries’ economic prospects and poli-

cies, trade problems, the energy situation and

trade relations with developing countries.

A 30 September letter from Venezuela( 5 )

at-

tached the Declaration of the fifth annual meet-

ing of the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the

Group of 77 (New York, 28 and 29 September),

in which the Group expressed regret that a few

developed countries lacked the political will to

undertake without delay measures to achieve

equitable solutions to the world economic crisis

and voiced concern that the launching of the

negotiations continued to be jeopardized mainly

by one country.

The outcome of the Cancun summit confer-

ence was conveyed in a summary by i ts co-

Chairmen, transmitted by a 26 October letter

from Canada and Mexico.( 4 )

With regard to

global negotiations, the summary said the partic-

ipants had confirmed the desirability of support-

ing a consensus to launch them on a basis to be

mutually agreed and in circumstances offering

the prospect of meaningful progress; some coun-

tries had insisted that the competence of the spe-

cialized agencies should not be affected.

The General Assembly resumed consideration

of the subject on 4 and 5 November, hearing

delegations reiterate their views on the substance

and format of the projected negotiations.

Several States pointed to recent international

high-level meetings, part icular ly the Cancún

conference and a meet ing of Commonweal th

heads of Government (Melbourne, Australia, 30

September-7 October),(2)

as reason for optimism

for the launching of the negotiations, although it

was recognized that there had been differences

of approach.

For Japan, a highl ight of Cancún was that

agreement had been reached to continue pre-

paratory negotiat ions for the global round in

New York. Australia suggested that progress in

the preparatory process might be made through

a contact group open to all countries, meeting

c o n c u r r e n t l y w i t h t h e A s s e m b l y ’ s S e c o n d

( E c o n o m i c a n d F i n a n c i a l ) C o m m i t t e e , t h a t

might capture the spirit of the Cancún and Mel-

bourne meet ings–a free-f lowing exchange of

views between developed and developing coun-

tries. The United Kingdom said EC members felt

that concentration on substance could help in

the search for practical solutions; the General

Assembly had a central role to play but the

competence of the specialized agencies should

be respected. Regarding the respective roles of

specialized bodies and the overview mechanism,

Finland and Sweden thought it over-zealous to

try to establish, before the substantive negotia-

tions began, what to do with their results.

Norway said it was important that further ef-

forts at agreement be based on common positions

already establ ished and that preparat ions be

finalized so the negotiations could start at the

beginning of 1982. Austria felt it essential to

arrive at a consensus on basic elements and not

become bogged down in a fut i le search for

detailed and specific guidelines for every stage

of the negotiations. Canada urged States to con-

sider the damage that would be done to the

credibility of the United Nations if the projected

u n d e r t a k i n g c o u l d n o t b e s u c c e s s f u l l y c o n -

cluded.

The United States ci ted i ts leading role in

assistance to and trade with developing coun-

tries, and stressed five objectives for develop-

ment: feeding hungry people, enabling all coun-

tries to strengthen and diversify their economies

through an open world trading system, integrat-

ing developing countries more fully into that

system, achieving economic growth through

trade and commercial capital flows that respond-

ed to market-place incentives, and solving the

energy problem through higher production and

more efficient use.

Algeria, on behalf of the Group of 77, restated

the Group’s view that: there was a fundamental

need for a world dialogue open to all countries,

based on democratic decisions and institutions;

the General Assembly was the central body for

decision-making, direction, the provision of im-

petus and co-ordination at all stages of negotia-

tion; essential questions of reconstructing the

w o r l d e c o n o m y a n d r e s h a p i n g i n t e r n a t i o n a l

economic inst i tut ions could not be removed

from the agenda; and the major issues identified

by the Assembly when i t decided in 1979 to

launch the negotiations (8)

should be considered

with equal care and with regard for their inter-

relationship.

3 8 0 Economic and social questions

China said that an orderly restructuring of in-

ternational economic relations through dialogue

was in the common interest of most nations and

would contr ibute to peace and securi ty . The

Philippines remarked that no one was calling for

the overthrow of the current system or the de-

struct ion of exis t ing economic and f inancial

institutions; the task was to make adjustments in

the existing order to meet urgent needs of the

times.

Poland, on behalf of the Eastern European

States and Mongolia, reiterated their support in

principle for the negotiations and the broad out-

line of the agenda and said they had been willing

to participate in the consensus on procedure, but

remarked that the unwillingness of certain impe-

rialist circles to give up their positions and their

desire to keep the developing countries in a state

of dependence hardly gave reason for optimism.

O n 9 D e c e m b e r , i n a r e s o l u t i o n o n t h e

strengthening of international security,(9)

the As-

sembly urged States to proceed without delay to

a global considerat ion of ways and means to

revive the world economy and restructure inter-

national economic relations within the frame-

work of global negotiations.

Following several weeks of inconclusive infor-

mal consultations, the Assembly agreed on 18

December, on an oral proposal by its President,

that the item should be left open in order to

allow the consultations to continue, on the un-

derstanding that the Assembly would reconvene

at short notice to consider any agreement that

might emerge. Accordingly, the topic was includ-

ed in the list of seven items which the Assembly

decided to consider when it resumed its thirty-

sixth session in 1982.(13)

Algeria (for the Group of 77), China and the

USSR, the last named on behalf of the Eastern

European States and Mongolia, expressed regret

that, because of one delegation, agreement had

not been reached. The United Kingdom restated

the EC members’ aim to launch the negotiations

on a ba s i s accep t ab l e t o a l l and p romis ing

genuine progress.

OTHER ACTION. The first regular 1981 session

of the inter-agency Administrative Committee

on Co-ordinat ion (ACC) (Geneva, 13 and 14

April) was attended by the General Assembly

President, who informed it of efforts to launch

the global negotiat ions. The Committee ex-

pressed appreciation to the President for his ef-

forts(10)

and, in its annual overview report,(6)

issued in May, stated its concern that there had

been no agreement on the matter.

The Joint Meetings of ACC and the Committee

for Programme and Co-ordination (CPC) (Geneva,

29 June-1 July) (7)

reaffirmed the contribution

that adequately prepared global negotiat ions

could make to implementation of the Internation-

al Development Strategy for the Third United

Nations Development Decade (see below) and the

need to launch them as soon as possible.

The Conference of the Food and Agriculture

Organization of the United Nations (FAO), meet-

ing at Rome, Italy, from 7 to 25 November, of-

fered that organization’s assistance in the global

negot iat ions with regard to food product ion,

food aid, food security and related matters; the

Conference’s position was conveyed in a letter of

8 December from the FAO Director-General, an-

nexed to a 16 December note by the Secretary-

General.( 1 )

Letters: ( 1 )

FAO Director-General , 8 Dec. , transmitted by

S-G no t e , A /36 /836 ; ( 2 )

Aus t r a l i a , 9 Oc t . , annex ing

C o m m o n w e a l t h c o m m u n i q u é a n d d e c l a r a t i o n . A /

36/587; ( 3 )

Belgium, 13 July, annexing OECD commu-

n i q u é , A / 3 6 / 3 8 0 ; ( 4 )

Canada and Mex ico , 26 Oc t . ,

annexing summary of International Meeting on Co-

operation and Development, A/36/631 & Corr.1;(5)

Venezuela, 30 Sep., annexing Group of 77 declara-

tion, A/36/573.

Reports: ( 6 )

ACC, E/1981/37; ( 7 )

ACC and C P C chairmen,

E/1981/86.

Resolutions and decisions:

Resolutions: GA: (8)

34/138, 14 Dec. 1979 (YUN 1979,

p. 468); (9)

36/102, para. 5 (e), 9 Dec. 1981 (p. 145).

Decisions: ( 1 0 )

ACC: 1981/1,, para. (a), 14 Apr. GA:( 1 1 )

3 5 / 4 5 0 , 1 7 D e c . 1 9 8 0 ( Y U N 1 9 8 0 , p . 5 2 6 ) ;(12)

35/454, 14 Sep. 1981, text following; (13)

36/461, item

37, 18 Dec. (p. 350).

Yearbook reference: (14)

1980, p. 525.

Meeting records: GA: A/35/PV.100, 114 (15 Jan., 14 Sep.);

A/36/PV.46, 47, 104, 105 (4 Nov.-18 Dec.).

General Assembly decision 35/454

Adopted without vote

Oral proposal by President; agenda item 123,

Launching of global negotiations on internationaleconomic co-operation for development

At its 114th plenary meeting, on 14 September 1981, the

General Assembly decided to include in the draft agenda of

its thirty-sixth session the item entitled “Launching of global

negotiations on international economic co-operation for de-

velopment” and to transmit to that session all relevant docu-

mentation from the eleventh special session and the thirty-

fifth session of the Assembly.

Implementation of the International

Development Strategy for the Third

United Nations Development Decade

During the year following the adoption by the

General Assembly in December 1980 of the In-

ternational Development Strategy for the Third

United Nations Development Decade,( 6 )

which

began on 1 January 1981, the Economic and

Social Council and other United Nations bodies

took steps to ensure that the goals and objectives

of the Strategy were incorporated into their

work plans.

On 20 March 1981, the Trade and Develop-

ment Board of UNCTAD decided to inscribe on

the agenda for its September/October session an

Development and international economic and social policy 381

item on arrangements for review and appraisal of

the Strategy’s implementation.(7)

On 7 October,

the Board decided, after informal consultations, to

defer consideration to a future session.(4)

The Commit tee for Development Planning

(CDP), in the report on its 1981 session (New

York, 23 March-1 April),(3)

stated that in future

it would study particular aspects of the world

economic situation and prospects as well as criti-

cal development problems hampering implemen-

tation of the Strategy.

In their 1981 report to the Counci l ,( 2 )

t he

C P C / A C C J o i n t M e e t i n g s ( G e n e v a , 2 9 J u n e -

1 July) viewed the Strategy as the policy frame-

w o r k f o r p l a n n i n g a n d p r o g r a m m i n g i n t h e

United Nations system, reaffirmed the interna-

tional community’s commitment to its imple-

mentat ion and s tressed the need to mobil ize

resources. The report also summarized the Meet-

ings’ discussion on five issues suggested by ACC

relat ing to implementat ion of the Strategy:( 1 )

growth, employment, protectionism and struc-

tural adjustment; energy, money and finance;

food; development of infrastructures; and social

development. After acknowledging a divergence

of opinion on some questions, the report said

there was broad understanding and consensus

on most fundamentals.

On 23 July, the Economic and Social Council

adopted a resolut ion( 5 )

cal l ing on the United

Nations system to apply the International Devel-

opment Strategy as a policy framework in for-

mulating and implementing work programmes

and medium-term plans. The Council reiterated

the need to strengthen international economic

co-operation for development within the system,

with the General Assembly in the central role. It

u r g e d A C C t o c o n t i n u e t o a s s e s s t h e w o r l d

economic situation and prospects, and requested

the Secretary-General to continue bringing to

the Council’s and the Assembly’s attention the

results of those assessments. In addition, CDP

was requested to carry out future work related to

the Strategy’s implementation, as envisaged by

CDP in its 1981 report.

The draft, introduced by Venezuela on behalf

of the Group of 77, was adopted without vote as

revised by the sponsors after informal consulta-

tions. Following its adoption, the Federal Repub-

lic of Germany and the United States said the

reservations they had expressed at the time the

Strategy was adopted( 8 )

still stood. The USSR

said any action taken by United Nations bodies

in implementing the Strategy should not be

limited to reorganization of their work nor imply

extra expenditure; it added that other Assembly

decisions for the restructuring of economic rela-

tions should be taken together with the Strategy

as a guide for United Nations bodies.

Prospects for attaining the Strategy’s targets

were also addressed in a preliminary draft per-

spective of the development of the world econo-

my to the year 2000, prepared by the Secretary-

General (p. 389).

Note: (1)

ACC, E/1981/91.

R e p o r t s ( 2 )

A C C and C P C c h a i r m e n , E / 1 9 8 1 / 8 6 ; ( 3 )

C D P ,

E/1981/27; ( 4 )

TDB, A/36/15.

Resolutions and decision: Res.: (5)

ESC, 1981/64, 23 July,

text following; (6)

GA, 35/56, annex, 5 Dec. 1980 (YUN

1980, p. 503). Dec.: (7)

TDB, 234(XXII), 20 Mar.

Yearbook reference: (8)

1980, p. 500.

Meeting records: ESC, E/1981/SR.20-34, 39, 40 (1-23 July).

Economic and Social Council resolution 1981/64

Adopted without vote Meeting 40 23 July 1981

Draft by Venezuela, for Group of 77 (E/1981/L.54/Rev.1); agendaitem 3.

Implementation by the United Nations systemof the International Development Strategy

for the Third United Nations Development Decade

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling General Assembly resolutions 3201 (S-VI) and

3202(S-VI) of 1 May 1974, containing the Declaration and

the Programme of Action on the Establishment of a New Inter-

national Economic Order, 3362(S-VII) of 16 September 1975

on development and international economic co-operation

and 3281 (XXIX) of 12 December 1974, containing the Char-

ter of Economic Rights and Duties of States,

Recalling also the goals, objectives and policy measures

set out in the International Development Strategy for the

Third United Nations Development Decade,

Taking note with appreciation of the statements made by the

P re s iden t o f t he Economic and Soc i a l Counc i l and t he

Secretary-General at the opening of the second regular ses-

sion of 1981 of the Council, the concluding statement of the

Director-General for Development and International Economic

Co-operation and other statements made during the general

discussion of international economic and social policy, includ-

ing regional and sectoral developments, at that session,

T a k i n g n o t e a l s o o f t h e W o r l d E c o n o m i c S u r v e y

1980-7981, the report of the Administrative Committee on

Co-ordination Task Force on Long-Term Development Objec-

tives on its eighth session, the conclusions of the Joint Meet-

ings of the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination and

the Administrative Committee on Co-ordination on the imple-

mentation of the International Development Strategy for the

Third United Nations Development Decade and the report of

the Committee for Development Planning on its seventeenth

session,

1. Reiterates the need to strengthen international econom-

ic co-operation for development within the multilateral frame-

work of the United Nations system, in which the General As-

sembly has the central role;

2. Calls upon all organs, organizations and bodies of the

United Nations system to apply the International Development

Strategy for the Third United Nations Development Decade as

a policy framework in the formulation and implementation of

their programmes of work and medium-term plans;

3. Urges the Administrative Committee on Co-ordination

to continue its efforts to assess on a system-wide basis the

world economic situation and prospects in the perspective of

long-term development objectives and in the overall context

of the International Development Strategy for the Third United

Nations Development Decade and the Declaration and the

Programme of Action on the Establishment of a New Interna-

tional Economic Order, and requests the Secretary-General

to continue to bring to the attention of the Economic and

Social Council and the General Assembly the results of those

system-wide assessments;

3 8 2 Economic and social questions

4. Requests the Committee for Development Planning to

carry out future work in relation to the implementation of the

International Development Strategy for the Third United

Nations Development Decade, as envisaged in chapter V of

Its report on its seventeenth session;

5. Recommends that the General Assembly should keep

under review the implementation of the present resolution.

ACC Task Force on

Long-Term Development Objectives

The ACC Task Force on Long-Term Develop-

ment Objectives met at Geneva from 16 to 18

March 1981 and reported to ACC( 1 )

that it had

made a collective review of the world economic

situation and prospects and reviewed critical in-

ternational policy issues in the context of the In-

ternat ional Development Strategy( 2 )

(p . 388) .

After receiving this report, ACC expressed the

view on 14 Apri l that i t should receive wide

publicity.( 3 )

On the same date ACC adopted new terms ofreference for the Task Force

(4) which include a Cuba

focus on implementation and review and apprais-

al of the Strategy, as well as assisting and advis-

ing ACC to provide technical support and ana-

ly t i c a l con t r i bu t i ons fo r i n t e rgove rnmen ta l

bodies on development objectives and targets. It

was also to serve as an inter-agency mechanism

for considering emerging development issues

and questions arising from General Assembly

resolutions.

Report: (1)

Task Force, E/1981/71.

Resolution and decisions:

Resolution (2)

GA: 35/56, annex, 5 Dec. 1980 (YUN

1980, p. 503).

Decisions: ACC, 14 Apr.: (3)

1981/1, paras. (b) & (c);( 4 )

1981/6.

I m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f t h e 1 9 7 4 C h a r t e r

o f Economic R igh t s and Du t i e s o f S t a t e s

During debate in the Second (Economic and

Financial) Committee on development and inter-

national economic co-operation at the 1981 regu-

lar session of the General Assembly, several dele-

gations referred to the need to implement the

C h a r t e r o f E c o n o m i c R i g h t s a n d D u t i e s o f

States, adopted by the Assembly in 1974.(l)

The Byelorussian SSR said that achievement

of the goals of the Charter and the International

Development Strategy( 2 )

depended largely on

how cons i s t en t l y and f i rmly t he deve lop ing

countr ies s truggled against neo-colonial ism,

defended their sovereignty over their natural

resources and controlled the transnational corpo-

rations operating in their territory. The German

Democratic Republic, warning against attempts

by imperialist forces to oppose implementation

of the Charter, said that advocacy of the so-called

free market system should be seen as a device to

replace a democratic restructuring of interna-

tional economic relations by the unbridled ac-

tivities of private capital. Hungary urged compli-

ance with the Charter and Mongolia expressed

the view that the conditions for attaining the

goals of the Strategy could be created only

through application of the Charter.

Poland and the USSR said they observed the

Charter in their re lat ions with other States ,

i nc lud ing deve lop ing coun t r i e s ; t he USSR

added that the deterioration of the international

situation was due to the proliferation of acts of

aggression by imperialists, running counter to

the Char ter . The Ukrainian SSR s ta ted that

implementation of the Charter had been delayed

by the obstinacy of some Western States which

sought to maintain their privileged economic po-

sitions and to use economic relations for black-

mail and discrimination.

The Congo described the Charter as an impor-

tant document in the strategy to establish a new

in t e rna t iona l economic and po l i t i c a l o rde r .

Cuba and Viet Nam urged periodic evaluation

of progress in implementing it, while Zaire said

the Secretary-General should report regularly on

the matter.

On 17 December the General Assembly, on

the Second Committee’s recommendation, decid-

ed without vote(3)

to include a sub-item on the

Charter in the provisional agenda of its 1982

regular session, under the item on development

and international economic co-operation. This

decision, orally proposed by the Second Commit-

tee Chairman, was s imilar ly approved by the

Committee on 10 December after he announced

that several delegations had requested that the

topic be resubmitted in 1982.

Resolutions and decision:

Resolutions: GA: (1)

3281(XXIX), 12 Dec. 1974 (YUN

1974, p. 403); (2)

35/56, annex, 5 Dec. 1981 (YUN 1980,

p.503)

Decision: (3)

GA: 36/441, 17 Dec., text following.

Meeting records: GA: 2nd Committee, A/C.2/36/SR.3-6,

10-26, 28-32, 47 (24 Sep.-10 Dec.); plenary, A/36/

PV.103 (17 Dec.).

General Assembly decision 36/441

Adopted without vote

Approved by Second Committee (A/36/694/Add.1) without vote. 10

December (meeting 47); oral proposal by Chairman; agenda item

69 (b).

Charter of Economic Rights and Duties of States

At its 103rd plenary meeting, on 17 December 1981, the

General Assembly, on the recommendation of the Second

Committee, decided to include in the provisional agenda of

its thirty-seventh session, under the item entitled “Develop-

ment and international economic co-operation”, a sub-item

entitled “Charter of Economic Rights and Duties of States”.

E c o n o m i c c o - o p e r a t i o n

a m o n g d e v e l o p i n g c o u n t r i e s

During 1981, several United Nations bodies,

especial ly the United Nations Conference on

Trade and Development ( U N C T A D ) , cont inued

Development and international economic and social policy 3 8 3

to promote measures of economic co-operation

among developing countries (ECDC). These ac-

tivities complemented programmes of technical

co-operation among developing countries pur-

sued by the United Nations Development Pro-

gramme and others (p. 462).

The Commit tee for Development Planning

(CDP), at its 1981 session (New York, 23 March-

1 April), devoted a chapter of its report( 3 )

to

South-South economic co-operat ion. I t noted

the slow growth and increasingly inward-looking

policies of many developed countries, and urged

that ECDC be vigorously initiated. The Commit-

tee felt that short- and medium-term progress

could be achieved by co-operation in finance,

energy, food and rural development, technology,

trade, industrial development and infrastructure.

It favoured such measures as the establishment

of a third world development bank, soft loans by

oil-export ing countr ies that would enable oi l

importers to meet higher petroleum prices, in-

vestment by capital-surplus developing countries

in rural development programmes of other third

world countries, and promotion of South-South

trade through tariff and other preferences.

A High Level Conference on Economic Co-

operat ion among Developing Countr ies , con-

vened by the Group of 77 at Caracas, Venezuela,

from 13 to 19 May, adopted a programme of

action specifying co-operative activities in trade,

technology, food and agriculture, energy, raw

materials, finance, industrialization and techni-

cal co-operation, and proposing mechanisms for

co-ordination, monitoring, follow-up actions and

evaluation; the report of the Conference was

transmitted to the Secretary-General on 5 June

by Venezuela as Chairman of the Group of 77.(2)

UNCTAD ACTIVITIES. The Meeting of Gov-

e r n m e n t a l E x p e r t s o f D e v e l o p i n g C o u n t r i e s

on Economic Co-operation among Developing

C o u n t r i e s , c o n v e n e d b y U N C T A D , h e l d i t s

second session at Geneva from 27 July to 7

August. The Meeting adopted recommendations

aimed at facilitating the early negotiation of a

global system of trade preferences (GSTP) among

developing countries.

On 6 November, the UNCTAD Trade and De-

velopment Board decided, by a roll-call vote of

54 to 20 (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada,

Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Federal

R e p u b l i c o f , I r e l a n d , I s r a e l , I t a l y , J a p a n ,

L u x e m b o u r g , N e t h e r l a n d s , N o r w a y , S p a i n ,

Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United

States), with 7 abstentions (Eastern European

States), to include a third session of the Meeting

on ECDC in the 1982 UNCTAD calendar.(4)

Group

B States (developed market-economy countries)

acknowledged the importance of ECDC but ob-

jected to activities which they felt were not in

keep ing w i th t he p r inc ip l e t ha t a l l U N C T A D

members should be associated with its decision-

mak ing . Group D S t a t e s ( c en t r a l l y p l anned

economies) also rei terated their reservat ions

about universal i ty and equal i ty of States . To

resolve this issue, the Board authorized its Presi-

dent to undertake consultations, between its cur-

rent and 1982 sessions, with a view to arriving at

a generally acceptable solution to the problems

underlying UNCTAD activities on ECDC. (8)

An International Workshop on the Promotion

of Economic and Technical Co-operation among

Developing Countries with Particular Reference

to Developing Countries’ Joint Investments and

their Financing, organized by UNCTAD and the

Research Centre for Co-operation with Develop-

ing Countries (Ljubljana, Yugoslavia), was held

at Bled, Yugoslavia, from 2 to 7 November.( 6 )

The Workshop made general policy recommen-

dations as well as specific suggestions to support

this form of co-operation through improved in-

formation and communicat ions, to s t imulate

joint ventures and multinational enterprises and

to increase financial flows to such undertakings.

Technical co-operation activities of UNCTAD

relating to ECDC(5)

continued to concentrate on

assistance to regional and subregional organiza-

tions and integration secretariats responsible for

trade liberalization schemes, common external

tariffs, and financial and monetary co-operation.

Regional projects assisted the Economic Com-

munity of West African States, the West Afri-

can Economic Communi ty , the Customs and

Economic Union of Central Africa, the Mano

River Union and the Niger Basin Authority; the

Trade Negotiations Group, the Bangkok Agree-

ment and the Association of South-East Asian

Nations (ASEAN ); and the Central American

Common Market and the Andean Group. Inter-

regional and regional advisers aided other re-

gional and subregional organizations as well as

some commodity associations. The interregional

programme included projects promoting co-

operation between state trading organizations

a n d t h e i n i t i a t i o n o f a T r a d e I n f o r m a t i o n

System, involving collection and dissemination

of data on trade barriers.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY ACTION. On 16 Decem-

ber, the General Assembly, in a resolution on

UNCTAD,(7)

requested that body to intensify and

complete its work in the priority areas indicated

in a 1977 resolution of the UNCTAD Committee

on Economic Co-operation among Developing

Countries, especially in the areas of trade infor-

mation systems regarding the foreign trade of

those countries, their state trading organizations,

multinational production and marketing enter-

prises, G S T P and monetary and f inancial co-

operation among them.

3 8 4 Economic and social questions

The original draft of this resolution,(1)

submit-

ted to the Second Committee by Algeria on

behalf of the Group of 77 and later withdrawn in

favour of a text submitted by a Committee Vice-

Chairman af ter informal consul ta t ions , con-

tained an additional paragraph by which the As-

sembly would have welcomed the 1980 and 1981

Meetings of Governmental Experts of Develop-

ing Countr ies on E C D C and a proposed 1982

meeting of senior officials which was to finalize

and approve rules for launching negotiations to

establish GSTP.

In the Committee’s general debate, Bhutan,

Democratic Yemen, Mexico, Thailand, Tunisia

and Zimbabwe made the point that ECDC was

meant to complement and not replace North-

South co-operation. Turkey considered that it

would be natural for developing countr ies to

start by establishing preferential tariffs among

themselves, but the aim should be to use them as

a means of eventually integrating their econo-

mies with that of the world. The United Repub-

lic of Cameroon stated that ECDC must not be

regarded as a stage on the way to autarky or as

obviating the need for fundamental adjustments

or structural changes in North-South relations.

Afghanistan said that ECDC was a means of

strengthening the solidarity of developing coun-

tries but could be developed only in the context

of a radical restructuring of the international

economic system. India viewed ECDC as essential

to the promotion of individual self-sufficiency

and collective self-reliance, allowing the develop-

ing countries to make the best possible use of the

complementary features of their economies.

Uganda saw this form of co-operation as essential

to the new international economic order.

The importance of the Caracas Conference on

ECDC as a stimulus to closer co-operation was

stressed by a number of developing countries,

including Algeria, China, Kenya, Madagascar,

the Niger, Pakistan, the Sudan, Venezuela and

Zambia. Guyana said the action programme ap-

proved by that Conference reflected the develop-

ing countries’ new awareness of the fact that in-

t e r d e p e n d e n c e m u s t b e b a s e d o n m u t u a l l y

beneficial relationships. Nepal saw the results as

proof that third world countries had the will to

increase co-operat ion among themselves and

thus contribute to their economic development

and emancipat ion. Liberia and Sierra Leone

hoped the action programme would be endorsed

by the internat ional community. The United

Arab Emirates thought a timetable should have

been fixed for implementation. Among the de-

veloped countries, Canada said it was ready to

assist efforts to implement the Caracas plan.

Seve ra l S t a t e s c i t ed examples o f E C D C in

which they were participating, especially with

countr ies in the same region. Barbados men-

tioned joint ventures between itself and Trinidad

and Tobago in such areas as cement production

and air cargo facilities, and said it had offered

assis tance to certain Caribbean and African

countries in respect of sugar cane technology.

Mexico had begun participating in the Carib-

bean Development Fund and, with Venezuela,

had extended for a year an energy co-operation

programme for Central America and the Carib-

bean. Botswana noted that 14 countries of east-

ern and southern Africa were negotiating the es-

tablishment of a preferential trade area for that

subregion. Singapore mentioned preferent ial

t r a d e a r r a n g e m e n t s a n d o t h e r e c o n o m i c c o -

operation among ASEAN members.

The Syrian Arab Republic called on develop-

ing countries, especially those with the means to

do so, to provide financing and investment assis-

tance by granting long-term low-interest loans.

R e f e r r i n g t o U N C T A D a n d o t h e r U n i t e d

Nations activities in this area, the USSR said

they must not violate the principle of universali-

ty, must be kept within the limits of competence

of the sponsoring organs and must not jeopardize

work on other trade and economic problems of

interest to all States.

Draft resolution withdrawn: ( 1 )

Algeria, for Group of 77,

A/C.2/36/L.65.

Letter: (2)

Venezuela, for Group of 77. 5 June, A/36/333 &Corr.1.

R e p o r t s : ( 3 )

C D P , E / 1 9 8 1 / 2 7 ; ( 4 )

T D B , A / 3 6 / 1 5 ;( 5 )

U N C T A D s e c r e t a r i a t , T D / B / W P / 1 6 & C o r r . 1 &

Corr.1/Rev.1; ( 6 )

Workshop on economic and technical

co -ope ra t i on among deve lop ing coun t r i e s , U N C T A D /

E C D C / T A / l 4 .

Resolution and decision: Res.: (7)

GA, 36/145. para. 15, 16 Dec.

(p. 534). Dec.: (8)

TDB,246(XXIII), para. (c), 6 Nov.

Publication: Co-operation Amidst Uncertainty: Priorities for

International and South-South Action (extracts of CDP

report), Sales No. E.82.II.A.2.

Economic and social

conditions and trends

The current world economic situation was the

subject of three major United Nations reports

issued in mid-1981 as a background to discus-

sion in the Economic and Social Council and

the Trade and Development Board.

One of these reports , the World Economic

Survey 1980-1981, (2)

prepared annually by the

U n i t e d N a t i o n s S e c r e t a r i a t ’ s D e p a r t m e n t o f

In t e rna t i ona l Economic and Soc i a l Af fa i r s ,

concluded that the world economy was in a

major recession, its deepest since that of 1975.

Growth in world output had declined from 4.6

per cent in 1978 to 2.2 per cent in 1980, and in

the developed market economies the growth rate

had fallen to 1.5 per cent, compared to 3.1 per

Development and international economic and social policy 3 8 5

c e n t i n t h e c e n t r a l l y p l a n n e d e c o n o m i e s .

Among energy-importing developing countries

the growth rate had s l ipped to 3 .9 per cent ;

when adjusted for the decline in the purchasing

power of their exports, the rate was below that

of populat ion growth, resul t ing in lower per

capita incomes.

The deter iorat ion in economic growth had

been accompanied by accelerated inflat ion, a

marked slow-down in the expansion of world

trade and worsened current-account imbalances,

associated with higher interest rates and import

prices, including a 64 per cent rise in petroleum

prices compared to 1979. For the remainder of

1981, the Survey forecast a hesitant recovery and

high inflation levels.

According to the Survey, much of the sharp

deceleration in the economic growth of energy-

importing developing countries was due to pres-

sures from abroad, including the developed

market economies, where recessionary tenden-

cies had been reinforced by policy measures

directed increasingly to fighting inflation. While

the recession in the major industrial centres had

weakened demand for the exports of developing

countries, monetary restraint had led to sharply

higher interest charges for developing country

borrowers. In addition, higher prices for imports,

and particularly for energy, put pressure on their

external accounts. Such adverse external devel-

o p m e n t s h a d l e d t o a s h a r p d e c l i n e i n t h e

purchasing power of the exports of energy-

importing developing countries and to widening

current account deficits, from $48 billion in 1979

to $72 billion in 1980.

The Survey concluded that the revival of the

world economy was attendant on finding a suc-

c e s s f u l a p p r o a c h t o i n f l a t i o n i n t h e m a r k e t

economies. Policies depending solely or primari-

ly on demand restraint were unlikely to succeed

in combining greater price stability with vigor-

ous growth. A combination of measures was re-

quired, including monetary and fiscal restraints,

encouragement of savings, consensus on how

real income losses should be distributed, and in-

centives for rapid changes in productive struc-

tures imposed by changes in relative prices and

comparative advantage. Better international co-

ordination was needed to minimize the negative

impact of national anti-inflationary policies. Im-

proved mechanisms were also needed to channel

financing to developing countries.

The second major economic s tudy was the

Trade and Development Report, 1981, (3)

the first in

a s e r i e s o f a n n u a l r e p o r t s p u b l i s h e d b y t h e

UNCTAD secretariat. The Report pointed out that

t h e d i v e r g e n c e b e t w e e n t a r g e t s a n d a c t u a l

growth rates had reached major proportions at

the beginning of the Third United Nations De-

velopment Decade. Decelerating growth necessi-

tated severe cuts in developing countries’ invest-

m e n t p r o g r a m m e s , r e d u c i n g t h e c a p a c i t y o f

many to achieve even the minimal s t ructural

change required to sustain current development

levels. The worsening economic situation was

unequally distributed, with the poor shouldering

a disproportionately large part of the burden.

Assessing economic prospects for 1981-1982,

the Report stated that the continued world reces-

sion would make it difficult for any group of de-

veloping countries to improve its growth perfor-

mance in 1981, but that a moderate upturn of

world output and trade in 1982 would permit a

slightly improved performance in that year. The

deve loped marke t - economy coun t r i e s we re

l ikely to experience mixed growth in 1981-

higher in the United States and lower in several

major European countries–followed by a cycli-

cal upturn expected to result in a higher growth

rate for the group as a whole in 1982, accompa-

nied by lower inflation. Planned growth rates for

the socialist countries of Eastern Europe aver-

aged 3.2 per cent for 1981, and China’s rate

might be 4 to 5 per cent.

Looking to the medium term, the Report point-

ed to an apparent decline in the secular growth

of developed market-economy countries, with

the consequence that current counter-cyclical

policies were unlikely to move those economies

back to the growth paths of the 1950s and 1960s.

In the case of the Eastern European socialist

countries, prospects for growth of the labour

supply were less favourable, resulting in a possi-

ble slow-down of economic growth in the 1980s;

nevertheless, the outlook for expansion of trade

between those countries and others–especially

developing countries –was good. China’s econo-

my continued to be relat ively closed, so that

growth prospects would be largely determined

by internal dynamics, which pointed to possible

fast development.

Given the trends in major industrial econo-

mies, and assuming no major changes in trade

and capital flows, the Report projected an annual

growth rate for developing countries of the order

of 4.5 per cent during the 1980s, compared to

the 7 per cent target of the International Devel-

opment Startegy.( 6 )

This implied that interna-

t ional discussion of development object ives

would need to consider viable alternatives, possi-

bly including far-reaching reforms in the organi-

zation of international economic relations. Such

measures would require intensified international

economic co-operation and concerted govern-

mental effort, since market forces alone could

not br ing about the required t ransformat ions

and structural reforms.

A t h i r d a s s e s s m e n t o f t h e c u r r e n t w o r l d

3 8 6 Economic and social questions

economic situation and prospects for the 1980s

was prepared by CDP at its 1981 session (New

York, 23 March-1 Apri l ) .( 4 )

The Commit tee

concluded that, unless the international com-

munity found ways to break with stalemate and

stagflation, any pretence of achieving the goals

o f t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l D e v e l o p m e n t S t r a t e g y

m u s t b e a b a n d o n e d . I n a d d i t i o n t o l a g g i n g

growth in all groups of countries, the developed

market economies were likely to resort increas-

ingly to protectionist policies in the absence of

a r e n e w e d e f f o r t t o r e s o l v e t h e p r o b l e m s

hampering world t rade. The only soluton lay

in globally co-ordinated action to restore open-

ness and dynamism in the world economy.

Six areas were identified by CDP as requiring

urgent action to assist the developing countries,

particularly the poorest: support to enable inter-

national financial institutions to enlarge the flow

of quickly disbursable funds; substant ial in-

creases in bi lateral development assistance;

greater co-operation between oil-exporting and

oil-importing countries; cessation of protection-

ism; additional investment in agriculture; and a

system of food security. It also urged the devel-

oped centrally planned economies to expand co-

operation with developing countries in six basic

areas: natural resources development, industrial

and energy-producing capaci t ies , preferential

export promotion, favourable credi t and loan

repayment conditions, training of personnel, and

the formulation of national social and economic

deve lopmen t p l ans . F ina l ly , C D P ca l l ed fo r

action by all countries towards disarmament, in

view of the serious economic burden caused by

the arms race (p. 99).

Other 1981 reports on the economic situation

included surveys of individual regions (p. 608)

and of long-term trends in economic develop-

ment (p. 389).

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL CONSIDER-

A T I O N . I n a n a d d r e s s t o t h e E c o n o m i c a n d

Social Council on 1 July, prior to its annual dis-

cussion of internat ional economic and social

policy, the Secretary-General stated that more

countries were resorting to unilateral measures

that tended to shift the burden of economic ad-

justment to others; if the others retaliated, all

might eventually be in a worse state. The econo-

mies of the major industrial countries had lost

their dynamism, many special interests were

c o m p e t i n g f o r r e s o u r c e s a n d G o v e r n m e n t s

found it increasingly difficult to allocate enough

resources to meet pressing social and economic

needs. Tendencies towards fragmentation and

dispersal had to be reversed and the temptations

of unilateral solut ions resisted. He cal led for

strengthened co-operat ion, part icular ly in the

areas of food, energy, finance and trade.

The Council debate focused on the disquieting

trends in the world economy, and different views

were expressed with regard to both their cause

and remedy. Most speakers, however, recognized

that the developing countries were worst affected

by the global crisis.

T h e d e v e l o p e d m a r k e t - e c o n o m y c o u n t r i e s

generally shared the view of the United King-

dom, speaking for the European Economic Com-

munity (EEC), that it was necessary to combat

inflation, bring down interest rates and pursue

structural adjustment in order to regain world

e c o n o m i c s t a b i l i t y a n d g r o w t h . T h e U n i t e d

States spoke similarly and said it intended to

give direct aid, help the developing world by re-

storing the health of its own economy, stimulate

trade by avoiding protectionism, encourage the

private sector in the development process and

strengthen international financial institutions.

Australia was among those which recognized

that protectionism by developed countries had

caused balance-of-payments deficits, high debts,

increased interest rates and uncertain access to

markets for developing countries. Ireland alsourged resistance to protectionism but said that,

in the erratic and unpredictable conditions of

the previous few years, such protective measures

were almost inevitable. For Spain, protectionism

was dangerous because it affected chiefly the eco-

nomically weaker countries and threatened the

liberal, multilateral approach to economic af-

fairs.

Denmark, on behalf also of Finland, Iceland,

Norway and Sweden, said the Nordic States had

a long tradition of support for the developing

countries and believed that such support would

also benefit industrialized countries and contrib-

ute to world stability.

Belgium cited the increase in petroleum prices

as a cause of inflation, restrictive economic poli-

cies and their accompanying hardships. Canada

advocated increased agricul tural development

and farmers’ incentives to stimulate food produc-

tion and the establishment of a World Bank affil-

iate to promote energy development in develop-

ing countries; it also favoured a greater voice for

developing countries in international financial

inst i tut ions, in keeping with their increasing

economic weight. Italy called on oil-producing

countries to recognize the important impact of

energy prices on other factors of the world

economy.

The developing countries generally felt that

counter-inflationary policies by some developed

countries had adversely affected the rest of the

world. Growth had slackened, resulting in a de-

cline in developing countries’ imports and in

global demand for commodities. High interest

rates in certain developed countries had raised

Development and international economic and social policy 387

the debt-servicing costs of borrowers. Disap-

p o i n t m e n t w a s e x p r e s s e d a t t h e f a i l u r e t o

launch global negotiations towards a new inter-

national economic order (p. 378). Several States

stressed the benefits to be derived from expand-

ed economic co-operat ion among developing

countr ies and pledged support for the act ion

programme adopted at the High Level Confer-

ence on this subject held at Caracas in May

(p. 383).

Argentina warned that the doubling of indebt-

edness of the developing countries within two

years could have explosive consequences for in-

dividual countries and the world economy; the

indefinite accumulation of massive deficits could

not add up to a development strategy. Unlike

temporary crises of the past when growth rates

fell and inflation rose, said Brazil, the rich coun-

tr ies currently had predictable growth levels

while the poor countries had no growth prospects

at all. Chile said it knew from experience the im-

portance of combating inflation, but the policies

a d o p t e d b y s o m e c o u n t r i e s t o t h a t e n d h a d

caused a drop in demand for the products of de-

veloping countries and a sharp decline in com-

m o d i t y p r i c e s . V e n e z u e l a o b s e r v e d t h a t t h e

industr ial ized countr ies’ monetary and f iscal

policies, adopted to regulate demand, had not

produced any significant reduction in inflation-

ary pressures.

B u r u n d i n o t e d t h a t a n u m b e r o f A f r i c a n

nations had based their currencies on those of

former metropolitan Powers, which had in turn

been subordinate to the United States dol lar ;

successive fluctuations in the central currency

had weighed heavily on the new States’ balances

of payments and developing countries had had

to bear the ful l weight of inf lat ion. Ethiopia

pointed to a widening gap between developing

countries: the per capita gross domestic product

of the least developed had grown by an annual

average of only 1 per cent over the past two

decades, compared to 2.9 per cent for developing

countries as a whole. The Sudan stated that the

purchasing power and export earnings of the

least developed countries were less than they

had been 20 years previously. Although it was

true that the crisis affected all countries, said

Senegal, it was felt much more keenly by the de-

ve lop ing ones and no t ab ly by t he ma jo r i t y

which imported petroleum.

Algeria thought it inadmissible to argue that

world economic recovery must stem from recov-

ery in the developed countries; action designed

merely to re-establish the former balance be-

tween deve loped and deve lop ing coun t r i e s

would be politically unacceptable and economi-

cally ineffective. Barbados said that fundamental

and acute economic problems would not disap-

pear by general declarations of intent. Indonesia

pointed out that , whi le interdependence was

becomingly increasingly recognized, some devel-

oped countries were still reluctant to acknowl-

edge that real i ty by adopting corresponding

p o l i c y m e a s u r e s . Y u g o s l a v i a c a l l e d f o r a

strengthening of international financial institu-

tions and regretted that some States were using

the current economic difficulties as a pretext for

delay in implementing the International Devel-

opment Strategy.

Bangladesh said a number of countries had

embarked on planned development in the light

of the Strategy but found themselves in difficul-

ties when assumptions on trade growth, invest-

ment and resource flows had had to be discarded

at the beginning of the decade. Nepal s ta ted

that, while all countries were affected by the

declining economy, developing countries were

less able to defend themselves because of deteri-

orating terms of trade, increasing energy costs,

protectionism and tighter monetary policies in

the industrialized countries, restricted access to

private capital markets and a decl ine in real

terms of official development assistance (ODA).

Nigeria ascribed the plight of developing coun-

tries not to lack of effort on their part but to dete-

riorating access to export markets, technology

and finance.

Morocco stated that the increased protection-

ist policies of industrialized nations had left de-

veloping countries no alternative to continued

indebtedness as the price of survival. Also refer-

ring to the effects of protectionism, Iraq noted

that the annual growth rate in the volume of de-

veloping country exports to the industrial econo-

mies had declined to virtually nil in 1980.

With regard to ODA, EEC felt that the burden

should be balanced more fairly among all coun-

tries able to contribute; it welcomed aid given

by the Organizat ion of Petroleum Export ing

Countries and urged a similar commitment from

the Counci l for Mutual Economic Assis tance

(CMEA). France also said mobilization of finan-

cial resources was not a matter for Organisation

for Economic Co-operat ion and Development

countries alone and added that it was committed

t o r e a c h i n g o v e r t h e c o m i n g y e a r s t h e O D A

target set by the Internat ional Development

Strategy–0.7 per cent of the developed coun-

tr ies’ gross nat ional product ( G N P ) .( 7 )

Japan

pledged increases in both quality and quantity

of its ODA, which it planned to more than double

during the five years beginning in 1981. Italy

reported the doubling of its contribution in 1980.

China said it was not right for certain coun-

tries to cite differences in economic systems as

grounds for evading their assistance obligations.

Turkey called for a substantial increase in ODA

388 Economic and social questions

by i ndus t r i a l i z ed coun t r i e s , wha t eve r t he i r

e c o n o m i c s y s t e m , a n d b y c o u n t r i e s w i t h a

surplus. The Libyan Arab Jamahiriya remarked

that it had provided substantial financial and

development assis tance through bi lateral and

multilateral programmes.

Fij i , Mexico and Zaire were among those

which pointed out that an increase in ODA of

only 5 per cent of the nearly $500 billion spent

each year on armaments would make it possible

to reach the target set in the International Devel-

opment Strategy. Ghana said ODA increases had

been more noticeable at the bi lateral level;

donors tended to see their contributions in terms

of self-interest rather than of meeting human

needs. India pointed out that the current level of

ODA, as a share of GNP, was below that reached

five years previously. Pakistan called for targets

to be set in order to reverse the trend; for exam-

ple, the leading economic Powers might earmark

for ODA 0.7 per cent of the increment in their

GNP in each remaining year of the 1980s.

Cuba saw a need to improve the developing

countries’ terms of trade, give them a massive

transfer of additional resources, reform the inter-

national monetary system and speed negotiations

for disarmament and détente.

The developed central ly planned economy

countries felt that international economic co-

operation and developing countries’ growth and

progress depended on the easing of international

tensions and on disarmament. They held that

there were some stabilizing factors in the world

economy such as the continuous and planned na-

t ional economic development of the member

countries of CMEA.

The USSR said Western ruling circles had at-

tempted to overcome their economic crisis by

p r o t e c t i o n i s m a n d b y d r a i n i n g f u n d s a n d

resources from developing countr ies through

transnational corporations and the brain drain;

it called for observance of a code of conduct to

democrat ize internat ional economic relat ions

and reiterated its proposal that the major mili-

t a ry Power s ag ree t o r educe t he i r m i l i t a ry

budgets and allocate part of the savings to meet

the needs of developing countr ies . Bulgaria ,

Czechoslovakia, Mongolia and Viet Nam said

that world economic problems could be solved

only under conditions of détente and peaceful

coexistence.

The Byelorussian SSR viewed the capitalist

countries as the originators of inflation and pro-

tectionism, and said the flow of foreign private

capital to developing countries was increasing

their external debt . The German Democrat ic

Republic urged the United Nations to control

the import of highly qualified personnel from de-

veloping countries, remarking that some States

were profiting more from such plunder than they

gave in development aid. Poland warned that, if

various forms of protectionism were the only re-

sponse to economic difficulties, the stagnation

would become a prolonged economic crisis, with

foreseeable political and social repercussions.

TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD CONSIDER-

ATION. The current world economic situation,

with special reference to the Trade and Develop-

ment Report, 1981, was discussed by the Trade

and Development Board in September/October.

I n t r o d u c i n g t h e r e p o r t , t h e D i r e c t o r o f t h e

Money, Finance and Development Division of

the UNCTAD secretariat stressed the need to con-

sider what would be required to secure faster

growth in developing countries so that, before

the end of the century, they could sustain au-

tonomous development and growth largely inde-

penden t l y f rom wor ld economic cond i t i ons .

Faster growth would generate more balanced

and sustainable trade patterns than those cur-

rently prevailing.

On 9 October, after considering a note by the

UNCTAD secretariat on the world economic out-

look for 1981 and 1982(l)

and another by the

Secretary-General of UNCTAD on world inflation,

the Board noted his intention to provide an in-

depth study of the world inflationary phenome-

non (p. 393) and decided to refer to its March

1982 session a draft decision on access by devel-

oping countries to international capital markets

(p. 561).(5)

GENERAL ASSEMBLY ACTION. On 16 Decem-

ber, the General Assembly, in a resolution on

UNCTAD,( 8 )

took note with appreciation of the

initiative of the UNCTAD Secretary-General in

preparing the Trade and Development Report.

Note: ( 1 )

UNCTAD secretariat , TD/B/865.

P u b l i c a t i o n s : ( 2 )

Wor ld Economic Survey 1980-1981

( E / 1 9 8 1 / 4 2 ) , S a l e s N o . E . 8 1 . I I . C . 2 ; 1 9 8 1 - 1 9 8 2

(E/1982/46), Sales No. E.82.II.C.1. (3)

Trade and Develop-

m e n t R e p o r t , 1 9 8 1 ( T D / B / 8 6 3 / R e v . 1 ) , S a l e s N o .

E.81.II.D.9.

Reports: (4)

CDP, E/1981/27; (5)TDB, A/36/15.

Resolutions: GA: (6)

35/56, annex, para. 20, 5 Dec. 1980

(YUN 1980, p. 505);(7)

ibid., para. 24; (8)

36/145, para.

4, 16 Dec. 1981 (p.533).

Meeting records: ESC, E/1981/SR.20-34 (1-10 July).

Long-term trends in economic development

ACTIVITIES OF THE TASK FORCE. At its eighth

session, held at Geneva from 16 to 18 March

1981, the Task Force on Long-Term Develop-

ment Objectives, a subsidiary body of the Ad-

ministrative Committee on Co-ordination (ACC),

assessed the world economic situation and pros-

pects and identified areas where action appeared

particularly necessary to bring about progress in

implementing the Internat ional Development

Strategy.( 5 )

In its report,( 3 )

the Task Force dis-

cussed the interrelated problems of growth, em-

Development and international economic and social policy 389

ployment, protectionism and structural adjust-

ment . I t a lso focused on two other areas of

major concern for the 1980s: energy (p. 696)

and food (p. 718).

With regard to the first item, the Task Force

saw a need in the developed market economies

for a mix of national anti-inflation policies to

r e s t r a i n d e m a n d a n d s t i m u l a t e i n v e s t m e n t ,

coupled with international co-ordination to keep

exchange and commodity markets s table. I t

warned against protectionist measures affecting

international trade and suggested that interna-

tional consultation to facilitate structural ad-

justment within national economies could help

prevent short-term employment losses. For de-

veloping countries, it favoured a development-

oriented process, combining national and inter-

national measures, to ensure sufficent long-term

financing of payments deficits; emphasis on the

domestic market instead of exports to industrial-

i z e d c o u n t r i e s , w i t h o u t n e g l e c t i n g r e g i o n a l

trade; and expanded South-South co-operation.

It emphasized that a global policy framework

was essential, since no country had found a satis-

f a c t o r y a n s w e r t h r o u g h s h o r t - t e r m n a t i o n a l

economic management.

Revised terms of reference for the Task Force

were approved by ACC on 14 April (p. 382).

E C O N O M I C A N D S O C I A L C O U N C I L A C T I O N . In

accordance with a 1979 General Assembly re-

quest,(4)

the Economic and Social Council con-

sidered in November 1981 a preliminary draft of

an overal l socio-economic perspect ive of the

world economy to the year 2000, prepared by

the Sec re t a ry -Gene ra l i n consu l t a t i on w i th

United Nations bodies.(2)

Describing this project

i n a no t e t o t he Gene ra l Assembly ,( 1 )

t h e

Secretary-General said full use had been made of

technical work and s tudies by organizat ions

within and outside the United Nations system.

In his note to the Counci l , . the Secretary-

General said the preliminary draft examined the

possibi l i t ies for world economic development

and focused on two interrelated aspects: a sum-

mary appraisal of the current world s i tuat ion

and the implied short-term outlook (1980-1982)

and medium-term prospects (1980-1985); and a

prospective assessment to the year 2000, devel-

oped according to different assumed policy ap-

proaches to the resolution of current issues. He

pointed to critical problem areas requiring in-

tensified international co-operation: population,

resources and environment; food and agricul-

ture; industr ia l izat ion, t rade and the interna-

tional division of labour; energy; technological

development, technology transfer and transna-

tional corporations; the international monetary

and f inancial system; and disarmament . The

question of strengthening the findings of the

global perspectives was to be the subject of fur-

ther inter-agency consultation through the ACC

Task Force on Long-Term Development Objec-

tives, while regional perspectives were being

elaborated with the regional commissions.

The Assistant Secretary-General in charge of

the United Nations Secretariat’s Office for De-

velopment Research and Policy Analysis intro-

duced the draft to the Council on 2 November.

He said the report made it clear that a substantial

acceleration of growth in the developing coun-

tries could be brought about only by a large in-

crease in resources for capital formation, together

with a substantial improvement in productivity,

particularly in low-income and least developed

countries. According to projections, national sav-

ings rates and productivity improvements would

be insufficient to permit attainment of the Inter-

nat ional Development Strategy target of an

annual growth rate of 7 per cent.(6)

Even if that

rate was attained, the poverty of millions could

n o t b e a l l e v i a t e d b y t h e y e a r 2 0 0 0 w i t h o u t

deliberate policies to reduce income inequities.

In the Council, the USSR criticized the draft

for failing to focus on the issue of restructuring

international economic relations, not indicating

how growth rates could be improved, unduly

stressing the role of foreign investment capital,

omit t ing comments about the adverse conse-

quences of transnational corporation activities

and ignoring the multilateral co-operation be-

tween socialist and developing countries. The

German Democrat ic Republic and the USSR

pointed out that only the first chapter of the pre-

liminary draft envisaged by the Assembly’s 1979

resolution had been submitted. Poland and the

United Kingdom, the latter on behalf of the EEC

members, felt it preferable to postpone further

consideration until 1982.

In a decision of 2 November,(7) adopted with-

out vote on an oral proposal by its President, the

Council invited the Secretary-General to take

into account the views expressed and to prepare

a revised preliminary draft perspective, incor-

porating the conclusions of interorganizational

consultations under way, which would be consid-

ered at the Council’s second regular session of

1982. The Council also recommended that the

General Assembly defer for one year the review

of progress made in implementation of its 1979

resolution.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY ACTION. On 4 December,

the General Assembly adopted without vote a

decision(8)

by which it took note of the Secretary-

General’s note and of the Council’s action and

deferred the review to its 1982 regular session.

On 27 November, the Second (Economic and

Financial) Committee had similarly approved

this text as introduced by its Chairman.

3 9 0 Economic and social questions

In the Committee’s discussion, the USSR said

future work on this topic should take account of

the importance of socio-economic changes such

as land reform, s t rengthening of the publ ic

sector, industrialization, comprehensive plan-

ning and control over foreign capital, as well as

the need to transfer resources from military to de-

velopment purposes.

Notes: S-G, (1)

A/36/576, (2)

E/1981/113.

Report: (3)

Task Force on Long-Term Development Objec-

tives, E/1981/71.

Resolutions and decisions:

Resolutions: GA: (4)

34/57, 29 Nov. 1979 (YUN 1979,

p . 7 4 3 ) ; ( 5 )

3 5 / 5 6 , a n n e x , 5 D e c . 1 9 8 0 ( Y U N 1 9 8 0 ,

p. 503); (6)

ibid., para. 20 (p. 505).

Decisions: (7)

ESC: 1981/200, 2 Nov., text following.(8)

GA: 36/423, 4 Dec., text following.

Meeting records: E S C: E/1981/SR.44 (2 Nov.) . GA: 2nd

C o m m i t t e e , A / C . 2 / 3 6 / S R . 3 - 6 , 1 0 - 2 6 , 2 8 - 3 2 , 4 4 ( 2 4

Sep.-27 Nov.); plenary, A/36/PV.84 (4 Dec.).

Economic and Social Council decision 1981/200

Adopted without vote

Draft orally proposed by President; agenda item 26.

Examination of long-term trends in economic development

At its 44th plenary meeting, on 2 November 1981, the Coun-

cil decided:

(a) To take note of the note by the Secretary-General con-

taining the preliminary draft of an overall socio-economic per-

spective of the world economy to the year 2000 and of the

indication therein that consultations with the regional com-

missions and organizations of the United Nations concerned,

as called for in General Assembly resolution 34/57 of 29

November 1979, were in progress;

(b) To invite the Secretary-General . taking into account

the views expressed by delegations at the resumed second

regular session of 1981, to proceed with the preparation of a

revised report on the preliminary draft perspective, incor-

porating the conclusions of the interorganizational consulta-

tions under way, with a view to synthesizing the findings of

other organizations of the United Nations system on long-term

social and economic trends;

(c) To consider that report at its second regular session of

1982;

(d) To recommend to the General Assembly that it should

defer for one year the review specified in paragraph 7 of As-

sembly resolution 34/57 relating to the progress made in the

implementation of that resolution.

General Assembly decision 36/423

Adopted without vote

Approved by Second Committee (A/36/694/Add.11) without vote. 27November (meeting 44): draft by Chairman (A/C.2/36/L.118);

agenda item 69 (m).

Long-term trends in economic development

At i ts 84th plenary meeting, on 4 December 1981, the

General Assembly, on the recommendation of the Second

Committee:

(a) Took note of the note by the Secretary-General on the

progress in the preparation of an overall socio-economic per-

spective of the development of the world economy;

(b) Took note also of Economic and Social Council deci-

sion 1981/200 of 2 November 1981 concerning the examina-

tion of long-term trends in economic development;

(c) Decided to defer to i ts thir ty-seventh session the

review specified in paragraph 7 of its resolution 34/57 of 29

November 1979 relating to the progress made in the imple-

mentation of that resolution.

E n v i r o n m e n t , n a t u r a l r e s o u r c e s ,

p o p u l a t i o n a n d d e v e l o p m e n t

In December 1981, the General Assembly

called for implementation of a new work pro-

gramme to study the interrelationships between

resources, environment, people and development.

The programme was drawn up and revised by the

Secretariat during the year, on the basis of propos-

als by an expert group convened by the United

Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

ACTIVITIES OF THE UNEP EXPERT GROUP. Pur-

suant to a 1980 decision of the UNEP Governing

Council,( 1 8 )

the UNEP Executive Director con-

vened, in January 1981, a second session of a

high-level group of experts to advise him on ele-

ments for inclusion in a system-wide work pro-

gramme on interrelationships between resources,

environment , people and development–a pro-

gramme envisaged in 1980 resolutions by the

General Assembly( 1 3 )

and the Economic and

Social Council.(8)

In its report, annexed to the UNEP Council’s

report to the Assembly, (6)

the expert group point-

ed out that rapid modernization had produced

i m p o r t a n t u n i n t e n d e d d y s f u n c t i o n a l c o n s e -

quences such as poverty, unemployment, explo-

s i v e g r o w t h o f u r b a n s l u m s , e n v i r o n m e n t a l

degradation and irrational management of natu-

ral resources. I t concluded that interrelat ion-

s h i p s s h o u l d b e m a p p e d t h r o u g h r e g i o n a l a n d

country case studies. Several studies and projects

were proposed for inclusion in the programme.

In a decision of 26 May,(16)

the UNEP Govern-

ing Counci l agreed with the expert group’s

proposals and invited the Economic and Social

C o u n c i l t o c o n s i d e r t h e m f a v o u r a b l y . T h e

G o v e r n i n g C o u n c i l c o n s i d e r e d t h a t f u r t h e r

reports by the Secretary-General should contain

advice to Governments on the results of studies

a n d t h a t e m p h a s i s i n t h e i m m e d i a t e f u t u r e

should be placed on projects and case studies

that would demonstrate the value of the inter-

relationships approach.

AC T I O N B Y T H E P O P U L A T I O N C O M M I S S I O N

(JANUARY/FEBRUARY) AND THE ECONOMIC AND

SOCIAL COUNCIL (MAY). The interrelationships

between population, resources, environment and

development were considered by the Population

Commission at i ts January/February session

(p. 778). The Commission stated in its report(4)

that population policies and programmes could

play an important role with regard not only to

slowing population growth, density, age struc-

ture and spatial distribution, but also to accom-

modation, social and urban problems, congestion

and po l l u t i on . I t added t ha t t he qua l i t a t i ve

dimension of population programmes was central

to problems of development and rapid social

change as well as to processes of self-reliance,

Development and international economic and social policy 391

decenteral izat ion and part icipation in devel-

opment.

The Economic and Social Council, in a resolu-

tion of 6 May(9)

on implementation of the 1974

World Population Plan of Action,(17)

urged those

responsible for new development strategies, for

international conferences or for drafting instru-

ments on economic, social and technological

progress to consider fully the interrelationships

of population factors and social, economic, cul-

tural and political development in dealing with

population problems.

In another resolution of the same date, on a

populat ion work programme,( 1 0 )

the Counci l

requested the Secretary-General to cont inue

work on interrelations of population and devel-

opment, with a view to integrating demographic

factors in development strategies and plans. He

was also asked to expedite the preparation of

manuals on methods of incorporat ing demo-

graphic factors in development planning.

E C O N O M I C A N D S O C I A L C O U N C I L A C T I O N

(JULY). In accordance with a 1979 Economic

and Social Counci l request ,( 7 )

the Secretary-

General submitted in May 1981 a report to the

Council(5)

which discussed the scope and nature

of the issues and set out some conclusions on re-

quirements for sustaining long-term develop-

ment . I t reviewed f indings that had emerged

from activities of the United Nations system in

four areas: population pressure, resource systems

and technological options; human capabilities,

livelihood systems and environmental manage-

ment; development processes , human set t le-

ments and population distribution; and national

self-reliance, life-styles and patterns of develop-

ment. The report also submitted findings rele-

vant to national planning.

In a statement to the Council on 14 July, the

Director-General for Development and Interna-

tional Economic Co-operation outlined elements

of a proposed system-wide work programme

whose objectives would be: synthesis, integration

and advancement of knowledge, based on co-

ordinated multidisciplinary research; identifica-

tion of issues emerging from ongoing or antic-

ipated changes in the distribution of power and

resources between and within societies, such as

those implicit in Assembly documents relating

to the new international economic order; and im-

provement of the capability for long-term global

analyses of interrelationships so that they could

be used to elaborate long-term strategies and

policy decisions at local, national, regional and

international levels.

Programme areas to be explored would in-

clude rational use of global resources, consump-

tion patterns and life-styles, and improvement

and expans ion o f ca r ry ing capac i ty . Wi th in

these areas, projects would be identif ied for

implementation by the United Nations system

and other institutions. Programme components

would include: system-wide cataloguing and

evaluation of work; data gathering and analysis,

theoret ical work, long-term perspect ives and

projections; assistance to developing countries

trying to solve problems stemming from interre-

lationships; and national planning implications.

The Director-General added that a trust fund

had been established to receive governmental

contributions for these activities.

On 22 July, the Council adopted without votea resolut ion,

( 1 1 ) sponsored by India, Kenya,

Pakistan and Sweden, by which it welcomed es-

t a b l i s h m e n t o f t h e t r u s t f u n d a n d u r g e n t l y

requested the Director-General to finalize the

proposals for the work programme and to submit

them to Governments at an early stage for con-

sideration at the Assembly’s 1981 regular session.

The Federal Republic of Germany, Spain and

the United Kingdom expressed opposi t ion to

the fund, while the United States said it would

not contribute. On the other hand, Sweden said

it was prepared to make a contribution.

On 24 July, in a resolution on international co-

operation on the environment,(12)

the Council en-

dorsed in principle the proposals of the expert

group and the important role of UNEP on this

topic, and invited the Assembly to request the

Director-General to implement the proposals,

taking into account the Council’s resolution of

22 July. This provision incorporated two revi-

sions made after informal consultations on the

original draft, adding the words “in principle”

and the phrase inviting the Assembly to take ac-

count of the Council resolution.

Brazil expressed reservations on the Secretary-

General’s report, saying it appeared to imply

that reduction of development and modification

of development objectives were justified to pre-

serve the environment, and that some of its ideas

prejudged the exercise of economic and social

options by developing countr ies and invaded

areas of exclusive national jurisdiction.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY ACTION. Responding to

the Economic and Social Council resolutions of

22 and 24 July, the Secretary-General submitted

to the General Assembly in October a report of

the Director-General containing proposals for

the system-wide work programme on interre-

la t ionships between resources , environment ,

people and development.(3)

The programme would include surveys and

monitoring, field projects, development of plan-

ning and policy tools, and research. Its objectives

were to be the advancement of understanding,

the promotion of multidisciplinary approaches

and the s t imulat ion of internat ional effor ts .

392 Economic and social questions

Components were to include: comparative geo-

graphic, sectoral and societal studies; action-

oriented research studies urgently needed for

developing countries; methodological studies;

and review and synthesis of new knowledge.

Three programme areas were specified: rational

use of global resources, consumption patterns

and l i fe-styles , and improving and expanding

carrying capacity.

An appendix listed eight study projects identi-

fied for inclusion, on the following topics: land

resources for future populat ions (Indonesia ,

Kenya, Tunisia); deforestation of the Himalayan

foothills; overgrazing in the Sudano-Sahelian

r e g i o n ; p e a s a n t s u r v i v a l a n d e n v i r o n m e n t a l

management in densely populated semi-arid

highlands (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru);

high-consumption regions; resource use; devel-

opment and life-styles; and development of an

extended Social Accounting Matrix for analysis

of interrelationships.

The Director-General proposed that existing

ACC machinery be used for inter-agency consul-

tations and that an advisory body of four outside

experts be constituted to review programme ac-

t ivi t ies , assess orientat ion and achievements ,

recommend further development and advise on

the trust fund, which would finance the advisory

body’s meetings.

O n 1 7 D e c e m b e r , t h e G e n e r a l A s s e m b l y

adopted without vote a resolution(14)

b y w h i c h i t

requested the Director-General to initiate imple-

mentation of a work programme as outlined in

his report and to consult Governments on the

elements. The Assembly supported the proposed

arrangements for inter-agency consultations and

establishment of the advisory body, appealed to

Governments to contribute to the trust fund and

decided to review progress at its 1983 regular ses-

sion. It expressed awareness that national poli-

cies and strategies in resources, environment,

people and development were government pre-

rogatives.

The resolution was approved by the Second

Committee on 7 December, also without vote, as

submitted by a Committee Vice-Chairman after

informal consultations on an earlier draft intro-

duced by Sweden, also sponsored by India and

Pakistan and subsequently withdrawn.(1)

In another resolution of 17 December, on in-

ternational co-operation on the environment,(15)

the Assembly welcomed the recommendations of

the UNEP Governing Council and the Economic

and Social Council on the work programme and

the role of UNEP, and requested the Director-

General to take steps for their implementation.

The three-nation text differed in several re-

spects from the one adopted. It contained no refer-

ence to government prerogatives and, in addition

to drafting differences, would have had the Assem-

bly: endorse the Director-General’s proposals to

initiate a work programme, taking into account

the relevant provision in the other Assembly reso-

lution of 17 December (see previous paragraph);

welcome (rather than support) the Director-

General’s arrangements; and appeal for substan-

tial contributions to the trust fund. Also, the initial

draft did not provide that the advisory body

should be financed from the trust fund.

Explaining their positions on this resolution,

the Federal Republic of Germany and the United

Kingdom restated their opposition to the prolifer-

ation of funds. Canada, referring to the preambu-

lar clause on government prerogatives, supported

the right of States to pursue national policies but

said States also were responsible for ensuring that

activities within their jurisdiction or control did

not harm the environment of other States.

Speaking of the second resolution, the Federal

Republic of Germany said it was premature to

request implementation of the work programme;

further consideration by the UNEP Council was

needed.

C O M M U N I C A T I O N . O n 9 N o v e m b e r , C h i n a

transmitted to the Secretary-General( 2 )

the Bei-

j ing Declarat ion on Populat ion and Develop-

ment, adopted by the Asian Conference of Par-

liamentarians on Population and Development

(Beijing, China, 27-30 October). In this docu-

ment, the participants recognized the inextrica-

ble relationships between population, resources

and environment in efforts to manage poverty,

employment and development, and resolved to

stimulate interest and create awareness and un-

derstanding of those relationships among fellow

parliamentarians and people.

Draft resolution withdrawn: ( 1 )

India, Pakistan, Sweden,

A/C.2/36/L.75.

Letter: (2)

China, 9 Nov., A/C.2/36/4.

Reports: ( 3 )

DIEC Director-General , transmitted by S-G

note, A/36/571; (4)

Population Commission, E/1981/13;(5)

S-G, E/1981/65; (6)

UNEP Council, A/36/25.

Resolutions and decision:

Resolut ions: ESC: ( 7 )

1979/49, 1 Aug. 1979 (YUN

1979, p. 793); (8)

1980/49, para. 2, 23 July 1980 (YUN

1980, p. 723); (9)

1981/28, para. 2, 6 May 1981 (p. 780);(10)

1981/29, para. 2 (d) & (k), 6 May (p. 787);(11)

1981/51, 22 July, text following; (12)

1981/73, para.

5, 24 July (p. 815). GA: (13)

35/74, para. 5, 5 Dec. 1980

(YUN 1980, p. 724); (14)

36/179, 17 Dec. 1981, text fol-

lowing; (15)

36/192, para. 5, 17 Dec. (p. 816).

Decision: (16)

UNEP Council: 9/1, sect. II, 26 May.

Yearbook references: (17)

1974, p. 552; (18)

1980, p. 716.

Meeting records: ESC: E/1981/SR.21-34, 35, 37, 39, 41

(2-24 July). GA: 2nd Committee, A/C.2/36/SR.3-6,

1 0 - 2 6 , 2 8 - 3 2 , 4 1 , 4 6 ( 2 4 S e p . - 7 D e c . ) ; p l e n a r y ,

A/36/PV.103 (17 Dec.).

Economic and Social Council resolution 1981/51

Adopted without vote Meeting 39 22 July 1981

4-nation draft (E/1981/L.52); agenda item 3.

Sponsors: India, Kenya, Pakistan, Sweden.

Development and international economic and social policy 393

Interrelat ionships between resources,

environment, people and development

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling General Assembly resolution 35/74 of 5 Decem-

ber 1980 on international co-operation in the field of the envi-

ronment, in which the Secretary-General was requested to

take the requisite steps for the Implementation of the recom-

mendations of the Governing Council of the United Nations

Environment Programme on the work of the United Nations

system on interrelationships between resources, environ-

ment, people and development,

1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on in-

terrelat ionships between resources, environment, people

and development;

2. Welcomes the statement of the Director-General for De-

velopment and International Economic Co-operation, in

which he presented an outline of the elements of a system-

wide programme of work on the interrelationships between

resources, environment, people and development;

3. Urgently requests the Director-General for Development

and International Economic Co-operation to finalize the

proposals for the system-wide programme of work on interre-

lationships between resources, environment, people and de-

velopment, bearing in mind the above-mentioned outline of

the elements, and to submit the proposals to Governments at

an early stage, so as to facilitate the full consideration of the

programme of work by the General Assembly at its thirty-sixth

session and to enable the Assembly to take the appropriate

decisions for its implementation, also bearing in mind Council

resolution 1981/73;

4. Welcomes the establishment of the general trust fund

for the purpose of facil i tat ing the implementation of the

system-wide programme of work to be undertaken pursuant

to General Assembly resolution 35/74.

General Assembly resolution 36/179

A d o p t e d w i t h o u t v o t e M e e t i n g 1 0 3 1 7 D e c e m b e r 1 9 8 1

Approved by Second Committee (A/36/694/Add.1) without vote, 7December (meeting 46); draft by Vice-Chairman (A/C.2/36/L.133),based on informal consultations on 3-nation draft (A/C.2/36/L.75);

agenda item 69.

Interrelat ionships between resources,

environment, people and development

The General Assembly,

Having considered the report of the Director-General for De-

velopment and International Economic Co-operation on inter-

relat ionships between resources, environment, people and

development,

Conscious of the Interrelationships between resources, en-

vironment, people and development, as noted in the Interna-

tional Development Strategy for the Third United Nations De-

velopment Decade,

Recognizing that the application of existing knowledge con-

cerning those interrelationships could lead to a more efficient

use of available resources in the United Nations system,

Recalling its resolution 35/74 of 5 December 1980, in para-

graph 5 of which it requested the Secretary-General to take

the requisite steps for implementation of a system-wide pro-

gramme of work on the interrelationships between resources,

environment, people and development,

Reca l l i ng Economic and Soc i a l Counc i l r e so lu t i ons

1981/51 of 22 July 1981 and 1981/73 of 24 July 1981,

Aware that the formulation and implementation, at the na-

t i o n a l l e v e l , o f p o l i c i e s a n d s t r a t e g i e s i n t h e f i e l d s o f

resources, environment, people and development fall within

the prerogative of Governments,

1. Requests the Director-General for Development and In-

ternational Economic Co-operation:

(a) To Initiate implementation of a co-ordinated multidis-

ciplinary programme of work on interrelationships between

resources, environment, people and development, as outlined

in his report, and within this framework the recommendations

on this subject of the Governing Council of the United Nations

Environment Programme and of the Economic and Social

Council;

(b) Urgently to consult Governments on the elements con-

tained in his report, as he proceeds in the implementation of

the above-mentioned programme of work;

2. Supports the arrangements proposed by the Director-

General for Development and International Economic Co-

operation for inter-agency consultations and programme sup-

port in the implementation of the programme of work, as well

as the establishment of a small advisory body, to be financed

through the trust fund which has been established for financ-

ing activit ies concerning interrelationships between re-

sources, environment, people and development, to assist him

in the overall guidance of the programme of work and to over-

see the operation of the trust fund;

3. Appeals to Governments to contribute to the trust fund;

4. Decides to review at its thirty-eighth session the prog-

ress made in the implementation of the present resolution.

Inflation and development

In a note to the General Assembly, transmit-

ted by the United Nations Secretary-General on

29 September 1981,(2)

the Secretary-General of

the United Nations Conference on Trade and

Development (UNCTAD) proposed to submit in

1982 rather than 1981 a report requested by the

Assembly in 1979( 4 )

on measures to combat

world inflation with a view to accelerating devel-

oping countries’ real growth and increasing their

import capacity in a context of just and stable

financial markets. He pointed out that there had

b e e n c h a n g e s s i n c e 1 9 7 9 i n t h e u n d e r l y i n g

economic forces affecting inflation. Several Gov-

ernments appeared to have different perceptions

of the origins of that process and to attach dif-

ferent weights to the goals of reducing inflation

and achieving full employment. Therefore, the

UNCTAD secretariat felt that a comprehensive

review was required and it proposed to submit

such a report for the twenty-f i f th session of

the Trade and Development Board (September

1982) and the Assembly’s 1982 regular session.

On 9 October, the Board noted this intention

and a agreed to consider the report in September

1982.(3)

On 16 December, in a resolution on

UNCTAD,(5)

the Assembly took note of the

UNCTAD Secretary-General’s intention and the

Board’s agreement. In an earlier version of this

text , submit ted by Algeria on behalf of the

Group of 77,(l)

the Assembly would have wel-

comed the Board’s decision and requested that

the study and the Board’s comments be transmit-

ted to the Assembly in 1982.

In a related decision,(6)

adopted without vote

on 16 December, the Assembly took note of the

UNCTAD Secretary-General’s communication.

This action was recommended by the Second

Committee, which similarly approved it on 11

December on an oral proposal of its Chairman.

The effects of inflation and monetary instabili-

394 Economic and social questions

t y o n t h e f i n a n c e s o f t h e U n i t e d N a t i o n s

system were also examined by the Assembly

during the year (p. 1300).

Draft resolution withdrawn: (1)

Algeria, for Group of 77,

A/C.2/36/L.65.

N o t e : ( 2 )

U N C T A D S - G , t r a n s m i t t e d b y S - G n o t e ,

A/36/536.

Report: (3)

TDB, A/36/15.

Resolutions and decision:

Resolutions: GA: (4)

34/197, paras. 3 & 4, 19 Dec. 1979

(YUN 1979, p. 581); (5)

36/145, para. 5, 16 Dec. 1981

(p. 533).

Decision: (6)

GA: 36/430, 16 Dec., text following.

Meeting records: GA: 2nd Committee, A/C.2/36/SR.3-6,

10-26, 28-32, 48 (24 Sep.-11 Dec.); plenary, A/36/

PV.100 (16 Dec.).

General Assembly decision 36/430

Adopted without vote

Approved by Second Committee (A/36/694/Add.3) without vote, 11December (meeting 48); oral proposal by Chairman; agenda item69 (c).

World Inflationary phenomenon

At its 100th plenary meeting, on 16 December 1981, the

General Assembly, on the recommendation of the Second

Committee, took note of the note by the Secretary-General

transmitting a note by the Secretary-General of the United

Nations Conference on Trade and Development on the world

inflationary phenomenon.

Public sector and economic development

Responding to a 1979 Economic and Social

Council request,(2)

the Secretary-General submit-

ted in May 1981 a progress report on the role of

the public sector in promoting the economic de-

velopment of developing countries,(1)

in advance

of a comprehensive report scheduled for 1983.

According to the report, new perceptions and

priorities regarding development had led most

developing countries to enlarge the role of the

public sector and mobilize more resources for its

use. The need to bring the fruits of development

to the larger mass of people had caused the

public sector to devise new organizations and

redes ign deve lopmen t po l i cy t o unde r t ake

wholly new tasks. The public sector had attempt-

ed to bring about changes in institutions such as

agrarian relations, created new institutions such

as public enterprises and joint ventures, and im-

plemented policies designed to benefit selected

groups.

Governments had expressed the need for re-

search and analysis of public sector policies and

programmes and the modal i t ies to implement

them, the report said. The larger and complex

role of the public sector had called for more and

diversified training of personnel and for policies

to retain competent persons, and there was also a

growing need to improve public management.

On 20 July, the Economic and Social Coun-

cil recommended that the report be transmitted

to the General Assembly, together with the

Secretary-General’s comprehensive report called

for by the Assembly in 1979.( 4 )

The Council

decided to discuss the latter at its second regular

session of 1983, requested the Secretary-General

to accord high priority to studies and reports on

the role of the public sector in promoting devel-

oping countr ies’ economic development , and

recognized the important role of the Internation-

al Centre for Public Enterprises in Developing

Countries in promoting co-operation among de-

veloping countries in this field.

The Council took these actions by a resolution

which it adopted without vote. The 11-nation

draft , introduced by Mongolia , incorporated

oral amendments proposed by Brazil and by the

United Kingdom on behalf of the European

Economic Community. Brazil’s amendment had

the Council recognize instead of emphasize the

role of the Internat ional Centre . The United

Kingdom amendment added a preambular para-

graph saying that every State had the sovereign

and inalienable right to choose its economic and

social system in accordance with its people’s

will, without outside interference.

Canada stated that, had there been a vote, it

would have been unable to support the request

for high priority for studies and reports on this

topic.

Report: (1)

S-G, E/1981/66.

Resolutions: ESC: (2)

1979/48, 31 July 1979 (YUN 1979, p.

515); ( 3 )

1981/45, 20 July 1981, text following. ( 4 )

GA:

34/137, para. 5, 14 Dec. 1979 (YUN 1979, p. 516).

Meeting records: ESC, E/1981/SR.21-34, 37, 38 (2-20 July).

Economic and Social Council resolution 1981/45

Adopted without vote Meeting 38 20 July 1981

11-nation draft (E/1981/L.47/Rev.1), orally amended by Brazil and byUnited Kingdom for EEC members; agenda item 3.

Sponsors: Bangladesh, Cuba, Ethiopia, German Democratic Republic,India, Iraq, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Nicaragua, Yugoslavia.

Role of the public sector in promoting the economic

development of developing countries

The Economic and Social Council,

Reca l l i ng i t s r e so lu t i ons 1978 /60 o f 3 Augus t 1978 ,

1978/75 of 8 November 1978 and 1979/48 of 31 July 1979,

Further recall ing General Assembly resolution 34/137 of

14 December 1979, in which the Assembly, inter alla, invited

the Secretary-General to continue his detailed study of the

role of the public sector and to submit, through the Economic

and Social Council, a comprehensive report to the Assembly

at its thirty-eighth session, paying special attention to several

aspects of the question indicated in that resolution,

Noting the International Development Strategy for the Third

United Nations Development Decade, in which it is stressed

that due account should be taken of the positive role of the

public sector in mobilizing internal resources, formulating

and implementing overall national development plans and es-

tablishing national priorities.

Bearing in mind that every State has the sovereign and in-

alienable right to choose its economic and social system, in

accordance with the will of Its people and without outside

interference,

1. Takes note of the progress report of the Secretary-

General on the role of the public sector in promoting the

economic development of developing countries;

2. Recommends that the progress report should be trans-

mitted to the General Assembly, together with the compre-

Development and international economic and social policy 395

hensive report of the Secretary-General to be submitted in

accordance with Assembly resolution 34/137;

3. Decides to discuss the comprehensive report of the

Secretary-General at the second regular session of the Coun-

cil in 1983;

4. Reaffirms Council resolution 1978/60, in which it, inter

alia, invited the regional commissions and other appropriate

organizations of the United Nations system to assist the

Secretary-General regularly in his continuing study of the

role of the public sector in promoting the economic develop-

ment of developing countries;

5. Requests the Secretary-General to accord high priority

to the studies and reports on the role of the public sector in

the economic development of developing countries;

6. Recognizes, in this connection, the important role of

the international Centre for Public Enterprises in Developing

Countries in promoting co-operation among developing coun-

tries in this field.

Development planning

and information

The Commit tee for Development Planning

(C D P) held i ts seventeenth session at United

Nations Headquarters from 23 March to 1 April

1981.(2)

C o m p o s e d o f e x p e r t s a p p o i n t e d b y t h e

Economic and Social Counci l , C D P examined

the causes and costs of the world economic crisis

and outlined priority areas of action to restore

d y n a m i s m i n t h e w o r l d e c o n o m y , i n c l u d i n g

action by the developed market and centrally

planned economies (p. 386). It made recommen-

dations regarding regional development strate-

gies in Africa (p. 611), Asia and the Pacif ic

(p. 636), Latin America (p. 661) and Western

Asia (p. 669). It suggested activities for economic

c o - o p e r a t i o n a m o n g d e v e l o p i n g c o u n t r i e s

(p. 383) and reviewed the United Nations list of

least developed countries (p. 411). The world

economic situation and development problems

hampering implementation of the International

Development Strategy for the Third United

Nations Development Decade (p. 381) were to

be the subjects of future study by CDP.

In connection with development planning, a

10 September letter from Israel to the Secretary-

General(1)

attached a government report outlin-

ing an alternative development strategy for de-

veloping countries; this approach called for a

shift of resources from the modern to the tradi-

t ional sector , where a t ransi t ional economy

would be created that would produce food and

non-agricultural goods primarily for its own con-

sumption, using its predominantly agricultural

surpluses to pay for its imports from the modern

sector and from the world market.

Letter: (1)

Israel, 10 Sep., A/36/497.

R e p o r t : ( 2 )

C D P , E / 1 9 8 1 / 2 7 .

Unified approach to development planning

Responding to the concern, spanning more

than a decade, of both the General Assembly

and the Economic and Social Council to promote

a unified approach to development analysis and

planning for socio-economic development, the

Secretary-General, in January 1981, submitted

two related reports.One of these reports,

( 1 ) submitted in response

to a 1979 Assembly decision,(6)

contained conclu-

sions and recommendations based on informa-

tion from Governments on their experience inapplying a unified a approach. Previous reports,

in 1977(8)

and 1979,(9)

incorporated information

from 25 Governments; for the 1981 report, new

replies were received from Argentina, Cyprus,

Iraq, Jordan, Malaysia, Pakistan and Suriname.

The report concluded that various countries

had applied a unified approach in varying de-

grees and contexts. Their development objec-

t i v e s h a d b e c o m e m o r e c o m p r e h e n s i v e a n d

explici t , to facil i tate policy and programme

formulation; the interrelationships of policies

and programmes were being taken into account;

attempts had been made to incorporate regional

programmes into national plans; and review and

appraisal had become part of decision-making.

Arrangements had been made to widen the par-

ticipation of local institutions, improve the co-

ordination of central planning authorities, facili-

tate the applicat ion of a unif ied approach in

regional and local plans, and make review and

appraisal more effective. There had also been ef-

forts to improve the availability of information.

The second report concerned world experi-

ence in integrated social and economic planning

which could be recommended to interested Gov-

ernments for their application.( 2 )

This report,

requested by the Economic and Social Council

in 1979,(3)

illustrated interactions among nutri-

tion, health, educational and family planning

programmes. The report sought to demonstrate

that knowledge of the nature of such interactions

was necessary for the design of integrated plans

and programmes. I t found that sectoral pro-

grammes were often designed in isolation from

one another , due to compartmental izat ion of

agencies and the rigidities arising from a func-

tional allocation of responsibilities. To avoid

this, many Governments would have to improve

their organizational arrangements.

The Commission for Social Development tooknote of both reports on 17 February.

(4)

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL ACTION. On

4 May, the Economic and Social Council decided

to continue to consider regularly a unified ap-

proach to development analysis and planning. It

requested the Secretary-General, on the basis of

government information, to submit in 1983 a

396 Economic and social questions

report on experience acquired in applying such

an approach in socio-economic development at

the national level, as well as in the activities of

United Nations economic and social bodies.

The decision to this effect(5)

was adopted with-

out vote, following similar approval on 24 April

by the Council’s First (Economic) Committee of

a text introduced by its Chairman and based on

consultations.

In the Committee’s discussion, the Byelo-

russian SSR and the USSR stressed the impor-

tance of integrated planning in socialist econo-

mies and called for more work by the United

Nations on this topic, leading to practical recom-

mendations. The United States said experience

had demonstrated the need to avoid relying too

heavily on Governments in promoting social de-

ve lopmen t ; i nd iv idua l and g roup in i t i a t i ve s

s h o u l d b e e n c o u r a g e d i n s t e a d . T h e G e r m a n

Democratic Republic and India thought that a

unified approach should also be applied in inter-

national economic relations.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY ACTION. On 19 Novem-

ber, the General Assembly confirmed the Coun-

cil decision, also decided to continue considera-

tion of the question regularly and requested that

the report called for by the Council be submitted

to the Assembly in 1983 through the Commission

for Social Development and the Council.

The Assembly took these actions by adopting

without vote a decision( 7 )

recommended by its

Second (Economic and Financial) Committee.

The Committee had likewise approved the draft,

submitted by its Chairman, on 11 November.

Reports: S-G, (l)

A/36/69, (2)

E/CN.5/586.

Resolution and decisions:

Resolution: (3)

ESC: 1979/23, 9 May 1979 (YUN 1979,

p. 760).

Decisions: ( 4 )

Commission for Social Development

(report , E/1981/26): IV, 17 Feb. ( 5 )

ESC: 1981/107, 4

May, text following. GA: (6)

34/419, para. (c), 29 Nov.

1979 (YUN 1979, p. 760); (7)

36/405, 19 Nov. 1981, text

following.

Yearbook references: (8)

1977, p. 647; (9)

1979, p. 753.

Meeting records: ESC: 1st Committee, E/1981/C.1/SR.4, 5

(23, 24 Apr.); plenary, E/1981/SR.13 (4 May). GA: 2nd

Committee, A/C.2/36/SR.8, 11, 35 (7 Oct.-11 Nov.);

plenary, A/36/PV.64 (19 Nov.).

Economic and Social Council decision 1981/107

Adopted without vote

Approved by First Committee (E/1981/59) without vote, 24 April (meet-

ing 5): draft by Chairman (E/1981/C.1/L.4); agenda item 12.

Unified approach to development analysis and planning

At its 13th plenary meeting, on 4 May 1981, the Council

decided:

(a) To take note of the report of the Secretary-General on

a unified approach to development analysis and planning;

(b) To continue to consider on a regular basis the question

of a unified approach to development analysis and planning,

taking into account its importance for the process of develop-

ment as stressed in the international Development Strategy

for the Third United Nations Development Decade;

(c) To request the Secretary-General, on the basis of infor-

mation supplied by Governments, to prepare a report on the

experience acquired in applying a unified approach in the

process of socio-economic development at the national level,

as well as in the activities of the United Nations economic

and social organs and organizations, and to submit it to the

Council at its first regular session of 1983 through the Com-

mission for Social Development at its twenty-eighth session;

(d) To include in the provisional agenda for its first regular

session of 1983 the item entitled “Unified approach to devel-

opment analysis and planning”.

General Assembly decision 36/405

Adopted without vote

Approved by Second Committee (A/36/693) without vote, 11 November(meeting 35); draft by Chairman (A/C.2/36/L.20); agenda item 71 (c).

Unified approach to development analysis and planning

At i ts 64th plenary meeting, on 19 November 1981, the

General Assembly, on the recommendation of the Second

Committee:

(a) Took note of the report of the Secretary-General on a

unified approach to development analysis and planning;

(b ) Conf i rmed Economic and Soc i a l Counc i l dec i s i on

1981/107 of 4 May 1981, entitled “Unified approach to de-

velopment analysis and planning”;

(c) Decided to continue consideration on a regular basis

of the question of a unified approach, taking into account its

importance for the process of development as stressed in the

International Development Strategy for the Third United

Nations Development Decade;

(d) Requested the Secretary-General, on the basis of in-

formation supplied by Governments, to prepare a report on

the experience acquired in applying a unified approach in the

process of socio-economic development at the national level

and in the activit ies of the United Nations economic and

social organs and organizations and to submit it to the Gener-

al Assembly at its thirty-eighth session through the Commis-

sion for. Social Development at its twenty-eighth session and

the Economic and Social Council at its first regular session of

1983;

(e) Further decided to include in the provisional agenda of

its thirty-eighth session the item entitled “Unified approach

to development analysis and planning”.

Technical co-operation

During 1981, the United Nations Secretariat’s

Department of Technical Co-operation for De-

velopment (DTCD) implemented 90 technical co-

operation projects in 70 developing countries

designed to improve their technical and institu-

tional capabilities for planning and to strengthen

their infrastructure for development. According

to a r epo r t by t he Sec re t a ry -Gene ra l t o t he

Governing Council of the United Nations Devel-

opment Programme (UNDP),(1)

advisory missions

provided assis tance in specif ic economic and

social sectors and, in response to developing

countr ies’ needs for more ski l led personnel ,

training formed an important aspect.

The main emphasis was on national and re-

gional planning, formulation and evaluation of

investment projects, planning for international

technical co-operation, and projects devoted ex-

clusively to t raining. Signif icant support was

also given to preparations for the United Nations

Conference on the Least Developed Countries

(p. 404); to country programming for the third

Development and international economic and social policy 397

UNDP programming cycle (1982-1986) (p. 444);

and, in co-operation with the Office for Special

Political Questions, to special economic assis-

tance programmes mandated by the General As-

sembly (p. 495).

Report: (1)

S-G, DP/1982/22.

Development information

Information Systems Unit in DIESA

The General Assembly decided in December

1981 to continue the Information Systems Unit

(ISU) in the United Nations Secretariat’s Depart-

ment of International Economic and Social Af-

fairs (DIESA) and to finance it within the existing

total of the United Nations budget. This Unit

created and maintained a computerized Devel-

opment Information System ( D I S ) , providing

access to unpublished reports and studies pro-

duced by or for D I E S A , D T C D, the Centre for

Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs

and the Centre for Human Settlements.

T h e A s s e m b l y a c t e d o n a n O c t o b e r 1 9 8 1

report of the Secretary-General,( 3 )

submitted in

response to a 1980 resolution,(4)

describing the

Unit’s activities. He said there had been consid-

erable demand for the Unit’s services during

1981 and estimated that its continuation at the

current operational level would cost $447,200 in

1982-1983.

An evaluation of ISU was prepared by a consul-

tant designated by the Inter-Organization Board

for Information Systems (IOB). In his report,( 2 )

the consultant concluded that, unless ISU could

be provided with at least $300,000 a year-the

minimum needed to make it useful and compre-

hensive—the current limited operation should

be discontinued. In transmitting this report to

the Assembly, IOB stated that it could not ex-

press an opinion and felt that the Assembly must

decide.

The Advisory Committee on Administrative

and Budgetary, Questions (ACABQ), in a report to

the Assembly,( 1 )

concluded that the reports of

the Secretary-General and IOB had not con-

vinced it that there was need for ISU and DIS as

currently constituted.

On 18 December , the Assembly concluded

that the loss of DIS could have a negative effect

on international co-operation for development.

Accordingly, it requested the Secretary-General

to continue ISU by absorbing its cost through

savings, economies and redeployment within the

United Nations budget for 1982-1983. He was

asked to report to the Committee for Programme

and Co-ordination on institutional arrangements

which would enable ISU to serve as a focal point

for expansion, merging and distribution of the

development-related data bases of the regional

commissions and for maintaining the Macro-

thesaurus for Information Processing in the Field of

Economic and Social Development (a document-

indexing tool used by several United Nations

organizat ions) . The Assembly requested the

Sec re t a ry -Gene ra l t o improve t he Sys t em’s

coverage and services and asked IOB to report in

1983 on the Unit’s performance and utility.

The Assembly took these actions by adopting

a resolution,( 5 )

recommended by the Fifth (Ad-

ministrat ive and Budgetary) Committee, by a

recorded vote of 107 to 16, with 15 abstentions.

On 15 December, the Committee had approved

the draft, sponsored by Canada, Denmark and

Pakistan, by 40 votes to 14, with 23 abstentions.

Canada, introducing the resolution, said the

budgetary arguments against ISU were not rele-

vant to the key issue of a long-term approach to

the establishment of an integrated development

information system in the United Nations. The

sponsors had been advised that the modest sum

needed to finance ISU could be found within the

existing budget total.

A number of States explained their positions

in the Fif th Commit tee . Those which voted

against the resolution thought ISU should be dis-

continued. The USSR felt that money was being

wasted on an unnecessary undertaking when so

many problems required an urgent solution. The

United States objected to expanding the Unit’s

m a nda t e t o c ove r c o - o r d i na t i on o f U n i t e d

Nations development information systems and

opposed the transfer of activities from voluntary

funding to the regular budget.

Several States explained their abstent ions.

Brazil, Ghana and Greece said they hoped ISU

might yet prove useful. India, noting that it had

argued in 1980 against continuing ISU, abstained

in view of the call for a review. Japan said that,

although it had contributed to ISU, it could not

support any proposal that might lead to a budget

increase. Peru, which voted in favour in the As-

sembly, thought funding should be by voluntary

contributions. The United Republic of Tanzania

noted that both the consultant and ACABQ had

concluded that DIS should be discontinued.

A number of delegations explained their posi-

tive votes. Algeria, Sierra Leone, Venezuela and

Yugoslavia fel t I S U could benefi t developing

countries. Australia agreed, adding that knowl-

edge lost could never be regained. Guinea sup-

ported the dissemination of development infor-

m a t i o n . K e n y a n o t e d t h a t I S U h a d m a d e a n

effort to co-operate with the Economic Commis-

sion for Africa. Mauritania wished to give ISU

another chance to prove itself but had reserva-

tions on its usefulness. Morocco said it was too

early to let DIS expire; if voluntary funds could

not be found, financing from the United Nations

398 Economic and social questions

budget should cont inue. Pakis tan thought i t

premature to terminate a unit which held prom-

ise but was not reaching its potential because

insufficient resources had been devoted to it.

Trinidad and Tobago and the United Republic

of Cameroon also felt ISU had potential.

In the Fifth Committee’s discussion, Denmark

said a token increase in the ISU budget might suf-

fice to expand DIS into a comprehensive system of

access to development literature. Sweden stated

that it continued to believe in the usefulness of ISU

and DIS but would no longer make voluntary con-

tributions, since the users and the Secretary-

General had not shown a readiness to support it.

Reports: ( l )

ACABQ, A/36/7/Add.7; ( 2 )

IOB, A/C.5/36/7;(3)

S-G, A/C.5/36/6.

Resolutions: GA: (4)

35/217, sect. XIII, 17 Dec. 1980 (YUN

1980, p. 1234); (5)

36/237, 18 Dec. 1981, text following.

Meeting records: GA: 5th Committee, A/C.5/36/SR.10,

12-19, 47, 58, 76, 77 (12 Oct.-15 Dec.); plenary, A/36/

PV.105 (18 Dec.).

General Assembly resolution 36/237

107-16-15 (recorded vote) Meeting 105 18 December 1981

Approved by Fifth Committee (A/36/845) by vote (40-14-23). 15December (meeting 77); 3-nation draft (A/C.5/36/L.29/Rev.1);

agenda item 100.

Sponsors: Canada, Denmark. Pakistan.

Establishment of an information Systems Unit in the

Department of international Economic and Social Affairs

The General Assembly,

Recalling section XIII of its resolution 35/217 of 17 Decem-

ber 1980, by which it decided that the staffing complement of

the Development Information System of the Information Sys-

tems Unit would be funded temporarily by the regular budget

for 1981 and that a report on the evaluation of the System

should be submitted to the General Assembly at its thirty-

sixth session,

Taking note of the report of the Inter-Organization Board for

Information Systems containing an evaluation of the Develop-

ment Information System of the Information Systems Unit, as

well as the report of the Secretary-General and the related

report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and

Budgetary Questions, which provide information on the prog-

ress of the Unit since last year, and particularly the section

which outlines the role that the Unit can play in the mainte-

nance of compatibility and the exchange of development in-

formation among the regional commissions,

Mindful of the limited size of both the data base and user

community of the Development Information System and of the

need to improve its coverage and services,

Considering that the Development Information System, in

providing access to the unpublished reports and studies pro-

duced by or for the Department of International Economic and

Social Affairs, the Department of Technical Co-operation for

Development and other parts of the Secretariat, will be provid-

ing a needed and valuable service to the Governments and

Member States and other users of the System,

Further considering that the loss of the Development Infor-

mation System could have a negative effect on international

co-operation for development,

1. Requests the Secretary-General to continue the Infor-

mation Systems Unit by absorbing the cost of the Unit from

the r e sou rces p roposed fo r t he 1982-1983 p rog ramme

budget through savings, economies and redeployment;

2. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Com-

mittee for Programme and Co-ordination on the potential and

appropriate institutional arrangements in regard to the Infor-

mation Systems Unit which would enable it to serve as a focal

point for the expansion, merging and distribution of the

development-related data bases of the regional commissions

and for the maintenance of the macrothesaurus;

3. Further requests the Secretary-General to undertake

measures to improve the Development Information System In

terms of its coverage and services;

4. Requests the Inter-Organization Board to report to the

General Assembly at i ts thirty-eighth session, through the

Committee for Programme and Co-ordination and the Adviso-

ry Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, on

the performance and utility of the Information Systems Unit.

Recorded vote in Assembly as follows:

In favour: Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Bahrain,

Bangladesh, Barbados, Bhutan, Bolivia, Burma, Burundi, Canada,

Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo,Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Democratic Kampuchea, DemocraticYemen, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El

Salvador, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, Gabon, Gambia, Grenada, Guatema-la, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq,

Ireland, ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lesotho, Libe-ria, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mal-dives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Mozam-bique, Nepal, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman,

Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines,Qatar, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia,Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suri-

name, Swaziland, Sweden, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Togo,Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, UnitedRepublic of Cameroon, Upper Volta, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela,Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia.

Against: Bulgaria, Byelorussian SSR, Czechoslovakia, France,German Democratic Republic, Germany, Federal Republic of, Hun-

gary, Italy, Japan, Mongolia, Poland, Portugal, Ukrainian SSR, USSR,United Kingdom, United States.

Abstaining: Afghanistan, Austria, Belgium, Benin, Brazil, Ghana,Greece, India, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Romania, Rwanda, Spain,Turkey, United Republic of Tanzania.

Other developments

During 1981 there were several other develop-

ments with regard to economic and social informa-

tion systems. In July, the Economic and Social

Council adopted two resolutions on the subject.

The first dealt with preparations for the Second

Intergovernmental Conference on Strategies and

Policies for Informatics, scheduled for Havana,

Cuba, in 1983 (p. 759). By the second, the Council

r e c o g n i z e d t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f h a r m o n i z i n g

United Nations information systems and made

specific requests to the Secretary-General and the

Administrative Committee on Co-ordination on

enhancing the effect iveness of such systems

(p. 1385). In May, the Governing Council of the

United Nations Environment Programme acted

to expand the International Referral System on

the environment (INFOTERRA) (p. 826). The In-

dustrial and Technological Information Bank, a

project of the United Nations Industrial Develop-

ment Organization, continued to develop its data

base and network of correspondents (p. 593).

Public administration

Technical co-operation

The United Nations Secretariat’s Department

of Technical Co-operat ion for Development

Development and international economic and social policy 399

(DTCD) supported 86 projects in 1981, including

27 new ones, in the field of development adminis-

t r a t i o n , w h i c h e n c o m p a s s e d p u b l i c f i n a n c e

(p. 562) as well as public administration. A third of

these focused on administrative reform and im-

provement of management practices and pro-

cedures, according to a report on United Nations

technical co-operation activities prepared by the

Secretary-General for the Governing Council of

the United Nations Development Programme.(3)

Emphasis was also given to programmes for alle-

viating shortages of skilled personnel.

Support was given to public enterprises in a

number of countries to strengthen their role as ef-

fective instruments of economic development.

D T C D co-operated with the Central American

Institute for Public Administration, the Latin

American Centre for Development Administra-

t ion and the Afr ican Training and Research

Centre in Administration for Development, as

well as with the International Centre for Public

Enterprises at Ljubljana, Yugoslavia.

An Expert Working Group on Network in

Public Administration and Finance focused on

the potential for global co-operation and joint ac-

tivities in this field (Alcalá de Henares, Spain,

9-15 December).( 2 )

Among seminars and work-

shops organized by DTCD during the year were

those on: curricula design for management devel-

opment (Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania,

20-24 July);(1)

decentralization for development

(Khartoum, Sudan, 14-18 September); economic

performance of public enterprises-jointly with

the Government of Pakistan (Islamabad, Paki-

stan, 24-29 November); and strategies and mea-

sures for enhancing capabilities for development

administrat ion in developing countr ies Bang-

kok, Thailand, 9-14 December).

Publications: (1)

Curricula Design for Management Develop-

ment, Sales No. E.82.II.A.18; (2)

Network for the United

Nations Programme in Public Administration and Finance,

Sales No. E.82.II.H.3.

Report: (3)

S-G, DP/1982/22.

Rural development

Socia l aspec ts

By a resolution adopted on 6 May 1981,(1)

the

Economic and Social Council called on Govern-

ments to give special attention to increasing the

social impact of basic rural development policies

such as implementing agrarian reforms, promot-

ing co-operative endeavours, introducing devel-

opment planning, strengthening the role of na-

t i o n a l q u a l i f i e d p e r s o n n e l a n d e n c o u r a g i n g

popular part icipat ion in the development of

rural areas. The Council requested the Secretary-

General to devote special attention to social as-

pects of rural development in his 1982 report on

the world social situation (p. 768). He was also

invited to help increase dissemination of infor-

mation on national experience and requested to

report in 1983 to the Commission for Social De-

velopment on implementation of this resolution.

The resolution was adopted without vote after

the Council’s Second (Social) Committee had

similarly approved the draft on 29 April, as rec-

ommended by the Commission for Social Devel-

opment on 16 February.

T h e C o m m i s s i o n o n H u m a n S e t t l e m e n t s

made several recommendations on 6 May to im-

prove slums, squatter areas and rural settlements

(p. 858).

Resolution: (1)

ESC, 1981/15, 6 May, text following.

M e e t i n g r e c o r d s : E S C : 2 n d C o m m i t t e e , E / 1 9 8 1 / C . 2 /

SR .3 .10 , 11 (16 -29 Apr . ) ; p l ena ry , E /1981 /SR .14

(6 May).

Economic and Social Council resolution 1981/15

Adopted without vote Meeting 14 6 May 1981

Approved by Second Committee (E/1981/57) without vote, 29 April

( m e e t i n g 1 1 ) ; d r a f t b y C o m m i s s i o n f o r S o c i a l D e v e l o p m e n t

(E/1981/26); agenda item 10.

Social aspects of rural development

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling the Declaration on Social Progress and Develop-

ment contained in General Assembly resolution 2542(XXIV)

of 11 December 1969,

Recalling also the International Development Strategy for

the Third United Nations Development Decade, contained in

the annex to General Assembly resolution 35/56 of 5 Decem-

ber 1980.

Concerned at the distressing social conditions prevailing in

rural areas of many countries.

Taking into account the need for implementing integrated

rural development programmes to fight mass poverty, raise

the levels of living of the rural population and achieve the

goal of equitable distribution of national income,

1. Calls upon Governments, while implementing the rele-

vant provisions of the International Development Strategy for

the Third United Nations Development Decade and national

development programmes, to give special at tention to in-

creasing the social impact of basic rural development policies

such as:

(a) Implementing agrarian reforms;

(b) Promoting co-operative endeavours;

(c) Introducing development planning;

(d) Strengthening the role of national qualified personnel

in rural development;

(e) Encouraging popular participation in the development

process of rural areas:

2. Requests the Secretary-General to devote special at-

tention in the forthcoming report on the world social situation

to the social aspects of rural development, taking into account

the provisions of the present resolution;

3. Invites the Secretary-General to facil i tate increasing

dissemination of information on national experience of coun-

t r i e s w i t h d i f f e r e n t s o c i o - e c o n o m i c s y s t e m s i n r u r a l

development;

4. Further requests the Secretary-General to report to the

Commission for Social Development at its twenty-eighth ses-

sion on the implementation of the present resolution.

Rural development and land reform

The Food and Agricul ture Organizat ion of

the Uni ted Nat ions ( F A O ) , in a report to the

400 Economic and social questions

Economic and Social Council in June 1981,( 2 )

described action it was taking to analyse and

disseminate information on agrarian reform and

rural development , as cal led for in the Pro-

gramme of Action approved by the 1979 World

C o n f e r e n c e o n A g r a r i a n R e f o r m a n d R u r a l

Development.( 9 )

According to this report, review and analysis of

national policies were being undertaken by high-

level missions, whose reports could give guidance

to developing countries in regard to policy options

and to development organizations regarding assis-

tance possibilities. United Nations agencies were

conducting research, diagnostic and evaluation

s t u d i e s w e r e t o b e u n d e r t a k e n a n d r e g i o n a l

centres for rural development had been estab-

lished in Africa and in Asia and the Pacific to ana-

lyse and disseminate information. Information

furnished by Governments would be monitored

by FAO, which would col laborate with other

United Nations agencies to establish benchmarks

and socio-economic indicators.

The FAO report was submitted following three

decisions by the Council relating to the type of

reports it wished to receive on this topic. It had

decided in February 1980(5)

that the submission

of progress reports on land reform should be dis-

continued and that it would consider at its 1981

organizat ional session what type of report i t

would require. On 6 February 1981,(6)

it request-

ed FAO to suggest what the report might contain.

The FAO suggestions, contained in a letter of 26

March,( 1 )

were approved by the Council on 24

April(7)

in a decision adopted, without vote, on

an oral proposal by the President; the Council

decided to consider the report in July. Address-

ing the Council on 14 April, the USSR stressed

the importance of democratic land reform for

radical socio-economic change and thought the

Council should consider the topic regularly.

Taking note of the FAO report on 23 July, in a

decision(8)

adopted, without vote, as orally pro-

posed by its President, the Council approved the

organization’s suggestion that it submit every

four years , beginning in 1984, a review and

analysis of agrarian reform and rural develop-

ment. In making this suggestion, FAO pointed

out that the 1979 Conference had stressed the

need for analysis and dissemination of informa-

tion on the subject.

In further action, both the Council and the

General Assembly cal led on Governments to

implement agrarian reform and rural develop-

ment within the f ramework of their nat ional

plans and objectives and in accordance with the

Conference’s recommendations. The Council’s

action was contained in a 24 July resolution on

food and agriculture,(3)

and the Assembly’s was

incorporated in a 17 December resolution on the

work of the World Food Council.(4)

Letter: (1)

FAO, 26 Mar., E/1981/38.

Report: (2)

FAO, E/1981/73.

Resolutions and decisions:

R e s o l u t i o n s : ( 3 )

ESC: 1981 /71 , pa r a . 18 , 24 Ju ly

(p. 723). (4)

GA: 36/185, para. 5, 17 Dec. (p. 723).

Decisions: ESC: ( 5 )

1980/100, para. 5, 6 Feb. 1980

(YUN 1980, p. 566); (6)

1981/105, 6 Feb. 1981 (p. 1091);( 7 )

1981/106, 24 Apr. , text following; ( 8 )

1981/185, 23

July, text following.

Yearbook reference: (9)

1979, p. 500.

Meeting records: ESC: E/1981/SR.3, 4, 8 (6 Feb., 14 & 24

Apr.); E/1981/SR.21-34, 40 (2-23 July).

Economic and Social Council decision 1981/106

Adopted without vote

Oral proposal by President; agenda item 1.

Report on land reform and rural development

At its 8th plenary meeting, on 24 April 1981, the Council ap-

proved the suggestions made by the Food and Agriculture Or-

ganization of the United Nations as to the type of report re-

quired on land reform and rural development and decided to

consider that report at i ts second regular session of 1981

under the item entitled “General discussion of international

economic and social policy, including regional and sectoral

developments”.

Economic and Social Council decision 1981/185

Adopted without vote

Oral proposal by President; agenda item 3.

Land reform and rural development

At its 40th plenary meeting, on 23 July 1981, the Council

took note of the report of the Food and Agriculture Organiza-

tion of the United Nations on land reform and rural develop-

ment and decided to approve the suggestion contained in

pa rag raph 29 the reo f , conce rn ing the submis s ion to t he

Council every four years, beginning in 1984, of a report to be

entitled “Review and analysis of agrarian reform and rural

development”.

Technical co-operation

The Department of Technical Co-operat ion

for Development (DTCD) carried out several in-

t e g r a t e d r u r a l d e v e l o p m e n t p r o j e c t s d u r i n g

1981, according to a report by the Secretary-

G e n e r a l o n U n i t e d N a t i o n s t e c h n i c a l c o -

operation activities.(1)

Under the United Nations regular programme

of technical co-operat ion, D T C D launched an

i n t e r r e g i o n a l p r o j e c t t o s t r e n g t h e n n a t i o n a l

capabil i t ies for integrated rural development.

M i s s i o n s w e r e s e n t t o B a h r a i n , C h i n a , t h e

Congo, Democratic Yemen, Ecuador, Guatema-

la, Guinea, Liberia, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Soma-

l ia , the Sudan, Swazi land, Thai land and the

United Republic of Tanzania. Some supported

government efforts to formulate regional and na-

t ional social plans, policies and programmes,

while others focused on popular participation

and self-reliance or sought to enhance the partic-

ipation of women in community development.

In co-operation with the Economic Commission

for Latin America, Panama was assisted to iden-

tify particularly disadvantaged areas and to try

to improve living conditions.

Report: (1)

S-G, DP/1982/22.

Development end international economic and social policy 401

Co-ordination in the UN system

New priorities for rural development work by

the United Nations system were agreed to in

March 1981 by the Consultative Committee on

Substantive Questions (Programme Matters) of

the Administrative Committee on Co-ordination

(ACC). They called for a focus on joint action at

the country level in support of national efforts,

promoting popular participation in development

and evaluation of rural development.

This revised orientation had been proposed

by the ACC Task Force on Rural Development

as the result of its own appraisal of its work,

which took place at its ninth meeting (Rome,

Italy, 5 and 6 February).(3)

The Task Force, es-

tablished in 1976 to co-ordinate assistance to

States in their rural development programmes,

concluded that the original object ives of i ts

effort had not been completely achieved. It pro-

posed a work programme realistically designed

for implementation and conforming to an explic-

it time frame and clearly designed output. These

conclusions, mentioned in the 1981 ACC over-

view report to the Economic and Social Coun-

cil,( 1 )

were endorsed by the Consultative Com-

mittee, which agreed that a further review and

appraisal of inter-agency act ion in this area

should take place by the end of 1983.

The results of the 1981 appraisal were consid-

ered in May/June by the Commit tee for Pro-

gramme and Co-o rd ina t i on ( C P C ) ,( 2 )

w h i c h

generally agreed with the ACC assessment that

the Task Force had not been as successful as

desired. The Commit tee noted that the Pro-

gramme of Action of the 1979 World Conference

on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development( 4 )

had set out inter-agency tasks and that the new

work programme proposed by the Task Force

was designed to produce outputs of direct use to

Governments within a specified time period. It

recommended that a new progress review be pre-

sented to the Economic and Social Counci l

through CPC in 1984.

Reports: ( 1 )

ACC, E/1981/37; ( 2 )

CPC, A/36/38; ( 3 )

Task

Force on Rural Development, ACC/l981/PG/4.

Yearbook reference (4)

1979, p. 500.

Special measures for the

leas t developed and

other developing countries

Least developed countries

Among the 122 developing Member States of

the United Nations in 1981, 31 had been official-

l y des igna t ed a s l ea s t deve loped coun t r i e s

(L D Cs) , including one–Guinea-Bissau–added

to the Organization’s list in May by the Econom-

ic and Social Council (p. 412). Their special

problems, and ways to alleviate them, were the

focus of the United Nations Conference on the

Least Developed Countr ies , held in Paris in

September (p. 406).

The table on p. 403 contains selected basic

economic and social indicators for these coun-

tries as compared with all developing countries.

The data, published by the secretariat of the

United Nations Conference on Trade and Devel-

opment (UNCTAD),( 2 )

updates information fur-

nished to the Conference on LDCs by its secre-

tariat.(1)

Notes: (1)Conference secretariat, A/CONF.104/9 & Corr.1;(2)

UNCTAD secretariat, TD/276/Add.l.

Publications: The Least Developed Countries and Action in

Their Favour by the International Community (A/CONF.

104/2/Rev.1), Sales No. E.83.I.6; United Nations Confer-

ence on the Least Developed Countries (DPI/691).

Comprehensive New Programme of Action

In 1979 , U N C T A D had decided to launch a

two-phase Comprehensive New Programme of

Ac t ion fo r t he Leas t Deve loped Coun t r i e s ,

compris ing an Immediate Action Programme

(1979-1981) and a Substantial New Programme

of Action for the 1980s, aimed at transforming

their economies towards self-sustained develop-

ment.(1)

While the initial phase was drawing to a

close (see below), the Substant ial New Pro-

gramme of Action was adopted by the United

Nations Conference on the Least Developed

Countries, held in Paris from 1 to 14 September

1981 (p. 406).

Yearbook reference: (1)

1979, p. 568.

Implementat ion of the

Immediate Action Programme (1979-1981)

After receiving preliminary information from

the Secretary-General on the results of the Im-

mediate Action Programme for the least devel-

oped countries (LDCs), the Economic and Social

Council expressed deep concern in July 1981

that the Programme had not been fully imple-

mented more than two years after its adoption

and nearly at the end of the programme period

(1979-1981). This provision was incorporated in

a resolution of 20 July on preparations for the

Conference on LDCs(7)

The phrase “nearly at the

end of the programme period” was added to the

original draft by i ts sponsor-Venezuela, on

behalf of the Council members belonging to the

Group of 77–after Austral ia remarked that a

number of delegations thought it premature to

declare the Programme a failure when data for

the whole period were not available.

In another action on 20 July,( 9 )

orally pro-

posed by the Counci l President and adopted

without vote, the Council took note of an initial

report by the Secretary-General on the Pro-

gramme’s implementation.( 4 )

The report, pre-

402 Economic and social questions

pared in response to a 1980 General Assembly

request to monitor implementation of measures

in favour of LDCs,( 8 )

contained no substantive

information. Rather, it drew attention to studies

prepared for the Conference on L D Cs and to

the fact that the Preparatory Committee for the

Conference had also been asked to monitor

progress under the Programme.

The Committee undertook this review at its

June/July session(2)

but reached no conclusions,

devot ing most of i ts a t tent ion to Conference

preparations (p. 404).

In further response to the Assembly request,

the Secretary-General included, in his November

report on the Conference,(3)

a review of progress

in the Programme’s implementation. The report

summarized information supplied by individual

donor countries, the United Nations system and

multilateral donor agencies. It concluded that

sufficient financing had not been provided to

meet one of the Programme’s two main aims-

an immediate boost to the economies of LDCS

and al leviat ion of their most pressing social

needs. Despite efforts by some donors, overall

concessional financial resources to LDCs had de-

clined in 1979 and, according to preliminary esti-

mates, again in 1980, in both total and per capita

real terms. As to the other main aim, the request

by the Group of 77 for at least $100 million to

support preparations by LDCs for the Substantial

New Programme of Act ion for the 1980s re-

mained unfulfilled.

A l so i nc luded in t he Sec re t a ry -Gene ra l ’ s

r epo r t was i n fo rma t ion abou t a c t i v i t i e s by

United Nations bodies in implementation of the

Immediate Action Programme, including the

following:

–Department of Technical Co-operation for Develop-ment. Twenty-two projects in 18 countries encom-passing regional and national economic planning,strengthening and creating project formulation andevaluation units, and rural development; expertmissions on mineral development.

–Economic and Social Commission for Asia and thePacific (ESCAP). Activities in agriculture, industry, en-vironmental protection, regional trade expansionand co-operation, export promotion and othertrade-related issues.

–Economic Commission for Western Asia (ECWA).

Advisory services, training of personnel and researchto assist Democratic Yemen and Yemen.

–World Food Council Assistance to 10 countrieson food supply strategies to eradicate hunger andmalnutrition.

–United Nations Industrial Development Organiza-tion Technical assistance, training of personnel, in-dustrial information services; solidarity meetingswithin the framework of economic and technical co-operation among developing countries.

–United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).Expenditures of $139.3 million in 1979, $158.3 mil-

lion in 1980 and an expected increase for 1981; inaddition, $9.8 million in 1979, $14 million in 1980

and $15 million in 1981 (6)

from the Special MeasuresFund for LDCs; special intercountry programmes inAfrica, the Arab States and Asia.

–World Food Programme. Economic and social de-velopment projects and emergency operations topromote agriculture, food production and rural de-velopment, and to improve nutrition and warehousemanagement.

–International Labour Organisation. Technicalassistance and advisory services to create employ-ment opportunities, combat poverty and satisfybasic needs; assistance in negotiations with financialinstitutions for cash, equipment and materials forpublic works programmes.

–World Health Organization. Allocation for Afri-can LDCs of $17.3 million in 1980-1981 budget; $5.8million in voluntary contributions to the VoluntaryFund for Health Promotion in LDCs.

–World Bank. Total commitments to LDCs of $858

million for 1979, $980 million for 1980 and $1,186million (estimated) for 1981, with some 80 per cent ofall International Development Association credits infiscal 1980 (1 July 1979-30 June 1980) going to coun-

tries whose per capita gross national product did notexceed $360 (in 1978 dollars).

–International Monetary Fund. A total of 2,776million in special drawing rights made available toLDCs during 1979 and 1980 from various Fund facili-ties; $71.8 million distributed to them from goldsales profits.

–Universal Postal Union. Provision of experts andfellowships to Botswana, Cape Verde, Chad, theComoros, Lesotho and Uganda.

–International Telecommunication Union. Help indevelopment planning and improvement of trainingschemes; efforts to enable African countries toattain some objectives of the Transport and Com-munications Decade in Africa (1978-1988) (p. 614).

-Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organi-

zation. Technical assistance to 13 countries in train-ing of personnel, developing dry docks and otherport facilities, and reorganization and equipping ofshipyards.

–World Intellectual Property Organization. Awardof 43 fellowships for training or study courses; assis-tance in drafting or revising national legislation con-cerning intellectual property rights; aid to two Afri-can bodies for the establishment of documentationand information centres concerned with patents.

-International Fund for Agricultural DevelopmentAssistance to LDCs amounting to $306 million-about35 per cent of the Fund’s total aid- between Decem-ber 1977 and December 1980, through either devel-opment loans on highly concessional terms or grantsfor technical assistance and research.

–General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. Specialand differential treatment and technical assistanceprovided under tariff and non-tariff measuresagreed during the Tokyo Round of negotiations, inforce from 1 January 1980.

(10)

A report by the UNDP Administrator, describ-

ing the Programme’s role in development co-

(continued on p. 404)

Development and international economic and social policy 403

SELECTED BASIC INDICATORS FOR LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIESAS COMPARED WITH ALL DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT OTHER INDICATORS

COUNTRY

AfghanistanBangladeshBeninBhutanBotswanaBurundiCape VerdeCentral African RepublicChadComorosDemocratic YemenEthiopiaGambiaGuineaGuinea-BissauHaitiLao People's Democratic Republic

LesothoMalawiMaldivesMaliNepalNiger

RwandaSamoaSomaliaSudanUgandaUnited Republic of TanzaniaUpper VoltaYemen

All LDCs

All developing countries

(1)

16.3

90.7

3.6

1.3

0.8

4.3

0.3

2.3

4.5

0.4

1.9

32.2

0.6

5.1

0.8

5.1

3.8

1.4

6.4

0.2

7.1

14.6

5.5

5.0

0.2

4.9

18.9

13.6

18.5

7.1

5.9

290.6

2,280.4

(2)

77

84

46

93

79

83

56

87

83

63

58

79

78

80

82

66

73

83

83

77

86

92

87

89

75

80

76

80

80

81

75

81

58

(3)

1.6

3.8

1.8

-

10.2

2.8

0.3

0.8

0.4

1.1

_

2.4

1.8

3.1

0.9

4.3

1.0

7.0

7.0

6.8

3.7

2.0

4.4

7.0

2.5

3.9

3.3

0.0

4.4

1.7

7.8

3.2

6.0

(4)

238

118

242

109

1,204

225

288

261

173

285

347

148

388

360

268

312

98

281

265

320

194

157

354

251

623

386

380

356

283

150

558

220

970

(5)

750

56

109

50

182

143

60

94

77

128

45

73

115

164

136

100

6?

76

108

99

54

98

170

115

312

191

138

277

143

55

102

765

(6)

48

9

13

12

67

23

16

35

14

15

49

15

10

11

5

56

4

13

40

13

15

6

19

32

-

24

27

15

26

21

33

19

175

(7)

42.5

8.7

11.0

12.8

480.8

16.3

18.2

54.5

13.2

43.4

225.6

11.6

43.6

95.2

17.5

31.3

5.0

37.1

44.6

54.1

21.7

9.3

93.1

14.1

69.6

40.9

34.8

22.8

30.6

10.6

2.5

25.0

725.8

(8)

18.3

12.2

22.6

7.4

116.6

28.2

154.4

43.3

13.9

103.0

60.1

8.1

99.8

18.6

84.1

20.9

36.7

73.4

21.6

76.6

31.8

12.7

37.5

31.0

160.7

78.9

30.3

10.5

37.9

30.6

54.3

22.1

16.5

(9)

61

46

51

-

424

13

253

44

23

47

529

29

128

84

55

52

62

-

48

-

30

1 1

51

19

281

63

89

27

55

29

76

52

459

(10)

37

46

47

44

50

42

61

44

41

47

45

40

42

45

42

53

43

51

44

47

43

44

43

45

68

44

46

54

52

39

42

45

55

(11)

7

25

13

7

22

3

23

12

4

7

31

11

13

16

10

15

76

21

4

6

9

79

4

2

39

8

17

8

4

3

4

15

32

*Or latest year available.

NOTES (for figures in italics)Column 2—Maldives and Samoa=1980; Samoa=in subsistence agriculture.Column 3—Samoa=national income 1975-1979.Column 4 — Afghanistan=tentative estimate of net material product per capita; Democratic Yemen, Samoa, Yemen and all developing coun-

tries=1980 estimate; Lao People's Democratic Republic=estimate of gross national product per capita; Maldives=at 1980 prices; Sudan and Ugan-da=preliminary World Bank estimate.

Column 5—Afghanistan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Maldives, Sudan and Uganda=estimates; Democratic Yemen, Samoa, Yemen andall developing countries=1980 estimates.

Column 6 —Democratic Yemen=1980 estimate; Yemen and all developing countries=1980; Lao People's Democratic Republic, Nepal, Sudanand Uganda=estimates.

Column 7—All developing countries=excluding major petroleum exporters.

Column 10-Maldives=1977.Column 11—Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic Yemen, Nepal and Yemen=1979; Comoros=1973; Haiti and Lao People's

Democratic Republic=1978; Maldives=1977; Samoa=1970.

404 Economic and social questions

operation with LDCs, was submitted in March

to the UNDP Governing Council.( 5 )

It indicated

that U N D P resources made avai lable to those

countries had doubled since 1970, accounting

for more than 30 per cent of the Programme’s

total a l locat ions, and that their share would

grow during the 1982-1986 programming cycle.

Concessional assistance to LDCs in 1981 from

the Development Assistance Committee (DAC)

of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation

and Development, the Eastern European social-

ist countries, the Organization of Petroleum Ex-

porting Countries (OPEC) , various multilateral

agencies and individual countries is detailed in

the table below, based on data published by

U N C T A D .( 1 )

Note: (1)

UNCTAD secretariat, TD/276/Add.1.

Reports: ( 2 )

Preparatory Committee for Conference on

L D C s , A / 3 6 / 4 5 ; S - G , ( 3 )

A / 3 6 / 6 8 9 , ( 4 )

E / 1 9 8 1 / 9 2 ;

UNDP Administrator, ( 5 )

DP/554, ( 6 )

DP/1982/49.

Resolutions and decision: Res.: (7)

ESC, 1981/46, para. 1, 20

July (p. 406); ( 8 )

GA, S-11/4, para. 8, 15 Sep. 1980

(YUN 1980, p. 553). Dec.: (9)

ESC, 1981/170, 20 July

1981, text following.

Yearbook reference: (10)

1979, p. 1328.

Meeting records: ESC, E/1981/SR.35-37, 38(14-20 July).

Economic and Social Council decision 1981/170

Adopted without vote

Oral proposal by President; agenda item 4.

Implementation of special measures in favour

of the least developed countries

At its, 38th plenary meeting, on 20 July 1981, the Council

took note of the report of the Secretary-General enti t led

“Review of progress in the implementation of special mea-

sures in favour of the least developed among the developing

countries, including those of the immediate Action Pro-

gramme for 1979-1981”.

UN Conference on LDCs

Conference preparations. Plans for the United

Nations Conference on the Least Developed

Countries were completed at the third session of

the Preparatory Committee for the Conference,

held at Geneva from 29 June to 10 July 1981.

The Committee considered a “non-paper” by

the Conference secretariat suggesting a working

draf t of the Substant ia l New Programme of

Action for the 1980s. This was considered by a

Contact Group, a long with several informal

texts and amendments submit ted by different

groups. The Committee decided to transmit to

the Conference, annexed to its report,(6)

all these

texts together with the Chairman’s statement on

the discussion, outlining areas of the draft on

which differing views remained. The Committee

further agreed that, to aid government prepara-

tions, the Chairman should prepare a synoptic

paper to reflect the various proposals.

The Committee decided to bring to the atten-

tion of the pre-Conference Consultation among

Senior Officials (Paris, 27 and 28 August) the

Chairman’s proposals for the provisional agenda

and organization of work of the Conference. The

C o m m i t t e e a l s o a p p r o v e d t h e C o n f e r e n c e ’ s

provisional rules of procedure.

Also prior to the Conference, each LDC pre-

pared a presentat ion describing i ts economic

s i t u a t i o n , p r o s p e c t s a n d n e e d s . T h e s e w e r e

reviewed by each country with its aid partners at

a series of clustered meetings between April and

June. Each meet ing considered development

potentials, bottle-necks, development objectives

and priorities, assistance requirements, and proj-

ects and programmes.

CONCESSIONAL ASSISTANCE TO LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES BY SOURCE FOR 1981

(Net amounts in millions of constant 1980 US dollars)

DONOR AMOUNT AMOUNT

DAC member countries

Bilateral

Australia 55 .6

Austria 9 .0

Belgium 85 .5

C a n a d a 168 .4

Denmark 74 .7

Finland 23 .9

F r a n c e 4 7 8 . 3

Germany, Federal Republic of 528 .7

Italy 60 .7

J a p a n 293 .9

N e t h e r l a n d s 2 8 5 . 5

New Zealand 4 .8

Norway 90 .5

Sweden 180 .9

Switzerland 55 .8

United Kingdom 296 .4

United States 529 .6

B i l a t e r a l

Subtotal 3 ,222 .2

DONOR

DAC member countries (cont.)

Multilateral

African Development Fund

Asian Development Bank

European Communities

World Bank

IDA

Inter-American

Development Bank

IFAD

IMF trust fund

United Nations

Subtotal

OPEC member countries

AMOUNT

76 .2

64 .6

481 .3

9 .8

573 .0

10 .0

22 .6

2 .6

737 .8

1,977.9

Algeria 20 .0

Iraq 4 .0

Kuwait 180 .0

Libyan Arab Jamahiriya 13.0

DONOR

OPEC member countries (cont.)

Bilateral (cont.)

Q a t a r

Saudi Arabia

3 .0

235 .0

Subtotal

Multilateral

Arab Bank for Economic

Development in Africa

Arab Fund for Economic

and Social Development

Islamic Development Bank

OPEC Fund

4 5 5 . 0

13 .0

58 .0

54 .0

122 .0

Subtotal

Eastern European

socialist countries

Ch ina

247 .0

430 .4

79 .6

Total 6,412.1

Development and international economic and social policy 405

The review meetings, and the countries they

examined, were as follows:

–Asia and the Pacific (Vienna, Austria, 30

M a r c h - 1 0 A p r i l ) ; A f g h a n i s t a n , B a n g l a d e s h ,

B h u t a n , D e m o c r a t i c Y e m e n , L a o P e o p l e ’ s

Democratic Republic, Maldives, Nepal, Samoa,

Yemen.(7)

–Eastern Africa (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 4-14

May); Burundi , Comoros, Ethiopia , Rwanda,

Sudan, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania.(8)

–Western and central Africa and Somalia (The

Hague, Netherlands, 25 May-5 June); Benin,

Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Gambia,

Guinea, Mali, Niger, Somalia, Upper Volta.(9)

–Southern Afr ica, Guinea-Bissau and Hait i

(Geneva, 22-26 June); Botswana, Guinea-Bissau,

Haiti, Lesotho, Malawi.(10)

A memorandum by Chad on i ts emergency

assis tance needs was presented at a meet ing

during the Conference.

Additional regional preparations included the

first meeting of the Conference of Ministers of

African LDCs (Addis Ababa, 26-30 July)( 4 )

and

the Ministerial Meeting of LDCs of the ESCAP

and ECWA Regions (Bangkok, Thailand, 10 and

11 August).(5)

The Bangkok Meeting emphasized

the need for fol low-up to the Programme of

Action and requested the Conference to consider

establishing a calendar of meetings, including a

mid-term review.

A report on the s i tuat ion and prospects of

LDCs, with emphasis on plans for the 1980s, was

submitted to the Conference by its Secretary-

General .( 1 )

After a sector-by-sector review of

the i r p rob lems and poss ib i l i t i e s , t he r epo r t

detailed the kinds of support the international

community could render.

Inter-agency consultations on the Comprehen-

sive New Programme of Action for LDCS, devoted

mainly to preparations for the Conference, were

held at Geneva on 12 and 13 January,(2)

28 and

29 April(3)

and 13 and 14 July. At the April meet-

i ngs , pa r t i c ipan t s exp re s sed t he i r v i ews on

follow-up to the Conference (p. 408).

On 27 June , the U N D P Governing Counci l

requested the Administrator to ensure the full

participation of UNDP in the Conference and,

within existing administrative resources, to pre-

pare for any role which might be requested of it

regarding implementation of the Programme of

Action for the 1980s.(12)

On 20 July, the Economic and Social Council,

af ter expressing concern that the Immediate

Action Programme (1979-1981) had not been

fully implemented (p. 401), urged donor Govern-

ments and other United Nations Member States

to attend the Conference at the highest political

level and make f i rm commitments to support

and implement the measures agreed. The Coun-

cil also appealed to donors, Member States and

United Nations bodies for substant ial a id to

LDCs, particularly during the 1980s.

These actions were incorporated into a resolu-

tion(11)

adopted without vote. The text was sub-

mitted by Venezuela on behalf of the Group of

77 after informal consultations had been held to

revise the Group’s original draft.

Australia was concerned that the request for

firm commitments came close to prejudging the

issue, while Canada stated that it did not usually

make firm advance commitments to measures

that had not been defined or agreed. The USSR

spoke similarly and said it would not take on

additional financial obligations.

Publication: (1)

The Least Developed Countries and Action in

Their Favour by the International Community (A/CONF.

104/2/Rev.1), Sales No. E.83.I.6.

Reports: Inter-agency consultations: (2)

3rd, ACC/1981/3;( 3 )

4th, ACC/l981/18. Ministerial meetings: ( 4 )

Africa,

E / E C A / C M . 8 / 1 0 ; ( 5 )

E S C A P a n d E C W A r e g i o n s ,

A/CONF.104/12. ( 6 )

Preparatory Committee: A/36/45.

Review meetings for: ( 7 )

Asia and Pacific,A/CONF.104/3:

(8)eastern Africa. A/CONF.104/4:

( 9 )w e s t e r n a n d c e n t r a l A f r i c a a n d S o m a l i a ,

A / C O N F . 1 0 4 / 5 ; ( 1 0 )

sou the rn Af r i ca , Gu inea -B i s sau

and Haiti , A/CONF.104/6.

Resolution and decision: Res.: (11)

ESC, 1981/46, 20 July,

t e x t f o l l o w i n g . D e c . : ( 1 2 )

U N D P C o u n c i l ( r e p o r t ,

E/1981/61/Rev.1), 81/35, 27 June.

Meeting records: ESC, E/1981/SR.21-34, 37, 38(2-20 July).

Economic and Social Council resolution 1981/46

A d o p t e d w i t h o u t v o t e M e e t i n g 3 8 2 0 J u l y 1 9 8 1

Draft by Venezuela, for Group of 77 (E/1981/L.48/Rev.1); agenda

item 3.

United Nations Conference on the

Least Developed Countries

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling resolution 122(V) of 3 June 1979 of the United

Nations Conference on Trade and Development, by which it

endorsed, as one of i ts major priori t ies, a Comprehensive

New Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries

in two phases: an Immediate Action Programme (1979-1981)

and a Substantial New Programme of Action for the 1980s,

Recalling also General Assembly resolutions 34/203 of 19

December 1979 and 35/205 of 16 December 1980, by which

the Assembly decided to convene the United Nations Confer-

ence on the Least Developed Countries, with the objective of

finalizing, adopting and supporting the Substantial New Pro-

gramme of Action for the 1980s.

Noting with great satisfaction that the Conference will be

held in Paris in September 1981.

Recalling resolution 887(XXXVII), adopted by the Assembly

of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of Afri-

can Unity, held at Nairobi in June 1981, on the United Nations

Conference on the Least Developed Countries, by which all

donors, States Members of the United Nations and interna-

tional organizations were urged to make firm pledges during

the Conference in order to launch effectively, immediately

after the Conference, the Substantial New Programme of

Action for the 1980s for the least developed countries, to be

finalized and adopted at the Conference,

No t ing a l so Gene ra l Assembly r e so lu t i on 35 /56 o f 5

December 1980, by which the Assembly adopted the Interna-

tional Development Strategy for the Third United Nations De-

velopment Decade, and in particular the subsection on the

least developed countries, in which the Assembly stated,

406 Economic and social questions

inter alia, that, as an essential priority within the Strategy,

the least developed countries–the economically weakest

and poorest countries with the most formidable structural

problems-required a special programme of sufficient size

and intensity consistent with their national plans and priori-

ties to make a decisive break from their past and present sit-

uation and their bleak prospects,

D e e p l y c o n c e r n e d a b o u t t h e s e r i o u s a n d d e t e r i o r a t i n g

e c o n o m i c a n d s o c i a l c o n d i t i o n s o f t h e l e a s t d e v e l o p e d

countries,

Noting with appreciation that some developed countries

have taken positive steps towards the implementation of reso-

lution 122(V) of the United Nations Conference on Trade and

Development,

1. Expresses deep concern that the Immediate Action Pro-

gramme (1979-1981) has not been fully implemented more

than two years after its adoption and nearly at the end of the

programme period;

2. Expresses i ts grati tude to those Governments which

have provided assistance for the preparation of the forthcom-

ing United Nations Conference on the Least Developed

Countries;

3. Expresses i ts appreciation to the secretariat of the

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and

other United Nations bodies for their efforts in the preparation

of the Conference;

4. Takes note of the statements made during the Council’s

second regular session of 1981 on the forthcoming Con-

ference;

5. Notes with appreciation that the Assembly of Heads of

State and Government of the Organization of African Unity

decided, inter alia, in resolution 887(XXXVll), to call upon the

current Chairman of the Organization of African Unity to ad-

dress the Conference on behalf of that organization;

6. Urges all donor Governments and States Members of

the United Nations to attend the Conference at the highest

possible political level and to make firm commitments to sup-

port and implement the measures agreed to at the Confer-

ence, in order to launch effectively, immediately after the

Conference, the Substantial New Programme of Action for the

1980s for the least developed countries, to be finalized and

adopted at the Conference;

7. Appeals to all donor Governments, States Members of

the United Nations and appropriate United Nations organiza-

tions and programmes to provide substantial financial and

material assistance to the least developed countries to sup-

port their domestic efforts aimed at promoting rapid and self-

sustained socio-economic development, in particular during

the 1980s.

Programme of Action for the 1980s. The Sub-

stantial New Programme of Action for the 1980s

for the Least Developed Countries-the second

phase of the Comprehensive New Programme of

Action for LDCs (p. 401)–was adopted by accla-

mation by the United Nat ions Conference on

the Least Developed Countries, held in Paris

from 1 to 14 September 1981.(1)

The Programme consisted of a preamble and

three chapters . The chapters deal t wi th the

general situation and national measures, interna-

tional support measures, and arrangements for

imp lemen ta t i on , f o l l ow-up and mon i to r i ng .

Highlights of the Programme follow.

General situation and national measures. The main

objectives of the Programme were: to promote struc-

tural changes to overcome the extreme economic

difficulties of LDCs; to provide internationally ac-

cepted minimum standards for the poor; to identify

and support major investment opportunities and

priorities; and to mitigate the adverse effects of

natural disasters. Efforts must be made to enable

each country to increase its national income sub-

stantially, even double it by 1990 as compared to

the late 1970s–requiring an annual growth rate of

7.2 per cent.

The countries would set themselves appropriate

objectives. Agriculture should continue to receive

the highest priority in national objectives, aiming

towards, and if possible surpassing, the 4 per cent

annual growth target set in the International Devel-

opment Strategy for the Third United Nations De-

velopment Decade. (4)

A first objective was to in-

crease food production and food security in order to

e l imina te hunger and malnu t r i t ion rap id ly , no t

later than 1990. Measures to develop forestry, fisher-

ies and livestock were also set out. High priority was

a t tached to comprehens ive and in tegra ted rura l

development.

The Programme called for LDCs to mobilize their

human resources through education, training and

provision of incentives, and stressed the indispens-

able role of women in development. Emphasis was

placed on improving health, nutrition and human

settlements, and on appropriate national measures

for family planning and population control.

Substantial support was urged to enable LDCs to

exploit and develop their natural resources, com-

ple te geo logica l surveys , and map minera l and

energy resources. Energy problems were viewed

wi th concern and measures for pr ior i ty ac t ion

suggested.

In the manufacturing sector, the aim was to in-

crease output to an overall annual rate of 9 per cent

or more. Measures were specified to accelerate in-

dustrial development.

Attention was called to the need to strengthen

and develop physical and institutional infrastruc-

tures, safeguard the environment and promote in-

vestments that would transform economies to a high

level of operation. The additional problems of the

15 land-locked and 5 island countries among the 31

LDCs were mentioned. Foreign trade objectives to

expand markets and thereby increase export earn-

ings were listed, and measures were urged to im-

prove response to disasters.

International support measures. Only a substantial

increase in official development assistance (ODA) in

real terms during the current decade would enable

LDCS to achieve their objectives, the Programme de-

clared. In this regard, all donor countries reaffirmed

their commitment to the target of 0.7 per cent of

gross national product (GNP) for overall ODA, as envis-

aged in the International Development Strategy.(3)

Most donors would devote 0.15 per cent of their GNP

t o LDCS, while others would double ODA to that

group. The result, by 1985, was likely to be a dou-

bling of ODA t o those countries compared to the

previous five years. As LDCS were currently financing

only half their imports from export earnings, assis-

tance was called for to improve their balance of

payments.

Multilateral assistance agencies were asked for

substantial and increased concessional aid. New

Development and international economic and social policy 407

mechanisms should be considered, such as interna-

tional tax schemes for development, further Inter-

national Monetary Fund (IMF) gold sales, a link be-

tween the creation of special drawing rights (SDRS)

and development assistance, and interest subsidies.

To improve the quality and effectiveness of ODA,

donors were called on to: provide grants or highly

concessional loans, untied whenever possible; take

into account the effects of inflation on project costs;

and increasingly utilize national development agen-

cies in recipient countries for programme imple-

mentation.

An immediate action component was included in

the Programme to meet the most urgent needs in

such areas as food and energy shortages, debt relief,

disaster assistance, aid to overcome production

bottle-necks, project identification and preparation,

fertilizers and pumps to improve agricultural pro-

ductivity, community-level job creation activities

and assurances of predictable levels of assistance.

In regard to technical assistance, emphasis was

placed on the prompt provision of experts and on

the training of national personnel.

Suggested commercial policy measures included:

improved access to markets; promotion of exports

by diversification, an integrated vertical approach

to expansion, long-term sales arrangements, regional

and economic co-operation among developing coun-

tries (ECDC), trade support measures and technical

assistance; and international co-operation on com-

modities through agreements and compensation for

export earnings shortfalls. Other economic policy

measures inc luded: s t rengthening t ranspor t and

communications; improving food and agriculture

by assistance to build food stocks, conclusion of an

international wheat agreement, establishment of an

in terna t ional emergency food reserve and o ther

measures; accelerating technological transforma-

t ion ; and suppor t fo r E C D C and mul t i - coun t ry

investments.

Arrangements for implementation, follow-up and

monitoring. The Programme provided for national,

regional and global co-operation and review.

At the national level, Governments might estab-

lish aid consultative groups or other arrangements

with their development partners, or strengthen and

broaden them where they already existed. Country

review meetings should be held periodically, prefer-

ably starting by 1983, to consider each country’s

economic situation and its progress in implementing

the Programme of Action, and to review aid condi-

tions and secure further assistance. The Secretary-

Genera l of the Uni ted Nat ions Conference on

Trade and Development (UNCTAD) would be invited

to be represented at those meetings, which would

take place at the initiative of the interested LDCS. In

a separate resolution,( 2 )

the Conference noted the

reports on review meetings already held (p. 405)

and recommended them for consideration in follow-

up action on the Programme.

At the global level, UNCTAD would have the focal

role in elaborating arrangements for implementa-

tion. The Conference recommended to the General

Assembly that the Intergovernmental Group on the

Least Developed Countries should meet at a high

level in 1985 for a mid-term progress review and

consider an end-of-decade review, possibly in the

form of a second United Nations Conference on

LDCS.

For global monitoring, the UNCTAD secretariat, in

collaboration with United Nations bodies, would

prepare in format ion and ana lyse progress and

policy issues. To help countries with planning, feasi-

bility studies and project preparation in the first

half of the 1980s, donors should make special alloca-

tions to the UNDP Special Measures Fund for LDCS or

through other channels.

The Secretary-General was requested to make

recommendations to the Assembly’s 1981 regular

sess ion on ar rangements to enable the Uni ted

Nations Secretariat to perform follow-up, monitor-

ing and implementation services.

Af ter adopt ion of the Programme, Conference

par t ic ipants expressed genera l sa t i s fac t ion a t the

o u t c o m e .

The Group of 77 fe l t the Conference had been

a pos i t ive , though not dec is ive , s ign for resump-

t i o n o f N o r t h - S o u t h d i a l o g u e . C h i n a s p o k e i n

similar vein. Norway said it had hoped to see the

Programme incorpora te ob jec t ives and measures

of a magnitude greater than those which had ma-

t e r i a l i z e d ; i t r e g r e t t e d t h a t c e r t a i n c o n c e p t s o f

the In te rna t iona l Deve lopment S t ra tegy had no t

been inc luded.

D i f f e r i n g o p i n i o n s w e r e e x p r e s s e d o n t h e

modal i t ies of development ass is tance .

T h e U n i t e d R e p u b l i c o f T a n z a n i a , s p e a k i n g

f o r t h e A f r i c a n G r o u p , s a i d i t w o u l d h a v e

w a n t e d a s t r o n g e r a n d m o r e u n e q u i v o c a l c o m -

m i t m e n t o n t h e f l o w o f r e s o u r c e s i n r e a l t e r m s

and wi th in a spec i f ic t ime f rame. Bangladesh re -

marked tha t , wi thout g iv ing up the goa ls o f the

In te rna t iona l Development S t ra tegy , the Confer -

e n c e h a d a t t e m p t e d t o s e e h o w a c t u a l c o m m i t -

ments and agreements could be reached.

T h e s p o k e s m a n f o r t h e E u r o p e a n E c o n o m i c

C o m m u n i t y ( E E C ) s a i d t h e d o n o r c o u n t r i e s

among i t s members , in the context of e f for ts to

r e a c h t h e g e n e r a l O D A t a r g e t o f 0 . 7 p e r c e n t ,

would aim to allocate 0.15 per cent of their GNP

as a id to L D C S ; some had a l ready surpassed tha t

ta rge t . F in land reaf f i rmed i t s commitment to the

0 .7 per cen t t a rge t and sa id i t would reach the

0 . 1 5 p e r c e n t l e v e l i n t h e c o m i n g y e a r s . J a p a n

s ta ted tha t i t would t ry to increase ass i s tance to

L D C S i n t h e c o n t e x t o f i t s n e w m e d i u m - t e r m

O D A t a r g e t . S a u d i A r a b i a p o i n t e d o u t t h a t i t s

a n n u a l a v e r a g e a i d c o n t r i b u t i o n s r e p r e s e n t e d 6

per cent of its GNP and that 22 LDCS were among

the rec ip ients .

A u s t r a l i a s a i d i t w o u l d m a i n t a i n a f l o w o f

resources in the context of i t s reg ional pr ior i t ies

and its concern to assist those in greatest need; it

had more than doubled i t s a id to L D C S between

408 Economic and social questions

1978 and 1981. New Zealand could not accept

specific financial sub-targets, but in assisting

Sou th Pac i f i c coun t r i e s wou ld pay spec i a l

regard to the Programme, which was directly

relevant to the needs of island developing coun-

tr ies . The United States said i ts posi t ion of

no t accep t ing spec i f i c O D A t a r g e t s h a d n o t

changed; it continued to oppose a link between

SDRs and aid, and could not support the con-

cept of international taxation.

China stated that, in terms of being able to

provide aid, it could not be placed in the same

category as those developed or donor countries

mentioned in reference to ODA.

Bulgaria, on behalf of the Eastern European

States and Mongolia, said it viewed recommen-

dat ions on f inancial and other assis tance as

directed towards industrially developed capital-

ist States; those socialist States were determined

to contribute significantly to the Programme’s

measures and targets which corresponded to the

principles of the socialist system and of their

system of economic relations with developing

countries.

With regard to LDC exports, the EEC spokes-

man said EEC would examine ways of meeting

the recommendation on export earnings stabili-

zat ion and fur ther improvements to the E E C

scheme of generalized preferences. The United

States considered IMF the best forum for dealing

with financial difficulties caused by export earn-

ings shortfalls, while Canada would have pre-

f e r r e d t h e P r o g r a m m e t o r e f e r t o t h e I M F

balance-of-payments approach to export earn-

ings compensation and Japan felt that studies on

this subject should be continued in the interna-

tional organizations already dealing with it.

Publication: (1)

Report of the United Nations Conference on the

Least Developed Countries (A/CONF.104/22/Rev.1),

Sales No. E.82.I.8.

R e s o l u t i o n s : ( 2 )

Con fe r ence on LDCs : 1 , 14 Sep . GA:(3)

35/56, annex, para. 24, 5 Dec. 1980 (YUN 1980, p.

505); (4)

ibid., para. 28 (p. 506).

Implementation of the Programme of Action.Initial steps to follow up the Substantial New

Programme of Action for the 1980s for LDCs

were authorized by the General Assembly in

December 1981 and United Nations organiza-

tions made plans for inter-agency co-ordination

in implementing the Programme.

At the fourth inter-agency consultations on

the Comprehensive New Programme of Action

for LDCs, convened by the Administrative Com-

mittee on Co-ordination (ACC) at Geneva on 28

and 29 April,(2)

participants expressed the view

that follow-up for review and co-ordination of

assistance to LDCs should not duplicate existing

national, regional and international mechanisms,

and that ful l consul tat ions should take place

with the agencies concerned.

On 30 October, ACC decided that implementa-

tion and follow-up by secretariats in the United

Nations system would be carried out through

inter-agency consultations to be convened by

the Director-General for Development and Inter-

national Economic Co-operation within the ACC

work programme.(9)

Responding to the request contained in the

Programme (p. 407), the Secretary-General, in a

report of 9 November to the General Assem-

bly,(3)

made proposals for United Nations Secre-

tar iat services for fol low-up, monitoring and

implementation, to be provided by the Director-

General, UNCTAD, and the regional commissions

for Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and Western

Asia.

Under these arrangements , a t the nat ional

level the Secretariat would help organize country

reviews if requested by the Governments con-

cerned and resident co-ordinators for United

Nations system development assistance in each

LDC would ensure coherence in the contributions

of participating organizations. Regional commis-

sions would contribute to the follow-up within

their areas and assis t in organizing and syn-

chronizing country reviews. At the global level,

w h e r e t h e C o n f e r e n c e h a d p r o p o s e d t h a t

UNCTAD play the focal role, the UNCTAD secre-

tar iat would prepare information and submit

progress reports , while other United Nat ions

bodies would report periodically on their own

contribution.

On 17 December, the Assembly adopted a

resolution on the results of the Conference(7)

by

which i t endorsed the Programme of Act ion,

called, on Member States and international or-

ganizations to implement it immediately as part

of international action for the establishment of a

new internat ional economic order , and urged

donors to implement their commitments and to

make adequate special allocation to the Special

Measures Fund of UNDP or other suitable chan-

nels. After reaffirming that LDCs had primary re-

sponsibility for their development, the Assembly

decided that review and monitoring of progress

in implementation of the Programme should be

undertaken as envisaged therein, that resources

to be made ava i l ab l e t o U N C T A D a n d o t h e r

United Nations bodies would be adequate for

the purpose and that the mid-term review would

be carried out by the UNCTAD Intergovernmen-

tal Group on LDCs at a high-level meeting in

1985. The Secretary-General was requested to

r e p o r t i n 1 9 8 2 o n t h e r e s o l u t i o n ’ s i m p l e -

mentation.

This resolution was adopted, without vote, as

recommended by the Second (Economic and

Financial) Committee, which approved it in like

manner on 7 December. The draft was submitted

Development and international economic and social policy 409

by a Committee Vice-Chairman following infor-

mal consultations on a text submitted by Alge-

ria on behalf of the Group of 77,(1)

subsequently

withdrawn.

In addition to drafting changes, the resolution

differed from the Group’s text in several re-

spects. The paragraph by which the Assembly re-

affirmed the responsibility of LDCs for their own

development was not in the earlier version. By

the Group’s draf t , the Assembly would have

called on the developed countries in particular

to implement the Programme and would have

decided to ensure that additional resources were

m a d e a v a i l a b l e t o t h e a p p r o p r i a t e U n i t e d

Nations bodies for follow-up. Also, the Assembly

would have decided to convene the Intergovern-

mental Group in order to carry out the mid-term

review; by the compromise text it decided that

the Group should carry out the review and that

the results be made available to it for review and

appraisal of the implementation of the Interna-

t ional Development Strategy.( 4 )

Fur ther , the

Group of 77 text would have had the Assembly

urge that aid consultative groups or other review

ar r angemen t s be e s t ab l i shed w i thou t de l ay ;

whe rea s by t he adop t ed t ex t , t he Assembly

called on States, the United Nations system and

other relevant agencies to respond favourably to

invitations to participate in such consultations.

Also on 17 December, the Assembly adopted

without vote a decision(10)

whereby it took note

of the report of the Conference Preparatory

C o m m i t t e e ( p . 4 0 4 ) a n d t h e r e p o r t o f t h e

Secretary-General on the Conference (p. 408).

On 7 December, the Second Committee had ap-

proved the draft in the same manner, on an oral

proposal by the Chairman.

Special measures for LDCs were called for in

three other resolutions adopted on 17 December.

In a resolution on the United Nations Capital

Development Fund,( 8 )

the Assembly endorsed a

UNDP Governing Council proposal of 19 June

that the Fund be enabled to play a direct role in

the Programme’s implementation(11)

and request-

ed the Council to enhance the Fund’s capacity

to respond to the priori ty needs of L D Cs . In

a r e so lu t i on on i ndus t r i a l deve lopmen t co -

operation,(5)

the Assembly requested the Execu-

tive Director of the United Nations Industrial

Development Organization to increase technical

co-operation and the programmes and projects

for LDCs. In a resolution on food,(6)

the Assembly

reiterated its belief that food aid for LDCs should

be provided, in so far as possible, in the form of

grants or on highly concessional terms and that

donors should consider paying transport costs.

Following the adoption of the resolution on

follow-up to the Conference, Australia, New Zea-

land, Poland (on behalf of the Eastern European

States) and the United States reiterated the posi-

tions they had taken at the Conference (p. 407).

In the Second Committee’s discussion, most

speakers welcomed the results of the Conference

as constructive and urged action to ensure imple-

mentat ion of the Programme. Among L D Cs,

Cape Verde said it had intensified its agricultur-

al development efforts but would have to rely on

internat ional assistance for i ts food securi ty.

Mali gave rural development and transport and

communicat ions as i ts priori t ies . Democrat ic

Yemen urged that developed countries provide

financial support and open up their markets to

help LDCs change their structures and diversify

their economies.

With regard to targets for international assis-

tance, Canada said it intended to devote 0.15 per

cent of its GNP as ODA to LDCs. France attached

particular importance to the unilateral pledges

made by donors at the Conference, including

some which had announced specific budgetary

provisions for ODA. Japan hoped donors would

double their aid to LDCs in the first half of the

1980s. New Zealand mentioned its long-term

commitment to assist small Pacific island coun-

tries. Norway, speaking for the Nordic States, en-

dorsed the 0.15 per cent target as a whole but

said it should be viewed in the context of overall

development assistance targets and time frames

in the International Development Strategy. Den-

mark, also speaking for this group, welcomed the

Conference’s mention of the UNDP Special Mea-

sures Fund for LDCs as a channel for allocating

resources. The United States supported the Pro-

gramme as a reasonable balance between the pri-

mary responsibility of LDCs for their develop-

ment and the responsibility of the international

community to help; the United States had signi-

ficantly increased its assistance to those coun-

tries.

The need for greater assistance to the land-

locked LDCs was stressed by Afghanistan. The

Congo believed that a number of the poorer de-

veloping countr ies should be able to benefi t

from the assistance advocated for LDCs. Egypt

thought the results of the Conference should be

incorporated into the Internat ional Develop-

ment Strategy. Israel said it was willing to con-

tinue to share with LDCs its experience in agri-

cultural production, an area to which it believed

those countries should accord highest priority.

Mexico regarded the Programme as inadequate

and said efforts should be made to exceed the

agreed ODA target. Romania believed the devel-

oped countries had a special responsibility to

assist LDCs, though not at the expense of other

developing countries.

The Eastern European States held colonialist,

neo-colonialist and imperialist practices to be

410 Economic and social questions

mainly responsible for the backwardness of

LDCs. Bulgaria said their basic problems could

not be solved unless fundamental issues such as

e n s u r i n g p e a c e a n d p r o m o t i n g d i s a r m a m e n t

were borne in mind. The Byelorussian SSR con-

sidered that a solution depended on the efforts

of LDCs to use their resources effectively, intro-

duce reforms, protect their sovereignty over

t h e i r n a t u r a l r e s o u r c e s a n d s t r e n g t h e n t h e

economic role of the state sector. The German

Democratic Republic said some LDCs had ex-

pressed concern at politically motivated deci-

sions to suspend aid to them; a credible com-

m i t m e n t t o t h e P r o g r a m m e f o r L D C s m e a n t

be ing gu ided by t hose coun t r i e s ’ ob j ec t i ve

economic needs, which excluded a pol i t ical

approach.

Regarding follow-up to the Conference, Ban-

gladesh favoured the arrangement envisaged in

the Programme according to which each L D C

had the option of selecting the lead agency for its

c o n t a c t s w i t h i t s d e v e l o p m e n t p a r t n e r s a n d

working out details of consultative arrangements

with that agency. Austria remarked that the re-

gional meetings that had preceded the Confer-

ence (p. 405) had initiated an innovative and

promising approach to col laborat ion between

LDCs and donor countries.

Australia was of the view that UNCTAD should

not require additional resources for follow-up.

The Sudan, on the other hand, hoped the Assem-

bly would provide U N C T A D and other bodies

with the f inancial and human resources they

needed for the purpose.

Draft resolution withdrawn: (1)

Algeria, for Group of 77,

A/C.2/36/L.115.

Reports: (2)

4th inter-agency consultations, ACC/1981/18;(3)

S-G, A/36/660.

Resolutions and decisions:

Resolutions: GA: (4)

35/56, annex, 5 Dec. 1980 (YUN

1980, p. 503); (5)

36/182, sect. I, 17 Dec. 1981 (p. 579);(6)

36/185, para. 13, 17 Dec. (p. 724); (7)

36/194, 17 Dec.,

text following; (8)

36/196, paras. 3 & 4, 17 Dec. (p. 469).

Decisions: (9)

ACC: 1981/15, 30 Oct. (10)

GA: 36/448,

17 Dec., text following. ( 1 1 )

UNDP Council (report ,

E/1981/6l/Rev.1): 81/2, para. 6, 19 June.

Financial implications: 5th Committee report, A/36/828;

S-G statements, A/C.2/36/L.127, A/C.5/36/95.

Meeting records: GA: 2nd Committee, A/C.2/36/SR.3-6,

10.26, 28-32, 34, 44, 46 (24 Sep.-7 Dec.); plenary,

A/36/PV.103 (17 Dec.).

General Assembly resolution 36/194

A d o p t e d w i t h o u t v o t e M e e t i n g 1 0 3 1 7 D e c e m b e r 1 9 8 1

Approved by Second Committee (A/36/694/Add.12) without vote, 7

December (meeting 461; draft by Vice-Chairman (A/C.2/36/L.139),

based on Informal consultations on draft by Algeria. for Group of 77

(A/C.2/36/L.115); agenda item 69 (p).

United Nations Conference on the

Least Developed Countries

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolutions 3201(S-VI) and 3202(S-VI) of 1

May 1974, containing the Declaration and the Programme of

Action on the Establishment of a New International Economic

Order, 3281(XXIX) of 12 December 1974, containing the

Cha r t e r o f Economic R igh t s and Du t i e s o f S t a t e s , and

3362(S-VII) of 16 September 1975 on development and inter-

national economic co-operation,

Reaffirming that in the International Development Strategy

for the Third United Nations Development Decade the General

Assembly stated, inter alia, that as an essential priority within

the Strategy, the least developed countries-the economical-

ly weakest and poorest countries with the most formidable

structural problems-require a special programme of suffi-

cient size and intensity consistent with their national plans

and priorities to make a decisive break from their past and

present situation and their bleak prospects,

Recalling resolution 122(V) of 3 June 1979 of the United

Nations Conference on Trade and Development, in which the

Conference decided, as one of its major priorities, to launch a

Comprehensive New Programme of Action for the Least De-

veloped Countries in two phases, an Immediate Action Pro-

gramme, 1979-1981, and a Substantial New Programme of

Action for the 1980s, which was endorsed by the General As-

sembly in its resolution 34/210 of 19 December 1979,

Recalling also its resolutions 34/203 of 19 December 1979

and 35/205 of 16 December 1980 on convening a United

Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries with

the objective of finalizing, adopting and supporting the Sub-

stantial New Programme of Action for the 1980s for the least

developed countries,

Deep ly conce rned a t t he g r av i t y o f t he de t e r i o r a t i ng

economic and social situation of the least developed coun-

t r i e s a n d t h e i r d i s m a l d e v e l o p m e n t d u r i n g t h e p a s t t w o

decades, as well as their bleak development prospects for

the 1990s.

Recalling that the objective of the Substantial New Pro-

gramme of Action for the 1980s for the Least Developed

Countries, adopted by the United Nations Conference on the

Least Developed Countries, is to transform the economies of

those countries towards self-sustained development and

enable them to provide internationally accepted minimum

standards of nutrition, health, transport and communications,

housing and education as well as job opportunities to all their

citizens, particularly to the rural and urban poor,

Expressing deepest concern that more than two years after

the adoption of the Immediate Action Programme, 1979-

1981, contained in resolution 122(V) of the United Nations

Conference on Trade and Development, very limited progress

has been made towards its implementation,

Reaffirming that there is an immediate need for a greatly ex-

panded programme, including a major increase in the transfer

of additional resources, to meet the critical needs of the least

developed countries and to help them promote more rapid

socio-economic development,

Stressing that external support should be forthcoming from

all developed countries, developing countries in a position to

do so, multilateral development institutions and other sources,

Emphasising the particular importance of the contribution

tha t economic co -ope ra t ion and t echn ica l co -ope ra t ion

among developing countries can make, inter alia, to the devel-

opment of the least developed among them,

Recogn i z ing t he need fo r ex t ens ive pub l i c awa renes s

throughout the world of the desperate plight of the least de-

veloped countries and the importance and objectives of the

Substantial New Programme of Action for the 1980s for the

Least Developed Countries,

Taking note of the Report of the United Nations Conference

on the Least Developed Countries,

Taking note also of the report of the Secretary-General on

secretariat services for the follow-up, monitoring and imple-

mentation of the Substantial New Programme of Action,

1 . Endorses the Substantial New Programme of Action for

the 1980s for the Least Developed Countries;

2 . Expresses its appreciation to the Government and the

people of France for acting as host to the United Nations Con-

ference on the Least Developed Countries, as well as for their

gracious hospitali ty, excellent arrangements and important

contribution to the outcome of the Conference;

Development and international economic and social policy 411

3. Calls upon all Member States as well as intergovern-mental and multilateral institutions, the organs, organizationsand bodies of the United Nations system, and all others con-cerned to take immediate, concrete and adequate steps toimplement the Substantial New Programme of Action as partof the international action for the establishment of a new in-ternational economic order;

4. Emphasizes that, in view of their desperate socio-economic plight, the least developed countries need theurgent and special attention and the large-scale and contin-ued support of the international community to enable them toprogress towards self-reliant development, consistent withtheir own plans and programmes;

5. Strongly urges all donor countries to implement theircommitments, as stated in paragraphs 61 to 69 of the Sub-stantial New Programme of Action, so as to achieve, in thatregard, a substantial increase of assistance for the develop-ment of the least developed countries;

6. Reaffirms that the least developed countries have pri-mary responsibility for their overall development and that, al-though international support measures are vitally important,the domestic policies those countries pursue will be of criticalimportance for the success of their development efforts;

7. Urges all donor countries to make adequate specialallocation to the Special Measures Fund for the Least Devel-oped Countries of the United Nations Development Pro-gramme and the United Nations Capital Development Fund,or through other suitable channels for the least developedcountries, in order to provide the extra resources needed bythe Governments of those countries for more intensive plan-ning efforts, feasibility studies and project preparation overthe first half of the decade of the 1980s and, for that purpose,invites the Administrator of the United Nations DevelopmentProgramme to take appropriate action to mobilize additionalresources for the activities under his administration;

8. Decides that regular review and monitoring of the prog-ress in the implementation of the Substantial New Programmeof Action at the national, regional and global levels should beundertaken, as envisaged in that Programme, to maintain themomentum of commitments made by the international com-munity and to promote the implementation of the plans andprogrammes of the least developed countries with a view toachieving accelerated growth rates and structural transfor-mation of their economies;

9. Decides also that the Intergovernmental Group on theLeast Developed Countries of the United Nations Conferenceon Trade and Development at its high-level meeting in 1985shall carry out the mid-term review, consider the possibility ofholding a global review at the end of the decade, which might,inter alia, take the form of a United Nations conference on theleast developed countries, and readjust, as appropriate, theSubstantial New Programme of Action for the second half of thedecade in order to ensure its full implementation, and furtherdecides that the results shall be made available to it, so thatthey may be taken fully into account in the review and appraisalof the implementation of the International Development Strate-gy for the Third United Nations Development Decade;

10. Calls upon States, organs, organizations and bodiesof the United Nations system and other relevant agencies togive favourable response to invitations to participate in aidconsultative groups or other arrangements to be establishedat the initiative of the least developed countries in accor-dance with paragraphs 110 to 116 of the Substantial NewProgramme of Action as a mechanism for the regular andperiodic review and implementation of that Programme andsuggests that the first round of review meetings for that pur-pose at the country level should take place as soon as possi-ble, preferably by 1983;

11. Invites the governing bodies of appropriate organs, or-ganizations and bodies of the United Nations system to takethe necessary and appropriate measures for the effectiveimplementation and follow-up of the Substantial New Pro-gramme of Action within their respective spheres of compe-tence and mandates;

1 2. Decides further to ensure that resources that will bemade available to the United Nations Conference on Tradeand Development and other appropriate organs, organizationsand bodies of the United Nations system are adequate for theeffective follow-up, review, monitoring and implementation ofthe Substantial New Programme of Action, including thosespecified in the report of the Secretary-General on the secre-tariat services required, as well as in paragraph 8 of the pres-ent resolution;

13. Requests the Secretary-General, in conformity withparagraph 1 23 of the Substantial New Programme of Action,to entrust the Director-General for Development and Interna-tional Economic Co-operation, in close collaboration with theSecretary-General of the United Nations Conference onTrade and Development, the executive secretaries of the re-gional commissions and the lead agencies for the aid groups,with the responsibility of ensuring at the Secretariat level thefull mobilization and co-ordination of all organs, organizationsand bodies of the United Nations system for the purpose ofimplementation and follow-up of the Substantial New Pro-gramme of Action and, for this purpose, to retain and effec-tively utilize the system of focal points in each United Nationsagency, which was used in the preparations for the UnitedNations Conference on the Least Developed Countries;

1 4. Requests the Secretary-General to submit a report tothe General Assembly at its thirty-seventh session on theimplementation of the present resolution.

General Assembly decision 36/448Adopted without voteApproved by Second Committee (A/36/694/Add.12) without vote, 7

December (meeting 46); oral proposal by Chairman; agenda item69 (p).

United Nations Conference on theLeast Developed Countries

At its 103rd plenary meeting, on 17 December 1981, theGeneral Assembly, on the recommendation of the SecondCommittee, took note of the report of the Preparatory Commit-tee for the United Nations Conference on the Least DevelopedCountries as well as of the report of the Secretary-General onthe Conference.

List of LDCsGuinea-Bissau was added in 1981 to the

United Nations list of LDCs, raising the total

number of countries therein to 31 (p. 403). The

Economic and Social Council requested in July

that the situation of Togo be examined with a

view to its inclusion, and the General Assembly

took similar action in December with respect to

Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Liberia, and Sao

Tome and Principe. Recommendations with re-

spect to additions to the list continued to be

made by the Committee for Development Plan-

ning (CDP) on the basis of three main

criteria—per capita gross domestic product

(GDP), share of manufacturing output in total

GDP and adult literacy rate.

CDP ACTION. At its March/April 1981 ses-

sion, in accordance with 1980 requests by the

Economic and Social Council(12)

and the General

Assembly,(7) CDP reviewed the economic situa-

tion of Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-

Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles,

Tonga and certain newly independent develop-

ing countries, with a view to their inclusion in

4 1 2 Economic and social questions

the list of LDCS. The review was based on the most

recent available data provided by the Secretariat

in respect of the three main criteria, (3)

covering the

aforementioned countries and Dominica, Kiri-

bati, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grena-

dines, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Zimbabwe.

In its report to the Council,(4)

CDP concluded

that only Guinea-Bissau met the criteria and rec-

ommended that it be added to the list. The Com-

mittee added that the possibility of revising the

criteria used to identify LDCs deserved to be ex-

plored, as did the broader question of the useful-

ness of such groupings as developing island and

land-locked countries and those most seriously

affected by economic crises.

E C O N O M I C A N D S O C I A L C O U N C I L A C T I O N

(MAY). On 8 May, the Economic and Social

Council acted on the CDP recommendation by

deciding without vote to add Guinea-Bissau to

the list. The resolution to this effect,(5)

based on

i n f o r m a l c o n s u l t a t i o n s , w a s s u b m i t t e d b y a

Council Vice-President.

In the discussion, Djibouti objected to its ex-

clusion from the list, saying that it was a drought-

stricken country whose per capita annual GDP

(given in the Secretariat note to CDP as $947 at

current market prices for the period 1976-1978)

did not take into account high local prices, the

presence of many expatriates and the overvalua-

tion of production compared to less urbanized

countries having more subsistence production.

Regarding criteria for inclusion in the list,

Australia thought additional factors such as nu-

tr i t ion levels and l i fe expectancy should be

taken into account; it was also concerned that

the current measures might exclude large coun-

tr ies with high enough aggregate f igures but

having major pockets of poverty, as well as small

countries, such as several in the Pacific, whose

GDP had been distorted by large amounts of ex-

ternal a id. Denmark, for the Nordic States ,

agreed with CDP on the desirability for a fresh ap-

praisal of the criteria. Brazil observed that such

a review would require political as well as techni-

cal input. Bangladesh stated that its approval of

the resolution was not intended to prejudge its

position on the views of CDP regarding criteria.

E C O N O M I C A N D S O C I A L C O U N C I L A C T I O N

(JULY). On 20 July, the Economic and Social

Council requested CDP to examine the economic

situation of Togo, with a view to including it in

the list on the basis of existing criteria, and to

make a recommendation to the Council as soon

as possible. The Council acted by adopting with-

out vote a resolution( 6 )

sponsored by Burundi,

Senegal , Togo, Zaire and Zambia, and intro-

duced by Zambia.

The action was taken after the Council Presi-

dent received a request to this effect from Togo,

contained in a letter dated 6 July,(2)

which cited

figures concerning its economy and noted that it

had been classified as least developed by the Eu-

ropean Economic Community.

In the Counci l ’s discussion, Austral ia and

Denmark reiterated their view that the criteria

should be re-examined at an appropriate time;

Australia added that the information provided

by Togo suggested that its characteristics did

not differ much from those of countries which

C D P had found not to meet the cr i ter ia . The

United States also supported a review of criteria

and said it could agree to applying them retro-

actively to countries already on the list if that

was generally regarded as appropriate. Togo and

Zambia agreed on the need for a review of crite-

ria, but Togo said its figures had been calculated

according to accepted methods. Bangladesh op-

posed any proposal to modify the criteria.

GE N E R A L AS S E M B L Y A C T I O N . On 17 Decem-

ber, in resolutions on special economic assistance

to specific African States, the General Assembly

requested the Economic and Social Council to

invite C D P to consider the eligibil i ty of Dji-

bouti,( 1 1 )

Equatorial Guinea,( 8 )

Liberia,( 9 )

and

Sao Tome and Principe( 1 0 )

for inclusion in the

list of LDCs, in the light of new data from those

Governments. In the case of Equatorial Guinea,

the Assembly noted that UNDP would assist the

Government in preparing new statistics on na-

tional income and population. The Secretary-

General was requested to assist Sao Tome and

Principe to prepare new national income figures.

In regard to Liberia, the Assembly invited the

Government to provide the data to CDP.

The preamble of the resolut ion on Liberia

ment ioned a le t ter f rom that country to the

Council President,(‘) dated 20 October, contain-

ing s tat is t ics on i ts economic s i tuat ion and

asking for a study of its economic conditions so

tha t i t cou ld be c l a s s i f i ed among the l e a s t

developed.

Letters: (1)

Liberia, 20 Oct., E/1981/115; (2)

Togo, 6 July,

E/1981/94.

Note: (3)

Secretariat, E/AC.54/L.107.

Report: (4)

CDP, E/1981/27.

Resolutions and decision:

Resolutions: ESC: (5)

1981/34, 8 May, text following;( 6 )

1981/47, 20 July, text following. GA: ( 7 )

35/106, 5

Dec. 1980 (YUN 1980, 557); (8)

36/204, paras. 2 & 5,

17 Dec. 1981 (p. 510); (9)

36/207, paras. 7 & 8, 17 Dec.

(p. 516); ( 1 0 )

36/209, paras. 7 & 8, 17 Dec. (p. 520);(11)

36/216, para. 5, 17 Dec. (p. 509).

Decision: ( 1 2 )

ESC: 1980/161, 24 July 1980 (YUN

1980, p. 556).

Meeting records: ESC, E/1981/SR.8-10, 12, 18, 35, 36, 38

(24 Apr.-8 May & 14-20 July).

Economic and Social Council resolution 1981/34

A d o p t e d w i t h o u t v o t e M e e t i n g 1 8 8 May 1981

Draft by Vice-President (E/1981/L.37), based on informal consulta-

tions on COP recommendation (E/1981/27); agenda item 4.

Development and international economic and social Policy 4 1 3

Inclusion of Guinea-Bissau in the list

of the least developed countries

The Economic and Social Council,

Bearing in mind its decision 1980/161 of 24 July 1980, in

which it requested the Committee for Development Planning

to expedite the review of the economic situation of Djibouti,

Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe,

Seychelles, Tonga and certain newly independent developing

countries, with a view to their inclusion in the list of the least

developed countries, and to make recommendations con-

cerning those countries to the Council at its first regular ses-

sion of 1981,

Recalling General Assembly resolution 35/106 of 5 Decem-

ber 1980, in which the Assembly decided to authorize the

Economic and Social Council to consider, at its first regular

session of 1981, the recommendations of the Committee for

Development Planning on the above-mentioned countries

and, accordingly, to add any of those countries to the list of

the least developed countries on the basis of existing criteria

and the most recent data relating to the above-mentioned

countries, and in which the Assembly further decided that

that exercise should be without prejudice to any future overall

review of the list of the least developed countries which might

be authorized at a later date by the Assembly in accordance

with established procedures,

Taking note of chapter IV of the report of the Committee for

Development Planning on its seventeenth session and state-

ments made in the Council in this regard,

Decides to add Guinea-Bissau to the list of the least devel-

oped countries.

Economic and Social Council resolution 1981/47

Adopted without vote Meeting 38 20 July 1981

5-nation draft (E/1981/L.46/Rev.1); agenda item 4.

Sponsors: Burundi, Senegal. Togo, Zaire, Zambia.

Review of the economic situation in Togo with a view

to the inclusion of that country in the list

of the least developed countries

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling General Assembly resolutions 2768(XXVI) of 18

November 1971, 3487(XXX) of 12 December 1975, and

32/92 and 32/99 of 13 December 1977, establishing the cur-

rent list of the least developed countries.

Recalling General Assembly resolutions 34/121, 34/123,

34/124, 34/126, 34/131 and 34/132 of 14 December 1979,

Recalling also General Assembly resolutions 34/203 and

34/210 of 19 December 1979 and 35/205 of 16 December

1980 concerning the convening of a United Nations Confer-

ence on the Least Developed Countries,

Having examined the letter of 6 July 1981 addressed to the

President of the Economic and Social Council by the Perma-

nent Representative of Togo to the United Nations Office and

the specialized agencies at Geneva concerning the serious

economic situation of his country,

Requests the Committee for Development Planning to exam-

ine the economic situation of Togo, with a view to including

that country in the list of the least developed countries on the

basis of existing criteria and the most recent data relating to

those criteria and that country, and to make a recommenda-

tion concerning Togo for consideration by the Council as

early as possible.

Land-locked developing countries

The United Nations Development Programme

(U N D P) , which managed the Uni ted Nat ions

Special Fund for Land-locked Developing Coun-

tries (p. 415), identified a total of 21 such coun-

tries in 1981: 14 in Africa, 5 in Asia and the

Pacific and 2 in Latin America.

The Substantial New Programme of Action

for the 1980s for LDCS (p. 406) pointed out that

15 of the 31 LDCs were land-locked and urged

that, in co-operation with their transit neigh-

bou r s , t hey shou ld t r y t o improve t r an s i t /

transport-related facilities.(1)

GENERAL ASSEMBLY ACTION. On 17 Decem-

ber 1981, by a resolution on action related to the

needs and problems of land-locked developing

countries,( 3 )

the General Assembly reaffirmed

their rights to free access to and from the sea and

to freedom of transit. It appealed to States and

international organizations to implement urgent-

l y t he ac t i ons env i saged in ea r l i e r Un i t ed

Nations resolutions, including three adopted by

the United Nations Conference on Trade and

Development (UNCTAD),(4)

as well as in the In-

ternat ional Development Strategy( 2 )

and the

Substantial New Programme of Action for the

1980s. Donor countries, others able to do so and

international organizations were urged to pro-

vide financial and technical aid in grant form or

concessional loans for transport and transit facili-

ties. The Assembly also invited transit countries

to co-operate with the land-locked developing

countr ies in harmonizing t ransport planning

and promoting joint transport ventures.

The resolution, sponsored by 20 nations, was

adopted by a recorded vote of 137 to none, with

6 abstentions. Paragraph 1, reaffirming the right

of free access and transit to and from the sea, was

adopted by a recorded vote of 59 to 9, with 66

abstentions.

The draft was approved on 13 November by

the Second (Economic and Financial) Commit-

tee by a recorded vote of 120 to none, with 7 ab-

stentions, following the approval of paragraph 1

by a recorded vote of 46 to 11, with 65 absten-

tions. Both Committee votes were requested by

India.

Introducing the text in the Committee, Boli-

v i a s t a t ed t ha t ab sence o f t ang ib l e r e su l t s

showed that the international community was

not fully aware of the difficulties faced by land-

locked developing countries in exporting prod-

ucts. It was essential not only to remedy an injus-

tice but to correct a situation in which some

countries were taking advantage of efforts made

by others.

Explaining their ‘negative votes on the para-

g r a p h c o n c e r n i n g f r e e a c c e s s a n d t r a n s i t ,

Angola, Nigeria, Pakistan and Yemen said these

questions were best dealt with bilaterally. This

point was also made by Liberia and the Libyan

Arab Jamahiriya; they added that the issues af-

fected the sovereignty of transit countries and

had been discussed extensively in the Third

United Nations Conference on the Law of the

Sea. India and Thailand spoke similarly and also

4 1 4 Economic and social questions

expressed reservations with regard to the invita-

tion to transit countries to harmonize transport

facilities. Sierra Leone found the paragraph’s

wording too categorical.

Among those abstaining in the vote on the

paragraph, Algeria, Ghana, Jordan, Mauritania,

Senegal, the Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic,

Tunisia and the United Republic of Cameroon

saw the matter as bilateral or subregional. Some

of these, along with Benin and Morocco, men-

tioned that the Conference on the Law of the Sea

w a s d e a l i n g w i t h t h e m a t t e r . M o z a m b i q u e

shared the reservations expressed regarding free

access.

Voting for the paragraph and the resolution as

a whole, Brazil said lack of access to the sea

posed problems for the economic development

of the least developed land-locked countr ies

which could be significantly reduced by bilateral

agreements. Peru and Uruguay stated that adop-

tion of the resolution should not prejudge the re-

sults of the Conference on the Law of the Sea;

Uruguay added that international law did not

provide for. unlimited rights of communication

with the sea. The USSR said i t had bi la teral

agreements with a number of land-locked coun-

tries and had helped some develop their trans-

port infrastructures; the paragraph would place

no more responsibilities on the USSR than it

had already assumed. Viet Nam bel ieved the

issues of access and transit should be settled

bilaterally, in full respect for sovereignty.

Abstaining in the vote on the resolution as a

whole, Pakistan said the text should have taken

account of the needs of transit countries, some of

which were among the world’s poorest and also

needed international assistance to develop their

infrastructures.

During 1981, special economic assistance pro-

grammes established by the General Assembly

were under way in seven land-locked developing

countries in Africa: Botswana, Central African

Republic, Chad, Lesotho, Uganda, Zambia and

Zimbabwe (p. 497).

Publication: (1)

Report of the United Nations Conference on the

Least Developed Countries (A/CONF.104/22/Rev.1),

Sales No. E.82.I.8.

Resolutions: GA: (2)

35/56, annex, paras. 136-146, 5 Dec.

1980 (YUN 1980, p. 515); (3)

36/175, 17 Dec. 1981, text

following.

Yearbook references: (4)1972, p. 280; 1976, p. 399; 1979,

p. 493.

Meeting records: GA: 2nd Committee, A/C.2/36/SR.3-6,

10-26, 28, 29-32, 35, 39 (24 Sep.-13 Nov.); plenary,

A/36/PV.103 (17 Dec.).

General Assembly resolution 36/175

137-0-6 (recorded vote) Meeting 103 17 December 1981

Approved by Second Committee (A/36/694/Add.1) by recorded vote

(120 -0 -7 ) , 13 November (mee t i ng 39 ) ; 20 -na t i on d r a f t (A /C .2 /

36/L.24); agenda item 69.

Sponso r s : Afghan i s t an , Bang ladesh , Bo l iv i a , Bo t swana , Bhu tan ,

Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Lao People’s Democratic

Republic, Lesotho, Mali, Mongolla, Nepal, Niger, Paraguay, Rwanda,

Uganda, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe. - -

Specific action related to the particular needs and

problems of land-locked developing countries

The General Assembly,

Reiterating the specific actions related to the particular

needs of the land-locked developing countries stated in reso-

lutions 63(III) of 19 May 1972, 98(IV) of 31 May 1976 and

123(V) of 3 June 1979 of the United Nations Conference on

Trade and Development,

Recall ing the provisions of i ts resolutions 31/157 of 21

December 1976, 32/191 of 19 December 1977, 33/150 of

20 December 1978 , 34 /198 o f 19 December 1979 and

35/58 of 5 December 1980 and other resolutions of the

United Nations relating to the particular needs and problems

of land-locked developing countries,

Bearing in mind various other resolutions adopted by the

General Assembly, i ts related organs and the specialized

agenc i e s , emphas i z ing spec i a l and u rgen t measu re s i n

favour of land-locked developing countries,

Recalling the relevant provisions of the International Devel-

opment Strategy for the Third United Nations Development

Decade.

Recognizing that the lack of territorial access to the sea, ag-

gravated by remoteness and isolation from world markets,

and the prohibit ive transit , transport and trans-shipment

costs impose serious constraints on the socio-economic de-

velopment of land-locked developing countries,

Noting with concern that the measures taken so far in

favour of land-locked developing countries and the assis-

tance given fall far short of their needs,

1. Reaffirms the right of land-locked developing countries

to free access to and from the sea and their right to freedom of

transit;

2 . Appeals to all States, International organizations and

financial institutions to implement, as a matter of urgency

and priority, the specific actions related to the particular

needs and problems of land-locked developing countries

envisaged in resolutions 63(III), 98(IV) and 123(V) of the

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, in the

International Development Strategy for the Third United

Nations Development Decade, in the Substantial New Pro-

gramme of Action for the 1980s for the Least Developed

Countries and in other relevant resolutions of the United

Nations;

3. Urges all donor countries. as well as others in a position

to do so, and the international organizations concerned, to

provide land-locked developing countries with appropriate

financial and technical assistance in the form of grants or

concessional loans for the construction and improvement of

their transport and transit infrastructures and facilities;

4 . U r g e s a / s o t h e i n t e r n a t i o n a l c o m m u n i t y a n d m u l t i l a t e r a l

and bilateral financial institutions to intensify efforts in rais-

ing the net flow of resources to land-locked developing coun-

tr ies to help offset the adverse effects of t h e i r d i s a d v a n t a -

geous geographical situation on their economic development

efforts , in keeping with the overall development needs of

each land-locked developing country;

5 . Invites the transit countries to co-operate effectively

w i t h t h e l a n d - l o c k e d d e v e l o p i n g c o u n t r i e s i n h a r m o n i z i n g

transport planning and promoting other joint ventures in the

field of transport at the regional, subregional and bilateral

levels:

6 . C o m m e n d s t h e U n i t e d N a t i o n s D e v e l o p m e n t P r o -

gramme, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Devel-

opment and other United Nations agencies for their work and

the assistance they have provided to the land-locked devel-

oping countries and invites them to continue to take appropri-

ate and effective measures to respond to the. specific needs

of those countries;

7 . Invites the international community to give financial

Development and international economic and social policy 4 1 5

support to interested transit and land-locked developing

countries in the construction of alternative routes to the sea;

8. Recommends continued and intensified activities relat-

ing to the conducting of necessary studies and the implemen-

tation of special actions and action programmes for the land-

locked developing countries, including those in the area of

economic co-operation among developing countries, as well

as those that have been envisaged in the programme of work

of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development,

the regional commissions and other programmes and activi-

ties at the regional and subregional levels.

Recorded vote in Assembly as follows:

In favour: Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Australia, Aus-

t r i a , Bahamas , Bah ra in , Bang ladesh , Ba rbados , Be lg ium, Ben in ,

Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burundi, Byelorussian

SSR, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, China,

Co lombla , Congo . Cos t a R ica , Cuba . Cyprus , Czechos lovak ia .

Democratic Kampuchea, Democratic Yemen, Denmark, Dominican

Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopla, Fiji, Finland, France,

Gabon, Gambia, German Democratic Republic, Germany, Federal

Republic of, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-

Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran,a

Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan,

Kenya, Kuwait, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia,

Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Luxembourg. Madagascar, Malawi. Malay-

sia. Maldlves, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia,

Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua,Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Para-guay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda,

Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singa-

pore , Somal ia , Spa in , S r i Lanka , Sudan , Sur iname , Swaz i l and ,

Sweden, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago.Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukrainian SSR, USSR, United Arab Emir-

ates, United Kingdom, United Republic of Cameroon, United States,Upper Volta, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen.Yugoslavia, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Against: None.

Abstaining: Burma, Chile, India, Lebanon, Pakistan, Sierra Leone.

a Later advised thê Secretariat it had intended to abstain

UN Special Fund for

Land-locked Developing Countries

No new projects were financed in 1981 by the

United Nations Special Fund for Land-locked

Developing Countries, in view of the low level of

contributions to the Fund (p. 416). Some alloca-

tions were made to small-scale projects previous-

ly approved. Total allocations since the Fund

b e c a m e o p e r a t i o n a l a m o u n t e d t o $ 6 8 1 , 0 0 0 ,

c o v e r i n g 1 2 p r o j e c t s . A t y e a r ’ s e n d s o m e

$400,000 was unencumbered, of which $350,000

had been allotted to the three regions containing

land-locked developing countries; negotiations

were under way for commitment of this money.

The Fund was in its fifth year; its statute was ap-

proved by the General Assembly in 1976.(3)

On 19 June, ( 9 ) the UNDP Governing Council

appealed to all countries to review their position

with respect to the Fund and to contribute ur-

gently and generously. The Administrator was

requested to report on the Fund’s activities bien-

nially, beginning in 1983.

On 22 July,(6)

the Economic and Social Coun-

ci l decided without vote to take note of the

Governing Council’s action and a report by the

Administrator(2)

on the Fund’s 1980 activities.(10)

The draft decision was similarly approved on 17

July by the Council’s Third (Programme and Co-

ordination) Committee, on an oral proposal by

i t s C h a i r m a n .

GENERAL ASSEMBLY ACTION. In a resolution

of 17 December,(5)

the General Assembly, urging

Member States to give due consideration to the

special constraints affecting the development of

land-locked developing countries, appealed to

donor countries to review their position with re-

spect to the Fund, with a view to giving greater

s u p p o r t . I t a p p e a l e d t o M e m b e r S t a t e s -

particularly developed countries-and to finan-

cial inst i tut ions to contr ibute generously in

order to implement measures relating to land-

locked developing countries provided for in the

International Development Strategy.( 4 )

The As-

sembly requested the U N D P Administrator, in

consu l t a t i on w i th t he Sec re t a ry -Gene ra l o f

UNCTAD and heads of other bodies, to continue

action in favour of those countries.

The resolution was adopted by 119 votes to

none, with 22 abstentions. The draft, submitted

by Algeria on behalf of the Group of 77, was ap-

proved by the Second Committee on 16 Novem-

ber by 112 votes to none, with 20 abstentions. In-

troducing the text, Algeria remarked that, owing

to lack of resources, the Fund had been unable

to meet the needs of the land-locked developing

countries.

Explaining the Nordic States’ abstentions in

the vote, Denmark said they opposed the prolif-

eration of special funds and preferred to channel

aid through existing bodies. For the European

Community members, the United Kingdom said

they felt that assistance to the countries in ques-

tion should be proportional to their individual

levels of development and, therefore, they pre-

ferred to contribute through bilateral or multi-

lateral programmes.

On oral proposals of its President, the Assem-

bly took two decisions on 17 December, both

without vote, deferring action on the inaugura-

tion of the permanent machinery envisaged for

the Fund by its statute. First,( 7 )

the Assembly

deferred to 1982 the election of the Fund’s Board

of Governors. Second,(8)

it took note of informa-

t i on con t a ined i n a no t e by t he Sec re t a ry -

General(1)

to the effect that he was not submit-

ting for Assembly confirmation an appointment

for the post of Executive Director. The Fund

thus continued on an interim basis under UNDP

management, in collaboration with UNCTAD.

Note: (1)

S-G, A/36/816.

Report: (2)

UNDP Administrator, DP/541.

Resolutions and decisions:

Resolutions: GA: ( 3 )

31/177, annex, 21 Dec. 1976

(YUN 1976, p. 356); (4)

35/56, annex, paras. 152-155, 5

Dec. 1980 (YUN 1980, p. 517); (5)

36/195, 17 Dec. 1981,

text following.

Decisions: (6)

ESC: 1981/173, 22 July, text following.

GA: ( 7 )

3 6 / 3 1 9 , 1 7 D e c . , t e x t f o l l o w i n g ; ( 8 )

36 /321 ,

4 1 6 Economic and social questions

1 7 D e c . , t e x t f o l l o w i n g . ( 9 )

U N D P C o u n c i l ( r e p o r t ,

E/1981/61/Rev.1): 81/3, 19 June.

Yearbook reference: (10)

1980, p. 550.

M e e t i n g r e c o r d s : E S C : 3 r d C o m m i t t e e , E / C . 3 / 1 9 8 1 /

SR .9 -12 , 16 (13 -17 Ju ly ) ; p l ena ry , E /1981 /SR .39

( 2 2 J u l y ) . G A : 2 n d C o m m i t t e e , A / C . 2 / 3 6 / S R . 3 , 6 ,

33, 38, 39, 40, 42 (24 Sep.-20 Nov.); plenary, A/36/

PV.103 (17 Dec.).

Economic and Social Council decision 1981/173

Adopted without vote

Approved by Th i rd Commi t t ee (E /1981 /102 ) w i thou t vo t e , 17 Ju ly

(meeting 16); draft orally proposed by Chairman; agenda item 17.

United Nations Special Fund for

Land-locked Developing Countries

At Its 39th plenary meeting, on 22 July 1981, the Council

took note of:

(a) The report of the Administrator of the United Nations

Development Programme on the United Nations Special Fund

for Land-locked Developing Countries;

( b ) D e c i s i o n 8 1 / 3 o f 1 9 J u n e 1 9 8 1 a d o p t e d b y t h e

Governing Council of the United Nations Development Pro-

gramme at its twenty-eighth session.

General Assembly resolution 36/195

119-0 -22 Meeting 103 17 December 1981

Approved by Second Committee (A/36/812) by vote (112-0-20), 16November (meeting 40); draft by Algeria, for Group of 77(A/C.2/36/L.64); agenda item 70 (g).

United Nations Special Fund for

Land-locked Developing Countries

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolution 31/177 of 21 December 1976, by

which it approved the statute of the United Nations Special

Fund for Land-locked Developing Countries,

R e c a l l i n g a l s o i t s r e s o l u t i o n s 3 2 / 1 1 3 o f 1 5 D e c e m b e r

1977, 33/85 of 15 December 1978, 34/209 of 19 December

1979 and 35/82 of 5 December 1980,

Taking account of resolution 123(V) of 3 June 1979 of the

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and

decisions 80/21 of 26 June 1980 and 81/3 of 19 June 1981

of the Governing Council of the United Nations Development

Programme,

Recall ing i ts resolution 35/56 of 5 December 1980, the

annex to which contains the International Development

Strategy for the Third United Nations Development Decade,

and the relevant provisions of the Strategy, in particular para-

graphs 152 to 155,

Recalling further the relevant paragraphs of the Substantial

New Programme of Action for the 1980s for the Least Devel-

oped Countries, adopted by the United Nations Conference

on the Least Developed Countries,

Convinced that access to world markets at the least possi-

ble cost is an integral part of meaningful economic develop-

ment of land-locked developing countries,

Bearing in mind that a large number of countries classified

as least developed are land-locked developing countries.

Expressing deep concern at the consistently very low level

of contributions that have been pledged to the Fund since its

establishment,

Noting that, according to the report of the Secretary-

General prepared in response to General Assembly resolution

34/207 of 19 December 1979, contributions to the Fund

must increase significantly if it is to be effective in meeting

the large requirements for reducing the réal costs of transit

for land-locked developing countries,

Noting further that the demands for assistance from the

Fund are additional to, and generally different from, the types

of activities financed from other sources of the United Nations

system,

1. Urges ail Member States to give due consideration to

the special constraints affecting the economic and social de-

velopment of land-locked developing countries;

2. Appeals to all donor countries to review their position

with respect to the United Nations Special Fund for Land-

locked Developing Countries, with a view to extending greater

support to it;

3. Also appeals to all Member States, in particular devel-

oped countries, and to multi lateral and bilateral f inancial

institutions to contribute significantly and generously to the

Fund in order to implement the measures relating to land-

locked developing countries provided for in the International

Development Strategy for the Third United Nations Develop-

ment Decade;

4 . Requests the Administrator of the United Nations Devel-

opmen t P rog ramme , i n consu l t a t i on w i th t he Sec re t a ry -

General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and De-

velopment and the executive heads of other related bodies, to

continue to pursue action in favour of land-locked developing

countries within the framework of the interim arrangements,

bearing in mind that each country concerned should receive

appropriate technical and financial assistance.

General Assembly decision 36/319

Adopted without vote

Oral proposal by President; agenda item 17 (e).

Election of the members of the Board of Governors

of the United Nations Special Fund for

Land-locked Developing Countries

At its 103rd plenary meeting, on 17 December 1981, the

General Assembly, on the proposal of its President, decided

to defer to its thirty-seventh session the election of the mem-

bers of the Board of Governors of the United Nations Special

Fund for Land-locked Developing Countries.

General Assembly decision 36/321

Adopted without vote

Oral proposal by President: agenda item 18 (I)

Confirmation of the appointment of the Executive

Director of the United Nations Special Fund

for Land-locked Developing Countries

At its 103rd plenary meeting, on 17 December 1981, the

General Assembly took note of the information contained in

the note by the Secretary-General.

F i n a n c e s o f t h e F u n d

Contributions. In 1981, a total of $39,570

was collected from 12 States in contributions to

the Special Fund for Land-locked Developing

Countr ies , and 14 States pledged a total of

$69,291 for 1982 (see table on following page).

Most of the contributors were land-locked devel-

oping countries. The pledges were made at the

1981 United Nations Pledging Conference for

Development Activities, held at United Nations

Headquarters in November (p. 426). Contribu-

tions pledged during the five years of the Fund’s

existence amounted to about $1 million.

Financial regulat ions. The General Assem-

bly , on 18 December 1981,( 2 )

author ized the

Governing Council of the United Nations Devel-

opment Programme ( U N D P ) to adopt the f inan-

cial regulations of the Special Fund for Land-

locked Developing Countries and, in the mean

time, to apply the UNDP Financial Regulations

to the Fund. Regulations for the Fund would

Development and international economic and social policy 4 1 7

CONTRIBUTIONS AND PLEDGES TO THE UNITED NATIONS

SPECIAL FUND FOR LAND-LOCKED DEVELOPING

COUNTRIES FOR 1981 AND 1982

(As at 31 December 1981; in US dollar equivalent)

1981 1982

Country p a y m e n t p ledge

Afghanistan 5 ,000 5 ,000

Bhutan 1 ,000 1 ,000

Bolivia - 5 0 0

B o t s w a n a 1 ,529 1 ,714

Brazil 20 ,000 10 ,000

Democratic Yemen 1 ,000 - .

Lao People’s

Democratic Republic 1 ,000

Lesotho - 1 ,000

Malawi 2 ,000 2 ,100

Mall 5 0 0 -

Nepal 2 ,000

Philippines 2 ,500

Swaziland - 1 ,070

Thailand 2 ,000 1 ,000

Togo - 707

Tunis ia 1 ,913 2 ,200

Uganda 128 -

Zambia 40 ,000

Zimbabwe - 2 ,000

Total 39 ,570 69,291

first be reviewed by the Advisory Committee on

Administrat ive and Budgetary Quest ions and

would be reported to the Assembly following

their adoption by the Council. This arrangement

was to apply during the interim period before

the Fund’s own policy and management machin-

ery was established.

This action modified a provision of the Fund’s

s ta tute ,( 1 )

adopted by the Assembly in 1976,

which specified that the Financial Regulations

and Rules of the United Nations would apply

until the Assembly approved new ones on the

recommendation of the Fund’s Board of Gover-

nors. The Assembly’s 1981 action was taken at

the request of the Council, which asked on 30

June 1981(3)

for authority to formulate financial

regulations in respect of all funds which it ad-

ministered, including the Special Fund (p. 451).

Resolutions and decision:

Resolutions: GA: ( 1 )

31/177, annex, art . 9, 21 Dec.

1976 (YUN 1976, p. 357); (2)

36/227, para. 3, 18 Dec.

1981 (p. 451).

Decision:( 3 )

U N D P C o u n c i l ( r e p o r t , E / 1 9 8 1 / 6 1 /

Rev.1): 81/28, para. 3, 30 June.

Island developing countries

In accordance with a 1979 resolut ion of the

United Nations Conference on Trade and Devel-

o p m e n t ( U N C T A D ) , ( 3 )

t h e U N C T A D s e c r e t a r i a t

issued in January 1981 a note for the Trade and

Development Board( 1 )

describing UNCTAD stud-

ies on common problems of island developing

countries.

The note suggested six areas which might be

examined by an intergovernmental group of ex-

perts, in the event that the Board established

such a group, to examine the specific problems

of developing island economies, as had been sug-

gested in 1980:(4)

statistics policy for effective

planning; investment policy for national savings

and for foreign capital; employment, training

and migrat ion policy; integrat ion of marine

space into national economic planning; response

to technical change in transport and communica-

tions; and marketing and export promotion of

goods and services.

On 20 March 1981, after considering the ques-

tion, the Board decided to remit to its March

1982 session a draf t decis ion, submit ted by

Mexico on behalf of the Group of 77 developing

countries, which would have the Board decide

that an intergovernmental group of experts be

convened to prepare a comprehensive action pro-

gramme to al leviate the special problems of

island developing countries.(2)

Special economic assistance programmes co-

ordinated by the United Nat ions were under

way in three island developing countries in the

Africa region during 1981: Cape Verde (p. 500),

the Comoros (p. 506) and Sao Tome and Prin-

cipe (p. 518). Multiagency missions, studying

economic assistance needs resulting from hurri-

cane damage and other problems, visited four

Caribbean island nations: Dominica (p. 525),

Grenada (p. 526), Saint Lucia (p. 527) and Saint

Vincent and the Grenadines ( 528). Severalp.United Nations agencies were providing assis-

tance to Tonga, in the Pacific (p. 530).

Note: ( 1 )

UNCTAD s e c r e t a r i a t , TD/B/841.

Report: (2)

TDB, A/36/15.

Yearbook references: (3)

1979, p. 569; (4)

1980, p. 551.

UN Special Fund for the mostseriously affected countries

On 4 December 1981, the General Assembly

decided without vote to continue performing the

funct ions of the Board of Governors of the

United Nations Special Fund pending further

consideration of the matter in 1983.(3)

It recalled

its 1978 decision to suspend ad interim the activi-

ties of the Fund for lack of contributions.(2)

The

Fund was established by the Assembly in 1974

to assist countries most seriously affected by

economic crises.

The 1981 decision was recommended by the

Second (Economic and Financial) Committee,

which approved without vote on 20 November a

draft by its Chairman.

During the Committee’s discussion of develop-

ment and international economic co-operation,

Sri Lanka urged react ivat ion of the Fund to

meet the grave difficulties faced by the least de-

veloped countries.

Resolution and decisions:

Resolution: (1)

GA: 3202(S-VI), sect. X, 1 May 1974

(YUN 1974, p. 330).

4 1 8 Economic and social questions

Decisions: GA: (2)

3/431, 19 Dec. 1978 (YUN 1978,

p. 425); (3)

36/424, 4 Dec. 1981, text following.

Meeting records: GA: 2nd Committee, A/C.2/36/SR.3-6,

10-32, 42 (24 Sep.-20 Nov.); plenary, A/36/PV.84 (4

Dec.).

General Assembly decision 36/424

Adopted without vote

Approved by Second Committee (A/36/694/Add.11) without vole. 20

November (meeting 42); draft by Chairman (A/C.2/36/L.90); agenda

item 69 (n).

United Nations Special Fund

At i ts 84th plenary meeting, on 4 December 1981, the

General Assembly, on the recommendation of the Second

Committee, recall ing i ts decision 33/431 of 19 December

1978, in which it had decided, inter alia, to suspend the ac-

tivities of the United Nations Special Fund, ad interim, and to

perform the functions of the Board of Governors of the Fund,

decided to continue performing the functions of the Board of

Governors, within the context of its consideration of the item

on development and international economic co-operation,

pending subsequent consideration of the question by the As-

sembly at Its thirty-eighth session.

Chapter II

Development assistance

T o t a l c o n t r i b u t i o n s b y G o v e r n m e n t s t o t h e

United Nations system to finance operational

act ivi t ies for development amounted to $5.3

bil l ion in 1981, compared to $5.6 bi l l ion in

1980 (p. 420). Despite the drop in income, net

transfers of resources for development purposes

from the United Nations system to developing

countries rose to $6 billion in 1981, up from

$4.8 bi l l ion in 1980 (p . 419) . Of this to ta l ,

technical co-operation expenditures amounted

to $2 billion, compared to $1.8 billion in the

previous year (p. 431).

Expenditures by the United Nations Develop-

m e n t P r o g r a m m e ( U N D P ) , i n c l u d i n g t h e t r u s t

funds it managed, exceeded $1 billion for the

first time; the share of UNDP in total system-wide,

grant-financed technical co-operation remained

at the same level as in 1980-about 50 per cent

(p. 432). The United Nations itself, excluding

the specialized agencies, delivered a technical

co-operat ion programme of $297 mil l ion, of

which $204 million came from UNDP (p. 459).

Development assistance, also referred to as

operational activities for development, remained

by far the largest component of United Nations

operational activities. Some of this was rendered

by United Nations programmes active in specific

fields, of which the largest were the World Food

Programme (p. 726), the United Nations Fund

for Population Activities (p. 781) and the United

Nations Children’s Fund (p. 999).

Expenditures by the United Nations system

on humanitarian and other assistance not direct-

ly related to development came to $648 million

in 1981, raising the value of all operational ac-

tivities to $6.7 billion. Such assistance included

disaster aid, other emergency assistance and spe-

cial economic assistance to countries undergoing

unusual hardships (p . 471) , as wel l as pro-

grammes of assistance to refugees (p. 1027). In

addit ion to direct mult i lateral assis tance, the

United Nations promoted special measures for

particular categories of countries, notably the

least developed (p. 401).

Pledges for 1982, made to 19 United Nations

funds and programmes covered by the 1981

United Nations Pledging Conference for Devel-

opment Activities (New York, 3 and 4 Novem-

ber), totalled just over $1 billion as at 30 June

1982, compared to $1.1 billion in payments re-

ceived for 1981 (p. 426). The General Assembly

expressed deep concern in December that contri-

butions to the funds and programmes included

in United Nations pledging conferences for de-

velopment act ivi t ies had been s tagnat ing and

urged a rapid and substantial increase of contri-

butions to the United Nations system’s opera-

tional activities for development on a predictable

and continuous basis.(9)

The United Nations Director-General for De-

v e l o p m e n t a n d I n t e r n a t i o n a l E c o n o m i c C o -

operation submitted his first annual report to the

General Assembly on operational activities for

development,(2)

forming a basis for discussion by

the Second (Economic and Financial) Commit-

tee of financial and management aspects of de-

velopment assis tance by the United Nations

system (p. 428).

For UNDP, 1981 marked the final year of its

second development co-operation cycle, a five-

year forward plan of comprehensive program-

ming for technical co-operation (p. 432). Despite

indications that resources available in the third

cycle, spanning 1982-1986, might fall short of

the total envisaged, the UNDP Governing Coun-

cil, at its twenty-eighth session( 3 )

(New York,

9 June-l July), decided to retain, for purposes of

forward planning, the level of resources previous-

ly envisaged, which assumed a 14 per cent aver-

age annual growth of voluntary contributions

(p. 444). Both the Economic and Social Council,

in July,(5)

and the General Assembly, in Decem-

ber,(10)

urged Governments to renew their effortsto provide the resources necessary to estab-