Five priority areas highlighted in report on Africa crisis.Five priority areas highlighted in report on Africa crisis Five priority areas for national and international action are highlighted in a 53-page report of the Secretary-General on the critical economic situation in Africa (A/S-13/2) placed before the General Assembly's thirteenth special session. The priority areas include: national and collective self-sufficiency in food production and agricultural development in general; efforts to meet drought and desertification desertification Spread of a desert environment into arid or semiarid regions, caused by climatic changes, human influence, or both. Climatic factors include periods of temporary but severe drought and long-term climatic changes toward dryness. ; rehabilitation rehabilitation: see physical therapy. and development of transport and other structures; development of human resources The fancy word for "people." The human resources department within an organization, years ago known as the "personnel department," manages the administrative aspects of the employees. and social services social services Noun, pl welfare services provided by local authorities or a state agency for people with particular social needs social services npl → servicios mpl sociales , with attention to the role of women and the need to protect vulnerable groups; and external financial resources and the problem of external debt. The report states that droughts and famines suffered by many African countries from 1983 through 1985 attracted the world's attention to the plight of Africa. Emergency aid and good rains brought some relief, and although the food situation remains "precarious' and in some areas "quite serious', the immediate threat of mass starvation has subsided. However, many countries of the cantinent "find themselves crippled by the inability to maintain even minimal levels of imports of the foreign inputs on which their economic structures depend'. Their financial situations have deteriorated sharply and suddenly in the 1980s, the report states, citing steeply rising debt service, depressed commodity prices and flagging flows of capital and credit as contributing to reduce foreign exchange supplies. "The task is not merely one of rehabilitation and restoration of the conditions prevailing before the recent emergency', the report stresses. "Even then, it was clear that African development was not going well.' Food production per capita [Latin, By the heads or polls.] A term used in the Descent and Distribution of the estate of one who dies without a will. It means to share and share alike according to the number of individuals. in sub-Saharan Africa has been declining since the early 1960s, and in the poorest countries gross domestic product (GDP GDP (guanosine diphosphate): see guanine. ) per capita fell throughout the 1970s. "For the continent as a whole, the 1980s has been a period of sharp setback, but this has only accentuated an ominous trend of long-term decline. If this rend rend v. rent or rend·ed, rend·ing, rends v.tr. 1. To tear or split apart or into pieces violently. See Synonyms at tear1. 2. were to continue, new food crises must be expected to recur with increasing frequency and Africa would be caught in a vicious circle A Vicious Circle (1996) is a novel by Amanda Craig which dissects and satirizes contemporary British society. In particular, it describes the world of publishing -- its aspiring young authors, busy agents and opportunist literary critics. of underdevelopment underdevelopment an error in x-ray film developing procedure. Causes the production of a flat film with poor contrast; the unexposed background is gray instead of black. .' The report states that the economic situation is sufficiently critical to summon a special session of the General Assembly "not only because the present situation is one of acute distress but because the future development of the continent is at stake'. Measures taken to address the current crisis must support long-term development prospects of African countries. Food Agriculture accounts for most of total output, employment and general livelihood in Africa, the report states. Increased attention to agriculture is an indispensable part of a broader strategy for African recovery, with emphasis on improvement in rural areas and addressing the socio-economic dualism dualism, any philosophical system that seeks to explain all phenomena in terms of two distinct and irreducible principles. It is opposed to monism and pluralism. In Plato's philosophy there is an ultimate dualism of being and becoming, of ideas and matter. of many African countries. Years of bias against traditional food products, better suited to withstand the African climate than imported crops, have contributed to the increasing dependence of Africa on food imports. Vital imports of fertilizer and other agricultural inputs, spare parts Spare parts, also referred to as Service Parts is a term used to indicate extra parts available and in proximity to the mechanical item, such as a automobile, boat, engine, for which they might be used. Spare parts are also called “spares. and raw materials have been squeezed between declining export revenue, debt-servicing obligations and essential imports, including food. The task of moving agriculture in Africa to higher levels of output and productivity must obviously be approached on a broad front, starting with measures of high potential return in these areas: preparedness and early warning; public expenditure; economic policies and incentives; increased use of inputs; animal disease control; water management; research; and trade in agricultural products. Environment The recent drought has revealed the greatly increased vulnerability of Africa, the report says. The estimated 35 million human lives at risk in 1984/1985 were more than twice as many as in the period 1968-1973. Efforts to reduce this vulnerability must in the short run be based on food strategies, and in the long run on a more sustainable natural resource use, enhanced environmental management and population policies. Vigorous efforts to combat desertification must be undertaken in regional co-operation. Many of Africa's soils are not very fertile. Africa is also one of the driest continents of the world. Some 60 per cent of the land area is classified as arid or semi-arid. The small farmer or herder is the dominant user of African land and water supplies, and the pressure on those supplies is intense. Devegetation has accelerated during the last two decades because of the increased human and animal pressure and the recurrence of drought. The report lists measures of special importance to protect the environment, among them, popular participation, including the involvement of women, and co-operation among African countries. In arid and semi-arid zones tree planting in the form of shelter-belts and wind-breaks and for sand dune sand dune Hill, mound, or ridge of windblown sand or other loose material such as clay particles. Dunes are commonly associated with desert regions and seacoasts, and there are large areas of dunes in nonglacial parts of Antarctica. fixation can considerably halt desertification processes. Infrastructure Restoration of transportation infrastructure has been accorded particularly high priority by the large majority of African countries and deserves special attention, the report says. The energy situation in African countries is of great concern, affecting as it does both the traditional and the modern sectors. Except for mining, industry is still a relatively small sector in Africa, but it is essential for the supply of many agricultural inputs and to the long-run diversification of African economies. The problem of maintaining infrastructure is acute in most of Africa and deterioration of roads is particularly serious. Many African States are unable to mobilize finances to maintain and overhaul their infrastructures. Some railways should be totally rebuilt; telecommunications networks A telecommunications network is a of telecommunications links and nodes arranged so that messages may be passed from one part of the network to another over multiple links and through various nodes. should be rehabilitated. Construction and maintenance of infrastructures in Africa are highly capital-intensive. The great effort to promote investment in infrastructure has not had as favourable an effect on national economies as it could have. Inadequate co-ordination between modes of transport is also a weakness. Advantages of using containers have not been maximized. Human resources Any programme of economic recovery in Africa must include a strong and clearly defined programme for human recovery, without which it will surely fail. Even in countries with very low per capita income Noun 1. per capita income - the total national income divided by the number of people in the nation income - the financial gain (earned or unearned) accruing over a given period of time , basic services basic services, n.pl frequently insurance companies split dental procedures into basic and major categories. Basic services usually consist of diagnostic, preventive, and routine restorative dental services. can be provided to all when appropriate national policies and priorities are pursued and resources used efficiently. Policies must be instituted to meet the food needs of those most at risk. In the health field, priorities include achievement of the goal of immunizing all children against common preventable diseases by 1990 and promotion of the oral rehydration therapy oral rehydration therapy n. Treatment for diarrhea-related dehydration in which an electrolyte solution containing fluids and vital ions is administered. to combat dehydration dehydration Method of food preservation in which moisture (primarily water) is removed. Dehydration inhibits the growth of microorganisms and often reduces the bulk of food. caused by diarrhoea, the biggest single killer of African children. Governments and international donors must increase the allocation of resources allocation of resources Apportionment of productive assets among different uses. The issue of resource allocation arises as societies seek to balance limited resources (capital, labour, land) against the various and often unlimited wants of their members. to water and sanitation. Communities must be involved in planning local systems of water supply and in their operation and maintenance. Highest priority must be assigned to training in the rural sector in support of agricultural and non-agricultural activities. In the industrial sector, supervisory and managerial training for public enterprises and small businesses is needed. A closer relationship should be forged between development and manpower planning to redirect education and training programmes. The creation of productive employment should be an explicit goal, supported by sectoral policies and training. Women's training in a wide variety of skills needs specific emphasis in the light of their central role in agriculture and food processing Food processing is the set of methods and techniques used to transform raw ingredients into food for consumption by humans or animals. The food processing industry utilises these processes. , and in ensuring health and nutrition at the household level. Education must be relevant to people's need and circumstances. External resources Referring to external resource needs, the report says that African Governments are engaged in or considering policy changes of a fundamental nature, including exchange rate adjustments, fiscal and monetary reform, nationalization nationalization, acquisition and operation by a country of business enterprises formerly owned and operated by private individuals or corporations. State or local authorities have traditionally taken private property for such public purposes as the construction of of public enterprise and population policies. External resources will also be needed. Foreign aid does not by itself produce development, and "inappropriate aid' has often been provided. Great improvements are needed in both aid practices and co-ordination. Measures to improve and strengthen existing arrangements should take into account the central responsibility of African Governments, mutual commitment to concerted action, mutual discipline to enforce agreed commitments, monitoring, and assembling and sharing information. |
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