Wide-ranging agenda item on development and international co-operation discussed in Second Committee.

Wide-ranging agenda item on development and international co-operation discussed in Second Committee

The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) in October began consideration of its most comprehensive agenda item--"Development and international economic co-operation' --reviewing nine specific subjects.

Those were: implementation of the International Development Strategy for the Third United Nations Development Decade; review of implementation of the Charter of Economic Rights and Duties of States; science and technology for development; environment; human settlements; International Year of Shelter for the Homeless (1987); women in development; new international human order; and long-term trends in economic development.

In the discussion, most countries expressed appreciation for the consensus achieved by the Committee on the Review and Appraisal of the Implementation of the International Development Strategy for the Third United Nations Development Decade. The adoption of its agreed conclusions had made it possible to reaffirm commitments made five years ago, Luxembourg, on behalf of the European Economic Community, stated.

Some countries, however, felt that the consensus was only a first step. Some had sought to achieve consensus "by presenting ultimatums' said the Soviet Union. In that sense the results of the Strategy review had reflected the "negative state of affairs in the North-South dialogue'.

Regarding the review of the Charter of Economic Rights and Duties of States, some countries regretted the "boycctting' by some developed countries of the Ad Hoc Committee dealing with that subject. That had "hardly contributed to multilateral co-operation, let alone to a revival of the dialogue between developed and developing countries', Yugoslavia said, on behalf of the Group of 77. Romania said that major efforts must be made if the Charter was to become a real code of conduct.

Amilcar Ferrari, Executive Director of the United Nations Centre for Science and Technology for Development, said the mid-decade review of implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action conducted by the Intergovernmental Committee on Science and Technology for Development had "addressed itself to possible courses of action in the context of rapid advances in science and technology and of changing economic conditions'.

That Committee had asked for a study on emerging trends in science and technology, their impact on the development of developing countries and how they could be assimilated in the development process. Concern was expressed over the widening gap between developed and developing countries in the area of science and technology, and the failure to implement long-term arrangements for the United Nations Financing System for Science and Technology for Development. Indonesia said that "the prospect of a liquidation of the current financing system if contributions were insufficient' was worrisome.

Mostafa K. Tolba, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), said that the famine-causing drought in Africa showed that 10 years of effort had failed to stop the destruction of the vegetation cover, the soil and other components of Africa's food producing system. Underlying the food crisis was an environmental crisis; Africa was only the most striking example of a "world-wide environment crisis'.

Threats hanging over both poor and rich countries were scarcely less insidious, said Mr. Tolba, citing the buildup of carbon dioxide and trace gases in the atmosphere, depletion of the ozone layer, mismanagement of agricultural chemicals, indiscriminate disposal of hazardous wastes, acid rain and the danger of nuclear war. A 1981 UNEP/FAO survey had found that tropical forests were "vanishing at a yearly rate of more than 11 million hectares'. The world had 20 years, perhaps less, to stop that destruction, Mr. Tolba warned.

The work of UNEP was commended by many countries. Calls were made for support for activities to combat desertification and drought through the Plan of Action to Combat Desertification and the United Nations Trust Fund for Sudano-Sahelian Activities.

Arcot Ramachandran, Executive Director of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements, said an "enthusiastic' response had been received to proposals relating to the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless (1987). In most countries, the "human settlements situation was deteriorating in both urban and rural areas'. Given even the most favourable interpretations, "present world shelter trends portended future disaster', and urgent action was required. He appealed for "a major and sustained commitment of financial and technical assistance by the international donor community' to human settlements activities.

Leticia Shahani, Assistant Secretary-General for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs, said the World Survey on the Role of Women in Development (A/CONF.116/4) had reinforced the view that "women's contribution to the development effort was largely underpaid, underestimated and undervalued'. Efforts to promote women's participation in development were "vital to the deeper understanding of the complex forces influencing the global economy and the development of societies'.

The United States said that in many developing countries, women played major roles in sectors where private effort and initiative were vital. They were "the food farmers, the merchants, the shopkeepers--the backbone of the local market economy'. The difficult issue of ingrained cultural traditions which denigrated the role of women should be tackled.

The Philippines wanted the Committee to consider further its proposal for a "new international human order'. It was aimed at promoting international efforts to "enhance the worth of the human being and redefine mankind's values and attitudes on the basis of spiritual and moral precepts'.

Goran Ohlin, Assistant Secretary-General for Development Research and Policy Analysis, said the report on the "Overall socio-economic perspective of the world economy to the year 2000 (A/40/519), "summarized a vast amount of experience and deserved careful attention'. Long-term development prospects were already being shaped by current investment decisions and allocations of resources to military or civilian use. At the same time, uncertainty about the future was "discouraging both the private initiatives and the bold public policies required'.

Poland said international economic co-operation for development could be assessed properly "only from a long-term perspective'. Updated versions of the report should be submitted every five years. Further consideration should be given to interrelationships between debt, monetary and financial issues, and trade. The United Kingdom wondered whether it was necessary "to devote so much time to a study largely based on highly speculative assumptions'.

The report stated that the ambitious economic growth targets set for the three United Nations development decades were assessments of what was necessary to stimulate equitable worldwide development. Experience of the past 25 years had shown that growth rates did not keep up with targets and also fell in absolute terms. The first half of the Third Development Decade had witnessed the longest recession since the Second World War and a limited recovery. The core question for the socio-economic perspective was: would this trend continue or would the world economy at least return to the expansion of the 1960s if not the expectation of the Third International Development Strategy?

Various scenarios for development of the world economy to the end of the century were discussed, and "base-line', "lower-growth' and "higher-growth' projections were analysed.

Among other things, the report predicted that full employment by the year 2000 would be difficult in many developing countries because of: the large number of children who will reach working age between 1985 and 2000; the increasing number of women expected to seek employment; and rural-urban and international migration.

Despite increased school enrolment in developing countries, the outlook for continued improvements in enrolment and literacy, particularly in the least developed countries, was discouraging. Given the relation between education costs and per capita income levels, improvements would depend in part on economic growth.

FAO estimates indicated that the number of undernourished people would reach 590 million by 2000 if present trends continued. However, if the Strategy's targets for growth in agriculture and food production were achieved and appropriate national food policies implemented, the number of undernourished would fall to some 260 million.

A continuation of the relationship between percentages of people with water and sanitation, total investment per capita, population growth and urbanization would leave most developing countries far below the Strategy's 100 per cent goal in the year 2000, even if investment increased.

Crisis in Africa: The plight of the least developed countries was most starkly seen in Africa--the only continent where standards of living had declined during the past decade, continue to decline and were projected to decline to the year 2000. In contrast to other regions, a comparison of higher- and lower-growth scenarios showed relatively little improvement for Africa. Proper domestic policies and international actions were required to put Africa back on the development path. Internationally, action was needed to ensure greater access for African products in industrialized countries, higher and more stable prices for African exports, and a much larger flow of foreign aid on concessionary terms.

Photo: Some of the world's homeless, Bombay, India.