Development strategy for 1990s recommended by Economic and Social Council.

The Economic and Social Council has recommended preparation of a global development strategy for the the last decade of the 20th century, to guide assistance and co-operation measures which aim to narrow the gap between rich and poor nations. The UN Secretary-General was asked to play an "important supportive role" in its elaboration.

The General Assembly later in 1988 is expected to consider a proposal by the "Group of 77" developing nations that a third International Development Strategy be launched at a special session of the General Assembly in 1990 devoted to finding ways to achieve sustained global economic growth.

As with the previous two Strategies, the document would be adopted in conjunction with the observance of an International Development Decade, in this case the fourth, which the Assembly is expected to proclaim for the period 1991 to the year 2000.

Other ways to address the effects of the precarious international economic situation and the continuing debt crisis were also discussed at the Council's second regular session of 1988 (6-29 July, Geneva).

In considering how transnational banks could help alleviate the debt crisis and the potential impact of such measures on the capital accounts of developing countries, the Council urged that the effective repayment capacity of debtor developing countries be considered, allowing for maintenance of satisfactory growth of their economies.

The 54-member body also expressed concern over the relocation of environmentally dangerous operations in developing countries. The environmental impact of international corporate operations in poorer nations, as well as the impact of nuclear wastedumping, were to be studied.

Other issues covered in the 29 resolutions and 21 decisions included: consumer protection, integration of women into the development process, the global strategy to combat AIDS, and assistance programmes for Afghanistan, Lebanon, southern Africa and Palestinians.

The Council also recommended a series of measures aimed at its own "revitalization", so it could truly better co-ordinate activities in its major areas of interest.

Council President Andres Aguilar of Venezuela said the propitious international political climate had contributed to the session's success. There had been a noticeable spirit of co-operation and understanding.

A 'significantly different' document

No official strategy was adopted for the first Development Decade covering the 1960s.The first International Development Strategy was devised for the Second Development Decade (1971-1980); the second for the current Third Development Decade (1981-1990), Both had focused on what the rich nations could do to help poor ones.

The new Strategy should be significantly different" from the current one, which had been "quickly outdated by an unanticipated worsening of the world economy", making many of its targets irrelevant, the SecretaryGeneral reported, The world economic slump of the 1980s proved that problems in industrial market economies did threaten developing countries.

A new document should deal with concerns of both developed and developing nations, the focus remaining on the latter. He recommended concentrating on "a limited set of realistic objectives", and building on sectoral targets and plans already agreed upon, rather than reopening such issues.

The Council acts:

On thc economy

* An updated study on transnational corporate activities in South Africa and Namibia, is asked, focusing on the impact of their disinvestment programmes and the replacement of investment by non-equity links.

* Continuing assessment of longterm trends in economic and social development is called for, as part of the overall socio-economic perspective of the world economy to the year 2000, which the forty-third Assembly will review.

*A study of ways to promote the contribution of national entrepreneurs to the economic development of developing countries is approved.

* Support is given to the third replenishment of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

* Early identification and analysis of world economic developments is asked, for inclusion in the 1989 World Economic Survey.

On the environment

* A study is authorized on illegal traffic in toxic and dangerous products and wastes, including classification of types of such substances.

* Governments are urged to help prepare the draft Global Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes.

* Support for UNEP's Environment Fund, especially from developed nations, is called for.

* Governments should encourage sustainable development in all their economic and sectoral policies, programmes and budgets and reinforce their environmental agencies.

On Africa recovery

* The Assembly is asked to consider declaring the period 1991-2000 as the Second Transport and

Communications Decade in Africa.

* Implementation is urged of objectives of the Khartoum Declaration on a Human-focused Approach to Socio-economic Recovery and Development in Africa, adopted in March 1988.

On disaster relief

* The UN will help countries integrate disaster prevention projects into their national programmes.

On women

* All UN agencies will incorporate policies for the advancement of women in their medium-term plans, programmes and other major policy statements.

* The UN system as a whole will have a medium-term plan for women by 1996-2001.

* The central co-ordinating role of the Commission on the Status of Women within the UN system is reinforced and clarified.

* Women's concerns will be integrated to all UN activities related to the environment, International Literacy Year, refugees in southern Africa, African economic recovery and development, and the preparation of the new International Development Strategy.

* The World Economic Survey will devote a separate section to the situation of women.

Dumping poison

An increasing number of developing countries are being used as dumping places for toxic substances and products ranging from mercurycontainin g soap to dioxincontaminated fly ash from municipal waste incinerators.

Most of the toxic and dangerous products and wastes come from developed countries.

A preliminary report to the Council predicts that the dumping will intensify as stricter environmental standards make it harder to sell or dispose of those products and wastes in developed countries.

Toxic pesticides are being advertised in third world countries as being safe to human health and the environment.

Pesticide containers surveyed in Ecuador, Indonesia, the Philippines,Papua New Guinea, the Sudan, and Thailand lacked information on protective clothing and safe container disposal. Labels were often not written in the local languages. Fatal poisonings have occurred when the containers have been reused for food.

A global convention on the control of the transboundary movements of hazardous wastes is urgently needed to address these problems, concludes the report. The draft is currently being negotiated under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Commercial banks asked to cut debt

A cal for a "once-and-for-all" reduction of at least 30 per cent of debt owed to commercial banks by the most heavily indebted developing countries has been proposed by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

The proposal is contained in the Conference's 313 page Trade and Development Report 1988, released on 2 September Since the debt crisis began in 1982, the situation of fifteen main debtor countries vis-avis commercial banks has not improved, it states. Only a substantial reduction in that debt is

likely to provide the basis for longer-term growth. A continuation of the "status quo", according to the report, "implies an eventual breakdown in debtor-creditor relations".

The 15 countries are: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cote d'Ivoire, Ecuador, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Yugoslavia. Together they owe some $300 billion to commercial banks of a total of $500 billion owed by developing countries as a whole.

In a resolution adopted at its thirty-fifth session (Geneva, 5 October) the Trade and Development Board of UNCTAD had expressed concern at the serious problems faced by many developing countries in reconciling debt service obligations with the requirements of development and growth and the need to protect the poorest and most vulnerable sections of the population.

The Governments of lender countries represented in the "Paris Club" were urged to improve the process of rescheduling debts by taking into account policies and programmes oriented towards development and adjustment with growth formulated by each country concerned.