Asian transport decade, crisis in Africa among topics of Economic and Social Council.

The Economic and Social Council at its 1984 summer session recommended proclamation of a new international decade on transport and communications in Asia and the Pacific (1985-1994), considered consumer protection guidelines and reviewed plans for the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless (1987).

It also discussed activities of transnational corporations in southern Africa, and matters related to Palestinian issues.

It was unable to reach a consensus with regard to a planned declaration on the critical economic situation in Africa and decided unanimously to ask the thirty-ninth General Assembly to consider the subject in plenary.

The Council's second regular session (4-27 July, Geneva), which adopted 64 resolutions and decisions, was devoted primarily to the "alarming" deterioration of conditions in Africa and to a review of world economic trends and policies. Its first session (April/May, New York) had mainly reviewed social and human rights issues.

Summing up the overall results of the July session, Council President Karl Fischer (Austria) stated there had been a convergence of views on several issues. The Council, he said, had "stressed the need for Member States to take concerted action in addressing the current world economic and social situation, in particular the persisting critical situation in developing countries".

The importance of international trade for developing the world economy and the need to improve and strengthen the international trading system was also emphasized, he said. The Council considered that the "continuously high or even further growing levels of interest rate would exacerbate the problems of debtor countries", he added.

The Council stated that efforts should be intensified to increase flows of official development assistance (ODA). It had drawn particular attention to the need to mobilize an additional $3 billion in supplementary funding for the International Development Association, and for a substantial and timely replenishment of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), he added.

The Council was convinced, said the President, that in order to give effective support to the development efforts of the developing countries whose underlying growth potential remained under-utilized, it was essential to strengthen the resources of international financial institutions. Appropriate domestic, fiscal, monetary, financial and investment policies of developed and developing countries were called for. The Council recognized the need for higher and stable rates of growth for both developed and developign countries in order to meet the increasing needs of the world and to make economic interdependence more beneficial and more equitable for all.

The World Economic Survey (E/1984/62), the traditional focus of the Council's debate on international economic and social policy, reported that the economic situation in much of the developing world remained "deeply troubling". The Council noted the Survey, the Secretary-General's reports on implementation of the Charter of Economic Rights and Duties of States (A/39/332-E/1984/105) and on confidence-building measures in international economic relations (E/1984/106 and Corr. 1 and Add. 1), and summaries of economic surveys from the regional commissions.

General debate: Representatives of developing countries emphasized the severity of problems, both social and economic, caused by the failure of the economic recovery in developed countries to "trickle down". Most insisted that the recovery would not reach them unless there were fundamental changes in international economic relations. They also stressed the need for special measures to assist them in overcoming the effects of problems caused by events and policies in developed countries which were outside their control.

Third world representatives called for immediate action to deal with crises such as food shortages. They appealed for more political will to rebuild the bridges of North-South dialogue, and co-operation in establishing the new international economic order. While economic co-operation among developing countries was essential, they stated, it was not a substitute for North-South co-operation. Several representatives drew attention to the critical economic and social situation in Africa and called for concerted international action in the short-, medium- and long-terms to assist African countries hit by drought and economic disintegration.

They called for urgent action to alleviate the debt burden of developing countries and placed particular emphasis on measures to liberalize world trade, to reduce protectionism and to increase imports from developing countries.

Other countries felt that the economic recovery in the United States, which began in 1983, seemed to be a lasting phenomenon. The recovery was spreading to other developed countries, although at an unequal pace, while most of the developing countries were still in the grip of economic stagnation.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF), they said, was placing necessary conditions on its loans to developing countries, although some debtor countries found the conditions too onerous. They agreed that the IMF should try to strike a balance, so that the conditions imposed by it did not inhibit the economic and social development of borrowing nations, which were already under heavy strains. They emphasized the need to sustain a recovery in commercial activity and world trade at a pace at least equal to the speed of economic recovery.

Representatives from socialist States emphasized the damaging role played by capitalist circles. Heightened tensions in international relations, discrimination in trade and attempts at using punitive economic measures to put pressure on other nations by the capitalist countries were undermining international co-operation.

Those countries also emphasized the need to establish a new international economic order, and to reduce protectionism as well as the debt burden on developing countries.

Regional co-operation: Nineteen texts concerning United Nations programmes in the area of regional co-operation were approved, many concerning the problems of Africa.

Regarding implementation of the programme for the Industrial Development Decade for Africa (the 1980s), the Council reiterated that priority must be accorded to developing strategic core industries that provide input for the producing and processing of natural resources, especially food and agricultural products. It expressed appreciation to the Assembly for deciding to increase the allocation to the United Nations Industrial Development Organization from the United Nations regular budget by $1 million in 1984 for assistance to African countries (1984/70).

The Council also urged the Assembly to consider including the United Republic of Tanzania within the terms of reference of the United Nations Sudano-Sahelian Office and expanding the scope of the Office to enable it to assist the States members of the Southern African Development Co-ordination Conference in combating desertification and drought (1984/72).

In a resolution on the proposed Europe-Africa permanent link through the Strait of Gibraltar (1984/75), the Council asked the Executive Secretaries of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the Economic Commission for Europe to submit an interim report in 1985 on progress made regarding studies on this project.

Other texts dealing with Africa concerned: the Transport and Communications Decade in Africa (1978-1988) (1984/68), water resource development (1984/73), plans for a remote-sensing programme for the continent (1984/69), strengthening the role of ECA (1984/74) and extending its mandate in the field of youth (1984/71), the Fifth Pledging Conference for the United Nations Trust Fund for African Development (1984/76), and the African Training and Research Centre for Women (1984/77).

The Council, by a roll-call vote of 32 in favour to 9 against, with 7 abstentions, accepted Guinea's invitation to host meetings of the ECA and its Conference of Ministers at Conakry in April 1985 (1984/183).

The Council also decided to change the name of the Economic Commission for Latin America to the "Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean" and it noted the Commission's decision to admit the British Virgin Islands and the United States Virgin Islands as associate members (1984/67). The terms of reference of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific were amended to take note of the membership of Vanuatu (1984/66).

Transport: The Council recommended that the General Assembly proclaim a Transport and Communications Decade for Asia and the Pacific during the period 1985-1994 (1984/78) and urged all relevant international organizations, particularly the United Nations Development Programme, to contribute effectively to implementing the Decade's regional action programme. It asked the Secretary-General to extend, within existing resources, all necessary facilities and to support the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and the Economic Commission for Western Asia in elaborating a regional action programme.

Taking into account the need for a system of customs transit applicable world-wide, the Council recommended that Governments which had not yet done so consider accepting the 1975 Customs Convention on the International Transport of Goods under Cover of TIR Carnets and should consequently introduce the TIR system in their national legislation and regulations (1984/79). (The TIR system provides for transport of goods by road in sealed vehicles across one or more frontiers from a Customs office of departure to a Customs office of destination. Such goods are not normally subjected to examination or to payment of duties and taxes at Customs offices en route). The Secretary-General was invited to reallocate available resources with a view to promoting the world-wide application of the Convention.

Special relief aid: The Council expressed concern at the cumulative effect of the severe constraints on the economic development of Kiribati and Tuvalu (1984/58), particularly those resulting from their geographical isolation and their unavoidable dependence on imports, and asked the Committee for Development Planning to consider including these countries on the list of the least developed countries. The Secretary-General was requested to report to the Council in 1985 on their priority needs and assistance required from the international community.

The Council confirmed the urgent need for international action to assist Guinea (1984/59) in its national reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts and appealed to Member States, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and international financial institutions to contribute generously to this effort. The Secretary-General was invited, after consultation with Guinea, to report on proposed action to provide the necessary aid to that nation.

The Council noted "with profound satisfaction" the Secretary-General's report on activities of the Office of the United Nations Disaster Relief Co-ordinator (UNDRO) (1984/60) and his report on strengthening the capacity of the United Nations system to respond to natural disasters and other disaster situations. It emphasized the essential need for UNDRO's work to be kept on a sound financial basis, and appealed to the international community to contribute to the Trust Fund for General Disaster Relief or to UNDRO's Trust Fund.

Other decisions related to assistance for the reconstruction and development of Lebanon (1984/174), and a proposed draft convention on expediting the delivery of emergency relief, implementation of the medium-term and long-term recovery and rehabilitation programme in the Sudano-Sahelian region, and the special economic assistance programme for Swaziland (1984/175).

Environment: Regarding implementation of the Plan of Action to Combat Desertification approved by the General Assembly in 1977, the Council expressed deep concern that desertification had continued to spread and intensify in developing countries, particularly in Africa (1984/65). It urged governments of countries prone to or suffering from desertification to give priority to establishing national programmes to combat it, and urged Governments and organizations to strengthen their financial and technical support to the Sudano-Sahelian countries to assist them in implementing the Plan of Action.

Consumer protection: The Council noted discussions held on consumer protection in 1984 (1984/63) and agreed to transmit to the Assembly for consideration, with a view to their adoption, draft guidelines on the subject and the comments of States thereon.

H uman settlements: The Council approved without a vote a two-part resolution dealing with the report of the Commission on Human Settlements and the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless (1987) (1984/57). It reaffirmed its conviction that human settlements activities could play a major role in national economic and social development, particularly in the developing countries.

It noted the strong support the proclamation of a Year for the Homeless had received from Governments and from intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations throughout the world, and urged those Governments that had not yet done so to announce their voluntary contributions as soon as possible and appealed to those which had already made pledges to consider increasing, if possible, the amount of such pledges.

Transnational corporations (TNCs): Two resolutions relating to the activities of TNCs in South Africa and Namibia were approved. By the first (1984/52), the Council decided that the Ad Hoc Committee on the Preparations for the Public Hearings on the Activities of TN Cs in South Africa and Namibia should start work no later than 1 August 1984. The roll-call vote approving the resolution was 23 votes in favour to none against, with 14 abstentions.

By the second (1984/53) the Council condemned those transnational corporations that collaborated with the racist minority regime of South Africa. It called upon all home countries of TNCs to take effective measures to terminate the collaboration of their transnational corporations with that regime, and to bring about an immediate withdrawal of all existing investments in South Africa and Namibia. The roll-call vote was 26 in favour to 3 against (Federal Republic of Germany, United Kingdom, United States) with 11 abstentions.

Southern Africa, Palestinian issues:

In connection with southern Africa, the Souncil requested specialized agencies and other organizations within the United Nations system, to render, in consultation with the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and the United Nations Council for Namibia, increased assistance to the people of Namibia, in particular in connection with the Nationhood Programme for Namibia (1984/55). It deeply deplored the persistent collaboration of the IMF with South Africa, in disregard of repeated General Assembly resolutions to the contrary, and urgently called on the Fund to end such collaboration.

Executive heads of specialized agencies and other United Nations organizations were urged to formulate concrete proposals for full implementation of relevant United Nations decisions, with the active co-operation of the OAU, and to submit them to their governing and legislative organs.

On Palestinian issues, the Council noted the Secretary-General's reports on living conditions of the Palestinian people in occupied Palestinian territories (decision 1984/173)) and on permanent sovereignty over national resources in the occupied Palestinian and other Arab territories (decision 1984/81) and transmitted them both to the 1984 Assembly for consideration.

It also requested the competent programmes, organizations, agencies and organs of the United Nations system to intensify their efforts, in co-operation with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), to provide economic and social assistance to the Palestinian people (1984/56).

Food: The Council approved without a vote a resolution (1984/54) recommending that the General Assembly should mark appropriately the tenth anniversary of the World Food Conference (November 1974, Rome), taking into account the 10-year assessment of the world food economy provided by the World Food Council.

The Council also invited the director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to submit the report of the World Conference on Fisheries Management and Development, convened at Rome from 27 June to 6 July 1984, to the General Assembly (1984/164).

Science and technology: The Council without a vote requested United Nations organs and organizations to consider ways to enhance co-ordination of their medium-term plans and programme budgets in the field of science and technology for development and to give special consideration to the guidelines of the Vienna Programme of Action on Science and Technology for Development and its operational plan and to resolutions of the Intergovernmental Committee on Science and Technology for Development (1984/168).

Fortieth anniversary: The Council approved without a vote a resolution (1984/82) in which it decided that, in order for the economic and social sectors of the United Nations system to contribute effective to the observance of the fortieth anniversary of the United Nations, the Council's second regular session of 1985 should devote special attention to assessing the role of the United Nations in promoting international economic and social co-operation and to considering ways of strengthening the role of the Organization and further enhancing its effectiveness. The Council invited the competent intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Council to develop appropriate activities in support of the anniversary.

Council revitalization: The Council noted the oral report by the Council President on consultations held on the question of Council revitalization (1984/177). It had been stressed, he said, that true revitalization, leading to progress on substantive issues on the Council's agenda, would require first and foremost the necessary political will on the part of Member States. The Council's work would have to the focused more clearly on a few major themes of interest to all regions, and on problems of a cross-sectoral or interdisciplinary nature. It had also been suggested that the social dimension of development should receive increased attention.

Other matters: The Council noted the oral report of the Chairman of the Committee on the Review and Appraisal of the Implementation of the International Development Strategy for the Third United Nations Development Decade (1981-1990) on the Committee's work, and endorsed arrangements for its completion (1984/159). All Governments were invited to make every effort to ensure the successful conclusion of those efforts.

The Council also noted reports of the Secretary-General on the review and appraisal of the Third Development Decade's Strategy, and on the social aspects of development (1984/160) (see UN Chronicle 1984, No. 4).

The Council approved by roll-call vote, 39 in favour to 1 against (United States), with 8 absentions, resolution 1984/64 by which it recommended that the Assembly should commemorate in a suitable and appropriate manner the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the Charter of Economic Rights and Duties of States at a plenary meeting on 12 December 1984.

The Committee made changes in the scheduling of sessions for the Committee on Development Planning, deciding to advance a planned 1985 session to late 1984 (1984/83). The resolution was approved by 32 votes in favour to 1 against (United States), with 11 abstentions.

The Council noted the report of the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination (CPC) on the work of its twenty-fourt session and endorsed its conclusions and recommendations (1984/61).

The Council also dealt with such matters as agrarian reform and rural development (1984/166), participation of the Intergovernmental Bureau for Informatics in the Council's work (1984/158), rescheduling of the sessions of the Trade and Development Board (1984/161), proposed revisions to the medium-term plan for the period 1984-1989 (1984/172), elections and nominations for some of the Council's subsidiary bodies (1984/180), various aspects of regional and interregional co-operation (1984/184) and promotion of interregional economic and technical co-operation among developing countries (1984/185), and the World Health Organization's Global Strategy for Health for All by the Year 2000 (1984/175).