Ad hoc group formed to elaborate 'Agenda for Development.' (to look at priority issues)(UN General Assembly Second Committee activity)

The General Assembly on 19 December decided to establish an ad hoc open-ended working group to begin work in early 1995 to further elaborate a comprehensive, action-oriented "Agenda for Development". The possibility of holding an international conference on development is among the issues to be examined. The text was among 45 resolutions and one decision adopted by the Assembly on the recommendation of its Second Committee (Economic and Financial). Only one resolution--on economic and social repercussions of Israeli settlements on Palestinians in the occupied territories and on the Arab population of the Syrian Golan--was adopted by a vote.

As a follow-up to the International Conference on Population and Development, held from 5 to 13 September in Cairo, the Assembly adopted a wide-ranging resolution emphasizing the importance of the early identification and allocation of financial resources by the international community to enable it to fulfil its commitments to the implementation of the 20-year Programme of Action adopted by the Conference and endorsed by the Assembly.

For the first time in three years, the Assembly adopted without a vote a resolution on the foreign debt problem of developing countries. In addition, it stressed the need for trade liberalization and improved access to markets and asked for an analysis of South-South cooperation worldwide.

High-level meetings

The Assembly held four high-level meetings on the Secretary-General's recommendations on his "An Agenda for Development", with debate reflecting wide agreement on the need to tackle the eradication of poverty and African development as priority issues.

By resolution 49/126, the Assembly decided that the working group's deliberations should take into account: the Secretary-General's recommendations; the outcome of the high-level segment of the 1994 substantive session of the Economic and Social Council; the summary of the June 1994 World Hearings on Development; the high-level debate held during the forty-ninth Assembly; and other proposals. A progress report was due in 1995.

The working group was asked (resolution 49/95) to take advantage of the presence of high-level representatives during the early part of the Assembly sessions to conduct a dialogue and to convene special sessions on major themes relevant to the current and emerging economic and social issues in the global agenda, including those identified under the "Agenda for Development".

In an 11 November report (A/49/665), the Secretary-General said new development approaches should enable people to participate in decisions affecting their lives, provide job-led growth and replenish the natural heritage on which all life depended. "The battle for people-centred and sustainable development will be won or lost not in the corridors of Governments, but in every hamlet and home, in every village and town, in the daily enterprise of every member of the global community and every institution of civil society", he said.

In a note (A/49/320), the President of the forty-eighth Assembly session said, in elaborating the "Agenda for Development", the establishment of a high-level body on development and economic policy that would meet in permanent session must be considered.

The Assembly also asked (49/92) the Secretary-General to ensure that the "Agenda for Development" would strengthen the implementation of the Declaration on International Economic Cooperation, in particular, the Revitalization of Economic Growth and Development of the Developing Countries, and the International Development Strategy for the Fourth UN Development Decade.

Uruguay Round completed

The Secretary-General's report (A/49/328) on the implementation of the Declaration and the Strategy stated that, with the recent completion of the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations, it was crucial to ratify and implement the final agreement in ways that supported sustainable development.

Obstacles to achieving objectives included sluggish economic performance in industrialized countries during the last three years, and the proliferation of conflicts and related emergency situations which diverted attention from the long-term development needs and strained the UN system's resources.

Positive developments cited included the 1993 IMF Declaration on Cooperaton for Sustainable Global Expansion and the decision to establish the World Trade Organization (WTO). The UN system had continued to help countries sustain and strengthen achievements in alleviating poverty and hunger, human resources development, and education and health.

Debt, trade, development

Although substantive changes were made in the draft on the external debt problem of developing countries, introduced by the "Group of 77" developing countries and the Non-Aligned Movement, the final text (49/94) was considered by its original sponsors as a positive step.

Recognizing that a durable solution to the debt problems of the poorest and most heavily indebted developing countries needed even more favour able debt relief measures, the Assembly welcomed the write-off by certain creditor countries of a significant part of the bilateral official debt of the least developed countries (LDCs), and invited them, whenever possible, to cancel the official development assistance (ODA) debt or provide relief with similar effect for the LDCs, particularly those in Africa.

The Assembly invited the international community to continue to explore ways of implementing additional and innovative measures to alleviate the debt burdens of developing countries.

In another report, the Secretary-General stated (A/49/338) that the number of countries experiencing debt difficulties and their geographical diversity had not changed dramatically since the 1980s. What had changed was the character of the crisis: the majority of the top market borrowers had exited the crisis, so today's problem debtors were mostly--but not exclusively--indebted mainly to official creditors. At the aggregate level, the debt indicators had improved significantly in the past dozen years due, in particular, to improvement in Latin America.

By resolution 49/93, the Assembly said that to increase the effectiveness of development assistance, developed and developing countries should strive towards a true partnership, which included: ownership and broad-based participation in recipient countries; implementation of domestic economic policies tailored to local conditions; efficient administration; transparent institutions; and strong institutional capacities, including at the local level. Countries should undertake national efforts to implement structural adjustment policies and reforms conducive to the flow of external resources.

Noting the ongoing exchange of views between the Secretary-General and the Director-General of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade on the issue of establishing a relationship between the UN and WTO, the Assembly asked (49/93) for a report in 1996 on further institutional developments related to strengthening international organizations in the area of multilateral trade.

The Assembly decided (49/98) to convene the High-level Intergovernmental Meeting on the Mid-term Global Review of the Implementation of the Programme of Action for the LDCs for the 1990s, in New York from 26 September to 6 October 1995, to carry out the mid-term global review and consider new measures as necessary.

The Assembly stressed (49/99) the urgent need for trade liberalization, including through substantial reduction of tariffs and other barriers, and improved access to the markets of all countries, in particular, those of developed countries. It deplored any attempt to bypass or undermine multilaterally agreed measures of trade liberalization, and stressed the importance of the full implementation of the Final Act of the Uruguay Round and the significance of the entering into force of the agreement establishing the WTO by 1 January 1995.

African countries should benefit fully from the Uruguay Round's results, and technical assistance should be provided them. The importance of giving special attention to the LDCs to enhance their full participation in the multilateral trading system was also emphasized.

The Assembly called for (49/100) implementation of all commitments and recommendations made at the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (25 April-6 May, Barbados) and for effective follow-up to its Programme of Action.

The Assembly invited (49/101) States to take active part in the implementation of the Columbus Ministerial Declaration on Trade Efficiency, adopted by the UN International Symposium on Trade Efficiency (Columbus, Ohio, 17-21 October). The Declaration embodies a policy framework and a set of practical actions and recommendations for more efficient trade.

The Assembly welcomed the official launching of the Global Trade Point Network. By electronically interconnecting trade points worldwide, it would allow member countries to trade more efficiently and assist those that had so far remained at the fringe of international trade to participate in a profitable way.

The Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development was invited (49/102) to elaborate a programme for improving the efficiency of the current transit environment in the newly independent and developing land-locked States in Central Asia and their transit developing neighbours, and to make a comprehensive analysis and study of the transit system for Central Asian countries.

The UN system was invited (49/106) to continue its support for the efforts of economies in transition and was called upon to continue studying possible ways of enhancing economic and technical cooperation among themselves, as well as with developing countries.

Agricultural development, commodities

The Assembly urged (49/103) countries to create a more open agricultural trading system that would stimulate food production and productivity in developing countries. Special importance was attached to the assistance to developing countries from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN on policy transformation and technical assistance in light of the Final Act of the Uruguay Round.

The UN, multilateral financial institutions and non-governmental organizations were urged to strengthen efforts towards a comprehensive assessment of freshwater resources and to assist interested developing countries in the formulation and implementation of national water policies and strategies.

The Assembly emphasized (49/104) the need for developing countries heavily dependent on primary commodities to continue to promote a domestic policy and an institutional environment that encouraged diversification and enhanced competitiveness. It also noted the need expressed in particular by the commodity-dependent developing countries for stable, more predictable commodity prices.

Industrial development cooperation

The Assembly asked (49/107) the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) to give full assistance to improving the competitiveness of the industrial sector in Africa and formulating measures to improve it, in the light of the conclusion of the Uruguay Round, and to provide support to mobilize resources and promote foreign direct investment there.

The Economic Commission for Africa and the Organization of African Unity were called upon to facilitate cooperation with UNIDO in order to provide support to improving African industrial cooperation and integrating the African Economic Community into the industrial sphere.

The Assembly stressed (49/108) the importance of industrial development cooperation and a positive investment and business climate in promoting the expansion, diversification and modernization of productive capacities in developing countries. The UN system, in particular UNIDO, was invited to contribute to achieving the aims and action programmes adopted by the June 1992 UN Conference on environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro and the Cairo Population Conference.

Environment and sustainable development

In considering issues related to environment and sustainable development, the Second Committee focused for the most part on reaffirming commitments agreed upon at UNCED.

The Assembly urged (49/234) States that had not done so to sign the UN Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa. The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee was to identify an organization to house the global mechanism for mobilizing financial resources. The Assembly also proclaimed 17 June--the date the Convention was adopted in 1994--as World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.

Welcoming the entry into force on 21 March 1994 of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Assembly urged (49/120) the completion of a plan of preparatory work for the first session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention. It also proclaimed (49/114) 16 September as the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, beginning in 1995.

The Assembly also requested (49/122) the establishment of a clearly identifiable entity within the Department of Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development to implement the Programme of Action adopted by the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States.

It welcomed (49/117) the entry into force of the Convention on Biological Diversity and called on States to expedite ratification, acceptance or approval. It also proclaimed (49/119) 29 December--the date of entry into force of the Convention--as the International Day for Biological Diversity.

In other action, the Assembly encouraged (49/112) Governments and the UN system to take part in the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Programme initiated by the United States. It also called for (49/116) measures to ensure that no vessels undertook unauthorized fishing in zones of national jurisdiction, and invited (49/118) the UN Conference on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks, which is to meet twice in 1995, to elaborate fisheries bycatch and discard provisions.

Other action

In connection with the World Decade for Cultural Development (1988-1997), the Assembly urged (49/105) finding appropriate ways to integrate cultural factors into all endeavours aimed at social and economic development, and to promote intercultural understanding and appreciation. Regional commissions were to consider undertaking a study of the cultural factors influencing development as a potential creator of jobs and generator of income.

The Assembly approved (49/109) the recommendation of the Preparatory Committee for the UN Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II)--scheduled in Istanbul from 3 to 14 June 1996--on holding a third substantive session in New York early in 1996 to complete its work on the draft statement of principles and commitments, and on the draft global plan of action, which was to be structured around the Conference's two main themes: "Adequate shelter for all" and "Sustainable human settlements development in an urbanizing world".

The Assembly noted the Secretary-General's call to give the Conference the dimensions of a "city summit", and reaffirmed its decision that the Conference should be held at the highest possible level of participation.

The Assembly stressed (49/110) that an in-depth and complete study of the nature, causes and consequences of all types of poverty in developing countries was necessary within the framework of the 1996 International Year for the Eradication of Poverty, building on the results of the 1995 World Summit for Social Development. The Secretary-General was asked to elaborate at an early date the Year's draft programme.

The Assembly affirmed (49/123) that the Human Development Report, issued annually by the UN Development Programme, was a separate and distinct exercise which was not an official UN document. It recalled that the policies governing the operational activities for development of the UN system would continue to be set by Member States.

The Assembly asked (49/124) the United Nations University's Council and Rector to take further steps to strengthen its links with Member States, the UN and its agencies, and enhance the dissemination of its work.

The Assembly urged (49/125) Member States to make voluntary contributions to the restructured UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), in particular to its General Fund, so as to assure its viability and the further development of its training programmes.

In other action, the Assembly:

* Proclaimed 1998 as the International Year of the Ocean (49/131);

* Recognized 1995 as the year commemorating the millennium of the Kyrgyz national epic Manas (49/129);

* Decided that the Commission on Transnational Corporations should become a Commission of the Trade and Development Board and be renamed Commission on International Investment and Transnational Corporations (49/130);

* Added Angola and Eritrea to, and removed Botswana from, the list of LDCs (49/133);

* Endorsed the new Global Malaria Control Strategy of the World Health Organization, which aims to prevent mortality and reduce morbidity, as well as social and economic losses, due to malaria (49/135).

* Decided to resume its fiftieth session in March-April 1996 in order to examine the question of "Public administration and development", exchange experiences, review the UN's activities in that field and make recommendations, as appropriate (49/136).