Post on 27-Sep-2020
Economic and social questions
Chapter I
Development and international economic and social policy
The discouraging world economic s i tuat ion–
sluggish growth, accelerating inflation, world
trade s low-down, worsening current-account
balances and higher energy pr ices–cont inued
t o o c c u p y a m a j o r p a r t o f t h e a t t e n t i o n o f
United Nations bodies during 1981.
L i t t l e p r o g r e s s w a s r e c o r d e d t o w a r d s t h e
launching of global negotiations on international
economic co-operation for development, origi-
nally scheduled to commence in 1980 (p. 378).
Accordingly, the General Assembly decided to
leave the item open to allow informal consulta-
tions to continue on the form the negotiations
should take. Technical work was under way to
promote greater economic co-operation among
developing countries, including preliminary con-
sideration of a global system of trade preferences
among them (p. 382).
The special concern the Organizat ion had
shown for more than two decades for the poorest
of the world’s poor was further demonstrated
at the United Nations Conference on the LeastDeveloped Countries (Paris, 1-14 September
1981).( 3 )
The Conference adopted the second
p h a s e – t h e S u b s t a n t i a l N e w P r o g r a m m e o f
Act ion for the 1980s–of the Comprehensive
New Programme of Action for these countries,
inaugurated in 1979 by the United Nations Con-
ference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
The Substantial New Programme was designed
to transform the economies of these countries
and enable them to achieve internationally ac-
cepted minimum standards of nutrition, health,
housing and education as well as job opportuni-
ties for all, particularly the rural and urban poor.
In December, the General Assembly endorsed
the Programme, called for its implementation
and arranged for its mid-term review in 1985.(15)
Earlier, the Economic and Social Council ap-
pealed for substantial aid to these countries,( 8 )
added Guinea-Bissau to the United Nations list
of the least developed countries(6)
and decided to
review Togo’s economic situation for its possible
inclusion in the list.(9)
The Assembly also appealed again to donor
nations to assist the land-locked developing coun-
tries build their transport and transit facilities(13)
and made a further request for contributions to
the United Nations Special Fund for Land-locked
Developing Countries, managed by the United
Nations Development Programme.(16)
Reiterating the need to strengthen economic
co-operation for development within the United
Nations system, the Economic and Social Coun-
ci l cal led for the Internat ional Development
Strategy for the Third United Nations Develop-
men t Decade , adop ted by the Assembly in
1980,(12)
to be applied in the work programmes
of United Nations organizations.(11)
The first of a new series of annual reports on the
world economic situation–the Trade and Develop-
ment Report, 1981 –was issued by UNCTAD.( 2 )
Another report , the World Economic Survey
1980-1981, (1)
was a background document for the
annual discussion in the Economic and Social
Council on international economic and social
policy, with special emphasis on current trends
(p. 384). A third assessment of current trends and
prospects for the 1980s was prepared by the Com-
mit tee for Development Planning, a s tanding
body of experts appointed by the Council.(4)
The
Council also considered a preliminary draft of a
report on long-term trends, offer ing a socio-
economic perspective of the world economy to the
year 2000 p. 388).
Several broad areas of economic and social de-
velopment were the object of special United
Nations studies. Following preliminary action
by the Council in July (10)
the General Assembly
called in December( 1 4 )
for implementation of anew United Nations work programme to study
the interrelationships between resources, envi-
ronment, people and development. The Council
also requested high priority for United Nations
s tud i e s on t he ro l e o f t he pub l i c s ec to r i n
economic development.(7)
Reports were submit-
ted on a unified approach to development analy-
s i s a n d p l a n n i n g , c o m b i n i n g e c o n o m i c a n d
social elements (p. 395). The Council called on
Governments to give special attention to increas-
ing the social impact of rural development poli-
cies,(5)
and arranged for the continued submis-
sion, every four years, of reports on agrarian
reform and rural development (p. 399). The As-
3 7 8 Economic and social questions
sembly decided to continue a computerized De-
ve lopmen t I n fo rma t ion Sys t em ope ra t ed by
the Information Systems Unit of the United
Nations Secretar ia t ’s Department of Interna-
tional Economic and Social Affairs.(17)
The improvement of development planning
(p. 396) and public administration (p. 398) in de-
veloping countries continued to be a focus of
technical co-operation activities.
Among other broad aspects of development
under consideration in 1981 were development
finance (p. 558), social development (p. 761),
and the relationships between disarmament and
d e v e l o p m e n t ( p . 9 6 ) a n d d e v e l o p m e n t a n d
human rights (p. 973).
P u b l i c a t i o n s : ( 1 )
Wor ld Economic Survey 1980-1981
( E / 1 9 8 1 / 4 2 ) , S a l e s N o . E . 8 1 . I I . C . 2 ; 1 9 8 1 - 1 9 8 2
(E/1982/46), Sales No. E.82.II.C.1. (2)
Trade and Develop-
m e n t R e p o t , 1 9 8 1 ( T D / B / 8 6 3 / R e v . 1 ) , S a l e s N o .
E.81.II.D.9. (3)
Report of the United Nations Conference on
the Least Developed Countries (A/C0NE.104/22/Rev.1),
Sales No. E.82.I.8.
Report: (4)
CDP, E/1981/27.
Resolutions: ESC: (5)
1981/15, 6 May (p 399); (6)
1981/34,
8 May (p. 412); (7)
1981/45, 20 July (p. 394); (8)
1981/46,
20 July (p. 405); (9)
1981/47, 20 July (p. 413);( 1 0 )
1981/51 22 July (p. 392); ( 1 1 )
1981/64, 23 July (p.
381). GA: (12)
35/56, annex, 5 Dec. 1980 (YUN 1980, p.
503); (13)
36/175, 17 Dec. 1981 (p. 414); (14)
36/179 (p.
393), (15)
36/194 (p. 410), (16)
36/195 (p. 416), 17 Dec.;(17)
36/237, 18 Dec. (p. 398).
Other publication: Towards the New International Economic
Order, Sales No. E.82.II.A.7.
Economic co-operation
P r o p o s e d g l o b a l n e g o t i a t i o n s
GE N E R A L AS S E M B L Y C O N S I D E R A T I O N . AS it
had decided in 1980,( 1 1 )
the General Assembly
resumed its thirty-fifth session on 15 January
1981 to consider four agenda items, among them
the launching of global negotiations on interna-
tional economic co-operation for development.
On the same day, the Assembly agreed to an oral
proposal by its President that he pursue consul-
tations on the subject and report on their out-
come at a later date.
At the final meeting of the thirty-fifth session,
on 14 September 1981, the President outlined
work done since October 1980, when an informal
consultative group had been established under
his chairmanship to seek general agreement on
launching the negotiations.( 1 4 )
That group had
ach i eved subs t an t i a l p rog re s s by December
1980, the President said, and he felt that it had
been close to agreement. He had set out the re-
sults in an informal text of 14 December that
dealt with both procedures and agenda for the
negotiations.
A w i d e m e a s u r e o f a g r e e m e n t h a d b e e n
reached, the President stated, on a four-stage
general framework for the negotiations: (1) the
central conference would establish objectives
and provide guidance with respect to the agenda
items; (2) the items would be sent to an existing
specialized forum in the United Nations system
–commodit ies to U N C T A D , for example–or to
an ad hoc group when no such forum existed, as
in the case of energy questions; (3) the outcome
of the second phase would be considered by the
central conference, which would be responsible
for assembling a package for approval by al l
Member States; and (4) the agreements would
be implemented. However, there was disagree-
ment in regard to the third stage, and specifically
as to whether the conference should be able to
change conclusions reached in a special ized
forum such as the International Monetary Fund,
whose procedures and vot ing s t ructures were
m o r e r e s t r i c t e d t h a n t h o s e o f t h e G e n e r a l
Assembly.
R e g a r d i n g t h e a g e n d a , t h e P r e s i d e n t s a i d
t h a t t h e r e w e r e s t i l l d i f f e r e n c e s o v e r t w o
a r e a s – e n e r g y , a n d m o n e y a n d f i n a n c e . T h e
major issue concerning energy was whether pre-
dictabil i ty of supplies and petroleum pricing
should be listed as distinct sub-items. Concern-
ing money and finance, the major question was
how to set out the functioning and reform of the
international monetary and financial system in
all its aspects.
He informed the Assembly that, following an
economic summit meeting of Western industrial
n a t i o n s ( O t t a w a , C a n a d a , 1 9 - 2 1 J u l y ) , t h e
United States had told him that the matter of
global negotiations should not be pursued until
the Assembly’s regular 1981 session. In the con-
viction that full participation in efforts to launch
t h e n e g o t i a t i o n s w a s v i t a l , t h e P r e s i d e n t
proposed–and the Assembly decided without
vote on 14 September–to include the item in
t h e d r a f t a g e n d a o f i t s t h i r t y - s i x t h ( 1 9 8 1 )
session.(12)
S p e a k i n g a f t e r t h e d e c i s i o n , C a n a d a a n d
China expressed regret that no agreement had
been reached on procedures and agenda. How-
ever, these States–together with the United
Kingdom, speaking for the European Communi-
ty (EC) members-generally felt that there had
been a narrowing of differences. Japan urged all
countries to recognize the serious economic and
political impact that might result from failure to
engage in construct ive North-South dialogue
and to adopt a more positive and constructive
attitude towards the negotiations. Norway, on
behalf of the Nordic countries, said they were
ready to accept the texts as they s tood and
hoped all States would join in a consensus. The
Development and international economic and social policy 3 7 9
United States reiterated its view that considera-
t ion of the negotiat ions should be deferred
unt i l af ter the Internat ional Meet ing on Co-
operat ion and Development–a conference of
22 heads of State or Government at Cancún,
Mexico, on 22 and 23 October , focusing on
North-South relationships.
Venezuela expressed the disappointment of
the Group of 77 developing countries that nego-
tiations had not formally commenced. Jordan,
on behalf of the Group of Arab States, termed
the progress meagre.
The readiness of the industr ial ized States
members of the Organisation for Economic Co-
operation and Development (OECD) to conduct
internat ional consultat ions and co-operat ion
with developing countries was affirmed in a com-
muniqué issued by an OECD ministerial meeting
on 16 and 17 June; the communiqué, forwarded
by a 13 July letter from Belgium,(3)
also reviewed
member countries’ economic prospects and poli-
cies, trade problems, the energy situation and
trade relations with developing countries.
A 30 September letter from Venezuela( 5 )
at-
tached the Declaration of the fifth annual meet-
ing of the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the
Group of 77 (New York, 28 and 29 September),
in which the Group expressed regret that a few
developed countries lacked the political will to
undertake without delay measures to achieve
equitable solutions to the world economic crisis
and voiced concern that the launching of the
negotiations continued to be jeopardized mainly
by one country.
The outcome of the Cancun summit confer-
ence was conveyed in a summary by i ts co-
Chairmen, transmitted by a 26 October letter
from Canada and Mexico.( 4 )
With regard to
global negotiations, the summary said the partic-
ipants had confirmed the desirability of support-
ing a consensus to launch them on a basis to be
mutually agreed and in circumstances offering
the prospect of meaningful progress; some coun-
tries had insisted that the competence of the spe-
cialized agencies should not be affected.
The General Assembly resumed consideration
of the subject on 4 and 5 November, hearing
delegations reiterate their views on the substance
and format of the projected negotiations.
Several States pointed to recent international
high-level meetings, part icular ly the Cancún
conference and a meet ing of Commonweal th
heads of Government (Melbourne, Australia, 30
September-7 October),(2)
as reason for optimism
for the launching of the negotiations, although it
was recognized that there had been differences
of approach.
For Japan, a highl ight of Cancún was that
agreement had been reached to continue pre-
paratory negotiat ions for the global round in
New York. Australia suggested that progress in
the preparatory process might be made through
a contact group open to all countries, meeting
c o n c u r r e n t l y w i t h t h e A s s e m b l y ’ s S e c o n d
( E c o n o m i c a n d F i n a n c i a l ) C o m m i t t e e , t h a t
might capture the spirit of the Cancún and Mel-
bourne meet ings–a free-f lowing exchange of
views between developed and developing coun-
tries. The United Kingdom said EC members felt
that concentration on substance could help in
the search for practical solutions; the General
Assembly had a central role to play but the
competence of the specialized agencies should
be respected. Regarding the respective roles of
specialized bodies and the overview mechanism,
Finland and Sweden thought it over-zealous to
try to establish, before the substantive negotia-
tions began, what to do with their results.
Norway said it was important that further ef-
forts at agreement be based on common positions
already establ ished and that preparat ions be
finalized so the negotiations could start at the
beginning of 1982. Austria felt it essential to
arrive at a consensus on basic elements and not
become bogged down in a fut i le search for
detailed and specific guidelines for every stage
of the negotiations. Canada urged States to con-
sider the damage that would be done to the
credibility of the United Nations if the projected
u n d e r t a k i n g c o u l d n o t b e s u c c e s s f u l l y c o n -
cluded.
The United States ci ted i ts leading role in
assistance to and trade with developing coun-
tries, and stressed five objectives for develop-
ment: feeding hungry people, enabling all coun-
tries to strengthen and diversify their economies
through an open world trading system, integrat-
ing developing countries more fully into that
system, achieving economic growth through
trade and commercial capital flows that respond-
ed to market-place incentives, and solving the
energy problem through higher production and
more efficient use.
Algeria, on behalf of the Group of 77, restated
the Group’s view that: there was a fundamental
need for a world dialogue open to all countries,
based on democratic decisions and institutions;
the General Assembly was the central body for
decision-making, direction, the provision of im-
petus and co-ordination at all stages of negotia-
tion; essential questions of reconstructing the
w o r l d e c o n o m y a n d r e s h a p i n g i n t e r n a t i o n a l
economic inst i tut ions could not be removed
from the agenda; and the major issues identified
by the Assembly when i t decided in 1979 to
launch the negotiations (8)
should be considered
with equal care and with regard for their inter-
relationship.
3 8 0 Economic and social questions
China said that an orderly restructuring of in-
ternational economic relations through dialogue
was in the common interest of most nations and
would contr ibute to peace and securi ty . The
Philippines remarked that no one was calling for
the overthrow of the current system or the de-
struct ion of exis t ing economic and f inancial
institutions; the task was to make adjustments in
the existing order to meet urgent needs of the
times.
Poland, on behalf of the Eastern European
States and Mongolia, reiterated their support in
principle for the negotiations and the broad out-
line of the agenda and said they had been willing
to participate in the consensus on procedure, but
remarked that the unwillingness of certain impe-
rialist circles to give up their positions and their
desire to keep the developing countries in a state
of dependence hardly gave reason for optimism.
O n 9 D e c e m b e r , i n a r e s o l u t i o n o n t h e
strengthening of international security,(9)
the As-
sembly urged States to proceed without delay to
a global considerat ion of ways and means to
revive the world economy and restructure inter-
national economic relations within the frame-
work of global negotiations.
Following several weeks of inconclusive infor-
mal consultations, the Assembly agreed on 18
December, on an oral proposal by its President,
that the item should be left open in order to
allow the consultations to continue, on the un-
derstanding that the Assembly would reconvene
at short notice to consider any agreement that
might emerge. Accordingly, the topic was includ-
ed in the list of seven items which the Assembly
decided to consider when it resumed its thirty-
sixth session in 1982.(13)
Algeria (for the Group of 77), China and the
USSR, the last named on behalf of the Eastern
European States and Mongolia, expressed regret
that, because of one delegation, agreement had
not been reached. The United Kingdom restated
the EC members’ aim to launch the negotiations
on a ba s i s accep t ab l e t o a l l and p romis ing
genuine progress.
OTHER ACTION. The first regular 1981 session
of the inter-agency Administrative Committee
on Co-ordinat ion (ACC) (Geneva, 13 and 14
April) was attended by the General Assembly
President, who informed it of efforts to launch
the global negotiat ions. The Committee ex-
pressed appreciation to the President for his ef-
forts(10)
and, in its annual overview report,(6)
issued in May, stated its concern that there had
been no agreement on the matter.
The Joint Meetings of ACC and the Committee
for Programme and Co-ordination (CPC) (Geneva,
29 June-1 July) (7)
reaffirmed the contribution
that adequately prepared global negotiat ions
could make to implementation of the Internation-
al Development Strategy for the Third United
Nations Development Decade (see below) and the
need to launch them as soon as possible.
The Conference of the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations (FAO), meet-
ing at Rome, Italy, from 7 to 25 November, of-
fered that organization’s assistance in the global
negot iat ions with regard to food product ion,
food aid, food security and related matters; the
Conference’s position was conveyed in a letter of
8 December from the FAO Director-General, an-
nexed to a 16 December note by the Secretary-
General.( 1 )
Letters: ( 1 )
FAO Director-General , 8 Dec. , transmitted by
S-G no t e , A /36 /836 ; ( 2 )
Aus t r a l i a , 9 Oc t . , annex ing
C o m m o n w e a l t h c o m m u n i q u é a n d d e c l a r a t i o n . A /
36/587; ( 3 )
Belgium, 13 July, annexing OECD commu-
n i q u é , A / 3 6 / 3 8 0 ; ( 4 )
Canada and Mex ico , 26 Oc t . ,
annexing summary of International Meeting on Co-
operation and Development, A/36/631 & Corr.1;(5)
Venezuela, 30 Sep., annexing Group of 77 declara-
tion, A/36/573.
Reports: ( 6 )
ACC, E/1981/37; ( 7 )
ACC and C P C chairmen,
E/1981/86.
Resolutions and decisions:
Resolutions: GA: (8)
34/138, 14 Dec. 1979 (YUN 1979,
p. 468); (9)
36/102, para. 5 (e), 9 Dec. 1981 (p. 145).
Decisions: ( 1 0 )
ACC: 1981/1,, para. (a), 14 Apr. GA:( 1 1 )
3 5 / 4 5 0 , 1 7 D e c . 1 9 8 0 ( Y U N 1 9 8 0 , p . 5 2 6 ) ;(12)
35/454, 14 Sep. 1981, text following; (13)
36/461, item
37, 18 Dec. (p. 350).
Yearbook reference: (14)
1980, p. 525.
Meeting records: GA: A/35/PV.100, 114 (15 Jan., 14 Sep.);
A/36/PV.46, 47, 104, 105 (4 Nov.-18 Dec.).
General Assembly decision 35/454
Adopted without vote
Oral proposal by President; agenda item 123,
Launching of global negotiations on internationaleconomic co-operation for development
At its 114th plenary meeting, on 14 September 1981, the
General Assembly decided to include in the draft agenda of
its thirty-sixth session the item entitled “Launching of global
negotiations on international economic co-operation for de-
velopment” and to transmit to that session all relevant docu-
mentation from the eleventh special session and the thirty-
fifth session of the Assembly.
Implementation of the International
Development Strategy for the Third
United Nations Development Decade
During the year following the adoption by the
General Assembly in December 1980 of the In-
ternational Development Strategy for the Third
United Nations Development Decade,( 6 )
which
began on 1 January 1981, the Economic and
Social Council and other United Nations bodies
took steps to ensure that the goals and objectives
of the Strategy were incorporated into their
work plans.
On 20 March 1981, the Trade and Develop-
ment Board of UNCTAD decided to inscribe on
the agenda for its September/October session an
Development and international economic and social policy 381
item on arrangements for review and appraisal of
the Strategy’s implementation.(7)
On 7 October,
the Board decided, after informal consultations, to
defer consideration to a future session.(4)
The Commit tee for Development Planning
(CDP), in the report on its 1981 session (New
York, 23 March-1 April),(3)
stated that in future
it would study particular aspects of the world
economic situation and prospects as well as criti-
cal development problems hampering implemen-
tation of the Strategy.
In their 1981 report to the Counci l ,( 2 )
t he
C P C / A C C J o i n t M e e t i n g s ( G e n e v a , 2 9 J u n e -
1 July) viewed the Strategy as the policy frame-
w o r k f o r p l a n n i n g a n d p r o g r a m m i n g i n t h e
United Nations system, reaffirmed the interna-
tional community’s commitment to its imple-
mentat ion and s tressed the need to mobil ize
resources. The report also summarized the Meet-
ings’ discussion on five issues suggested by ACC
relat ing to implementat ion of the Strategy:( 1 )
growth, employment, protectionism and struc-
tural adjustment; energy, money and finance;
food; development of infrastructures; and social
development. After acknowledging a divergence
of opinion on some questions, the report said
there was broad understanding and consensus
on most fundamentals.
On 23 July, the Economic and Social Council
adopted a resolut ion( 5 )
cal l ing on the United
Nations system to apply the International Devel-
opment Strategy as a policy framework in for-
mulating and implementing work programmes
and medium-term plans. The Council reiterated
the need to strengthen international economic
co-operation for development within the system,
with the General Assembly in the central role. It
u r g e d A C C t o c o n t i n u e t o a s s e s s t h e w o r l d
economic situation and prospects, and requested
the Secretary-General to continue bringing to
the Council’s and the Assembly’s attention the
results of those assessments. In addition, CDP
was requested to carry out future work related to
the Strategy’s implementation, as envisaged by
CDP in its 1981 report.
The draft, introduced by Venezuela on behalf
of the Group of 77, was adopted without vote as
revised by the sponsors after informal consulta-
tions. Following its adoption, the Federal Repub-
lic of Germany and the United States said the
reservations they had expressed at the time the
Strategy was adopted( 8 )
still stood. The USSR
said any action taken by United Nations bodies
in implementing the Strategy should not be
limited to reorganization of their work nor imply
extra expenditure; it added that other Assembly
decisions for the restructuring of economic rela-
tions should be taken together with the Strategy
as a guide for United Nations bodies.
Prospects for attaining the Strategy’s targets
were also addressed in a preliminary draft per-
spective of the development of the world econo-
my to the year 2000, prepared by the Secretary-
General (p. 389).
Note: (1)
ACC, E/1981/91.
R e p o r t s ( 2 )
A C C and C P C c h a i r m e n , E / 1 9 8 1 / 8 6 ; ( 3 )
C D P ,
E/1981/27; ( 4 )
TDB, A/36/15.
Resolutions and decision: Res.: (5)
ESC, 1981/64, 23 July,
text following; (6)
GA, 35/56, annex, 5 Dec. 1980 (YUN
1980, p. 503). Dec.: (7)
TDB, 234(XXII), 20 Mar.
Yearbook reference: (8)
1980, p. 500.
Meeting records: ESC, E/1981/SR.20-34, 39, 40 (1-23 July).
Economic and Social Council resolution 1981/64
Adopted without vote Meeting 40 23 July 1981
Draft by Venezuela, for Group of 77 (E/1981/L.54/Rev.1); agendaitem 3.
Implementation by the United Nations systemof the International Development Strategy
for the Third United Nations Development Decade
The Economic and Social Council,
Recalling General Assembly resolutions 3201 (S-VI) and
3202(S-VI) of 1 May 1974, containing the Declaration and
the Programme of Action on the Establishment of a New Inter-
national Economic Order, 3362(S-VII) of 16 September 1975
on development and international economic co-operation
and 3281 (XXIX) of 12 December 1974, containing the Char-
ter of Economic Rights and Duties of States,
Recalling also the goals, objectives and policy measures
set out in the International Development Strategy for the
Third United Nations Development Decade,
Taking note with appreciation of the statements made by the
P re s iden t o f t he Economic and Soc i a l Counc i l and t he
Secretary-General at the opening of the second regular ses-
sion of 1981 of the Council, the concluding statement of the
Director-General for Development and International Economic
Co-operation and other statements made during the general
discussion of international economic and social policy, includ-
ing regional and sectoral developments, at that session,
T a k i n g n o t e a l s o o f t h e W o r l d E c o n o m i c S u r v e y
1980-7981, the report of the Administrative Committee on
Co-ordination Task Force on Long-Term Development Objec-
tives on its eighth session, the conclusions of the Joint Meet-
ings of the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination and
the Administrative Committee on Co-ordination on the imple-
mentation of the International Development Strategy for the
Third United Nations Development Decade and the report of
the Committee for Development Planning on its seventeenth
session,
1. Reiterates the need to strengthen international econom-
ic co-operation for development within the multilateral frame-
work of the United Nations system, in which the General As-
sembly has the central role;
2. Calls upon all organs, organizations and bodies of the
United Nations system to apply the International Development
Strategy for the Third United Nations Development Decade as
a policy framework in the formulation and implementation of
their programmes of work and medium-term plans;
3. Urges the Administrative Committee on Co-ordination
to continue its efforts to assess on a system-wide basis the
world economic situation and prospects in the perspective of
long-term development objectives and in the overall context
of the International Development Strategy for the Third United
Nations Development Decade and the Declaration and the
Programme of Action on the Establishment of a New Interna-
tional Economic Order, and requests the Secretary-General
to continue to bring to the attention of the Economic and
Social Council and the General Assembly the results of those
system-wide assessments;
3 8 2 Economic and social questions
4. Requests the Committee for Development Planning to
carry out future work in relation to the implementation of the
International Development Strategy for the Third United
Nations Development Decade, as envisaged in chapter V of
Its report on its seventeenth session;
5. Recommends that the General Assembly should keep
under review the implementation of the present resolution.
ACC Task Force on
Long-Term Development Objectives
The ACC Task Force on Long-Term Develop-
ment Objectives met at Geneva from 16 to 18
March 1981 and reported to ACC( 1 )
that it had
made a collective review of the world economic
situation and prospects and reviewed critical in-
ternational policy issues in the context of the In-
ternat ional Development Strategy( 2 )
(p . 388) .
After receiving this report, ACC expressed the
view on 14 Apri l that i t should receive wide
publicity.( 3 )
On the same date ACC adopted new terms ofreference for the Task Force
(4) which include a Cuba
focus on implementation and review and apprais-
al of the Strategy, as well as assisting and advis-
ing ACC to provide technical support and ana-
ly t i c a l con t r i bu t i ons fo r i n t e rgove rnmen ta l
bodies on development objectives and targets. It
was also to serve as an inter-agency mechanism
for considering emerging development issues
and questions arising from General Assembly
resolutions.
Report: (1)
Task Force, E/1981/71.
Resolution and decisions:
Resolution (2)
GA: 35/56, annex, 5 Dec. 1980 (YUN
1980, p. 503).
Decisions: ACC, 14 Apr.: (3)
1981/1, paras. (b) & (c);( 4 )
1981/6.
I m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f t h e 1 9 7 4 C h a r t e r
o f Economic R igh t s and Du t i e s o f S t a t e s
During debate in the Second (Economic and
Financial) Committee on development and inter-
national economic co-operation at the 1981 regu-
lar session of the General Assembly, several dele-
gations referred to the need to implement the
C h a r t e r o f E c o n o m i c R i g h t s a n d D u t i e s o f
States, adopted by the Assembly in 1974.(l)
The Byelorussian SSR said that achievement
of the goals of the Charter and the International
Development Strategy( 2 )
depended largely on
how cons i s t en t l y and f i rmly t he deve lop ing
countr ies s truggled against neo-colonial ism,
defended their sovereignty over their natural
resources and controlled the transnational corpo-
rations operating in their territory. The German
Democratic Republic, warning against attempts
by imperialist forces to oppose implementation
of the Charter, said that advocacy of the so-called
free market system should be seen as a device to
replace a democratic restructuring of interna-
tional economic relations by the unbridled ac-
tivities of private capital. Hungary urged compli-
ance with the Charter and Mongolia expressed
the view that the conditions for attaining the
goals of the Strategy could be created only
through application of the Charter.
Poland and the USSR said they observed the
Charter in their re lat ions with other States ,
i nc lud ing deve lop ing coun t r i e s ; t he USSR
added that the deterioration of the international
situation was due to the proliferation of acts of
aggression by imperialists, running counter to
the Char ter . The Ukrainian SSR s ta ted that
implementation of the Charter had been delayed
by the obstinacy of some Western States which
sought to maintain their privileged economic po-
sitions and to use economic relations for black-
mail and discrimination.
The Congo described the Charter as an impor-
tant document in the strategy to establish a new
in t e rna t iona l economic and po l i t i c a l o rde r .
Cuba and Viet Nam urged periodic evaluation
of progress in implementing it, while Zaire said
the Secretary-General should report regularly on
the matter.
On 17 December the General Assembly, on
the Second Committee’s recommendation, decid-
ed without vote(3)
to include a sub-item on the
Charter in the provisional agenda of its 1982
regular session, under the item on development
and international economic co-operation. This
decision, orally proposed by the Second Commit-
tee Chairman, was s imilar ly approved by the
Committee on 10 December after he announced
that several delegations had requested that the
topic be resubmitted in 1982.
Resolutions and decision:
Resolutions: GA: (1)
3281(XXIX), 12 Dec. 1974 (YUN
1974, p. 403); (2)
35/56, annex, 5 Dec. 1981 (YUN 1980,
p.503)
Decision: (3)
GA: 36/441, 17 Dec., text following.
Meeting records: GA: 2nd Committee, A/C.2/36/SR.3-6,
10-26, 28-32, 47 (24 Sep.-10 Dec.); plenary, A/36/
PV.103 (17 Dec.).
General Assembly decision 36/441
Adopted without vote
Approved by Second Committee (A/36/694/Add.1) without vote. 10
December (meeting 47); oral proposal by Chairman; agenda item
69 (b).
Charter of Economic Rights and Duties of States
At its 103rd plenary meeting, on 17 December 1981, the
General Assembly, on the recommendation of the Second
Committee, decided to include in the provisional agenda of
its thirty-seventh session, under the item entitled “Develop-
ment and international economic co-operation”, a sub-item
entitled “Charter of Economic Rights and Duties of States”.
E c o n o m i c c o - o p e r a t i o n
a m o n g d e v e l o p i n g c o u n t r i e s
During 1981, several United Nations bodies,
especial ly the United Nations Conference on
Trade and Development ( U N C T A D ) , cont inued
Development and international economic and social policy 3 8 3
to promote measures of economic co-operation
among developing countries (ECDC). These ac-
tivities complemented programmes of technical
co-operation among developing countries pur-
sued by the United Nations Development Pro-
gramme and others (p. 462).
The Commit tee for Development Planning
(CDP), at its 1981 session (New York, 23 March-
1 April), devoted a chapter of its report( 3 )
to
South-South economic co-operat ion. I t noted
the slow growth and increasingly inward-looking
policies of many developed countries, and urged
that ECDC be vigorously initiated. The Commit-
tee felt that short- and medium-term progress
could be achieved by co-operation in finance,
energy, food and rural development, technology,
trade, industrial development and infrastructure.
It favoured such measures as the establishment
of a third world development bank, soft loans by
oil-export ing countr ies that would enable oi l
importers to meet higher petroleum prices, in-
vestment by capital-surplus developing countries
in rural development programmes of other third
world countries, and promotion of South-South
trade through tariff and other preferences.
A High Level Conference on Economic Co-
operat ion among Developing Countr ies , con-
vened by the Group of 77 at Caracas, Venezuela,
from 13 to 19 May, adopted a programme of
action specifying co-operative activities in trade,
technology, food and agriculture, energy, raw
materials, finance, industrialization and techni-
cal co-operation, and proposing mechanisms for
co-ordination, monitoring, follow-up actions and
evaluation; the report of the Conference was
transmitted to the Secretary-General on 5 June
by Venezuela as Chairman of the Group of 77.(2)
UNCTAD ACTIVITIES. The Meeting of Gov-
e r n m e n t a l E x p e r t s o f D e v e l o p i n g C o u n t r i e s
on Economic Co-operation among Developing
C o u n t r i e s , c o n v e n e d b y U N C T A D , h e l d i t s
second session at Geneva from 27 July to 7
August. The Meeting adopted recommendations
aimed at facilitating the early negotiation of a
global system of trade preferences (GSTP) among
developing countries.
On 6 November, the UNCTAD Trade and De-
velopment Board decided, by a roll-call vote of
54 to 20 (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada,
Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Federal
R e p u b l i c o f , I r e l a n d , I s r a e l , I t a l y , J a p a n ,
L u x e m b o u r g , N e t h e r l a n d s , N o r w a y , S p a i n ,
Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United
States), with 7 abstentions (Eastern European
States), to include a third session of the Meeting
on ECDC in the 1982 UNCTAD calendar.(4)
Group
B States (developed market-economy countries)
acknowledged the importance of ECDC but ob-
jected to activities which they felt were not in
keep ing w i th t he p r inc ip l e t ha t a l l U N C T A D
members should be associated with its decision-
mak ing . Group D S t a t e s ( c en t r a l l y p l anned
economies) also rei terated their reservat ions
about universal i ty and equal i ty of States . To
resolve this issue, the Board authorized its Presi-
dent to undertake consultations, between its cur-
rent and 1982 sessions, with a view to arriving at
a generally acceptable solution to the problems
underlying UNCTAD activities on ECDC. (8)
An International Workshop on the Promotion
of Economic and Technical Co-operation among
Developing Countries with Particular Reference
to Developing Countries’ Joint Investments and
their Financing, organized by UNCTAD and the
Research Centre for Co-operation with Develop-
ing Countries (Ljubljana, Yugoslavia), was held
at Bled, Yugoslavia, from 2 to 7 November.( 6 )
The Workshop made general policy recommen-
dations as well as specific suggestions to support
this form of co-operation through improved in-
formation and communicat ions, to s t imulate
joint ventures and multinational enterprises and
to increase financial flows to such undertakings.
Technical co-operation activities of UNCTAD
relating to ECDC(5)
continued to concentrate on
assistance to regional and subregional organiza-
tions and integration secretariats responsible for
trade liberalization schemes, common external
tariffs, and financial and monetary co-operation.
Regional projects assisted the Economic Com-
munity of West African States, the West Afri-
can Economic Communi ty , the Customs and
Economic Union of Central Africa, the Mano
River Union and the Niger Basin Authority; the
Trade Negotiations Group, the Bangkok Agree-
ment and the Association of South-East Asian
Nations (ASEAN ); and the Central American
Common Market and the Andean Group. Inter-
regional and regional advisers aided other re-
gional and subregional organizations as well as
some commodity associations. The interregional
programme included projects promoting co-
operation between state trading organizations
a n d t h e i n i t i a t i o n o f a T r a d e I n f o r m a t i o n
System, involving collection and dissemination
of data on trade barriers.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY ACTION. On 16 Decem-
ber, the General Assembly, in a resolution on
UNCTAD,(7)
requested that body to intensify and
complete its work in the priority areas indicated
in a 1977 resolution of the UNCTAD Committee
on Economic Co-operation among Developing
Countries, especially in the areas of trade infor-
mation systems regarding the foreign trade of
those countries, their state trading organizations,
multinational production and marketing enter-
prises, G S T P and monetary and f inancial co-
operation among them.
3 8 4 Economic and social questions
The original draft of this resolution,(1)
submit-
ted to the Second Committee by Algeria on
behalf of the Group of 77 and later withdrawn in
favour of a text submitted by a Committee Vice-
Chairman af ter informal consul ta t ions , con-
tained an additional paragraph by which the As-
sembly would have welcomed the 1980 and 1981
Meetings of Governmental Experts of Develop-
ing Countr ies on E C D C and a proposed 1982
meeting of senior officials which was to finalize
and approve rules for launching negotiations to
establish GSTP.
In the Committee’s general debate, Bhutan,
Democratic Yemen, Mexico, Thailand, Tunisia
and Zimbabwe made the point that ECDC was
meant to complement and not replace North-
South co-operation. Turkey considered that it
would be natural for developing countr ies to
start by establishing preferential tariffs among
themselves, but the aim should be to use them as
a means of eventually integrating their econo-
mies with that of the world. The United Repub-
lic of Cameroon stated that ECDC must not be
regarded as a stage on the way to autarky or as
obviating the need for fundamental adjustments
or structural changes in North-South relations.
Afghanistan said that ECDC was a means of
strengthening the solidarity of developing coun-
tries but could be developed only in the context
of a radical restructuring of the international
economic system. India viewed ECDC as essential
to the promotion of individual self-sufficiency
and collective self-reliance, allowing the develop-
ing countries to make the best possible use of the
complementary features of their economies.
Uganda saw this form of co-operation as essential
to the new international economic order.
The importance of the Caracas Conference on
ECDC as a stimulus to closer co-operation was
stressed by a number of developing countries,
including Algeria, China, Kenya, Madagascar,
the Niger, Pakistan, the Sudan, Venezuela and
Zambia. Guyana said the action programme ap-
proved by that Conference reflected the develop-
ing countries’ new awareness of the fact that in-
t e r d e p e n d e n c e m u s t b e b a s e d o n m u t u a l l y
beneficial relationships. Nepal saw the results as
proof that third world countries had the will to
increase co-operat ion among themselves and
thus contribute to their economic development
and emancipat ion. Liberia and Sierra Leone
hoped the action programme would be endorsed
by the internat ional community. The United
Arab Emirates thought a timetable should have
been fixed for implementation. Among the de-
veloped countries, Canada said it was ready to
assist efforts to implement the Caracas plan.
Seve ra l S t a t e s c i t ed examples o f E C D C in
which they were participating, especially with
countr ies in the same region. Barbados men-
tioned joint ventures between itself and Trinidad
and Tobago in such areas as cement production
and air cargo facilities, and said it had offered
assis tance to certain Caribbean and African
countries in respect of sugar cane technology.
Mexico had begun participating in the Carib-
bean Development Fund and, with Venezuela,
had extended for a year an energy co-operation
programme for Central America and the Carib-
bean. Botswana noted that 14 countries of east-
ern and southern Africa were negotiating the es-
tablishment of a preferential trade area for that
subregion. Singapore mentioned preferent ial
t r a d e a r r a n g e m e n t s a n d o t h e r e c o n o m i c c o -
operation among ASEAN members.
The Syrian Arab Republic called on develop-
ing countries, especially those with the means to
do so, to provide financing and investment assis-
tance by granting long-term low-interest loans.
R e f e r r i n g t o U N C T A D a n d o t h e r U n i t e d
Nations activities in this area, the USSR said
they must not violate the principle of universali-
ty, must be kept within the limits of competence
of the sponsoring organs and must not jeopardize
work on other trade and economic problems of
interest to all States.
Draft resolution withdrawn: ( 1 )
Algeria, for Group of 77,
A/C.2/36/L.65.
Letter: (2)
Venezuela, for Group of 77. 5 June, A/36/333 &Corr.1.
R e p o r t s : ( 3 )
C D P , E / 1 9 8 1 / 2 7 ; ( 4 )
T D B , A / 3 6 / 1 5 ;( 5 )
U N C T A D s e c r e t a r i a t , T D / B / W P / 1 6 & C o r r . 1 &
Corr.1/Rev.1; ( 6 )
Workshop on economic and technical
co -ope ra t i on among deve lop ing coun t r i e s , U N C T A D /
E C D C / T A / l 4 .
Resolution and decision: Res.: (7)
GA, 36/145. para. 15, 16 Dec.
(p. 534). Dec.: (8)
TDB,246(XXIII), para. (c), 6 Nov.
Publication: Co-operation Amidst Uncertainty: Priorities for
International and South-South Action (extracts of CDP
report), Sales No. E.82.II.A.2.
Economic and social
conditions and trends
The current world economic situation was the
subject of three major United Nations reports
issued in mid-1981 as a background to discus-
sion in the Economic and Social Council and
the Trade and Development Board.
One of these reports , the World Economic
Survey 1980-1981, (2)
prepared annually by the
U n i t e d N a t i o n s S e c r e t a r i a t ’ s D e p a r t m e n t o f
In t e rna t i ona l Economic and Soc i a l Af fa i r s ,
concluded that the world economy was in a
major recession, its deepest since that of 1975.
Growth in world output had declined from 4.6
per cent in 1978 to 2.2 per cent in 1980, and in
the developed market economies the growth rate
had fallen to 1.5 per cent, compared to 3.1 per
Development and international economic and social policy 3 8 5
c e n t i n t h e c e n t r a l l y p l a n n e d e c o n o m i e s .
Among energy-importing developing countries
the growth rate had s l ipped to 3 .9 per cent ;
when adjusted for the decline in the purchasing
power of their exports, the rate was below that
of populat ion growth, resul t ing in lower per
capita incomes.
The deter iorat ion in economic growth had
been accompanied by accelerated inflat ion, a
marked slow-down in the expansion of world
trade and worsened current-account imbalances,
associated with higher interest rates and import
prices, including a 64 per cent rise in petroleum
prices compared to 1979. For the remainder of
1981, the Survey forecast a hesitant recovery and
high inflation levels.
According to the Survey, much of the sharp
deceleration in the economic growth of energy-
importing developing countries was due to pres-
sures from abroad, including the developed
market economies, where recessionary tenden-
cies had been reinforced by policy measures
directed increasingly to fighting inflation. While
the recession in the major industrial centres had
weakened demand for the exports of developing
countries, monetary restraint had led to sharply
higher interest charges for developing country
borrowers. In addition, higher prices for imports,
and particularly for energy, put pressure on their
external accounts. Such adverse external devel-
o p m e n t s h a d l e d t o a s h a r p d e c l i n e i n t h e
purchasing power of the exports of energy-
importing developing countries and to widening
current account deficits, from $48 billion in 1979
to $72 billion in 1980.
The Survey concluded that the revival of the
world economy was attendant on finding a suc-
c e s s f u l a p p r o a c h t o i n f l a t i o n i n t h e m a r k e t
economies. Policies depending solely or primari-
ly on demand restraint were unlikely to succeed
in combining greater price stability with vigor-
ous growth. A combination of measures was re-
quired, including monetary and fiscal restraints,
encouragement of savings, consensus on how
real income losses should be distributed, and in-
centives for rapid changes in productive struc-
tures imposed by changes in relative prices and
comparative advantage. Better international co-
ordination was needed to minimize the negative
impact of national anti-inflationary policies. Im-
proved mechanisms were also needed to channel
financing to developing countries.
The second major economic s tudy was the
Trade and Development Report, 1981, (3)
the first in
a s e r i e s o f a n n u a l r e p o r t s p u b l i s h e d b y t h e
UNCTAD secretariat. The Report pointed out that
t h e d i v e r g e n c e b e t w e e n t a r g e t s a n d a c t u a l
growth rates had reached major proportions at
the beginning of the Third United Nations De-
velopment Decade. Decelerating growth necessi-
tated severe cuts in developing countries’ invest-
m e n t p r o g r a m m e s , r e d u c i n g t h e c a p a c i t y o f
many to achieve even the minimal s t ructural
change required to sustain current development
levels. The worsening economic situation was
unequally distributed, with the poor shouldering
a disproportionately large part of the burden.
Assessing economic prospects for 1981-1982,
the Report stated that the continued world reces-
sion would make it difficult for any group of de-
veloping countries to improve its growth perfor-
mance in 1981, but that a moderate upturn of
world output and trade in 1982 would permit a
slightly improved performance in that year. The
deve loped marke t - economy coun t r i e s we re
l ikely to experience mixed growth in 1981-
higher in the United States and lower in several
major European countries–followed by a cycli-
cal upturn expected to result in a higher growth
rate for the group as a whole in 1982, accompa-
nied by lower inflation. Planned growth rates for
the socialist countries of Eastern Europe aver-
aged 3.2 per cent for 1981, and China’s rate
might be 4 to 5 per cent.
Looking to the medium term, the Report point-
ed to an apparent decline in the secular growth
of developed market-economy countries, with
the consequence that current counter-cyclical
policies were unlikely to move those economies
back to the growth paths of the 1950s and 1960s.
In the case of the Eastern European socialist
countries, prospects for growth of the labour
supply were less favourable, resulting in a possi-
ble slow-down of economic growth in the 1980s;
nevertheless, the outlook for expansion of trade
between those countries and others–especially
developing countries –was good. China’s econo-
my continued to be relat ively closed, so that
growth prospects would be largely determined
by internal dynamics, which pointed to possible
fast development.
Given the trends in major industrial econo-
mies, and assuming no major changes in trade
and capital flows, the Report projected an annual
growth rate for developing countries of the order
of 4.5 per cent during the 1980s, compared to
the 7 per cent target of the International Devel-
opment Startegy.( 6 )
This implied that interna-
t ional discussion of development object ives
would need to consider viable alternatives, possi-
bly including far-reaching reforms in the organi-
zation of international economic relations. Such
measures would require intensified international
economic co-operation and concerted govern-
mental effort, since market forces alone could
not br ing about the required t ransformat ions
and structural reforms.
A t h i r d a s s e s s m e n t o f t h e c u r r e n t w o r l d
3 8 6 Economic and social questions
economic situation and prospects for the 1980s
was prepared by CDP at its 1981 session (New
York, 23 March-1 Apri l ) .( 4 )
The Commit tee
concluded that, unless the international com-
munity found ways to break with stalemate and
stagflation, any pretence of achieving the goals
o f t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l D e v e l o p m e n t S t r a t e g y
m u s t b e a b a n d o n e d . I n a d d i t i o n t o l a g g i n g
growth in all groups of countries, the developed
market economies were likely to resort increas-
ingly to protectionist policies in the absence of
a r e n e w e d e f f o r t t o r e s o l v e t h e p r o b l e m s
hampering world t rade. The only soluton lay
in globally co-ordinated action to restore open-
ness and dynamism in the world economy.
Six areas were identified by CDP as requiring
urgent action to assist the developing countries,
particularly the poorest: support to enable inter-
national financial institutions to enlarge the flow
of quickly disbursable funds; substant ial in-
creases in bi lateral development assistance;
greater co-operation between oil-exporting and
oil-importing countries; cessation of protection-
ism; additional investment in agriculture; and a
system of food security. It also urged the devel-
oped centrally planned economies to expand co-
operation with developing countries in six basic
areas: natural resources development, industrial
and energy-producing capaci t ies , preferential
export promotion, favourable credi t and loan
repayment conditions, training of personnel, and
the formulation of national social and economic
deve lopmen t p l ans . F ina l ly , C D P ca l l ed fo r
action by all countries towards disarmament, in
view of the serious economic burden caused by
the arms race (p. 99).
Other 1981 reports on the economic situation
included surveys of individual regions (p. 608)
and of long-term trends in economic develop-
ment (p. 389).
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL CONSIDER-
A T I O N . I n a n a d d r e s s t o t h e E c o n o m i c a n d
Social Council on 1 July, prior to its annual dis-
cussion of internat ional economic and social
policy, the Secretary-General stated that more
countries were resorting to unilateral measures
that tended to shift the burden of economic ad-
justment to others; if the others retaliated, all
might eventually be in a worse state. The econo-
mies of the major industrial countries had lost
their dynamism, many special interests were
c o m p e t i n g f o r r e s o u r c e s a n d G o v e r n m e n t s
found it increasingly difficult to allocate enough
resources to meet pressing social and economic
needs. Tendencies towards fragmentation and
dispersal had to be reversed and the temptations
of unilateral solut ions resisted. He cal led for
strengthened co-operat ion, part icular ly in the
areas of food, energy, finance and trade.
The Council debate focused on the disquieting
trends in the world economy, and different views
were expressed with regard to both their cause
and remedy. Most speakers, however, recognized
that the developing countries were worst affected
by the global crisis.
T h e d e v e l o p e d m a r k e t - e c o n o m y c o u n t r i e s
generally shared the view of the United King-
dom, speaking for the European Economic Com-
munity (EEC), that it was necessary to combat
inflation, bring down interest rates and pursue
structural adjustment in order to regain world
e c o n o m i c s t a b i l i t y a n d g r o w t h . T h e U n i t e d
States spoke similarly and said it intended to
give direct aid, help the developing world by re-
storing the health of its own economy, stimulate
trade by avoiding protectionism, encourage the
private sector in the development process and
strengthen international financial institutions.
Australia was among those which recognized
that protectionism by developed countries had
caused balance-of-payments deficits, high debts,
increased interest rates and uncertain access to
markets for developing countries. Ireland alsourged resistance to protectionism but said that,
in the erratic and unpredictable conditions of
the previous few years, such protective measures
were almost inevitable. For Spain, protectionism
was dangerous because it affected chiefly the eco-
nomically weaker countries and threatened the
liberal, multilateral approach to economic af-
fairs.
Denmark, on behalf also of Finland, Iceland,
Norway and Sweden, said the Nordic States had
a long tradition of support for the developing
countries and believed that such support would
also benefit industrialized countries and contrib-
ute to world stability.
Belgium cited the increase in petroleum prices
as a cause of inflation, restrictive economic poli-
cies and their accompanying hardships. Canada
advocated increased agricul tural development
and farmers’ incentives to stimulate food produc-
tion and the establishment of a World Bank affil-
iate to promote energy development in develop-
ing countries; it also favoured a greater voice for
developing countries in international financial
inst i tut ions, in keeping with their increasing
economic weight. Italy called on oil-producing
countries to recognize the important impact of
energy prices on other factors of the world
economy.
The developing countries generally felt that
counter-inflationary policies by some developed
countries had adversely affected the rest of the
world. Growth had slackened, resulting in a de-
cline in developing countries’ imports and in
global demand for commodities. High interest
rates in certain developed countries had raised
Development and international economic and social policy 387
the debt-servicing costs of borrowers. Disap-
p o i n t m e n t w a s e x p r e s s e d a t t h e f a i l u r e t o
launch global negotiations towards a new inter-
national economic order (p. 378). Several States
stressed the benefits to be derived from expand-
ed economic co-operat ion among developing
countr ies and pledged support for the act ion
programme adopted at the High Level Confer-
ence on this subject held at Caracas in May
(p. 383).
Argentina warned that the doubling of indebt-
edness of the developing countries within two
years could have explosive consequences for in-
dividual countries and the world economy; the
indefinite accumulation of massive deficits could
not add up to a development strategy. Unlike
temporary crises of the past when growth rates
fell and inflation rose, said Brazil, the rich coun-
tr ies currently had predictable growth levels
while the poor countries had no growth prospects
at all. Chile said it knew from experience the im-
portance of combating inflation, but the policies
a d o p t e d b y s o m e c o u n t r i e s t o t h a t e n d h a d
caused a drop in demand for the products of de-
veloping countries and a sharp decline in com-
m o d i t y p r i c e s . V e n e z u e l a o b s e r v e d t h a t t h e
industr ial ized countr ies’ monetary and f iscal
policies, adopted to regulate demand, had not
produced any significant reduction in inflation-
ary pressures.
B u r u n d i n o t e d t h a t a n u m b e r o f A f r i c a n
nations had based their currencies on those of
former metropolitan Powers, which had in turn
been subordinate to the United States dol lar ;
successive fluctuations in the central currency
had weighed heavily on the new States’ balances
of payments and developing countries had had
to bear the ful l weight of inf lat ion. Ethiopia
pointed to a widening gap between developing
countries: the per capita gross domestic product
of the least developed had grown by an annual
average of only 1 per cent over the past two
decades, compared to 2.9 per cent for developing
countries as a whole. The Sudan stated that the
purchasing power and export earnings of the
least developed countries were less than they
had been 20 years previously. Although it was
true that the crisis affected all countries, said
Senegal, it was felt much more keenly by the de-
ve lop ing ones and no t ab ly by t he ma jo r i t y
which imported petroleum.
Algeria thought it inadmissible to argue that
world economic recovery must stem from recov-
ery in the developed countries; action designed
merely to re-establish the former balance be-
tween deve loped and deve lop ing coun t r i e s
would be politically unacceptable and economi-
cally ineffective. Barbados said that fundamental
and acute economic problems would not disap-
pear by general declarations of intent. Indonesia
pointed out that , whi le interdependence was
becomingly increasingly recognized, some devel-
oped countries were still reluctant to acknowl-
edge that real i ty by adopting corresponding
p o l i c y m e a s u r e s . Y u g o s l a v i a c a l l e d f o r a
strengthening of international financial institu-
tions and regretted that some States were using
the current economic difficulties as a pretext for
delay in implementing the International Devel-
opment Strategy.
Bangladesh said a number of countries had
embarked on planned development in the light
of the Strategy but found themselves in difficul-
ties when assumptions on trade growth, invest-
ment and resource flows had had to be discarded
at the beginning of the decade. Nepal s ta ted
that, while all countries were affected by the
declining economy, developing countries were
less able to defend themselves because of deteri-
orating terms of trade, increasing energy costs,
protectionism and tighter monetary policies in
the industrialized countries, restricted access to
private capital markets and a decl ine in real
terms of official development assistance (ODA).
Nigeria ascribed the plight of developing coun-
tries not to lack of effort on their part but to dete-
riorating access to export markets, technology
and finance.
Morocco stated that the increased protection-
ist policies of industrialized nations had left de-
veloping countries no alternative to continued
indebtedness as the price of survival. Also refer-
ring to the effects of protectionism, Iraq noted
that the annual growth rate in the volume of de-
veloping country exports to the industrial econo-
mies had declined to virtually nil in 1980.
With regard to ODA, EEC felt that the burden
should be balanced more fairly among all coun-
tries able to contribute; it welcomed aid given
by the Organizat ion of Petroleum Export ing
Countries and urged a similar commitment from
the Counci l for Mutual Economic Assis tance
(CMEA). France also said mobilization of finan-
cial resources was not a matter for Organisation
for Economic Co-operat ion and Development
countries alone and added that it was committed
t o r e a c h i n g o v e r t h e c o m i n g y e a r s t h e O D A
target set by the Internat ional Development
Strategy–0.7 per cent of the developed coun-
tr ies’ gross nat ional product ( G N P ) .( 7 )
Japan
pledged increases in both quality and quantity
of its ODA, which it planned to more than double
during the five years beginning in 1981. Italy
reported the doubling of its contribution in 1980.
China said it was not right for certain coun-
tries to cite differences in economic systems as
grounds for evading their assistance obligations.
Turkey called for a substantial increase in ODA
388 Economic and social questions
by i ndus t r i a l i z ed coun t r i e s , wha t eve r t he i r
e c o n o m i c s y s t e m , a n d b y c o u n t r i e s w i t h a
surplus. The Libyan Arab Jamahiriya remarked
that it had provided substantial financial and
development assis tance through bi lateral and
multilateral programmes.
Fij i , Mexico and Zaire were among those
which pointed out that an increase in ODA of
only 5 per cent of the nearly $500 billion spent
each year on armaments would make it possible
to reach the target set in the International Devel-
opment Strategy. Ghana said ODA increases had
been more noticeable at the bi lateral level;
donors tended to see their contributions in terms
of self-interest rather than of meeting human
needs. India pointed out that the current level of
ODA, as a share of GNP, was below that reached
five years previously. Pakistan called for targets
to be set in order to reverse the trend; for exam-
ple, the leading economic Powers might earmark
for ODA 0.7 per cent of the increment in their
GNP in each remaining year of the 1980s.
Cuba saw a need to improve the developing
countries’ terms of trade, give them a massive
transfer of additional resources, reform the inter-
national monetary system and speed negotiations
for disarmament and détente.
The developed central ly planned economy
countries felt that international economic co-
operation and developing countries’ growth and
progress depended on the easing of international
tensions and on disarmament. They held that
there were some stabilizing factors in the world
economy such as the continuous and planned na-
t ional economic development of the member
countries of CMEA.
The USSR said Western ruling circles had at-
tempted to overcome their economic crisis by
p r o t e c t i o n i s m a n d b y d r a i n i n g f u n d s a n d
resources from developing countr ies through
transnational corporations and the brain drain;
it called for observance of a code of conduct to
democrat ize internat ional economic relat ions
and reiterated its proposal that the major mili-
t a ry Power s ag ree t o r educe t he i r m i l i t a ry
budgets and allocate part of the savings to meet
the needs of developing countr ies . Bulgaria ,
Czechoslovakia, Mongolia and Viet Nam said
that world economic problems could be solved
only under conditions of détente and peaceful
coexistence.
The Byelorussian SSR viewed the capitalist
countries as the originators of inflation and pro-
tectionism, and said the flow of foreign private
capital to developing countries was increasing
their external debt . The German Democrat ic
Republic urged the United Nations to control
the import of highly qualified personnel from de-
veloping countries, remarking that some States
were profiting more from such plunder than they
gave in development aid. Poland warned that, if
various forms of protectionism were the only re-
sponse to economic difficulties, the stagnation
would become a prolonged economic crisis, with
foreseeable political and social repercussions.
TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD CONSIDER-
ATION. The current world economic situation,
with special reference to the Trade and Develop-
ment Report, 1981, was discussed by the Trade
and Development Board in September/October.
I n t r o d u c i n g t h e r e p o r t , t h e D i r e c t o r o f t h e
Money, Finance and Development Division of
the UNCTAD secretariat stressed the need to con-
sider what would be required to secure faster
growth in developing countries so that, before
the end of the century, they could sustain au-
tonomous development and growth largely inde-
penden t l y f rom wor ld economic cond i t i ons .
Faster growth would generate more balanced
and sustainable trade patterns than those cur-
rently prevailing.
On 9 October, after considering a note by the
UNCTAD secretariat on the world economic out-
look for 1981 and 1982(l)
and another by the
Secretary-General of UNCTAD on world inflation,
the Board noted his intention to provide an in-
depth study of the world inflationary phenome-
non (p. 393) and decided to refer to its March
1982 session a draft decision on access by devel-
oping countries to international capital markets
(p. 561).(5)
GENERAL ASSEMBLY ACTION. On 16 Decem-
ber, the General Assembly, in a resolution on
UNCTAD,( 8 )
took note with appreciation of the
initiative of the UNCTAD Secretary-General in
preparing the Trade and Development Report.
Note: ( 1 )
UNCTAD secretariat , TD/B/865.
P u b l i c a t i o n s : ( 2 )
Wor ld Economic Survey 1980-1981
( E / 1 9 8 1 / 4 2 ) , S a l e s N o . E . 8 1 . I I . C . 2 ; 1 9 8 1 - 1 9 8 2
(E/1982/46), Sales No. E.82.II.C.1. (3)
Trade and Develop-
m e n t R e p o r t , 1 9 8 1 ( T D / B / 8 6 3 / R e v . 1 ) , S a l e s N o .
E.81.II.D.9.
Reports: (4)
CDP, E/1981/27; (5)TDB, A/36/15.
Resolutions: GA: (6)
35/56, annex, para. 20, 5 Dec. 1980
(YUN 1980, p. 505);(7)
ibid., para. 24; (8)
36/145, para.
4, 16 Dec. 1981 (p.533).
Meeting records: ESC, E/1981/SR.20-34 (1-10 July).
Long-term trends in economic development
ACTIVITIES OF THE TASK FORCE. At its eighth
session, held at Geneva from 16 to 18 March
1981, the Task Force on Long-Term Develop-
ment Objectives, a subsidiary body of the Ad-
ministrative Committee on Co-ordination (ACC),
assessed the world economic situation and pros-
pects and identified areas where action appeared
particularly necessary to bring about progress in
implementing the Internat ional Development
Strategy.( 5 )
In its report,( 3 )
the Task Force dis-
cussed the interrelated problems of growth, em-
Development and international economic and social policy 389
ployment, protectionism and structural adjust-
ment . I t a lso focused on two other areas of
major concern for the 1980s: energy (p. 696)
and food (p. 718).
With regard to the first item, the Task Force
saw a need in the developed market economies
for a mix of national anti-inflation policies to
r e s t r a i n d e m a n d a n d s t i m u l a t e i n v e s t m e n t ,
coupled with international co-ordination to keep
exchange and commodity markets s table. I t
warned against protectionist measures affecting
international trade and suggested that interna-
tional consultation to facilitate structural ad-
justment within national economies could help
prevent short-term employment losses. For de-
veloping countries, it favoured a development-
oriented process, combining national and inter-
national measures, to ensure sufficent long-term
financing of payments deficits; emphasis on the
domestic market instead of exports to industrial-
i z e d c o u n t r i e s , w i t h o u t n e g l e c t i n g r e g i o n a l
trade; and expanded South-South co-operation.
It emphasized that a global policy framework
was essential, since no country had found a satis-
f a c t o r y a n s w e r t h r o u g h s h o r t - t e r m n a t i o n a l
economic management.
Revised terms of reference for the Task Force
were approved by ACC on 14 April (p. 382).
E C O N O M I C A N D S O C I A L C O U N C I L A C T I O N . In
accordance with a 1979 General Assembly re-
quest,(4)
the Economic and Social Council con-
sidered in November 1981 a preliminary draft of
an overal l socio-economic perspect ive of the
world economy to the year 2000, prepared by
the Sec re t a ry -Gene ra l i n consu l t a t i on w i th
United Nations bodies.(2)
Describing this project
i n a no t e t o t he Gene ra l Assembly ,( 1 )
t h e
Secretary-General said full use had been made of
technical work and s tudies by organizat ions
within and outside the United Nations system.
In his note to the Counci l , . the Secretary-
General said the preliminary draft examined the
possibi l i t ies for world economic development
and focused on two interrelated aspects: a sum-
mary appraisal of the current world s i tuat ion
and the implied short-term outlook (1980-1982)
and medium-term prospects (1980-1985); and a
prospective assessment to the year 2000, devel-
oped according to different assumed policy ap-
proaches to the resolution of current issues. He
pointed to critical problem areas requiring in-
tensified international co-operation: population,
resources and environment; food and agricul-
ture; industr ia l izat ion, t rade and the interna-
tional division of labour; energy; technological
development, technology transfer and transna-
tional corporations; the international monetary
and f inancial system; and disarmament . The
question of strengthening the findings of the
global perspectives was to be the subject of fur-
ther inter-agency consultation through the ACC
Task Force on Long-Term Development Objec-
tives, while regional perspectives were being
elaborated with the regional commissions.
The Assistant Secretary-General in charge of
the United Nations Secretariat’s Office for De-
velopment Research and Policy Analysis intro-
duced the draft to the Council on 2 November.
He said the report made it clear that a substantial
acceleration of growth in the developing coun-
tries could be brought about only by a large in-
crease in resources for capital formation, together
with a substantial improvement in productivity,
particularly in low-income and least developed
countries. According to projections, national sav-
ings rates and productivity improvements would
be insufficient to permit attainment of the Inter-
nat ional Development Strategy target of an
annual growth rate of 7 per cent.(6)
Even if that
rate was attained, the poverty of millions could
n o t b e a l l e v i a t e d b y t h e y e a r 2 0 0 0 w i t h o u t
deliberate policies to reduce income inequities.
In the Council, the USSR criticized the draft
for failing to focus on the issue of restructuring
international economic relations, not indicating
how growth rates could be improved, unduly
stressing the role of foreign investment capital,
omit t ing comments about the adverse conse-
quences of transnational corporation activities
and ignoring the multilateral co-operation be-
tween socialist and developing countries. The
German Democrat ic Republic and the USSR
pointed out that only the first chapter of the pre-
liminary draft envisaged by the Assembly’s 1979
resolution had been submitted. Poland and the
United Kingdom, the latter on behalf of the EEC
members, felt it preferable to postpone further
consideration until 1982.
In a decision of 2 November,(7) adopted with-
out vote on an oral proposal by its President, the
Council invited the Secretary-General to take
into account the views expressed and to prepare
a revised preliminary draft perspective, incor-
porating the conclusions of interorganizational
consultations under way, which would be consid-
ered at the Council’s second regular session of
1982. The Council also recommended that the
General Assembly defer for one year the review
of progress made in implementation of its 1979
resolution.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY ACTION. On 4 December,
the General Assembly adopted without vote a
decision(8)
by which it took note of the Secretary-
General’s note and of the Council’s action and
deferred the review to its 1982 regular session.
On 27 November, the Second (Economic and
Financial) Committee had similarly approved
this text as introduced by its Chairman.
3 9 0 Economic and social questions
In the Committee’s discussion, the USSR said
future work on this topic should take account of
the importance of socio-economic changes such
as land reform, s t rengthening of the publ ic
sector, industrialization, comprehensive plan-
ning and control over foreign capital, as well as
the need to transfer resources from military to de-
velopment purposes.
Notes: S-G, (1)
A/36/576, (2)
E/1981/113.
Report: (3)
Task Force on Long-Term Development Objec-
tives, E/1981/71.
Resolutions and decisions:
Resolutions: GA: (4)
34/57, 29 Nov. 1979 (YUN 1979,
p . 7 4 3 ) ; ( 5 )
3 5 / 5 6 , a n n e x , 5 D e c . 1 9 8 0 ( Y U N 1 9 8 0 ,
p. 503); (6)
ibid., para. 20 (p. 505).
Decisions: (7)
ESC: 1981/200, 2 Nov., text following.(8)
GA: 36/423, 4 Dec., text following.
Meeting records: E S C: E/1981/SR.44 (2 Nov.) . GA: 2nd
C o m m i t t e e , A / C . 2 / 3 6 / S R . 3 - 6 , 1 0 - 2 6 , 2 8 - 3 2 , 4 4 ( 2 4
Sep.-27 Nov.); plenary, A/36/PV.84 (4 Dec.).
Economic and Social Council decision 1981/200
Adopted without vote
Draft orally proposed by President; agenda item 26.
Examination of long-term trends in economic development
At its 44th plenary meeting, on 2 November 1981, the Coun-
cil decided:
(a) To take note of the note by the Secretary-General con-
taining the preliminary draft of an overall socio-economic per-
spective of the world economy to the year 2000 and of the
indication therein that consultations with the regional com-
missions and organizations of the United Nations concerned,
as called for in General Assembly resolution 34/57 of 29
November 1979, were in progress;
(b) To invite the Secretary-General . taking into account
the views expressed by delegations at the resumed second
regular session of 1981, to proceed with the preparation of a
revised report on the preliminary draft perspective, incor-
porating the conclusions of the interorganizational consulta-
tions under way, with a view to synthesizing the findings of
other organizations of the United Nations system on long-term
social and economic trends;
(c) To consider that report at its second regular session of
1982;
(d) To recommend to the General Assembly that it should
defer for one year the review specified in paragraph 7 of As-
sembly resolution 34/57 relating to the progress made in the
implementation of that resolution.
General Assembly decision 36/423
Adopted without vote
Approved by Second Committee (A/36/694/Add.11) without vote. 27November (meeting 44): draft by Chairman (A/C.2/36/L.118);
agenda item 69 (m).
Long-term trends in economic development
At i ts 84th plenary meeting, on 4 December 1981, the
General Assembly, on the recommendation of the Second
Committee:
(a) Took note of the note by the Secretary-General on the
progress in the preparation of an overall socio-economic per-
spective of the development of the world economy;
(b) Took note also of Economic and Social Council deci-
sion 1981/200 of 2 November 1981 concerning the examina-
tion of long-term trends in economic development;
(c) Decided to defer to i ts thir ty-seventh session the
review specified in paragraph 7 of its resolution 34/57 of 29
November 1979 relating to the progress made in the imple-
mentation of that resolution.
E n v i r o n m e n t , n a t u r a l r e s o u r c e s ,
p o p u l a t i o n a n d d e v e l o p m e n t
In December 1981, the General Assembly
called for implementation of a new work pro-
gramme to study the interrelationships between
resources, environment, people and development.
The programme was drawn up and revised by the
Secretariat during the year, on the basis of propos-
als by an expert group convened by the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
ACTIVITIES OF THE UNEP EXPERT GROUP. Pur-
suant to a 1980 decision of the UNEP Governing
Council,( 1 8 )
the UNEP Executive Director con-
vened, in January 1981, a second session of a
high-level group of experts to advise him on ele-
ments for inclusion in a system-wide work pro-
gramme on interrelationships between resources,
environment , people and development–a pro-
gramme envisaged in 1980 resolutions by the
General Assembly( 1 3 )
and the Economic and
Social Council.(8)
In its report, annexed to the UNEP Council’s
report to the Assembly, (6)
the expert group point-
ed out that rapid modernization had produced
i m p o r t a n t u n i n t e n d e d d y s f u n c t i o n a l c o n s e -
quences such as poverty, unemployment, explo-
s i v e g r o w t h o f u r b a n s l u m s , e n v i r o n m e n t a l
degradation and irrational management of natu-
ral resources. I t concluded that interrelat ion-
s h i p s s h o u l d b e m a p p e d t h r o u g h r e g i o n a l a n d
country case studies. Several studies and projects
were proposed for inclusion in the programme.
In a decision of 26 May,(16)
the UNEP Govern-
ing Counci l agreed with the expert group’s
proposals and invited the Economic and Social
C o u n c i l t o c o n s i d e r t h e m f a v o u r a b l y . T h e
G o v e r n i n g C o u n c i l c o n s i d e r e d t h a t f u r t h e r
reports by the Secretary-General should contain
advice to Governments on the results of studies
a n d t h a t e m p h a s i s i n t h e i m m e d i a t e f u t u r e
should be placed on projects and case studies
that would demonstrate the value of the inter-
relationships approach.
AC T I O N B Y T H E P O P U L A T I O N C O M M I S S I O N
(JANUARY/FEBRUARY) AND THE ECONOMIC AND
SOCIAL COUNCIL (MAY). The interrelationships
between population, resources, environment and
development were considered by the Population
Commission at i ts January/February session
(p. 778). The Commission stated in its report(4)
that population policies and programmes could
play an important role with regard not only to
slowing population growth, density, age struc-
ture and spatial distribution, but also to accom-
modation, social and urban problems, congestion
and po l l u t i on . I t added t ha t t he qua l i t a t i ve
dimension of population programmes was central
to problems of development and rapid social
change as well as to processes of self-reliance,
Development and international economic and social policy 391
decenteral izat ion and part icipation in devel-
opment.
The Economic and Social Council, in a resolu-
tion of 6 May(9)
on implementation of the 1974
World Population Plan of Action,(17)
urged those
responsible for new development strategies, for
international conferences or for drafting instru-
ments on economic, social and technological
progress to consider fully the interrelationships
of population factors and social, economic, cul-
tural and political development in dealing with
population problems.
In another resolution of the same date, on a
populat ion work programme,( 1 0 )
the Counci l
requested the Secretary-General to cont inue
work on interrelations of population and devel-
opment, with a view to integrating demographic
factors in development strategies and plans. He
was also asked to expedite the preparation of
manuals on methods of incorporat ing demo-
graphic factors in development planning.
E C O N O M I C A N D S O C I A L C O U N C I L A C T I O N
(JULY). In accordance with a 1979 Economic
and Social Counci l request ,( 7 )
the Secretary-
General submitted in May 1981 a report to the
Council(5)
which discussed the scope and nature
of the issues and set out some conclusions on re-
quirements for sustaining long-term develop-
ment . I t reviewed f indings that had emerged
from activities of the United Nations system in
four areas: population pressure, resource systems
and technological options; human capabilities,
livelihood systems and environmental manage-
ment; development processes , human set t le-
ments and population distribution; and national
self-reliance, life-styles and patterns of develop-
ment. The report also submitted findings rele-
vant to national planning.
In a statement to the Council on 14 July, the
Director-General for Development and Interna-
tional Economic Co-operation outlined elements
of a proposed system-wide work programme
whose objectives would be: synthesis, integration
and advancement of knowledge, based on co-
ordinated multidisciplinary research; identifica-
tion of issues emerging from ongoing or antic-
ipated changes in the distribution of power and
resources between and within societies, such as
those implicit in Assembly documents relating
to the new international economic order; and im-
provement of the capability for long-term global
analyses of interrelationships so that they could
be used to elaborate long-term strategies and
policy decisions at local, national, regional and
international levels.
Programme areas to be explored would in-
clude rational use of global resources, consump-
tion patterns and life-styles, and improvement
and expans ion o f ca r ry ing capac i ty . Wi th in
these areas, projects would be identif ied for
implementation by the United Nations system
and other institutions. Programme components
would include: system-wide cataloguing and
evaluation of work; data gathering and analysis,
theoret ical work, long-term perspect ives and
projections; assistance to developing countries
trying to solve problems stemming from interre-
lationships; and national planning implications.
The Director-General added that a trust fund
had been established to receive governmental
contributions for these activities.
On 22 July, the Council adopted without votea resolut ion,
( 1 1 ) sponsored by India, Kenya,
Pakistan and Sweden, by which it welcomed es-
t a b l i s h m e n t o f t h e t r u s t f u n d a n d u r g e n t l y
requested the Director-General to finalize the
proposals for the work programme and to submit
them to Governments at an early stage for con-
sideration at the Assembly’s 1981 regular session.
The Federal Republic of Germany, Spain and
the United Kingdom expressed opposi t ion to
the fund, while the United States said it would
not contribute. On the other hand, Sweden said
it was prepared to make a contribution.
On 24 July, in a resolution on international co-
operation on the environment,(12)
the Council en-
dorsed in principle the proposals of the expert
group and the important role of UNEP on this
topic, and invited the Assembly to request the
Director-General to implement the proposals,
taking into account the Council’s resolution of
22 July. This provision incorporated two revi-
sions made after informal consultations on the
original draft, adding the words “in principle”
and the phrase inviting the Assembly to take ac-
count of the Council resolution.
Brazil expressed reservations on the Secretary-
General’s report, saying it appeared to imply
that reduction of development and modification
of development objectives were justified to pre-
serve the environment, and that some of its ideas
prejudged the exercise of economic and social
options by developing countr ies and invaded
areas of exclusive national jurisdiction.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY ACTION. Responding to
the Economic and Social Council resolutions of
22 and 24 July, the Secretary-General submitted
to the General Assembly in October a report of
the Director-General containing proposals for
the system-wide work programme on interre-
la t ionships between resources , environment ,
people and development.(3)
The programme would include surveys and
monitoring, field projects, development of plan-
ning and policy tools, and research. Its objectives
were to be the advancement of understanding,
the promotion of multidisciplinary approaches
and the s t imulat ion of internat ional effor ts .
392 Economic and social questions
Components were to include: comparative geo-
graphic, sectoral and societal studies; action-
oriented research studies urgently needed for
developing countries; methodological studies;
and review and synthesis of new knowledge.
Three programme areas were specified: rational
use of global resources, consumption patterns
and l i fe-styles , and improving and expanding
carrying capacity.
An appendix listed eight study projects identi-
fied for inclusion, on the following topics: land
resources for future populat ions (Indonesia ,
Kenya, Tunisia); deforestation of the Himalayan
foothills; overgrazing in the Sudano-Sahelian
r e g i o n ; p e a s a n t s u r v i v a l a n d e n v i r o n m e n t a l
management in densely populated semi-arid
highlands (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru);
high-consumption regions; resource use; devel-
opment and life-styles; and development of an
extended Social Accounting Matrix for analysis
of interrelationships.
The Director-General proposed that existing
ACC machinery be used for inter-agency consul-
tations and that an advisory body of four outside
experts be constituted to review programme ac-
t ivi t ies , assess orientat ion and achievements ,
recommend further development and advise on
the trust fund, which would finance the advisory
body’s meetings.
O n 1 7 D e c e m b e r , t h e G e n e r a l A s s e m b l y
adopted without vote a resolution(14)
b y w h i c h i t
requested the Director-General to initiate imple-
mentation of a work programme as outlined in
his report and to consult Governments on the
elements. The Assembly supported the proposed
arrangements for inter-agency consultations and
establishment of the advisory body, appealed to
Governments to contribute to the trust fund and
decided to review progress at its 1983 regular ses-
sion. It expressed awareness that national poli-
cies and strategies in resources, environment,
people and development were government pre-
rogatives.
The resolution was approved by the Second
Committee on 7 December, also without vote, as
submitted by a Committee Vice-Chairman after
informal consultations on an earlier draft intro-
duced by Sweden, also sponsored by India and
Pakistan and subsequently withdrawn.(1)
In another resolution of 17 December, on in-
ternational co-operation on the environment,(15)
the Assembly welcomed the recommendations of
the UNEP Governing Council and the Economic
and Social Council on the work programme and
the role of UNEP, and requested the Director-
General to take steps for their implementation.
The three-nation text differed in several re-
spects from the one adopted. It contained no refer-
ence to government prerogatives and, in addition
to drafting differences, would have had the Assem-
bly: endorse the Director-General’s proposals to
initiate a work programme, taking into account
the relevant provision in the other Assembly reso-
lution of 17 December (see previous paragraph);
welcome (rather than support) the Director-
General’s arrangements; and appeal for substan-
tial contributions to the trust fund. Also, the initial
draft did not provide that the advisory body
should be financed from the trust fund.
Explaining their positions on this resolution,
the Federal Republic of Germany and the United
Kingdom restated their opposition to the prolifer-
ation of funds. Canada, referring to the preambu-
lar clause on government prerogatives, supported
the right of States to pursue national policies but
said States also were responsible for ensuring that
activities within their jurisdiction or control did
not harm the environment of other States.
Speaking of the second resolution, the Federal
Republic of Germany said it was premature to
request implementation of the work programme;
further consideration by the UNEP Council was
needed.
C O M M U N I C A T I O N . O n 9 N o v e m b e r , C h i n a
transmitted to the Secretary-General( 2 )
the Bei-
j ing Declarat ion on Populat ion and Develop-
ment, adopted by the Asian Conference of Par-
liamentarians on Population and Development
(Beijing, China, 27-30 October). In this docu-
ment, the participants recognized the inextrica-
ble relationships between population, resources
and environment in efforts to manage poverty,
employment and development, and resolved to
stimulate interest and create awareness and un-
derstanding of those relationships among fellow
parliamentarians and people.
Draft resolution withdrawn: ( 1 )
India, Pakistan, Sweden,
A/C.2/36/L.75.
Letter: (2)
China, 9 Nov., A/C.2/36/4.
Reports: ( 3 )
DIEC Director-General , transmitted by S-G
note, A/36/571; (4)
Population Commission, E/1981/13;(5)
S-G, E/1981/65; (6)
UNEP Council, A/36/25.
Resolutions and decision:
Resolut ions: ESC: ( 7 )
1979/49, 1 Aug. 1979 (YUN
1979, p. 793); (8)
1980/49, para. 2, 23 July 1980 (YUN
1980, p. 723); (9)
1981/28, para. 2, 6 May 1981 (p. 780);(10)
1981/29, para. 2 (d) & (k), 6 May (p. 787);(11)
1981/51, 22 July, text following; (12)
1981/73, para.
5, 24 July (p. 815). GA: (13)
35/74, para. 5, 5 Dec. 1980
(YUN 1980, p. 724); (14)
36/179, 17 Dec. 1981, text fol-
lowing; (15)
36/192, para. 5, 17 Dec. (p. 816).
Decision: (16)
UNEP Council: 9/1, sect. II, 26 May.
Yearbook references: (17)
1974, p. 552; (18)
1980, p. 716.
Meeting records: ESC: E/1981/SR.21-34, 35, 37, 39, 41
(2-24 July). GA: 2nd Committee, A/C.2/36/SR.3-6,
1 0 - 2 6 , 2 8 - 3 2 , 4 1 , 4 6 ( 2 4 S e p . - 7 D e c . ) ; p l e n a r y ,
A/36/PV.103 (17 Dec.).
Economic and Social Council resolution 1981/51
Adopted without vote Meeting 39 22 July 1981
4-nation draft (E/1981/L.52); agenda item 3.
Sponsors: India, Kenya, Pakistan, Sweden.
Development and international economic and social policy 393
Interrelat ionships between resources,
environment, people and development
The Economic and Social Council,
Recalling General Assembly resolution 35/74 of 5 Decem-
ber 1980 on international co-operation in the field of the envi-
ronment, in which the Secretary-General was requested to
take the requisite steps for the Implementation of the recom-
mendations of the Governing Council of the United Nations
Environment Programme on the work of the United Nations
system on interrelationships between resources, environ-
ment, people and development,
1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on in-
terrelat ionships between resources, environment, people
and development;
2. Welcomes the statement of the Director-General for De-
velopment and International Economic Co-operation, in
which he presented an outline of the elements of a system-
wide programme of work on the interrelationships between
resources, environment, people and development;
3. Urgently requests the Director-General for Development
and International Economic Co-operation to finalize the
proposals for the system-wide programme of work on interre-
lationships between resources, environment, people and de-
velopment, bearing in mind the above-mentioned outline of
the elements, and to submit the proposals to Governments at
an early stage, so as to facilitate the full consideration of the
programme of work by the General Assembly at its thirty-sixth
session and to enable the Assembly to take the appropriate
decisions for its implementation, also bearing in mind Council
resolution 1981/73;
4. Welcomes the establishment of the general trust fund
for the purpose of facil i tat ing the implementation of the
system-wide programme of work to be undertaken pursuant
to General Assembly resolution 35/74.
General Assembly resolution 36/179
A d o p t e d w i t h o u t v o t e M e e t i n g 1 0 3 1 7 D e c e m b e r 1 9 8 1
Approved by Second Committee (A/36/694/Add.1) without vote, 7December (meeting 46); draft by Vice-Chairman (A/C.2/36/L.133),based on informal consultations on 3-nation draft (A/C.2/36/L.75);
agenda item 69.
Interrelat ionships between resources,
environment, people and development
The General Assembly,
Having considered the report of the Director-General for De-
velopment and International Economic Co-operation on inter-
relat ionships between resources, environment, people and
development,
Conscious of the Interrelationships between resources, en-
vironment, people and development, as noted in the Interna-
tional Development Strategy for the Third United Nations De-
velopment Decade,
Recognizing that the application of existing knowledge con-
cerning those interrelationships could lead to a more efficient
use of available resources in the United Nations system,
Recalling its resolution 35/74 of 5 December 1980, in para-
graph 5 of which it requested the Secretary-General to take
the requisite steps for implementation of a system-wide pro-
gramme of work on the interrelationships between resources,
environment, people and development,
Reca l l i ng Economic and Soc i a l Counc i l r e so lu t i ons
1981/51 of 22 July 1981 and 1981/73 of 24 July 1981,
Aware that the formulation and implementation, at the na-
t i o n a l l e v e l , o f p o l i c i e s a n d s t r a t e g i e s i n t h e f i e l d s o f
resources, environment, people and development fall within
the prerogative of Governments,
1. Requests the Director-General for Development and In-
ternational Economic Co-operation:
(a) To Initiate implementation of a co-ordinated multidis-
ciplinary programme of work on interrelationships between
resources, environment, people and development, as outlined
in his report, and within this framework the recommendations
on this subject of the Governing Council of the United Nations
Environment Programme and of the Economic and Social
Council;
(b) Urgently to consult Governments on the elements con-
tained in his report, as he proceeds in the implementation of
the above-mentioned programme of work;
2. Supports the arrangements proposed by the Director-
General for Development and International Economic Co-
operation for inter-agency consultations and programme sup-
port in the implementation of the programme of work, as well
as the establishment of a small advisory body, to be financed
through the trust fund which has been established for financ-
ing activit ies concerning interrelationships between re-
sources, environment, people and development, to assist him
in the overall guidance of the programme of work and to over-
see the operation of the trust fund;
3. Appeals to Governments to contribute to the trust fund;
4. Decides to review at its thirty-eighth session the prog-
ress made in the implementation of the present resolution.
Inflation and development
In a note to the General Assembly, transmit-
ted by the United Nations Secretary-General on
29 September 1981,(2)
the Secretary-General of
the United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development (UNCTAD) proposed to submit in
1982 rather than 1981 a report requested by the
Assembly in 1979( 4 )
on measures to combat
world inflation with a view to accelerating devel-
oping countries’ real growth and increasing their
import capacity in a context of just and stable
financial markets. He pointed out that there had
b e e n c h a n g e s s i n c e 1 9 7 9 i n t h e u n d e r l y i n g
economic forces affecting inflation. Several Gov-
ernments appeared to have different perceptions
of the origins of that process and to attach dif-
ferent weights to the goals of reducing inflation
and achieving full employment. Therefore, the
UNCTAD secretariat felt that a comprehensive
review was required and it proposed to submit
such a report for the twenty-f i f th session of
the Trade and Development Board (September
1982) and the Assembly’s 1982 regular session.
On 9 October, the Board noted this intention
and a agreed to consider the report in September
1982.(3)
On 16 December, in a resolution on
UNCTAD,(5)
the Assembly took note of the
UNCTAD Secretary-General’s intention and the
Board’s agreement. In an earlier version of this
text , submit ted by Algeria on behalf of the
Group of 77,(l)
the Assembly would have wel-
comed the Board’s decision and requested that
the study and the Board’s comments be transmit-
ted to the Assembly in 1982.
In a related decision,(6)
adopted without vote
on 16 December, the Assembly took note of the
UNCTAD Secretary-General’s communication.
This action was recommended by the Second
Committee, which similarly approved it on 11
December on an oral proposal of its Chairman.
The effects of inflation and monetary instabili-
394 Economic and social questions
t y o n t h e f i n a n c e s o f t h e U n i t e d N a t i o n s
system were also examined by the Assembly
during the year (p. 1300).
Draft resolution withdrawn: (1)
Algeria, for Group of 77,
A/C.2/36/L.65.
N o t e : ( 2 )
U N C T A D S - G , t r a n s m i t t e d b y S - G n o t e ,
A/36/536.
Report: (3)
TDB, A/36/15.
Resolutions and decision:
Resolutions: GA: (4)
34/197, paras. 3 & 4, 19 Dec. 1979
(YUN 1979, p. 581); (5)
36/145, para. 5, 16 Dec. 1981
(p. 533).
Decision: (6)
GA: 36/430, 16 Dec., text following.
Meeting records: GA: 2nd Committee, A/C.2/36/SR.3-6,
10-26, 28-32, 48 (24 Sep.-11 Dec.); plenary, A/36/
PV.100 (16 Dec.).
General Assembly decision 36/430
Adopted without vote
Approved by Second Committee (A/36/694/Add.3) without vote, 11December (meeting 48); oral proposal by Chairman; agenda item69 (c).
World Inflationary phenomenon
At its 100th plenary meeting, on 16 December 1981, the
General Assembly, on the recommendation of the Second
Committee, took note of the note by the Secretary-General
transmitting a note by the Secretary-General of the United
Nations Conference on Trade and Development on the world
inflationary phenomenon.
Public sector and economic development
Responding to a 1979 Economic and Social
Council request,(2)
the Secretary-General submit-
ted in May 1981 a progress report on the role of
the public sector in promoting the economic de-
velopment of developing countries,(1)
in advance
of a comprehensive report scheduled for 1983.
According to the report, new perceptions and
priorities regarding development had led most
developing countries to enlarge the role of the
public sector and mobilize more resources for its
use. The need to bring the fruits of development
to the larger mass of people had caused the
public sector to devise new organizations and
redes ign deve lopmen t po l i cy t o unde r t ake
wholly new tasks. The public sector had attempt-
ed to bring about changes in institutions such as
agrarian relations, created new institutions such
as public enterprises and joint ventures, and im-
plemented policies designed to benefit selected
groups.
Governments had expressed the need for re-
search and analysis of public sector policies and
programmes and the modal i t ies to implement
them, the report said. The larger and complex
role of the public sector had called for more and
diversified training of personnel and for policies
to retain competent persons, and there was also a
growing need to improve public management.
On 20 July, the Economic and Social Coun-
cil recommended that the report be transmitted
to the General Assembly, together with the
Secretary-General’s comprehensive report called
for by the Assembly in 1979.( 4 )
The Council
decided to discuss the latter at its second regular
session of 1983, requested the Secretary-General
to accord high priority to studies and reports on
the role of the public sector in promoting devel-
oping countr ies’ economic development , and
recognized the important role of the Internation-
al Centre for Public Enterprises in Developing
Countries in promoting co-operation among de-
veloping countries in this field.
The Council took these actions by a resolution
which it adopted without vote. The 11-nation
draft , introduced by Mongolia , incorporated
oral amendments proposed by Brazil and by the
United Kingdom on behalf of the European
Economic Community. Brazil’s amendment had
the Council recognize instead of emphasize the
role of the Internat ional Centre . The United
Kingdom amendment added a preambular para-
graph saying that every State had the sovereign
and inalienable right to choose its economic and
social system in accordance with its people’s
will, without outside interference.
Canada stated that, had there been a vote, it
would have been unable to support the request
for high priority for studies and reports on this
topic.
Report: (1)
S-G, E/1981/66.
Resolutions: ESC: (2)
1979/48, 31 July 1979 (YUN 1979, p.
515); ( 3 )
1981/45, 20 July 1981, text following. ( 4 )
GA:
34/137, para. 5, 14 Dec. 1979 (YUN 1979, p. 516).
Meeting records: ESC, E/1981/SR.21-34, 37, 38 (2-20 July).
Economic and Social Council resolution 1981/45
Adopted without vote Meeting 38 20 July 1981
11-nation draft (E/1981/L.47/Rev.1), orally amended by Brazil and byUnited Kingdom for EEC members; agenda item 3.
Sponsors: Bangladesh, Cuba, Ethiopia, German Democratic Republic,India, Iraq, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Nicaragua, Yugoslavia.
Role of the public sector in promoting the economic
development of developing countries
The Economic and Social Council,
Reca l l i ng i t s r e so lu t i ons 1978 /60 o f 3 Augus t 1978 ,
1978/75 of 8 November 1978 and 1979/48 of 31 July 1979,
Further recall ing General Assembly resolution 34/137 of
14 December 1979, in which the Assembly, inter alla, invited
the Secretary-General to continue his detailed study of the
role of the public sector and to submit, through the Economic
and Social Council, a comprehensive report to the Assembly
at its thirty-eighth session, paying special attention to several
aspects of the question indicated in that resolution,
Noting the International Development Strategy for the Third
United Nations Development Decade, in which it is stressed
that due account should be taken of the positive role of the
public sector in mobilizing internal resources, formulating
and implementing overall national development plans and es-
tablishing national priorities.
Bearing in mind that every State has the sovereign and in-
alienable right to choose its economic and social system, in
accordance with the will of Its people and without outside
interference,
1. Takes note of the progress report of the Secretary-
General on the role of the public sector in promoting the
economic development of developing countries;
2. Recommends that the progress report should be trans-
mitted to the General Assembly, together with the compre-
Development and international economic and social policy 395
hensive report of the Secretary-General to be submitted in
accordance with Assembly resolution 34/137;
3. Decides to discuss the comprehensive report of the
Secretary-General at the second regular session of the Coun-
cil in 1983;
4. Reaffirms Council resolution 1978/60, in which it, inter
alia, invited the regional commissions and other appropriate
organizations of the United Nations system to assist the
Secretary-General regularly in his continuing study of the
role of the public sector in promoting the economic develop-
ment of developing countries;
5. Requests the Secretary-General to accord high priority
to the studies and reports on the role of the public sector in
the economic development of developing countries;
6. Recognizes, in this connection, the important role of
the international Centre for Public Enterprises in Developing
Countries in promoting co-operation among developing coun-
tries in this field.
Development planning
and information
The Commit tee for Development Planning
(C D P) held i ts seventeenth session at United
Nations Headquarters from 23 March to 1 April
1981.(2)
C o m p o s e d o f e x p e r t s a p p o i n t e d b y t h e
Economic and Social Counci l , C D P examined
the causes and costs of the world economic crisis
and outlined priority areas of action to restore
d y n a m i s m i n t h e w o r l d e c o n o m y , i n c l u d i n g
action by the developed market and centrally
planned economies (p. 386). It made recommen-
dations regarding regional development strate-
gies in Africa (p. 611), Asia and the Pacif ic
(p. 636), Latin America (p. 661) and Western
Asia (p. 669). It suggested activities for economic
c o - o p e r a t i o n a m o n g d e v e l o p i n g c o u n t r i e s
(p. 383) and reviewed the United Nations list of
least developed countries (p. 411). The world
economic situation and development problems
hampering implementation of the International
Development Strategy for the Third United
Nations Development Decade (p. 381) were to
be the subjects of future study by CDP.
In connection with development planning, a
10 September letter from Israel to the Secretary-
General(1)
attached a government report outlin-
ing an alternative development strategy for de-
veloping countries; this approach called for a
shift of resources from the modern to the tradi-
t ional sector , where a t ransi t ional economy
would be created that would produce food and
non-agricultural goods primarily for its own con-
sumption, using its predominantly agricultural
surpluses to pay for its imports from the modern
sector and from the world market.
Letter: (1)
Israel, 10 Sep., A/36/497.
R e p o r t : ( 2 )
C D P , E / 1 9 8 1 / 2 7 .
Unified approach to development planning
Responding to the concern, spanning more
than a decade, of both the General Assembly
and the Economic and Social Council to promote
a unified approach to development analysis and
planning for socio-economic development, the
Secretary-General, in January 1981, submitted
two related reports.One of these reports,
( 1 ) submitted in response
to a 1979 Assembly decision,(6)
contained conclu-
sions and recommendations based on informa-
tion from Governments on their experience inapplying a unified a approach. Previous reports,
in 1977(8)
and 1979,(9)
incorporated information
from 25 Governments; for the 1981 report, new
replies were received from Argentina, Cyprus,
Iraq, Jordan, Malaysia, Pakistan and Suriname.
The report concluded that various countries
had applied a unified approach in varying de-
grees and contexts. Their development objec-
t i v e s h a d b e c o m e m o r e c o m p r e h e n s i v e a n d
explici t , to facil i tate policy and programme
formulation; the interrelationships of policies
and programmes were being taken into account;
attempts had been made to incorporate regional
programmes into national plans; and review and
appraisal had become part of decision-making.
Arrangements had been made to widen the par-
ticipation of local institutions, improve the co-
ordination of central planning authorities, facili-
tate the applicat ion of a unif ied approach in
regional and local plans, and make review and
appraisal more effective. There had also been ef-
forts to improve the availability of information.
The second report concerned world experi-
ence in integrated social and economic planning
which could be recommended to interested Gov-
ernments for their application.( 2 )
This report,
requested by the Economic and Social Council
in 1979,(3)
illustrated interactions among nutri-
tion, health, educational and family planning
programmes. The report sought to demonstrate
that knowledge of the nature of such interactions
was necessary for the design of integrated plans
and programmes. I t found that sectoral pro-
grammes were often designed in isolation from
one another , due to compartmental izat ion of
agencies and the rigidities arising from a func-
tional allocation of responsibilities. To avoid
this, many Governments would have to improve
their organizational arrangements.
The Commission for Social Development tooknote of both reports on 17 February.
(4)
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL ACTION. On
4 May, the Economic and Social Council decided
to continue to consider regularly a unified ap-
proach to development analysis and planning. It
requested the Secretary-General, on the basis of
government information, to submit in 1983 a
396 Economic and social questions
report on experience acquired in applying such
an approach in socio-economic development at
the national level, as well as in the activities of
United Nations economic and social bodies.
The decision to this effect(5)
was adopted with-
out vote, following similar approval on 24 April
by the Council’s First (Economic) Committee of
a text introduced by its Chairman and based on
consultations.
In the Committee’s discussion, the Byelo-
russian SSR and the USSR stressed the impor-
tance of integrated planning in socialist econo-
mies and called for more work by the United
Nations on this topic, leading to practical recom-
mendations. The United States said experience
had demonstrated the need to avoid relying too
heavily on Governments in promoting social de-
ve lopmen t ; i nd iv idua l and g roup in i t i a t i ve s
s h o u l d b e e n c o u r a g e d i n s t e a d . T h e G e r m a n
Democratic Republic and India thought that a
unified approach should also be applied in inter-
national economic relations.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY ACTION. On 19 Novem-
ber, the General Assembly confirmed the Coun-
cil decision, also decided to continue considera-
tion of the question regularly and requested that
the report called for by the Council be submitted
to the Assembly in 1983 through the Commission
for Social Development and the Council.
The Assembly took these actions by adopting
without vote a decision( 7 )
recommended by its
Second (Economic and Financial) Committee.
The Committee had likewise approved the draft,
submitted by its Chairman, on 11 November.
Reports: S-G, (l)
A/36/69, (2)
E/CN.5/586.
Resolution and decisions:
Resolution: (3)
ESC: 1979/23, 9 May 1979 (YUN 1979,
p. 760).
Decisions: ( 4 )
Commission for Social Development
(report , E/1981/26): IV, 17 Feb. ( 5 )
ESC: 1981/107, 4
May, text following. GA: (6)
34/419, para. (c), 29 Nov.
1979 (YUN 1979, p. 760); (7)
36/405, 19 Nov. 1981, text
following.
Yearbook references: (8)
1977, p. 647; (9)
1979, p. 753.
Meeting records: ESC: 1st Committee, E/1981/C.1/SR.4, 5
(23, 24 Apr.); plenary, E/1981/SR.13 (4 May). GA: 2nd
Committee, A/C.2/36/SR.8, 11, 35 (7 Oct.-11 Nov.);
plenary, A/36/PV.64 (19 Nov.).
Economic and Social Council decision 1981/107
Adopted without vote
Approved by First Committee (E/1981/59) without vote, 24 April (meet-
ing 5): draft by Chairman (E/1981/C.1/L.4); agenda item 12.
Unified approach to development analysis and planning
At its 13th plenary meeting, on 4 May 1981, the Council
decided:
(a) To take note of the report of the Secretary-General on
a unified approach to development analysis and planning;
(b) To continue to consider on a regular basis the question
of a unified approach to development analysis and planning,
taking into account its importance for the process of develop-
ment as stressed in the international Development Strategy
for the Third United Nations Development Decade;
(c) To request the Secretary-General, on the basis of infor-
mation supplied by Governments, to prepare a report on the
experience acquired in applying a unified approach in the
process of socio-economic development at the national level,
as well as in the activities of the United Nations economic
and social organs and organizations, and to submit it to the
Council at its first regular session of 1983 through the Com-
mission for Social Development at its twenty-eighth session;
(d) To include in the provisional agenda for its first regular
session of 1983 the item entitled “Unified approach to devel-
opment analysis and planning”.
General Assembly decision 36/405
Adopted without vote
Approved by Second Committee (A/36/693) without vote, 11 November(meeting 35); draft by Chairman (A/C.2/36/L.20); agenda item 71 (c).
Unified approach to development analysis and planning
At i ts 64th plenary meeting, on 19 November 1981, the
General Assembly, on the recommendation of the Second
Committee:
(a) Took note of the report of the Secretary-General on a
unified approach to development analysis and planning;
(b ) Conf i rmed Economic and Soc i a l Counc i l dec i s i on
1981/107 of 4 May 1981, entitled “Unified approach to de-
velopment analysis and planning”;
(c) Decided to continue consideration on a regular basis
of the question of a unified approach, taking into account its
importance for the process of development as stressed in the
International Development Strategy for the Third United
Nations Development Decade;
(d) Requested the Secretary-General, on the basis of in-
formation supplied by Governments, to prepare a report on
the experience acquired in applying a unified approach in the
process of socio-economic development at the national level
and in the activit ies of the United Nations economic and
social organs and organizations and to submit it to the Gener-
al Assembly at its thirty-eighth session through the Commis-
sion for. Social Development at its twenty-eighth session and
the Economic and Social Council at its first regular session of
1983;
(e) Further decided to include in the provisional agenda of
its thirty-eighth session the item entitled “Unified approach
to development analysis and planning”.
Technical co-operation
During 1981, the United Nations Secretariat’s
Department of Technical Co-operation for De-
velopment (DTCD) implemented 90 technical co-
operation projects in 70 developing countries
designed to improve their technical and institu-
tional capabilities for planning and to strengthen
their infrastructure for development. According
to a r epo r t by t he Sec re t a ry -Gene ra l t o t he
Governing Council of the United Nations Devel-
opment Programme (UNDP),(1)
advisory missions
provided assis tance in specif ic economic and
social sectors and, in response to developing
countr ies’ needs for more ski l led personnel ,
training formed an important aspect.
The main emphasis was on national and re-
gional planning, formulation and evaluation of
investment projects, planning for international
technical co-operation, and projects devoted ex-
clusively to t raining. Signif icant support was
also given to preparations for the United Nations
Conference on the Least Developed Countries
(p. 404); to country programming for the third
Development and international economic and social policy 397
UNDP programming cycle (1982-1986) (p. 444);
and, in co-operation with the Office for Special
Political Questions, to special economic assis-
tance programmes mandated by the General As-
sembly (p. 495).
Report: (1)
S-G, DP/1982/22.
Development information
Information Systems Unit in DIESA
The General Assembly decided in December
1981 to continue the Information Systems Unit
(ISU) in the United Nations Secretariat’s Depart-
ment of International Economic and Social Af-
fairs (DIESA) and to finance it within the existing
total of the United Nations budget. This Unit
created and maintained a computerized Devel-
opment Information System ( D I S ) , providing
access to unpublished reports and studies pro-
duced by or for D I E S A , D T C D, the Centre for
Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs
and the Centre for Human Settlements.
T h e A s s e m b l y a c t e d o n a n O c t o b e r 1 9 8 1
report of the Secretary-General,( 3 )
submitted in
response to a 1980 resolution,(4)
describing the
Unit’s activities. He said there had been consid-
erable demand for the Unit’s services during
1981 and estimated that its continuation at the
current operational level would cost $447,200 in
1982-1983.
An evaluation of ISU was prepared by a consul-
tant designated by the Inter-Organization Board
for Information Systems (IOB). In his report,( 2 )
the consultant concluded that, unless ISU could
be provided with at least $300,000 a year-the
minimum needed to make it useful and compre-
hensive—the current limited operation should
be discontinued. In transmitting this report to
the Assembly, IOB stated that it could not ex-
press an opinion and felt that the Assembly must
decide.
The Advisory Committee on Administrative
and Budgetary, Questions (ACABQ), in a report to
the Assembly,( 1 )
concluded that the reports of
the Secretary-General and IOB had not con-
vinced it that there was need for ISU and DIS as
currently constituted.
On 18 December , the Assembly concluded
that the loss of DIS could have a negative effect
on international co-operation for development.
Accordingly, it requested the Secretary-General
to continue ISU by absorbing its cost through
savings, economies and redeployment within the
United Nations budget for 1982-1983. He was
asked to report to the Committee for Programme
and Co-ordination on institutional arrangements
which would enable ISU to serve as a focal point
for expansion, merging and distribution of the
development-related data bases of the regional
commissions and for maintaining the Macro-
thesaurus for Information Processing in the Field of
Economic and Social Development (a document-
indexing tool used by several United Nations
organizat ions) . The Assembly requested the
Sec re t a ry -Gene ra l t o improve t he Sys t em’s
coverage and services and asked IOB to report in
1983 on the Unit’s performance and utility.
The Assembly took these actions by adopting
a resolution,( 5 )
recommended by the Fifth (Ad-
ministrat ive and Budgetary) Committee, by a
recorded vote of 107 to 16, with 15 abstentions.
On 15 December, the Committee had approved
the draft, sponsored by Canada, Denmark and
Pakistan, by 40 votes to 14, with 23 abstentions.
Canada, introducing the resolution, said the
budgetary arguments against ISU were not rele-
vant to the key issue of a long-term approach to
the establishment of an integrated development
information system in the United Nations. The
sponsors had been advised that the modest sum
needed to finance ISU could be found within the
existing budget total.
A number of States explained their positions
in the Fif th Commit tee . Those which voted
against the resolution thought ISU should be dis-
continued. The USSR felt that money was being
wasted on an unnecessary undertaking when so
many problems required an urgent solution. The
United States objected to expanding the Unit’s
m a nda t e t o c ove r c o - o r d i na t i on o f U n i t e d
Nations development information systems and
opposed the transfer of activities from voluntary
funding to the regular budget.
Several States explained their abstent ions.
Brazil, Ghana and Greece said they hoped ISU
might yet prove useful. India, noting that it had
argued in 1980 against continuing ISU, abstained
in view of the call for a review. Japan said that,
although it had contributed to ISU, it could not
support any proposal that might lead to a budget
increase. Peru, which voted in favour in the As-
sembly, thought funding should be by voluntary
contributions. The United Republic of Tanzania
noted that both the consultant and ACABQ had
concluded that DIS should be discontinued.
A number of delegations explained their posi-
tive votes. Algeria, Sierra Leone, Venezuela and
Yugoslavia fel t I S U could benefi t developing
countries. Australia agreed, adding that knowl-
edge lost could never be regained. Guinea sup-
ported the dissemination of development infor-
m a t i o n . K e n y a n o t e d t h a t I S U h a d m a d e a n
effort to co-operate with the Economic Commis-
sion for Africa. Mauritania wished to give ISU
another chance to prove itself but had reserva-
tions on its usefulness. Morocco said it was too
early to let DIS expire; if voluntary funds could
not be found, financing from the United Nations
398 Economic and social questions
budget should cont inue. Pakis tan thought i t
premature to terminate a unit which held prom-
ise but was not reaching its potential because
insufficient resources had been devoted to it.
Trinidad and Tobago and the United Republic
of Cameroon also felt ISU had potential.
In the Fifth Committee’s discussion, Denmark
said a token increase in the ISU budget might suf-
fice to expand DIS into a comprehensive system of
access to development literature. Sweden stated
that it continued to believe in the usefulness of ISU
and DIS but would no longer make voluntary con-
tributions, since the users and the Secretary-
General had not shown a readiness to support it.
Reports: ( l )
ACABQ, A/36/7/Add.7; ( 2 )
IOB, A/C.5/36/7;(3)
S-G, A/C.5/36/6.
Resolutions: GA: (4)
35/217, sect. XIII, 17 Dec. 1980 (YUN
1980, p. 1234); (5)
36/237, 18 Dec. 1981, text following.
Meeting records: GA: 5th Committee, A/C.5/36/SR.10,
12-19, 47, 58, 76, 77 (12 Oct.-15 Dec.); plenary, A/36/
PV.105 (18 Dec.).
General Assembly resolution 36/237
107-16-15 (recorded vote) Meeting 105 18 December 1981
Approved by Fifth Committee (A/36/845) by vote (40-14-23). 15December (meeting 77); 3-nation draft (A/C.5/36/L.29/Rev.1);
agenda item 100.
Sponsors: Canada, Denmark. Pakistan.
Establishment of an information Systems Unit in the
Department of international Economic and Social Affairs
The General Assembly,
Recalling section XIII of its resolution 35/217 of 17 Decem-
ber 1980, by which it decided that the staffing complement of
the Development Information System of the Information Sys-
tems Unit would be funded temporarily by the regular budget
for 1981 and that a report on the evaluation of the System
should be submitted to the General Assembly at its thirty-
sixth session,
Taking note of the report of the Inter-Organization Board for
Information Systems containing an evaluation of the Develop-
ment Information System of the Information Systems Unit, as
well as the report of the Secretary-General and the related
report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and
Budgetary Questions, which provide information on the prog-
ress of the Unit since last year, and particularly the section
which outlines the role that the Unit can play in the mainte-
nance of compatibility and the exchange of development in-
formation among the regional commissions,
Mindful of the limited size of both the data base and user
community of the Development Information System and of the
need to improve its coverage and services,
Considering that the Development Information System, in
providing access to the unpublished reports and studies pro-
duced by or for the Department of International Economic and
Social Affairs, the Department of Technical Co-operation for
Development and other parts of the Secretariat, will be provid-
ing a needed and valuable service to the Governments and
Member States and other users of the System,
Further considering that the loss of the Development Infor-
mation System could have a negative effect on international
co-operation for development,
1. Requests the Secretary-General to continue the Infor-
mation Systems Unit by absorbing the cost of the Unit from
the r e sou rces p roposed fo r t he 1982-1983 p rog ramme
budget through savings, economies and redeployment;
2. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Com-
mittee for Programme and Co-ordination on the potential and
appropriate institutional arrangements in regard to the Infor-
mation Systems Unit which would enable it to serve as a focal
point for the expansion, merging and distribution of the
development-related data bases of the regional commissions
and for the maintenance of the macrothesaurus;
3. Further requests the Secretary-General to undertake
measures to improve the Development Information System In
terms of its coverage and services;
4. Requests the Inter-Organization Board to report to the
General Assembly at i ts thirty-eighth session, through the
Committee for Programme and Co-ordination and the Adviso-
ry Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, on
the performance and utility of the Information Systems Unit.
Recorded vote in Assembly as follows:
In favour: Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Bahrain,
Bangladesh, Barbados, Bhutan, Bolivia, Burma, Burundi, Canada,
Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo,Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Democratic Kampuchea, DemocraticYemen, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El
Salvador, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, Gabon, Gambia, Grenada, Guatema-la, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq,
Ireland, ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lesotho, Libe-ria, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mal-dives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Mozam-bique, Nepal, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman,
Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines,Qatar, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia,Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suri-
name, Swaziland, Sweden, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Togo,Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, UnitedRepublic of Cameroon, Upper Volta, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela,Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia.
Against: Bulgaria, Byelorussian SSR, Czechoslovakia, France,German Democratic Republic, Germany, Federal Republic of, Hun-
gary, Italy, Japan, Mongolia, Poland, Portugal, Ukrainian SSR, USSR,United Kingdom, United States.
Abstaining: Afghanistan, Austria, Belgium, Benin, Brazil, Ghana,Greece, India, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Romania, Rwanda, Spain,Turkey, United Republic of Tanzania.
Other developments
During 1981 there were several other develop-
ments with regard to economic and social informa-
tion systems. In July, the Economic and Social
Council adopted two resolutions on the subject.
The first dealt with preparations for the Second
Intergovernmental Conference on Strategies and
Policies for Informatics, scheduled for Havana,
Cuba, in 1983 (p. 759). By the second, the Council
r e c o g n i z e d t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f h a r m o n i z i n g
United Nations information systems and made
specific requests to the Secretary-General and the
Administrative Committee on Co-ordination on
enhancing the effect iveness of such systems
(p. 1385). In May, the Governing Council of the
United Nations Environment Programme acted
to expand the International Referral System on
the environment (INFOTERRA) (p. 826). The In-
dustrial and Technological Information Bank, a
project of the United Nations Industrial Develop-
ment Organization, continued to develop its data
base and network of correspondents (p. 593).
Public administration
Technical co-operation
The United Nations Secretariat’s Department
of Technical Co-operat ion for Development
Development and international economic and social policy 399
(DTCD) supported 86 projects in 1981, including
27 new ones, in the field of development adminis-
t r a t i o n , w h i c h e n c o m p a s s e d p u b l i c f i n a n c e
(p. 562) as well as public administration. A third of
these focused on administrative reform and im-
provement of management practices and pro-
cedures, according to a report on United Nations
technical co-operation activities prepared by the
Secretary-General for the Governing Council of
the United Nations Development Programme.(3)
Emphasis was also given to programmes for alle-
viating shortages of skilled personnel.
Support was given to public enterprises in a
number of countries to strengthen their role as ef-
fective instruments of economic development.
D T C D co-operated with the Central American
Institute for Public Administration, the Latin
American Centre for Development Administra-
t ion and the Afr ican Training and Research
Centre in Administration for Development, as
well as with the International Centre for Public
Enterprises at Ljubljana, Yugoslavia.
An Expert Working Group on Network in
Public Administration and Finance focused on
the potential for global co-operation and joint ac-
tivities in this field (Alcalá de Henares, Spain,
9-15 December).( 2 )
Among seminars and work-
shops organized by DTCD during the year were
those on: curricula design for management devel-
opment (Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania,
20-24 July);(1)
decentralization for development
(Khartoum, Sudan, 14-18 September); economic
performance of public enterprises-jointly with
the Government of Pakistan (Islamabad, Paki-
stan, 24-29 November); and strategies and mea-
sures for enhancing capabilities for development
administrat ion in developing countr ies Bang-
kok, Thailand, 9-14 December).
Publications: (1)
Curricula Design for Management Develop-
ment, Sales No. E.82.II.A.18; (2)
Network for the United
Nations Programme in Public Administration and Finance,
Sales No. E.82.II.H.3.
Report: (3)
S-G, DP/1982/22.
Rural development
Socia l aspec ts
By a resolution adopted on 6 May 1981,(1)
the
Economic and Social Council called on Govern-
ments to give special attention to increasing the
social impact of basic rural development policies
such as implementing agrarian reforms, promot-
ing co-operative endeavours, introducing devel-
opment planning, strengthening the role of na-
t i o n a l q u a l i f i e d p e r s o n n e l a n d e n c o u r a g i n g
popular part icipat ion in the development of
rural areas. The Council requested the Secretary-
General to devote special attention to social as-
pects of rural development in his 1982 report on
the world social situation (p. 768). He was also
invited to help increase dissemination of infor-
mation on national experience and requested to
report in 1983 to the Commission for Social De-
velopment on implementation of this resolution.
The resolution was adopted without vote after
the Council’s Second (Social) Committee had
similarly approved the draft on 29 April, as rec-
ommended by the Commission for Social Devel-
opment on 16 February.
T h e C o m m i s s i o n o n H u m a n S e t t l e m e n t s
made several recommendations on 6 May to im-
prove slums, squatter areas and rural settlements
(p. 858).
Resolution: (1)
ESC, 1981/15, 6 May, text following.
M e e t i n g r e c o r d s : E S C : 2 n d C o m m i t t e e , E / 1 9 8 1 / C . 2 /
SR .3 .10 , 11 (16 -29 Apr . ) ; p l ena ry , E /1981 /SR .14
(6 May).
Economic and Social Council resolution 1981/15
Adopted without vote Meeting 14 6 May 1981
Approved by Second Committee (E/1981/57) without vote, 29 April
( m e e t i n g 1 1 ) ; d r a f t b y C o m m i s s i o n f o r S o c i a l D e v e l o p m e n t
(E/1981/26); agenda item 10.
Social aspects of rural development
The Economic and Social Council,
Recalling the Declaration on Social Progress and Develop-
ment contained in General Assembly resolution 2542(XXIV)
of 11 December 1969,
Recalling also the International Development Strategy for
the Third United Nations Development Decade, contained in
the annex to General Assembly resolution 35/56 of 5 Decem-
ber 1980.
Concerned at the distressing social conditions prevailing in
rural areas of many countries.
Taking into account the need for implementing integrated
rural development programmes to fight mass poverty, raise
the levels of living of the rural population and achieve the
goal of equitable distribution of national income,
1. Calls upon Governments, while implementing the rele-
vant provisions of the International Development Strategy for
the Third United Nations Development Decade and national
development programmes, to give special at tention to in-
creasing the social impact of basic rural development policies
such as:
(a) Implementing agrarian reforms;
(b) Promoting co-operative endeavours;
(c) Introducing development planning;
(d) Strengthening the role of national qualified personnel
in rural development;
(e) Encouraging popular participation in the development
process of rural areas:
2. Requests the Secretary-General to devote special at-
tention in the forthcoming report on the world social situation
to the social aspects of rural development, taking into account
the provisions of the present resolution;
3. Invites the Secretary-General to facil i tate increasing
dissemination of information on national experience of coun-
t r i e s w i t h d i f f e r e n t s o c i o - e c o n o m i c s y s t e m s i n r u r a l
development;
4. Further requests the Secretary-General to report to the
Commission for Social Development at its twenty-eighth ses-
sion on the implementation of the present resolution.
Rural development and land reform
The Food and Agricul ture Organizat ion of
the Uni ted Nat ions ( F A O ) , in a report to the
400 Economic and social questions
Economic and Social Council in June 1981,( 2 )
described action it was taking to analyse and
disseminate information on agrarian reform and
rural development , as cal led for in the Pro-
gramme of Action approved by the 1979 World
C o n f e r e n c e o n A g r a r i a n R e f o r m a n d R u r a l
Development.( 9 )
According to this report, review and analysis of
national policies were being undertaken by high-
level missions, whose reports could give guidance
to developing countries in regard to policy options
and to development organizations regarding assis-
tance possibilities. United Nations agencies were
conducting research, diagnostic and evaluation
s t u d i e s w e r e t o b e u n d e r t a k e n a n d r e g i o n a l
centres for rural development had been estab-
lished in Africa and in Asia and the Pacific to ana-
lyse and disseminate information. Information
furnished by Governments would be monitored
by FAO, which would col laborate with other
United Nations agencies to establish benchmarks
and socio-economic indicators.
The FAO report was submitted following three
decisions by the Council relating to the type of
reports it wished to receive on this topic. It had
decided in February 1980(5)
that the submission
of progress reports on land reform should be dis-
continued and that it would consider at its 1981
organizat ional session what type of report i t
would require. On 6 February 1981,(6)
it request-
ed FAO to suggest what the report might contain.
The FAO suggestions, contained in a letter of 26
March,( 1 )
were approved by the Council on 24
April(7)
in a decision adopted, without vote, on
an oral proposal by the President; the Council
decided to consider the report in July. Address-
ing the Council on 14 April, the USSR stressed
the importance of democratic land reform for
radical socio-economic change and thought the
Council should consider the topic regularly.
Taking note of the FAO report on 23 July, in a
decision(8)
adopted, without vote, as orally pro-
posed by its President, the Council approved the
organization’s suggestion that it submit every
four years , beginning in 1984, a review and
analysis of agrarian reform and rural develop-
ment. In making this suggestion, FAO pointed
out that the 1979 Conference had stressed the
need for analysis and dissemination of informa-
tion on the subject.
In further action, both the Council and the
General Assembly cal led on Governments to
implement agrarian reform and rural develop-
ment within the f ramework of their nat ional
plans and objectives and in accordance with the
Conference’s recommendations. The Council’s
action was contained in a 24 July resolution on
food and agriculture,(3)
and the Assembly’s was
incorporated in a 17 December resolution on the
work of the World Food Council.(4)
Letter: (1)
FAO, 26 Mar., E/1981/38.
Report: (2)
FAO, E/1981/73.
Resolutions and decisions:
R e s o l u t i o n s : ( 3 )
ESC: 1981 /71 , pa r a . 18 , 24 Ju ly
(p. 723). (4)
GA: 36/185, para. 5, 17 Dec. (p. 723).
Decisions: ESC: ( 5 )
1980/100, para. 5, 6 Feb. 1980
(YUN 1980, p. 566); (6)
1981/105, 6 Feb. 1981 (p. 1091);( 7 )
1981/106, 24 Apr. , text following; ( 8 )
1981/185, 23
July, text following.
Yearbook reference: (9)
1979, p. 500.
Meeting records: ESC: E/1981/SR.3, 4, 8 (6 Feb., 14 & 24
Apr.); E/1981/SR.21-34, 40 (2-23 July).
Economic and Social Council decision 1981/106
Adopted without vote
Oral proposal by President; agenda item 1.
Report on land reform and rural development
At its 8th plenary meeting, on 24 April 1981, the Council ap-
proved the suggestions made by the Food and Agriculture Or-
ganization of the United Nations as to the type of report re-
quired on land reform and rural development and decided to
consider that report at i ts second regular session of 1981
under the item entitled “General discussion of international
economic and social policy, including regional and sectoral
developments”.
Economic and Social Council decision 1981/185
Adopted without vote
Oral proposal by President; agenda item 3.
Land reform and rural development
At its 40th plenary meeting, on 23 July 1981, the Council
took note of the report of the Food and Agriculture Organiza-
tion of the United Nations on land reform and rural develop-
ment and decided to approve the suggestion contained in
pa rag raph 29 the reo f , conce rn ing the submis s ion to t he
Council every four years, beginning in 1984, of a report to be
entitled “Review and analysis of agrarian reform and rural
development”.
Technical co-operation
The Department of Technical Co-operat ion
for Development (DTCD) carried out several in-
t e g r a t e d r u r a l d e v e l o p m e n t p r o j e c t s d u r i n g
1981, according to a report by the Secretary-
G e n e r a l o n U n i t e d N a t i o n s t e c h n i c a l c o -
operation activities.(1)
Under the United Nations regular programme
of technical co-operat ion, D T C D launched an
i n t e r r e g i o n a l p r o j e c t t o s t r e n g t h e n n a t i o n a l
capabil i t ies for integrated rural development.
M i s s i o n s w e r e s e n t t o B a h r a i n , C h i n a , t h e
Congo, Democratic Yemen, Ecuador, Guatema-
la, Guinea, Liberia, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Soma-
l ia , the Sudan, Swazi land, Thai land and the
United Republic of Tanzania. Some supported
government efforts to formulate regional and na-
t ional social plans, policies and programmes,
while others focused on popular participation
and self-reliance or sought to enhance the partic-
ipation of women in community development.
In co-operation with the Economic Commission
for Latin America, Panama was assisted to iden-
tify particularly disadvantaged areas and to try
to improve living conditions.
Report: (1)
S-G, DP/1982/22.
Development end international economic and social policy 401
Co-ordination in the UN system
New priorities for rural development work by
the United Nations system were agreed to in
March 1981 by the Consultative Committee on
Substantive Questions (Programme Matters) of
the Administrative Committee on Co-ordination
(ACC). They called for a focus on joint action at
the country level in support of national efforts,
promoting popular participation in development
and evaluation of rural development.
This revised orientation had been proposed
by the ACC Task Force on Rural Development
as the result of its own appraisal of its work,
which took place at its ninth meeting (Rome,
Italy, 5 and 6 February).(3)
The Task Force, es-
tablished in 1976 to co-ordinate assistance to
States in their rural development programmes,
concluded that the original object ives of i ts
effort had not been completely achieved. It pro-
posed a work programme realistically designed
for implementation and conforming to an explic-
it time frame and clearly designed output. These
conclusions, mentioned in the 1981 ACC over-
view report to the Economic and Social Coun-
cil,( 1 )
were endorsed by the Consultative Com-
mittee, which agreed that a further review and
appraisal of inter-agency act ion in this area
should take place by the end of 1983.
The results of the 1981 appraisal were consid-
ered in May/June by the Commit tee for Pro-
gramme and Co-o rd ina t i on ( C P C ) ,( 2 )
w h i c h
generally agreed with the ACC assessment that
the Task Force had not been as successful as
desired. The Commit tee noted that the Pro-
gramme of Action of the 1979 World Conference
on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development( 4 )
had set out inter-agency tasks and that the new
work programme proposed by the Task Force
was designed to produce outputs of direct use to
Governments within a specified time period. It
recommended that a new progress review be pre-
sented to the Economic and Social Counci l
through CPC in 1984.
Reports: ( 1 )
ACC, E/1981/37; ( 2 )
CPC, A/36/38; ( 3 )
Task
Force on Rural Development, ACC/l981/PG/4.
Yearbook reference (4)
1979, p. 500.
Special measures for the
leas t developed and
other developing countries
Least developed countries
Among the 122 developing Member States of
the United Nations in 1981, 31 had been official-
l y des igna t ed a s l ea s t deve loped coun t r i e s
(L D Cs) , including one–Guinea-Bissau–added
to the Organization’s list in May by the Econom-
ic and Social Council (p. 412). Their special
problems, and ways to alleviate them, were the
focus of the United Nations Conference on the
Least Developed Countr ies , held in Paris in
September (p. 406).
The table on p. 403 contains selected basic
economic and social indicators for these coun-
tries as compared with all developing countries.
The data, published by the secretariat of the
United Nations Conference on Trade and Devel-
opment (UNCTAD),( 2 )
updates information fur-
nished to the Conference on LDCs by its secre-
tariat.(1)
Notes: (1)Conference secretariat, A/CONF.104/9 & Corr.1;(2)
UNCTAD secretariat, TD/276/Add.l.
Publications: The Least Developed Countries and Action in
Their Favour by the International Community (A/CONF.
104/2/Rev.1), Sales No. E.83.I.6; United Nations Confer-
ence on the Least Developed Countries (DPI/691).
Comprehensive New Programme of Action
In 1979 , U N C T A D had decided to launch a
two-phase Comprehensive New Programme of
Ac t ion fo r t he Leas t Deve loped Coun t r i e s ,
compris ing an Immediate Action Programme
(1979-1981) and a Substantial New Programme
of Action for the 1980s, aimed at transforming
their economies towards self-sustained develop-
ment.(1)
While the initial phase was drawing to a
close (see below), the Substant ial New Pro-
gramme of Action was adopted by the United
Nations Conference on the Least Developed
Countries, held in Paris from 1 to 14 September
1981 (p. 406).
Yearbook reference: (1)
1979, p. 568.
Implementat ion of the
Immediate Action Programme (1979-1981)
After receiving preliminary information from
the Secretary-General on the results of the Im-
mediate Action Programme for the least devel-
oped countries (LDCs), the Economic and Social
Council expressed deep concern in July 1981
that the Programme had not been fully imple-
mented more than two years after its adoption
and nearly at the end of the programme period
(1979-1981). This provision was incorporated in
a resolution of 20 July on preparations for the
Conference on LDCs(7)
The phrase “nearly at the
end of the programme period” was added to the
original draft by i ts sponsor-Venezuela, on
behalf of the Council members belonging to the
Group of 77–after Austral ia remarked that a
number of delegations thought it premature to
declare the Programme a failure when data for
the whole period were not available.
In another action on 20 July,( 9 )
orally pro-
posed by the Counci l President and adopted
without vote, the Council took note of an initial
report by the Secretary-General on the Pro-
gramme’s implementation.( 4 )
The report, pre-
402 Economic and social questions
pared in response to a 1980 General Assembly
request to monitor implementation of measures
in favour of LDCs,( 8 )
contained no substantive
information. Rather, it drew attention to studies
prepared for the Conference on L D Cs and to
the fact that the Preparatory Committee for the
Conference had also been asked to monitor
progress under the Programme.
The Committee undertook this review at its
June/July session(2)
but reached no conclusions,
devot ing most of i ts a t tent ion to Conference
preparations (p. 404).
In further response to the Assembly request,
the Secretary-General included, in his November
report on the Conference,(3)
a review of progress
in the Programme’s implementation. The report
summarized information supplied by individual
donor countries, the United Nations system and
multilateral donor agencies. It concluded that
sufficient financing had not been provided to
meet one of the Programme’s two main aims-
an immediate boost to the economies of LDCS
and al leviat ion of their most pressing social
needs. Despite efforts by some donors, overall
concessional financial resources to LDCs had de-
clined in 1979 and, according to preliminary esti-
mates, again in 1980, in both total and per capita
real terms. As to the other main aim, the request
by the Group of 77 for at least $100 million to
support preparations by LDCs for the Substantial
New Programme of Act ion for the 1980s re-
mained unfulfilled.
A l so i nc luded in t he Sec re t a ry -Gene ra l ’ s
r epo r t was i n fo rma t ion abou t a c t i v i t i e s by
United Nations bodies in implementation of the
Immediate Action Programme, including the
following:
–Department of Technical Co-operation for Develop-ment. Twenty-two projects in 18 countries encom-passing regional and national economic planning,strengthening and creating project formulation andevaluation units, and rural development; expertmissions on mineral development.
–Economic and Social Commission for Asia and thePacific (ESCAP). Activities in agriculture, industry, en-vironmental protection, regional trade expansionand co-operation, export promotion and othertrade-related issues.
–Economic Commission for Western Asia (ECWA).
Advisory services, training of personnel and researchto assist Democratic Yemen and Yemen.
–World Food Council Assistance to 10 countrieson food supply strategies to eradicate hunger andmalnutrition.
–United Nations Industrial Development Organiza-tion Technical assistance, training of personnel, in-dustrial information services; solidarity meetingswithin the framework of economic and technical co-operation among developing countries.
–United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).Expenditures of $139.3 million in 1979, $158.3 mil-
lion in 1980 and an expected increase for 1981; inaddition, $9.8 million in 1979, $14 million in 1980
and $15 million in 1981 (6)
from the Special MeasuresFund for LDCs; special intercountry programmes inAfrica, the Arab States and Asia.
–World Food Programme. Economic and social de-velopment projects and emergency operations topromote agriculture, food production and rural de-velopment, and to improve nutrition and warehousemanagement.
–International Labour Organisation. Technicalassistance and advisory services to create employ-ment opportunities, combat poverty and satisfybasic needs; assistance in negotiations with financialinstitutions for cash, equipment and materials forpublic works programmes.
–World Health Organization. Allocation for Afri-can LDCs of $17.3 million in 1980-1981 budget; $5.8million in voluntary contributions to the VoluntaryFund for Health Promotion in LDCs.
–World Bank. Total commitments to LDCs of $858
million for 1979, $980 million for 1980 and $1,186million (estimated) for 1981, with some 80 per cent ofall International Development Association credits infiscal 1980 (1 July 1979-30 June 1980) going to coun-
tries whose per capita gross national product did notexceed $360 (in 1978 dollars).
–International Monetary Fund. A total of 2,776million in special drawing rights made available toLDCs during 1979 and 1980 from various Fund facili-ties; $71.8 million distributed to them from goldsales profits.
–Universal Postal Union. Provision of experts andfellowships to Botswana, Cape Verde, Chad, theComoros, Lesotho and Uganda.
–International Telecommunication Union. Help indevelopment planning and improvement of trainingschemes; efforts to enable African countries toattain some objectives of the Transport and Com-munications Decade in Africa (1978-1988) (p. 614).
-Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organi-
zation. Technical assistance to 13 countries in train-ing of personnel, developing dry docks and otherport facilities, and reorganization and equipping ofshipyards.
–World Intellectual Property Organization. Awardof 43 fellowships for training or study courses; assis-tance in drafting or revising national legislation con-cerning intellectual property rights; aid to two Afri-can bodies for the establishment of documentationand information centres concerned with patents.
-International Fund for Agricultural DevelopmentAssistance to LDCs amounting to $306 million-about35 per cent of the Fund’s total aid- between Decem-ber 1977 and December 1980, through either devel-opment loans on highly concessional terms or grantsfor technical assistance and research.
–General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. Specialand differential treatment and technical assistanceprovided under tariff and non-tariff measuresagreed during the Tokyo Round of negotiations, inforce from 1 January 1980.
(10)
A report by the UNDP Administrator, describ-
ing the Programme’s role in development co-
(continued on p. 404)
Development and international economic and social policy 403
SELECTED BASIC INDICATORS FOR LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIESAS COMPARED WITH ALL DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT OTHER INDICATORS
COUNTRY
AfghanistanBangladeshBeninBhutanBotswanaBurundiCape VerdeCentral African RepublicChadComorosDemocratic YemenEthiopiaGambiaGuineaGuinea-BissauHaitiLao People's Democratic Republic
LesothoMalawiMaldivesMaliNepalNiger
RwandaSamoaSomaliaSudanUgandaUnited Republic of TanzaniaUpper VoltaYemen
All LDCs
All developing countries
(1)
16.3
90.7
3.6
1.3
0.8
4.3
0.3
2.3
4.5
0.4
1.9
32.2
0.6
5.1
0.8
5.1
3.8
1.4
6.4
0.2
7.1
14.6
5.5
5.0
0.2
4.9
18.9
13.6
18.5
7.1
5.9
290.6
2,280.4
(2)
77
84
46
93
79
83
56
87
83
63
58
79
78
80
82
66
73
83
83
77
86
92
87
89
75
80
76
80
80
81
75
81
58
(3)
1.6
3.8
1.8
-
10.2
2.8
0.3
0.8
0.4
1.1
_
2.4
1.8
3.1
0.9
4.3
1.0
7.0
7.0
6.8
3.7
2.0
4.4
7.0
2.5
3.9
3.3
0.0
4.4
1.7
7.8
3.2
6.0
(4)
238
118
242
109
1,204
225
288
261
173
285
347
148
388
360
268
312
98
281
265
320
194
157
354
251
623
386
380
356
283
150
558
220
970
(5)
750
56
109
50
182
143
60
94
77
128
45
73
115
164
136
100
6?
76
108
99
54
98
170
115
312
191
138
277
143
55
102
765
(6)
48
9
13
12
67
23
16
35
14
15
49
15
10
11
5
56
4
13
40
13
15
6
19
32
-
24
27
15
26
21
33
19
175
(7)
42.5
8.7
11.0
12.8
480.8
16.3
18.2
54.5
13.2
43.4
225.6
11.6
43.6
95.2
17.5
31.3
5.0
37.1
44.6
54.1
21.7
9.3
93.1
14.1
69.6
40.9
34.8
22.8
30.6
10.6
2.5
25.0
725.8
(8)
18.3
12.2
22.6
7.4
116.6
28.2
154.4
43.3
13.9
103.0
60.1
8.1
99.8
18.6
84.1
20.9
36.7
73.4
21.6
76.6
31.8
12.7
37.5
31.0
160.7
78.9
30.3
10.5
37.9
30.6
54.3
22.1
16.5
(9)
61
46
51
-
424
13
253
44
23
47
529
29
128
84
55
52
62
-
48
-
30
1 1
51
19
281
63
89
27
55
29
76
52
459
(10)
37
46
47
44
50
42
61
44
41
47
45
40
42
45
42
53
43
51
44
47
43
44
43
45
68
44
46
54
52
39
42
45
55
(11)
7
25
13
7
22
3
23
12
4
7
31
11
13
16
10
15
76
21
4
6
9
79
4
2
39
8
17
8
4
3
4
15
32
*Or latest year available.
NOTES (for figures in italics)Column 2—Maldives and Samoa=1980; Samoa=in subsistence agriculture.Column 3—Samoa=national income 1975-1979.Column 4 — Afghanistan=tentative estimate of net material product per capita; Democratic Yemen, Samoa, Yemen and all developing coun-
tries=1980 estimate; Lao People's Democratic Republic=estimate of gross national product per capita; Maldives=at 1980 prices; Sudan and Ugan-da=preliminary World Bank estimate.
Column 5—Afghanistan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Maldives, Sudan and Uganda=estimates; Democratic Yemen, Samoa, Yemen andall developing countries=1980 estimates.
Column 6 —Democratic Yemen=1980 estimate; Yemen and all developing countries=1980; Lao People's Democratic Republic, Nepal, Sudanand Uganda=estimates.
Column 7—All developing countries=excluding major petroleum exporters.
Column 10-Maldives=1977.Column 11—Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic Yemen, Nepal and Yemen=1979; Comoros=1973; Haiti and Lao People's
Democratic Republic=1978; Maldives=1977; Samoa=1970.
404 Economic and social questions
operation with LDCs, was submitted in March
to the UNDP Governing Council.( 5 )
It indicated
that U N D P resources made avai lable to those
countries had doubled since 1970, accounting
for more than 30 per cent of the Programme’s
total a l locat ions, and that their share would
grow during the 1982-1986 programming cycle.
Concessional assistance to LDCs in 1981 from
the Development Assistance Committee (DAC)
of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation
and Development, the Eastern European social-
ist countries, the Organization of Petroleum Ex-
porting Countries (OPEC) , various multilateral
agencies and individual countries is detailed in
the table below, based on data published by
U N C T A D .( 1 )
Note: (1)
UNCTAD secretariat, TD/276/Add.1.
Reports: ( 2 )
Preparatory Committee for Conference on
L D C s , A / 3 6 / 4 5 ; S - G , ( 3 )
A / 3 6 / 6 8 9 , ( 4 )
E / 1 9 8 1 / 9 2 ;
UNDP Administrator, ( 5 )
DP/554, ( 6 )
DP/1982/49.
Resolutions and decision: Res.: (7)
ESC, 1981/46, para. 1, 20
July (p. 406); ( 8 )
GA, S-11/4, para. 8, 15 Sep. 1980
(YUN 1980, p. 553). Dec.: (9)
ESC, 1981/170, 20 July
1981, text following.
Yearbook reference: (10)
1979, p. 1328.
Meeting records: ESC, E/1981/SR.35-37, 38(14-20 July).
Economic and Social Council decision 1981/170
Adopted without vote
Oral proposal by President; agenda item 4.
Implementation of special measures in favour
of the least developed countries
At its, 38th plenary meeting, on 20 July 1981, the Council
took note of the report of the Secretary-General enti t led
“Review of progress in the implementation of special mea-
sures in favour of the least developed among the developing
countries, including those of the immediate Action Pro-
gramme for 1979-1981”.
UN Conference on LDCs
Conference preparations. Plans for the United
Nations Conference on the Least Developed
Countries were completed at the third session of
the Preparatory Committee for the Conference,
held at Geneva from 29 June to 10 July 1981.
The Committee considered a “non-paper” by
the Conference secretariat suggesting a working
draf t of the Substant ia l New Programme of
Action for the 1980s. This was considered by a
Contact Group, a long with several informal
texts and amendments submit ted by different
groups. The Committee decided to transmit to
the Conference, annexed to its report,(6)
all these
texts together with the Chairman’s statement on
the discussion, outlining areas of the draft on
which differing views remained. The Committee
further agreed that, to aid government prepara-
tions, the Chairman should prepare a synoptic
paper to reflect the various proposals.
The Committee decided to bring to the atten-
tion of the pre-Conference Consultation among
Senior Officials (Paris, 27 and 28 August) the
Chairman’s proposals for the provisional agenda
and organization of work of the Conference. The
C o m m i t t e e a l s o a p p r o v e d t h e C o n f e r e n c e ’ s
provisional rules of procedure.
Also prior to the Conference, each LDC pre-
pared a presentat ion describing i ts economic
s i t u a t i o n , p r o s p e c t s a n d n e e d s . T h e s e w e r e
reviewed by each country with its aid partners at
a series of clustered meetings between April and
June. Each meet ing considered development
potentials, bottle-necks, development objectives
and priorities, assistance requirements, and proj-
ects and programmes.
CONCESSIONAL ASSISTANCE TO LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES BY SOURCE FOR 1981
(Net amounts in millions of constant 1980 US dollars)
DONOR AMOUNT AMOUNT
DAC member countries
Bilateral
Australia 55 .6
Austria 9 .0
Belgium 85 .5
C a n a d a 168 .4
Denmark 74 .7
Finland 23 .9
F r a n c e 4 7 8 . 3
Germany, Federal Republic of 528 .7
Italy 60 .7
J a p a n 293 .9
N e t h e r l a n d s 2 8 5 . 5
New Zealand 4 .8
Norway 90 .5
Sweden 180 .9
Switzerland 55 .8
United Kingdom 296 .4
United States 529 .6
B i l a t e r a l
Subtotal 3 ,222 .2
DONOR
DAC member countries (cont.)
Multilateral
African Development Fund
Asian Development Bank
European Communities
World Bank
IDA
Inter-American
Development Bank
IFAD
IMF trust fund
United Nations
Subtotal
OPEC member countries
AMOUNT
76 .2
64 .6
481 .3
9 .8
573 .0
10 .0
22 .6
2 .6
737 .8
1,977.9
Algeria 20 .0
Iraq 4 .0
Kuwait 180 .0
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya 13.0
DONOR
OPEC member countries (cont.)
Bilateral (cont.)
Q a t a r
Saudi Arabia
3 .0
235 .0
Subtotal
Multilateral
Arab Bank for Economic
Development in Africa
Arab Fund for Economic
and Social Development
Islamic Development Bank
OPEC Fund
4 5 5 . 0
13 .0
58 .0
54 .0
122 .0
Subtotal
Eastern European
socialist countries
Ch ina
247 .0
430 .4
79 .6
Total 6,412.1
Development and international economic and social policy 405
The review meetings, and the countries they
examined, were as follows:
–Asia and the Pacific (Vienna, Austria, 30
M a r c h - 1 0 A p r i l ) ; A f g h a n i s t a n , B a n g l a d e s h ,
B h u t a n , D e m o c r a t i c Y e m e n , L a o P e o p l e ’ s
Democratic Republic, Maldives, Nepal, Samoa,
Yemen.(7)
–Eastern Africa (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 4-14
May); Burundi , Comoros, Ethiopia , Rwanda,
Sudan, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania.(8)
–Western and central Africa and Somalia (The
Hague, Netherlands, 25 May-5 June); Benin,
Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Gambia,
Guinea, Mali, Niger, Somalia, Upper Volta.(9)
–Southern Afr ica, Guinea-Bissau and Hait i
(Geneva, 22-26 June); Botswana, Guinea-Bissau,
Haiti, Lesotho, Malawi.(10)
A memorandum by Chad on i ts emergency
assis tance needs was presented at a meet ing
during the Conference.
Additional regional preparations included the
first meeting of the Conference of Ministers of
African LDCs (Addis Ababa, 26-30 July)( 4 )
and
the Ministerial Meeting of LDCs of the ESCAP
and ECWA Regions (Bangkok, Thailand, 10 and
11 August).(5)
The Bangkok Meeting emphasized
the need for fol low-up to the Programme of
Action and requested the Conference to consider
establishing a calendar of meetings, including a
mid-term review.
A report on the s i tuat ion and prospects of
LDCs, with emphasis on plans for the 1980s, was
submitted to the Conference by its Secretary-
General .( 1 )
After a sector-by-sector review of
the i r p rob lems and poss ib i l i t i e s , t he r epo r t
detailed the kinds of support the international
community could render.
Inter-agency consultations on the Comprehen-
sive New Programme of Action for LDCS, devoted
mainly to preparations for the Conference, were
held at Geneva on 12 and 13 January,(2)
28 and
29 April(3)
and 13 and 14 July. At the April meet-
i ngs , pa r t i c ipan t s exp re s sed t he i r v i ews on
follow-up to the Conference (p. 408).
On 27 June , the U N D P Governing Counci l
requested the Administrator to ensure the full
participation of UNDP in the Conference and,
within existing administrative resources, to pre-
pare for any role which might be requested of it
regarding implementation of the Programme of
Action for the 1980s.(12)
On 20 July, the Economic and Social Council,
af ter expressing concern that the Immediate
Action Programme (1979-1981) had not been
fully implemented (p. 401), urged donor Govern-
ments and other United Nations Member States
to attend the Conference at the highest political
level and make f i rm commitments to support
and implement the measures agreed. The Coun-
cil also appealed to donors, Member States and
United Nations bodies for substant ial a id to
LDCs, particularly during the 1980s.
These actions were incorporated into a resolu-
tion(11)
adopted without vote. The text was sub-
mitted by Venezuela on behalf of the Group of
77 after informal consultations had been held to
revise the Group’s original draft.
Australia was concerned that the request for
firm commitments came close to prejudging the
issue, while Canada stated that it did not usually
make firm advance commitments to measures
that had not been defined or agreed. The USSR
spoke similarly and said it would not take on
additional financial obligations.
Publication: (1)
The Least Developed Countries and Action in
Their Favour by the International Community (A/CONF.
104/2/Rev.1), Sales No. E.83.I.6.
Reports: Inter-agency consultations: (2)
3rd, ACC/1981/3;( 3 )
4th, ACC/l981/18. Ministerial meetings: ( 4 )
Africa,
E / E C A / C M . 8 / 1 0 ; ( 5 )
E S C A P a n d E C W A r e g i o n s ,
A/CONF.104/12. ( 6 )
Preparatory Committee: A/36/45.
Review meetings for: ( 7 )
Asia and Pacific,A/CONF.104/3:
(8)eastern Africa. A/CONF.104/4:
( 9 )w e s t e r n a n d c e n t r a l A f r i c a a n d S o m a l i a ,
A / C O N F . 1 0 4 / 5 ; ( 1 0 )
sou the rn Af r i ca , Gu inea -B i s sau
and Haiti , A/CONF.104/6.
Resolution and decision: Res.: (11)
ESC, 1981/46, 20 July,
t e x t f o l l o w i n g . D e c . : ( 1 2 )
U N D P C o u n c i l ( r e p o r t ,
E/1981/61/Rev.1), 81/35, 27 June.
Meeting records: ESC, E/1981/SR.21-34, 37, 38(2-20 July).
Economic and Social Council resolution 1981/46
A d o p t e d w i t h o u t v o t e M e e t i n g 3 8 2 0 J u l y 1 9 8 1
Draft by Venezuela, for Group of 77 (E/1981/L.48/Rev.1); agenda
item 3.
United Nations Conference on the
Least Developed Countries
The Economic and Social Council,
Recalling resolution 122(V) of 3 June 1979 of the United
Nations Conference on Trade and Development, by which it
endorsed, as one of i ts major priori t ies, a Comprehensive
New Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries
in two phases: an Immediate Action Programme (1979-1981)
and a Substantial New Programme of Action for the 1980s,
Recalling also General Assembly resolutions 34/203 of 19
December 1979 and 35/205 of 16 December 1980, by which
the Assembly decided to convene the United Nations Confer-
ence on the Least Developed Countries, with the objective of
finalizing, adopting and supporting the Substantial New Pro-
gramme of Action for the 1980s.
Noting with great satisfaction that the Conference will be
held in Paris in September 1981.
Recalling resolution 887(XXXVII), adopted by the Assembly
of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of Afri-
can Unity, held at Nairobi in June 1981, on the United Nations
Conference on the Least Developed Countries, by which all
donors, States Members of the United Nations and interna-
tional organizations were urged to make firm pledges during
the Conference in order to launch effectively, immediately
after the Conference, the Substantial New Programme of
Action for the 1980s for the least developed countries, to be
finalized and adopted at the Conference,
No t ing a l so Gene ra l Assembly r e so lu t i on 35 /56 o f 5
December 1980, by which the Assembly adopted the Interna-
tional Development Strategy for the Third United Nations De-
velopment Decade, and in particular the subsection on the
least developed countries, in which the Assembly stated,
406 Economic and social questions
inter alia, that, as an essential priority within the Strategy,
the least developed countries–the economically weakest
and poorest countries with the most formidable structural
problems-required a special programme of sufficient size
and intensity consistent with their national plans and priori-
ties to make a decisive break from their past and present sit-
uation and their bleak prospects,
D e e p l y c o n c e r n e d a b o u t t h e s e r i o u s a n d d e t e r i o r a t i n g
e c o n o m i c a n d s o c i a l c o n d i t i o n s o f t h e l e a s t d e v e l o p e d
countries,
Noting with appreciation that some developed countries
have taken positive steps towards the implementation of reso-
lution 122(V) of the United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development,
1. Expresses deep concern that the Immediate Action Pro-
gramme (1979-1981) has not been fully implemented more
than two years after its adoption and nearly at the end of the
programme period;
2. Expresses i ts grati tude to those Governments which
have provided assistance for the preparation of the forthcom-
ing United Nations Conference on the Least Developed
Countries;
3. Expresses i ts appreciation to the secretariat of the
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and
other United Nations bodies for their efforts in the preparation
of the Conference;
4. Takes note of the statements made during the Council’s
second regular session of 1981 on the forthcoming Con-
ference;
5. Notes with appreciation that the Assembly of Heads of
State and Government of the Organization of African Unity
decided, inter alia, in resolution 887(XXXVll), to call upon the
current Chairman of the Organization of African Unity to ad-
dress the Conference on behalf of that organization;
6. Urges all donor Governments and States Members of
the United Nations to attend the Conference at the highest
possible political level and to make firm commitments to sup-
port and implement the measures agreed to at the Confer-
ence, in order to launch effectively, immediately after the
Conference, the Substantial New Programme of Action for the
1980s for the least developed countries, to be finalized and
adopted at the Conference;
7. Appeals to all donor Governments, States Members of
the United Nations and appropriate United Nations organiza-
tions and programmes to provide substantial financial and
material assistance to the least developed countries to sup-
port their domestic efforts aimed at promoting rapid and self-
sustained socio-economic development, in particular during
the 1980s.
Programme of Action for the 1980s. The Sub-
stantial New Programme of Action for the 1980s
for the Least Developed Countries-the second
phase of the Comprehensive New Programme of
Action for LDCs (p. 401)–was adopted by accla-
mation by the United Nat ions Conference on
the Least Developed Countries, held in Paris
from 1 to 14 September 1981.(1)
The Programme consisted of a preamble and
three chapters . The chapters deal t wi th the
general situation and national measures, interna-
tional support measures, and arrangements for
imp lemen ta t i on , f o l l ow-up and mon i to r i ng .
Highlights of the Programme follow.
General situation and national measures. The main
objectives of the Programme were: to promote struc-
tural changes to overcome the extreme economic
difficulties of LDCs; to provide internationally ac-
cepted minimum standards for the poor; to identify
and support major investment opportunities and
priorities; and to mitigate the adverse effects of
natural disasters. Efforts must be made to enable
each country to increase its national income sub-
stantially, even double it by 1990 as compared to
the late 1970s–requiring an annual growth rate of
7.2 per cent.
The countries would set themselves appropriate
objectives. Agriculture should continue to receive
the highest priority in national objectives, aiming
towards, and if possible surpassing, the 4 per cent
annual growth target set in the International Devel-
opment Strategy for the Third United Nations De-
velopment Decade. (4)
A first objective was to in-
crease food production and food security in order to
e l imina te hunger and malnu t r i t ion rap id ly , no t
later than 1990. Measures to develop forestry, fisher-
ies and livestock were also set out. High priority was
a t tached to comprehens ive and in tegra ted rura l
development.
The Programme called for LDCs to mobilize their
human resources through education, training and
provision of incentives, and stressed the indispens-
able role of women in development. Emphasis was
placed on improving health, nutrition and human
settlements, and on appropriate national measures
for family planning and population control.
Substantial support was urged to enable LDCs to
exploit and develop their natural resources, com-
ple te geo logica l surveys , and map minera l and
energy resources. Energy problems were viewed
wi th concern and measures for pr ior i ty ac t ion
suggested.
In the manufacturing sector, the aim was to in-
crease output to an overall annual rate of 9 per cent
or more. Measures were specified to accelerate in-
dustrial development.
Attention was called to the need to strengthen
and develop physical and institutional infrastruc-
tures, safeguard the environment and promote in-
vestments that would transform economies to a high
level of operation. The additional problems of the
15 land-locked and 5 island countries among the 31
LDCs were mentioned. Foreign trade objectives to
expand markets and thereby increase export earn-
ings were listed, and measures were urged to im-
prove response to disasters.
International support measures. Only a substantial
increase in official development assistance (ODA) in
real terms during the current decade would enable
LDCS to achieve their objectives, the Programme de-
clared. In this regard, all donor countries reaffirmed
their commitment to the target of 0.7 per cent of
gross national product (GNP) for overall ODA, as envis-
aged in the International Development Strategy.(3)
Most donors would devote 0.15 per cent of their GNP
t o LDCS, while others would double ODA to that
group. The result, by 1985, was likely to be a dou-
bling of ODA t o those countries compared to the
previous five years. As LDCS were currently financing
only half their imports from export earnings, assis-
tance was called for to improve their balance of
payments.
Multilateral assistance agencies were asked for
substantial and increased concessional aid. New
Development and international economic and social policy 407
mechanisms should be considered, such as interna-
tional tax schemes for development, further Inter-
national Monetary Fund (IMF) gold sales, a link be-
tween the creation of special drawing rights (SDRS)
and development assistance, and interest subsidies.
To improve the quality and effectiveness of ODA,
donors were called on to: provide grants or highly
concessional loans, untied whenever possible; take
into account the effects of inflation on project costs;
and increasingly utilize national development agen-
cies in recipient countries for programme imple-
mentation.
An immediate action component was included in
the Programme to meet the most urgent needs in
such areas as food and energy shortages, debt relief,
disaster assistance, aid to overcome production
bottle-necks, project identification and preparation,
fertilizers and pumps to improve agricultural pro-
ductivity, community-level job creation activities
and assurances of predictable levels of assistance.
In regard to technical assistance, emphasis was
placed on the prompt provision of experts and on
the training of national personnel.
Suggested commercial policy measures included:
improved access to markets; promotion of exports
by diversification, an integrated vertical approach
to expansion, long-term sales arrangements, regional
and economic co-operation among developing coun-
tries (ECDC), trade support measures and technical
assistance; and international co-operation on com-
modities through agreements and compensation for
export earnings shortfalls. Other economic policy
measures inc luded: s t rengthening t ranspor t and
communications; improving food and agriculture
by assistance to build food stocks, conclusion of an
international wheat agreement, establishment of an
in terna t ional emergency food reserve and o ther
measures; accelerating technological transforma-
t ion ; and suppor t fo r E C D C and mul t i - coun t ry
investments.
Arrangements for implementation, follow-up and
monitoring. The Programme provided for national,
regional and global co-operation and review.
At the national level, Governments might estab-
lish aid consultative groups or other arrangements
with their development partners, or strengthen and
broaden them where they already existed. Country
review meetings should be held periodically, prefer-
ably starting by 1983, to consider each country’s
economic situation and its progress in implementing
the Programme of Action, and to review aid condi-
tions and secure further assistance. The Secretary-
Genera l of the Uni ted Nat ions Conference on
Trade and Development (UNCTAD) would be invited
to be represented at those meetings, which would
take place at the initiative of the interested LDCS. In
a separate resolution,( 2 )
the Conference noted the
reports on review meetings already held (p. 405)
and recommended them for consideration in follow-
up action on the Programme.
At the global level, UNCTAD would have the focal
role in elaborating arrangements for implementa-
tion. The Conference recommended to the General
Assembly that the Intergovernmental Group on the
Least Developed Countries should meet at a high
level in 1985 for a mid-term progress review and
consider an end-of-decade review, possibly in the
form of a second United Nations Conference on
LDCS.
For global monitoring, the UNCTAD secretariat, in
collaboration with United Nations bodies, would
prepare in format ion and ana lyse progress and
policy issues. To help countries with planning, feasi-
bility studies and project preparation in the first
half of the 1980s, donors should make special alloca-
tions to the UNDP Special Measures Fund for LDCS or
through other channels.
The Secretary-General was requested to make
recommendations to the Assembly’s 1981 regular
sess ion on ar rangements to enable the Uni ted
Nations Secretariat to perform follow-up, monitor-
ing and implementation services.
Af ter adopt ion of the Programme, Conference
par t ic ipants expressed genera l sa t i s fac t ion a t the
o u t c o m e .
The Group of 77 fe l t the Conference had been
a pos i t ive , though not dec is ive , s ign for resump-
t i o n o f N o r t h - S o u t h d i a l o g u e . C h i n a s p o k e i n
similar vein. Norway said it had hoped to see the
Programme incorpora te ob jec t ives and measures
of a magnitude greater than those which had ma-
t e r i a l i z e d ; i t r e g r e t t e d t h a t c e r t a i n c o n c e p t s o f
the In te rna t iona l Deve lopment S t ra tegy had no t
been inc luded.
D i f f e r i n g o p i n i o n s w e r e e x p r e s s e d o n t h e
modal i t ies of development ass is tance .
T h e U n i t e d R e p u b l i c o f T a n z a n i a , s p e a k i n g
f o r t h e A f r i c a n G r o u p , s a i d i t w o u l d h a v e
w a n t e d a s t r o n g e r a n d m o r e u n e q u i v o c a l c o m -
m i t m e n t o n t h e f l o w o f r e s o u r c e s i n r e a l t e r m s
and wi th in a spec i f ic t ime f rame. Bangladesh re -
marked tha t , wi thout g iv ing up the goa ls o f the
In te rna t iona l Development S t ra tegy , the Confer -
e n c e h a d a t t e m p t e d t o s e e h o w a c t u a l c o m m i t -
ments and agreements could be reached.
T h e s p o k e s m a n f o r t h e E u r o p e a n E c o n o m i c
C o m m u n i t y ( E E C ) s a i d t h e d o n o r c o u n t r i e s
among i t s members , in the context of e f for ts to
r e a c h t h e g e n e r a l O D A t a r g e t o f 0 . 7 p e r c e n t ,
would aim to allocate 0.15 per cent of their GNP
as a id to L D C S ; some had a l ready surpassed tha t
ta rge t . F in land reaf f i rmed i t s commitment to the
0 .7 per cen t t a rge t and sa id i t would reach the
0 . 1 5 p e r c e n t l e v e l i n t h e c o m i n g y e a r s . J a p a n
s ta ted tha t i t would t ry to increase ass i s tance to
L D C S i n t h e c o n t e x t o f i t s n e w m e d i u m - t e r m
O D A t a r g e t . S a u d i A r a b i a p o i n t e d o u t t h a t i t s
a n n u a l a v e r a g e a i d c o n t r i b u t i o n s r e p r e s e n t e d 6
per cent of its GNP and that 22 LDCS were among
the rec ip ients .
A u s t r a l i a s a i d i t w o u l d m a i n t a i n a f l o w o f
resources in the context of i t s reg ional pr ior i t ies
and its concern to assist those in greatest need; it
had more than doubled i t s a id to L D C S between
408 Economic and social questions
1978 and 1981. New Zealand could not accept
specific financial sub-targets, but in assisting
Sou th Pac i f i c coun t r i e s wou ld pay spec i a l
regard to the Programme, which was directly
relevant to the needs of island developing coun-
tr ies . The United States said i ts posi t ion of
no t accep t ing spec i f i c O D A t a r g e t s h a d n o t
changed; it continued to oppose a link between
SDRs and aid, and could not support the con-
cept of international taxation.
China stated that, in terms of being able to
provide aid, it could not be placed in the same
category as those developed or donor countries
mentioned in reference to ODA.
Bulgaria, on behalf of the Eastern European
States and Mongolia, said it viewed recommen-
dat ions on f inancial and other assis tance as
directed towards industrially developed capital-
ist States; those socialist States were determined
to contribute significantly to the Programme’s
measures and targets which corresponded to the
principles of the socialist system and of their
system of economic relations with developing
countries.
With regard to LDC exports, the EEC spokes-
man said EEC would examine ways of meeting
the recommendation on export earnings stabili-
zat ion and fur ther improvements to the E E C
scheme of generalized preferences. The United
States considered IMF the best forum for dealing
with financial difficulties caused by export earn-
ings shortfalls, while Canada would have pre-
f e r r e d t h e P r o g r a m m e t o r e f e r t o t h e I M F
balance-of-payments approach to export earn-
ings compensation and Japan felt that studies on
this subject should be continued in the interna-
tional organizations already dealing with it.
Publication: (1)
Report of the United Nations Conference on the
Least Developed Countries (A/CONF.104/22/Rev.1),
Sales No. E.82.I.8.
R e s o l u t i o n s : ( 2 )
Con fe r ence on LDCs : 1 , 14 Sep . GA:(3)
35/56, annex, para. 24, 5 Dec. 1980 (YUN 1980, p.
505); (4)
ibid., para. 28 (p. 506).
Implementation of the Programme of Action.Initial steps to follow up the Substantial New
Programme of Action for the 1980s for LDCs
were authorized by the General Assembly in
December 1981 and United Nations organiza-
tions made plans for inter-agency co-ordination
in implementing the Programme.
At the fourth inter-agency consultations on
the Comprehensive New Programme of Action
for LDCs, convened by the Administrative Com-
mittee on Co-ordination (ACC) at Geneva on 28
and 29 April,(2)
participants expressed the view
that follow-up for review and co-ordination of
assistance to LDCs should not duplicate existing
national, regional and international mechanisms,
and that ful l consul tat ions should take place
with the agencies concerned.
On 30 October, ACC decided that implementa-
tion and follow-up by secretariats in the United
Nations system would be carried out through
inter-agency consultations to be convened by
the Director-General for Development and Inter-
national Economic Co-operation within the ACC
work programme.(9)
Responding to the request contained in the
Programme (p. 407), the Secretary-General, in a
report of 9 November to the General Assem-
bly,(3)
made proposals for United Nations Secre-
tar iat services for fol low-up, monitoring and
implementation, to be provided by the Director-
General, UNCTAD, and the regional commissions
for Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and Western
Asia.
Under these arrangements , a t the nat ional
level the Secretariat would help organize country
reviews if requested by the Governments con-
cerned and resident co-ordinators for United
Nations system development assistance in each
LDC would ensure coherence in the contributions
of participating organizations. Regional commis-
sions would contribute to the follow-up within
their areas and assis t in organizing and syn-
chronizing country reviews. At the global level,
w h e r e t h e C o n f e r e n c e h a d p r o p o s e d t h a t
UNCTAD play the focal role, the UNCTAD secre-
tar iat would prepare information and submit
progress reports , while other United Nat ions
bodies would report periodically on their own
contribution.
On 17 December, the Assembly adopted a
resolution on the results of the Conference(7)
by
which i t endorsed the Programme of Act ion,
called, on Member States and international or-
ganizations to implement it immediately as part
of international action for the establishment of a
new internat ional economic order , and urged
donors to implement their commitments and to
make adequate special allocation to the Special
Measures Fund of UNDP or other suitable chan-
nels. After reaffirming that LDCs had primary re-
sponsibility for their development, the Assembly
decided that review and monitoring of progress
in implementation of the Programme should be
undertaken as envisaged therein, that resources
to be made ava i l ab l e t o U N C T A D a n d o t h e r
United Nations bodies would be adequate for
the purpose and that the mid-term review would
be carried out by the UNCTAD Intergovernmen-
tal Group on LDCs at a high-level meeting in
1985. The Secretary-General was requested to
r e p o r t i n 1 9 8 2 o n t h e r e s o l u t i o n ’ s i m p l e -
mentation.
This resolution was adopted, without vote, as
recommended by the Second (Economic and
Financial) Committee, which approved it in like
manner on 7 December. The draft was submitted
Development and international economic and social policy 409
by a Committee Vice-Chairman following infor-
mal consultations on a text submitted by Alge-
ria on behalf of the Group of 77,(1)
subsequently
withdrawn.
In addition to drafting changes, the resolution
differed from the Group’s text in several re-
spects. The paragraph by which the Assembly re-
affirmed the responsibility of LDCs for their own
development was not in the earlier version. By
the Group’s draf t , the Assembly would have
called on the developed countries in particular
to implement the Programme and would have
decided to ensure that additional resources were
m a d e a v a i l a b l e t o t h e a p p r o p r i a t e U n i t e d
Nations bodies for follow-up. Also, the Assembly
would have decided to convene the Intergovern-
mental Group in order to carry out the mid-term
review; by the compromise text it decided that
the Group should carry out the review and that
the results be made available to it for review and
appraisal of the implementation of the Interna-
t ional Development Strategy.( 4 )
Fur ther , the
Group of 77 text would have had the Assembly
urge that aid consultative groups or other review
ar r angemen t s be e s t ab l i shed w i thou t de l ay ;
whe rea s by t he adop t ed t ex t , t he Assembly
called on States, the United Nations system and
other relevant agencies to respond favourably to
invitations to participate in such consultations.
Also on 17 December, the Assembly adopted
without vote a decision(10)
whereby it took note
of the report of the Conference Preparatory
C o m m i t t e e ( p . 4 0 4 ) a n d t h e r e p o r t o f t h e
Secretary-General on the Conference (p. 408).
On 7 December, the Second Committee had ap-
proved the draft in the same manner, on an oral
proposal by the Chairman.
Special measures for LDCs were called for in
three other resolutions adopted on 17 December.
In a resolution on the United Nations Capital
Development Fund,( 8 )
the Assembly endorsed a
UNDP Governing Council proposal of 19 June
that the Fund be enabled to play a direct role in
the Programme’s implementation(11)
and request-
ed the Council to enhance the Fund’s capacity
to respond to the priori ty needs of L D Cs . In
a r e so lu t i on on i ndus t r i a l deve lopmen t co -
operation,(5)
the Assembly requested the Execu-
tive Director of the United Nations Industrial
Development Organization to increase technical
co-operation and the programmes and projects
for LDCs. In a resolution on food,(6)
the Assembly
reiterated its belief that food aid for LDCs should
be provided, in so far as possible, in the form of
grants or on highly concessional terms and that
donors should consider paying transport costs.
Following the adoption of the resolution on
follow-up to the Conference, Australia, New Zea-
land, Poland (on behalf of the Eastern European
States) and the United States reiterated the posi-
tions they had taken at the Conference (p. 407).
In the Second Committee’s discussion, most
speakers welcomed the results of the Conference
as constructive and urged action to ensure imple-
mentat ion of the Programme. Among L D Cs,
Cape Verde said it had intensified its agricultur-
al development efforts but would have to rely on
internat ional assistance for i ts food securi ty.
Mali gave rural development and transport and
communicat ions as i ts priori t ies . Democrat ic
Yemen urged that developed countries provide
financial support and open up their markets to
help LDCs change their structures and diversify
their economies.
With regard to targets for international assis-
tance, Canada said it intended to devote 0.15 per
cent of its GNP as ODA to LDCs. France attached
particular importance to the unilateral pledges
made by donors at the Conference, including
some which had announced specific budgetary
provisions for ODA. Japan hoped donors would
double their aid to LDCs in the first half of the
1980s. New Zealand mentioned its long-term
commitment to assist small Pacific island coun-
tries. Norway, speaking for the Nordic States, en-
dorsed the 0.15 per cent target as a whole but
said it should be viewed in the context of overall
development assistance targets and time frames
in the International Development Strategy. Den-
mark, also speaking for this group, welcomed the
Conference’s mention of the UNDP Special Mea-
sures Fund for LDCs as a channel for allocating
resources. The United States supported the Pro-
gramme as a reasonable balance between the pri-
mary responsibility of LDCs for their develop-
ment and the responsibility of the international
community to help; the United States had signi-
ficantly increased its assistance to those coun-
tries.
The need for greater assistance to the land-
locked LDCs was stressed by Afghanistan. The
Congo believed that a number of the poorer de-
veloping countr ies should be able to benefi t
from the assistance advocated for LDCs. Egypt
thought the results of the Conference should be
incorporated into the Internat ional Develop-
ment Strategy. Israel said it was willing to con-
tinue to share with LDCs its experience in agri-
cultural production, an area to which it believed
those countries should accord highest priority.
Mexico regarded the Programme as inadequate
and said efforts should be made to exceed the
agreed ODA target. Romania believed the devel-
oped countries had a special responsibility to
assist LDCs, though not at the expense of other
developing countries.
The Eastern European States held colonialist,
neo-colonialist and imperialist practices to be
410 Economic and social questions
mainly responsible for the backwardness of
LDCs. Bulgaria said their basic problems could
not be solved unless fundamental issues such as
e n s u r i n g p e a c e a n d p r o m o t i n g d i s a r m a m e n t
were borne in mind. The Byelorussian SSR con-
sidered that a solution depended on the efforts
of LDCs to use their resources effectively, intro-
duce reforms, protect their sovereignty over
t h e i r n a t u r a l r e s o u r c e s a n d s t r e n g t h e n t h e
economic role of the state sector. The German
Democratic Republic said some LDCs had ex-
pressed concern at politically motivated deci-
sions to suspend aid to them; a credible com-
m i t m e n t t o t h e P r o g r a m m e f o r L D C s m e a n t
be ing gu ided by t hose coun t r i e s ’ ob j ec t i ve
economic needs, which excluded a pol i t ical
approach.
Regarding follow-up to the Conference, Ban-
gladesh favoured the arrangement envisaged in
the Programme according to which each L D C
had the option of selecting the lead agency for its
c o n t a c t s w i t h i t s d e v e l o p m e n t p a r t n e r s a n d
working out details of consultative arrangements
with that agency. Austria remarked that the re-
gional meetings that had preceded the Confer-
ence (p. 405) had initiated an innovative and
promising approach to col laborat ion between
LDCs and donor countries.
Australia was of the view that UNCTAD should
not require additional resources for follow-up.
The Sudan, on the other hand, hoped the Assem-
bly would provide U N C T A D and other bodies
with the f inancial and human resources they
needed for the purpose.
Draft resolution withdrawn: (1)
Algeria, for Group of 77,
A/C.2/36/L.115.
Reports: (2)
4th inter-agency consultations, ACC/1981/18;(3)
S-G, A/36/660.
Resolutions and decisions:
Resolutions: GA: (4)
35/56, annex, 5 Dec. 1980 (YUN
1980, p. 503); (5)
36/182, sect. I, 17 Dec. 1981 (p. 579);(6)
36/185, para. 13, 17 Dec. (p. 724); (7)
36/194, 17 Dec.,
text following; (8)
36/196, paras. 3 & 4, 17 Dec. (p. 469).
Decisions: (9)
ACC: 1981/15, 30 Oct. (10)
GA: 36/448,
17 Dec., text following. ( 1 1 )
UNDP Council (report ,
E/1981/6l/Rev.1): 81/2, para. 6, 19 June.
Financial implications: 5th Committee report, A/36/828;
S-G statements, A/C.2/36/L.127, A/C.5/36/95.
Meeting records: GA: 2nd Committee, A/C.2/36/SR.3-6,
10.26, 28-32, 34, 44, 46 (24 Sep.-7 Dec.); plenary,
A/36/PV.103 (17 Dec.).
General Assembly resolution 36/194
A d o p t e d w i t h o u t v o t e M e e t i n g 1 0 3 1 7 D e c e m b e r 1 9 8 1
Approved by Second Committee (A/36/694/Add.12) without vote, 7
December (meeting 461; draft by Vice-Chairman (A/C.2/36/L.139),
based on Informal consultations on draft by Algeria. for Group of 77
(A/C.2/36/L.115); agenda item 69 (p).
United Nations Conference on the
Least Developed Countries
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolutions 3201(S-VI) and 3202(S-VI) of 1
May 1974, containing the Declaration and the Programme of
Action on the Establishment of a New International Economic
Order, 3281(XXIX) of 12 December 1974, containing the
Cha r t e r o f Economic R igh t s and Du t i e s o f S t a t e s , and
3362(S-VII) of 16 September 1975 on development and inter-
national economic co-operation,
Reaffirming that in the International Development Strategy
for the Third United Nations Development Decade the General
Assembly stated, inter alia, that as an essential priority within
the Strategy, the least developed countries-the economical-
ly weakest and poorest countries with the most formidable
structural problems-require a special programme of suffi-
cient size and intensity consistent with their national plans
and priorities to make a decisive break from their past and
present situation and their bleak prospects,
Recalling resolution 122(V) of 3 June 1979 of the United
Nations Conference on Trade and Development, in which the
Conference decided, as one of its major priorities, to launch a
Comprehensive New Programme of Action for the Least De-
veloped Countries in two phases, an Immediate Action Pro-
gramme, 1979-1981, and a Substantial New Programme of
Action for the 1980s, which was endorsed by the General As-
sembly in its resolution 34/210 of 19 December 1979,
Recalling also its resolutions 34/203 of 19 December 1979
and 35/205 of 16 December 1980 on convening a United
Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries with
the objective of finalizing, adopting and supporting the Sub-
stantial New Programme of Action for the 1980s for the least
developed countries,
Deep ly conce rned a t t he g r av i t y o f t he de t e r i o r a t i ng
economic and social situation of the least developed coun-
t r i e s a n d t h e i r d i s m a l d e v e l o p m e n t d u r i n g t h e p a s t t w o
decades, as well as their bleak development prospects for
the 1990s.
Recalling that the objective of the Substantial New Pro-
gramme of Action for the 1980s for the Least Developed
Countries, adopted by the United Nations Conference on the
Least Developed Countries, is to transform the economies of
those countries towards self-sustained development and
enable them to provide internationally accepted minimum
standards of nutrition, health, transport and communications,
housing and education as well as job opportunities to all their
citizens, particularly to the rural and urban poor,
Expressing deepest concern that more than two years after
the adoption of the Immediate Action Programme, 1979-
1981, contained in resolution 122(V) of the United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development, very limited progress
has been made towards its implementation,
Reaffirming that there is an immediate need for a greatly ex-
panded programme, including a major increase in the transfer
of additional resources, to meet the critical needs of the least
developed countries and to help them promote more rapid
socio-economic development,
Stressing that external support should be forthcoming from
all developed countries, developing countries in a position to
do so, multilateral development institutions and other sources,
Emphasising the particular importance of the contribution
tha t economic co -ope ra t ion and t echn ica l co -ope ra t ion
among developing countries can make, inter alia, to the devel-
opment of the least developed among them,
Recogn i z ing t he need fo r ex t ens ive pub l i c awa renes s
throughout the world of the desperate plight of the least de-
veloped countries and the importance and objectives of the
Substantial New Programme of Action for the 1980s for the
Least Developed Countries,
Taking note of the Report of the United Nations Conference
on the Least Developed Countries,
Taking note also of the report of the Secretary-General on
secretariat services for the follow-up, monitoring and imple-
mentation of the Substantial New Programme of Action,
1 . Endorses the Substantial New Programme of Action for
the 1980s for the Least Developed Countries;
2 . Expresses its appreciation to the Government and the
people of France for acting as host to the United Nations Con-
ference on the Least Developed Countries, as well as for their
gracious hospitali ty, excellent arrangements and important
contribution to the outcome of the Conference;
Development and international economic and social policy 411
3. Calls upon all Member States as well as intergovern-mental and multilateral institutions, the organs, organizationsand bodies of the United Nations system, and all others con-cerned to take immediate, concrete and adequate steps toimplement the Substantial New Programme of Action as partof the international action for the establishment of a new in-ternational economic order;
4. Emphasizes that, in view of their desperate socio-economic plight, the least developed countries need theurgent and special attention and the large-scale and contin-ued support of the international community to enable them toprogress towards self-reliant development, consistent withtheir own plans and programmes;
5. Strongly urges all donor countries to implement theircommitments, as stated in paragraphs 61 to 69 of the Sub-stantial New Programme of Action, so as to achieve, in thatregard, a substantial increase of assistance for the develop-ment of the least developed countries;
6. Reaffirms that the least developed countries have pri-mary responsibility for their overall development and that, al-though international support measures are vitally important,the domestic policies those countries pursue will be of criticalimportance for the success of their development efforts;
7. Urges all donor countries to make adequate specialallocation to the Special Measures Fund for the Least Devel-oped Countries of the United Nations Development Pro-gramme and the United Nations Capital Development Fund,or through other suitable channels for the least developedcountries, in order to provide the extra resources needed bythe Governments of those countries for more intensive plan-ning efforts, feasibility studies and project preparation overthe first half of the decade of the 1980s and, for that purpose,invites the Administrator of the United Nations DevelopmentProgramme to take appropriate action to mobilize additionalresources for the activities under his administration;
8. Decides that regular review and monitoring of the prog-ress in the implementation of the Substantial New Programmeof Action at the national, regional and global levels should beundertaken, as envisaged in that Programme, to maintain themomentum of commitments made by the international com-munity and to promote the implementation of the plans andprogrammes of the least developed countries with a view toachieving accelerated growth rates and structural transfor-mation of their economies;
9. Decides also that the Intergovernmental Group on theLeast Developed Countries of the United Nations Conferenceon Trade and Development at its high-level meeting in 1985shall carry out the mid-term review, consider the possibility ofholding a global review at the end of the decade, which might,inter alia, take the form of a United Nations conference on theleast developed countries, and readjust, as appropriate, theSubstantial New Programme of Action for the second half of thedecade in order to ensure its full implementation, and furtherdecides that the results shall be made available to it, so thatthey may be taken fully into account in the review and appraisalof the implementation of the International Development Strate-gy for the Third United Nations Development Decade;
10. Calls upon States, organs, organizations and bodiesof the United Nations system and other relevant agencies togive favourable response to invitations to participate in aidconsultative groups or other arrangements to be establishedat the initiative of the least developed countries in accor-dance with paragraphs 110 to 116 of the Substantial NewProgramme of Action as a mechanism for the regular andperiodic review and implementation of that Programme andsuggests that the first round of review meetings for that pur-pose at the country level should take place as soon as possi-ble, preferably by 1983;
11. Invites the governing bodies of appropriate organs, or-ganizations and bodies of the United Nations system to takethe necessary and appropriate measures for the effectiveimplementation and follow-up of the Substantial New Pro-gramme of Action within their respective spheres of compe-tence and mandates;
1 2. Decides further to ensure that resources that will bemade available to the United Nations Conference on Tradeand Development and other appropriate organs, organizationsand bodies of the United Nations system are adequate for theeffective follow-up, review, monitoring and implementation ofthe Substantial New Programme of Action, including thosespecified in the report of the Secretary-General on the secre-tariat services required, as well as in paragraph 8 of the pres-ent resolution;
13. Requests the Secretary-General, in conformity withparagraph 1 23 of the Substantial New Programme of Action,to entrust the Director-General for Development and Interna-tional Economic Co-operation, in close collaboration with theSecretary-General of the United Nations Conference onTrade and Development, the executive secretaries of the re-gional commissions and the lead agencies for the aid groups,with the responsibility of ensuring at the Secretariat level thefull mobilization and co-ordination of all organs, organizationsand bodies of the United Nations system for the purpose ofimplementation and follow-up of the Substantial New Pro-gramme of Action and, for this purpose, to retain and effec-tively utilize the system of focal points in each United Nationsagency, which was used in the preparations for the UnitedNations Conference on the Least Developed Countries;
1 4. Requests the Secretary-General to submit a report tothe General Assembly at its thirty-seventh session on theimplementation of the present resolution.
General Assembly decision 36/448Adopted without voteApproved by Second Committee (A/36/694/Add.12) without vote, 7
December (meeting 46); oral proposal by Chairman; agenda item69 (p).
United Nations Conference on theLeast Developed Countries
At its 103rd plenary meeting, on 17 December 1981, theGeneral Assembly, on the recommendation of the SecondCommittee, took note of the report of the Preparatory Commit-tee for the United Nations Conference on the Least DevelopedCountries as well as of the report of the Secretary-General onthe Conference.
List of LDCsGuinea-Bissau was added in 1981 to the
United Nations list of LDCs, raising the total
number of countries therein to 31 (p. 403). The
Economic and Social Council requested in July
that the situation of Togo be examined with a
view to its inclusion, and the General Assembly
took similar action in December with respect to
Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Liberia, and Sao
Tome and Principe. Recommendations with re-
spect to additions to the list continued to be
made by the Committee for Development Plan-
ning (CDP) on the basis of three main
criteria—per capita gross domestic product
(GDP), share of manufacturing output in total
GDP and adult literacy rate.
CDP ACTION. At its March/April 1981 ses-
sion, in accordance with 1980 requests by the
Economic and Social Council(12)
and the General
Assembly,(7) CDP reviewed the economic situa-
tion of Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-
Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles,
Tonga and certain newly independent develop-
ing countries, with a view to their inclusion in
4 1 2 Economic and social questions
the list of LDCS. The review was based on the most
recent available data provided by the Secretariat
in respect of the three main criteria, (3)
covering the
aforementioned countries and Dominica, Kiri-
bati, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grena-
dines, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Zimbabwe.
In its report to the Council,(4)
CDP concluded
that only Guinea-Bissau met the criteria and rec-
ommended that it be added to the list. The Com-
mittee added that the possibility of revising the
criteria used to identify LDCs deserved to be ex-
plored, as did the broader question of the useful-
ness of such groupings as developing island and
land-locked countries and those most seriously
affected by economic crises.
E C O N O M I C A N D S O C I A L C O U N C I L A C T I O N
(MAY). On 8 May, the Economic and Social
Council acted on the CDP recommendation by
deciding without vote to add Guinea-Bissau to
the list. The resolution to this effect,(5)
based on
i n f o r m a l c o n s u l t a t i o n s , w a s s u b m i t t e d b y a
Council Vice-President.
In the discussion, Djibouti objected to its ex-
clusion from the list, saying that it was a drought-
stricken country whose per capita annual GDP
(given in the Secretariat note to CDP as $947 at
current market prices for the period 1976-1978)
did not take into account high local prices, the
presence of many expatriates and the overvalua-
tion of production compared to less urbanized
countries having more subsistence production.
Regarding criteria for inclusion in the list,
Australia thought additional factors such as nu-
tr i t ion levels and l i fe expectancy should be
taken into account; it was also concerned that
the current measures might exclude large coun-
tr ies with high enough aggregate f igures but
having major pockets of poverty, as well as small
countries, such as several in the Pacific, whose
GDP had been distorted by large amounts of ex-
ternal a id. Denmark, for the Nordic States ,
agreed with CDP on the desirability for a fresh ap-
praisal of the criteria. Brazil observed that such
a review would require political as well as techni-
cal input. Bangladesh stated that its approval of
the resolution was not intended to prejudge its
position on the views of CDP regarding criteria.
E C O N O M I C A N D S O C I A L C O U N C I L A C T I O N
(JULY). On 20 July, the Economic and Social
Council requested CDP to examine the economic
situation of Togo, with a view to including it in
the list on the basis of existing criteria, and to
make a recommendation to the Council as soon
as possible. The Council acted by adopting with-
out vote a resolution( 6 )
sponsored by Burundi,
Senegal , Togo, Zaire and Zambia, and intro-
duced by Zambia.
The action was taken after the Council Presi-
dent received a request to this effect from Togo,
contained in a letter dated 6 July,(2)
which cited
figures concerning its economy and noted that it
had been classified as least developed by the Eu-
ropean Economic Community.
In the Counci l ’s discussion, Austral ia and
Denmark reiterated their view that the criteria
should be re-examined at an appropriate time;
Australia added that the information provided
by Togo suggested that its characteristics did
not differ much from those of countries which
C D P had found not to meet the cr i ter ia . The
United States also supported a review of criteria
and said it could agree to applying them retro-
actively to countries already on the list if that
was generally regarded as appropriate. Togo and
Zambia agreed on the need for a review of crite-
ria, but Togo said its figures had been calculated
according to accepted methods. Bangladesh op-
posed any proposal to modify the criteria.
GE N E R A L AS S E M B L Y A C T I O N . On 17 Decem-
ber, in resolutions on special economic assistance
to specific African States, the General Assembly
requested the Economic and Social Council to
invite C D P to consider the eligibil i ty of Dji-
bouti,( 1 1 )
Equatorial Guinea,( 8 )
Liberia,( 9 )
and
Sao Tome and Principe( 1 0 )
for inclusion in the
list of LDCs, in the light of new data from those
Governments. In the case of Equatorial Guinea,
the Assembly noted that UNDP would assist the
Government in preparing new statistics on na-
tional income and population. The Secretary-
General was requested to assist Sao Tome and
Principe to prepare new national income figures.
In regard to Liberia, the Assembly invited the
Government to provide the data to CDP.
The preamble of the resolut ion on Liberia
ment ioned a le t ter f rom that country to the
Council President,(‘) dated 20 October, contain-
ing s tat is t ics on i ts economic s i tuat ion and
asking for a study of its economic conditions so
tha t i t cou ld be c l a s s i f i ed among the l e a s t
developed.
Letters: (1)
Liberia, 20 Oct., E/1981/115; (2)
Togo, 6 July,
E/1981/94.
Note: (3)
Secretariat, E/AC.54/L.107.
Report: (4)
CDP, E/1981/27.
Resolutions and decision:
Resolutions: ESC: (5)
1981/34, 8 May, text following;( 6 )
1981/47, 20 July, text following. GA: ( 7 )
35/106, 5
Dec. 1980 (YUN 1980, 557); (8)
36/204, paras. 2 & 5,
17 Dec. 1981 (p. 510); (9)
36/207, paras. 7 & 8, 17 Dec.
(p. 516); ( 1 0 )
36/209, paras. 7 & 8, 17 Dec. (p. 520);(11)
36/216, para. 5, 17 Dec. (p. 509).
Decision: ( 1 2 )
ESC: 1980/161, 24 July 1980 (YUN
1980, p. 556).
Meeting records: ESC, E/1981/SR.8-10, 12, 18, 35, 36, 38
(24 Apr.-8 May & 14-20 July).
Economic and Social Council resolution 1981/34
A d o p t e d w i t h o u t v o t e M e e t i n g 1 8 8 May 1981
Draft by Vice-President (E/1981/L.37), based on informal consulta-
tions on COP recommendation (E/1981/27); agenda item 4.
Development and international economic and social Policy 4 1 3
Inclusion of Guinea-Bissau in the list
of the least developed countries
The Economic and Social Council,
Bearing in mind its decision 1980/161 of 24 July 1980, in
which it requested the Committee for Development Planning
to expedite the review of the economic situation of Djibouti,
Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe,
Seychelles, Tonga and certain newly independent developing
countries, with a view to their inclusion in the list of the least
developed countries, and to make recommendations con-
cerning those countries to the Council at its first regular ses-
sion of 1981,
Recalling General Assembly resolution 35/106 of 5 Decem-
ber 1980, in which the Assembly decided to authorize the
Economic and Social Council to consider, at its first regular
session of 1981, the recommendations of the Committee for
Development Planning on the above-mentioned countries
and, accordingly, to add any of those countries to the list of
the least developed countries on the basis of existing criteria
and the most recent data relating to the above-mentioned
countries, and in which the Assembly further decided that
that exercise should be without prejudice to any future overall
review of the list of the least developed countries which might
be authorized at a later date by the Assembly in accordance
with established procedures,
Taking note of chapter IV of the report of the Committee for
Development Planning on its seventeenth session and state-
ments made in the Council in this regard,
Decides to add Guinea-Bissau to the list of the least devel-
oped countries.
Economic and Social Council resolution 1981/47
Adopted without vote Meeting 38 20 July 1981
5-nation draft (E/1981/L.46/Rev.1); agenda item 4.
Sponsors: Burundi, Senegal. Togo, Zaire, Zambia.
Review of the economic situation in Togo with a view
to the inclusion of that country in the list
of the least developed countries
The Economic and Social Council,
Recalling General Assembly resolutions 2768(XXVI) of 18
November 1971, 3487(XXX) of 12 December 1975, and
32/92 and 32/99 of 13 December 1977, establishing the cur-
rent list of the least developed countries.
Recalling General Assembly resolutions 34/121, 34/123,
34/124, 34/126, 34/131 and 34/132 of 14 December 1979,
Recalling also General Assembly resolutions 34/203 and
34/210 of 19 December 1979 and 35/205 of 16 December
1980 concerning the convening of a United Nations Confer-
ence on the Least Developed Countries,
Having examined the letter of 6 July 1981 addressed to the
President of the Economic and Social Council by the Perma-
nent Representative of Togo to the United Nations Office and
the specialized agencies at Geneva concerning the serious
economic situation of his country,
Requests the Committee for Development Planning to exam-
ine the economic situation of Togo, with a view to including
that country in the list of the least developed countries on the
basis of existing criteria and the most recent data relating to
those criteria and that country, and to make a recommenda-
tion concerning Togo for consideration by the Council as
early as possible.
Land-locked developing countries
The United Nations Development Programme
(U N D P) , which managed the Uni ted Nat ions
Special Fund for Land-locked Developing Coun-
tries (p. 415), identified a total of 21 such coun-
tries in 1981: 14 in Africa, 5 in Asia and the
Pacific and 2 in Latin America.
The Substantial New Programme of Action
for the 1980s for LDCS (p. 406) pointed out that
15 of the 31 LDCs were land-locked and urged
that, in co-operation with their transit neigh-
bou r s , t hey shou ld t r y t o improve t r an s i t /
transport-related facilities.(1)
GENERAL ASSEMBLY ACTION. On 17 Decem-
ber 1981, by a resolution on action related to the
needs and problems of land-locked developing
countries,( 3 )
the General Assembly reaffirmed
their rights to free access to and from the sea and
to freedom of transit. It appealed to States and
international organizations to implement urgent-
l y t he ac t i ons env i saged in ea r l i e r Un i t ed
Nations resolutions, including three adopted by
the United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development (UNCTAD),(4)
as well as in the In-
ternat ional Development Strategy( 2 )
and the
Substantial New Programme of Action for the
1980s. Donor countries, others able to do so and
international organizations were urged to pro-
vide financial and technical aid in grant form or
concessional loans for transport and transit facili-
ties. The Assembly also invited transit countries
to co-operate with the land-locked developing
countr ies in harmonizing t ransport planning
and promoting joint transport ventures.
The resolution, sponsored by 20 nations, was
adopted by a recorded vote of 137 to none, with
6 abstentions. Paragraph 1, reaffirming the right
of free access and transit to and from the sea, was
adopted by a recorded vote of 59 to 9, with 66
abstentions.
The draft was approved on 13 November by
the Second (Economic and Financial) Commit-
tee by a recorded vote of 120 to none, with 7 ab-
stentions, following the approval of paragraph 1
by a recorded vote of 46 to 11, with 65 absten-
tions. Both Committee votes were requested by
India.
Introducing the text in the Committee, Boli-
v i a s t a t ed t ha t ab sence o f t ang ib l e r e su l t s
showed that the international community was
not fully aware of the difficulties faced by land-
locked developing countries in exporting prod-
ucts. It was essential not only to remedy an injus-
tice but to correct a situation in which some
countries were taking advantage of efforts made
by others.
Explaining their ‘negative votes on the para-
g r a p h c o n c e r n i n g f r e e a c c e s s a n d t r a n s i t ,
Angola, Nigeria, Pakistan and Yemen said these
questions were best dealt with bilaterally. This
point was also made by Liberia and the Libyan
Arab Jamahiriya; they added that the issues af-
fected the sovereignty of transit countries and
had been discussed extensively in the Third
United Nations Conference on the Law of the
Sea. India and Thailand spoke similarly and also
4 1 4 Economic and social questions
expressed reservations with regard to the invita-
tion to transit countries to harmonize transport
facilities. Sierra Leone found the paragraph’s
wording too categorical.
Among those abstaining in the vote on the
paragraph, Algeria, Ghana, Jordan, Mauritania,
Senegal, the Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic,
Tunisia and the United Republic of Cameroon
saw the matter as bilateral or subregional. Some
of these, along with Benin and Morocco, men-
tioned that the Conference on the Law of the Sea
w a s d e a l i n g w i t h t h e m a t t e r . M o z a m b i q u e
shared the reservations expressed regarding free
access.
Voting for the paragraph and the resolution as
a whole, Brazil said lack of access to the sea
posed problems for the economic development
of the least developed land-locked countr ies
which could be significantly reduced by bilateral
agreements. Peru and Uruguay stated that adop-
tion of the resolution should not prejudge the re-
sults of the Conference on the Law of the Sea;
Uruguay added that international law did not
provide for. unlimited rights of communication
with the sea. The USSR said i t had bi la teral
agreements with a number of land-locked coun-
tries and had helped some develop their trans-
port infrastructures; the paragraph would place
no more responsibilities on the USSR than it
had already assumed. Viet Nam bel ieved the
issues of access and transit should be settled
bilaterally, in full respect for sovereignty.
Abstaining in the vote on the resolution as a
whole, Pakistan said the text should have taken
account of the needs of transit countries, some of
which were among the world’s poorest and also
needed international assistance to develop their
infrastructures.
During 1981, special economic assistance pro-
grammes established by the General Assembly
were under way in seven land-locked developing
countries in Africa: Botswana, Central African
Republic, Chad, Lesotho, Uganda, Zambia and
Zimbabwe (p. 497).
Publication: (1)
Report of the United Nations Conference on the
Least Developed Countries (A/CONF.104/22/Rev.1),
Sales No. E.82.I.8.
Resolutions: GA: (2)
35/56, annex, paras. 136-146, 5 Dec.
1980 (YUN 1980, p. 515); (3)
36/175, 17 Dec. 1981, text
following.
Yearbook references: (4)1972, p. 280; 1976, p. 399; 1979,
p. 493.
Meeting records: GA: 2nd Committee, A/C.2/36/SR.3-6,
10-26, 28, 29-32, 35, 39 (24 Sep.-13 Nov.); plenary,
A/36/PV.103 (17 Dec.).
General Assembly resolution 36/175
137-0-6 (recorded vote) Meeting 103 17 December 1981
Approved by Second Committee (A/36/694/Add.1) by recorded vote
(120 -0 -7 ) , 13 November (mee t i ng 39 ) ; 20 -na t i on d r a f t (A /C .2 /
36/L.24); agenda item 69.
Sponso r s : Afghan i s t an , Bang ladesh , Bo l iv i a , Bo t swana , Bhu tan ,
Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Lao People’s Democratic
Republic, Lesotho, Mali, Mongolla, Nepal, Niger, Paraguay, Rwanda,
Uganda, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe. - -
Specific action related to the particular needs and
problems of land-locked developing countries
The General Assembly,
Reiterating the specific actions related to the particular
needs of the land-locked developing countries stated in reso-
lutions 63(III) of 19 May 1972, 98(IV) of 31 May 1976 and
123(V) of 3 June 1979 of the United Nations Conference on
Trade and Development,
Recall ing the provisions of i ts resolutions 31/157 of 21
December 1976, 32/191 of 19 December 1977, 33/150 of
20 December 1978 , 34 /198 o f 19 December 1979 and
35/58 of 5 December 1980 and other resolutions of the
United Nations relating to the particular needs and problems
of land-locked developing countries,
Bearing in mind various other resolutions adopted by the
General Assembly, i ts related organs and the specialized
agenc i e s , emphas i z ing spec i a l and u rgen t measu re s i n
favour of land-locked developing countries,
Recalling the relevant provisions of the International Devel-
opment Strategy for the Third United Nations Development
Decade.
Recognizing that the lack of territorial access to the sea, ag-
gravated by remoteness and isolation from world markets,
and the prohibit ive transit , transport and trans-shipment
costs impose serious constraints on the socio-economic de-
velopment of land-locked developing countries,
Noting with concern that the measures taken so far in
favour of land-locked developing countries and the assis-
tance given fall far short of their needs,
1. Reaffirms the right of land-locked developing countries
to free access to and from the sea and their right to freedom of
transit;
2 . Appeals to all States, International organizations and
financial institutions to implement, as a matter of urgency
and priority, the specific actions related to the particular
needs and problems of land-locked developing countries
envisaged in resolutions 63(III), 98(IV) and 123(V) of the
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, in the
International Development Strategy for the Third United
Nations Development Decade, in the Substantial New Pro-
gramme of Action for the 1980s for the Least Developed
Countries and in other relevant resolutions of the United
Nations;
3. Urges all donor countries. as well as others in a position
to do so, and the international organizations concerned, to
provide land-locked developing countries with appropriate
financial and technical assistance in the form of grants or
concessional loans for the construction and improvement of
their transport and transit infrastructures and facilities;
4 . U r g e s a / s o t h e i n t e r n a t i o n a l c o m m u n i t y a n d m u l t i l a t e r a l
and bilateral financial institutions to intensify efforts in rais-
ing the net flow of resources to land-locked developing coun-
tr ies to help offset the adverse effects of t h e i r d i s a d v a n t a -
geous geographical situation on their economic development
efforts , in keeping with the overall development needs of
each land-locked developing country;
5 . Invites the transit countries to co-operate effectively
w i t h t h e l a n d - l o c k e d d e v e l o p i n g c o u n t r i e s i n h a r m o n i z i n g
transport planning and promoting other joint ventures in the
field of transport at the regional, subregional and bilateral
levels:
6 . C o m m e n d s t h e U n i t e d N a t i o n s D e v e l o p m e n t P r o -
gramme, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Devel-
opment and other United Nations agencies for their work and
the assistance they have provided to the land-locked devel-
oping countries and invites them to continue to take appropri-
ate and effective measures to respond to the. specific needs
of those countries;
7 . Invites the international community to give financial
Development and international economic and social policy 4 1 5
support to interested transit and land-locked developing
countries in the construction of alternative routes to the sea;
8. Recommends continued and intensified activities relat-
ing to the conducting of necessary studies and the implemen-
tation of special actions and action programmes for the land-
locked developing countries, including those in the area of
economic co-operation among developing countries, as well
as those that have been envisaged in the programme of work
of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development,
the regional commissions and other programmes and activi-
ties at the regional and subregional levels.
Recorded vote in Assembly as follows:
In favour: Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Australia, Aus-
t r i a , Bahamas , Bah ra in , Bang ladesh , Ba rbados , Be lg ium, Ben in ,
Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burundi, Byelorussian
SSR, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, China,
Co lombla , Congo . Cos t a R ica , Cuba . Cyprus , Czechos lovak ia .
Democratic Kampuchea, Democratic Yemen, Denmark, Dominican
Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopla, Fiji, Finland, France,
Gabon, Gambia, German Democratic Republic, Germany, Federal
Republic of, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-
Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran,a
Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan,
Kenya, Kuwait, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia,
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Luxembourg. Madagascar, Malawi. Malay-
sia. Maldlves, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia,
Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua,Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Para-guay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda,
Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singa-
pore , Somal ia , Spa in , S r i Lanka , Sudan , Sur iname , Swaz i l and ,
Sweden, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago.Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukrainian SSR, USSR, United Arab Emir-
ates, United Kingdom, United Republic of Cameroon, United States,Upper Volta, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen.Yugoslavia, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Against: None.
Abstaining: Burma, Chile, India, Lebanon, Pakistan, Sierra Leone.
a Later advised thê Secretariat it had intended to abstain
UN Special Fund for
Land-locked Developing Countries
No new projects were financed in 1981 by the
United Nations Special Fund for Land-locked
Developing Countries, in view of the low level of
contributions to the Fund (p. 416). Some alloca-
tions were made to small-scale projects previous-
ly approved. Total allocations since the Fund
b e c a m e o p e r a t i o n a l a m o u n t e d t o $ 6 8 1 , 0 0 0 ,
c o v e r i n g 1 2 p r o j e c t s . A t y e a r ’ s e n d s o m e
$400,000 was unencumbered, of which $350,000
had been allotted to the three regions containing
land-locked developing countries; negotiations
were under way for commitment of this money.
The Fund was in its fifth year; its statute was ap-
proved by the General Assembly in 1976.(3)
On 19 June, ( 9 ) the UNDP Governing Council
appealed to all countries to review their position
with respect to the Fund and to contribute ur-
gently and generously. The Administrator was
requested to report on the Fund’s activities bien-
nially, beginning in 1983.
On 22 July,(6)
the Economic and Social Coun-
ci l decided without vote to take note of the
Governing Council’s action and a report by the
Administrator(2)
on the Fund’s 1980 activities.(10)
The draft decision was similarly approved on 17
July by the Council’s Third (Programme and Co-
ordination) Committee, on an oral proposal by
i t s C h a i r m a n .
GENERAL ASSEMBLY ACTION. In a resolution
of 17 December,(5)
the General Assembly, urging
Member States to give due consideration to the
special constraints affecting the development of
land-locked developing countries, appealed to
donor countries to review their position with re-
spect to the Fund, with a view to giving greater
s u p p o r t . I t a p p e a l e d t o M e m b e r S t a t e s -
particularly developed countries-and to finan-
cial inst i tut ions to contr ibute generously in
order to implement measures relating to land-
locked developing countries provided for in the
International Development Strategy.( 4 )
The As-
sembly requested the U N D P Administrator, in
consu l t a t i on w i th t he Sec re t a ry -Gene ra l o f
UNCTAD and heads of other bodies, to continue
action in favour of those countries.
The resolution was adopted by 119 votes to
none, with 22 abstentions. The draft, submitted
by Algeria on behalf of the Group of 77, was ap-
proved by the Second Committee on 16 Novem-
ber by 112 votes to none, with 20 abstentions. In-
troducing the text, Algeria remarked that, owing
to lack of resources, the Fund had been unable
to meet the needs of the land-locked developing
countries.
Explaining the Nordic States’ abstentions in
the vote, Denmark said they opposed the prolif-
eration of special funds and preferred to channel
aid through existing bodies. For the European
Community members, the United Kingdom said
they felt that assistance to the countries in ques-
tion should be proportional to their individual
levels of development and, therefore, they pre-
ferred to contribute through bilateral or multi-
lateral programmes.
On oral proposals of its President, the Assem-
bly took two decisions on 17 December, both
without vote, deferring action on the inaugura-
tion of the permanent machinery envisaged for
the Fund by its statute. First,( 7 )
the Assembly
deferred to 1982 the election of the Fund’s Board
of Governors. Second,(8)
it took note of informa-
t i on con t a ined i n a no t e by t he Sec re t a ry -
General(1)
to the effect that he was not submit-
ting for Assembly confirmation an appointment
for the post of Executive Director. The Fund
thus continued on an interim basis under UNDP
management, in collaboration with UNCTAD.
Note: (1)
S-G, A/36/816.
Report: (2)
UNDP Administrator, DP/541.
Resolutions and decisions:
Resolutions: GA: ( 3 )
31/177, annex, 21 Dec. 1976
(YUN 1976, p. 356); (4)
35/56, annex, paras. 152-155, 5
Dec. 1980 (YUN 1980, p. 517); (5)
36/195, 17 Dec. 1981,
text following.
Decisions: (6)
ESC: 1981/173, 22 July, text following.
GA: ( 7 )
3 6 / 3 1 9 , 1 7 D e c . , t e x t f o l l o w i n g ; ( 8 )
36 /321 ,
4 1 6 Economic and social questions
1 7 D e c . , t e x t f o l l o w i n g . ( 9 )
U N D P C o u n c i l ( r e p o r t ,
E/1981/61/Rev.1): 81/3, 19 June.
Yearbook reference: (10)
1980, p. 550.
M e e t i n g r e c o r d s : E S C : 3 r d C o m m i t t e e , E / C . 3 / 1 9 8 1 /
SR .9 -12 , 16 (13 -17 Ju ly ) ; p l ena ry , E /1981 /SR .39
( 2 2 J u l y ) . G A : 2 n d C o m m i t t e e , A / C . 2 / 3 6 / S R . 3 , 6 ,
33, 38, 39, 40, 42 (24 Sep.-20 Nov.); plenary, A/36/
PV.103 (17 Dec.).
Economic and Social Council decision 1981/173
Adopted without vote
Approved by Th i rd Commi t t ee (E /1981 /102 ) w i thou t vo t e , 17 Ju ly
(meeting 16); draft orally proposed by Chairman; agenda item 17.
United Nations Special Fund for
Land-locked Developing Countries
At Its 39th plenary meeting, on 22 July 1981, the Council
took note of:
(a) The report of the Administrator of the United Nations
Development Programme on the United Nations Special Fund
for Land-locked Developing Countries;
( b ) D e c i s i o n 8 1 / 3 o f 1 9 J u n e 1 9 8 1 a d o p t e d b y t h e
Governing Council of the United Nations Development Pro-
gramme at its twenty-eighth session.
General Assembly resolution 36/195
119-0 -22 Meeting 103 17 December 1981
Approved by Second Committee (A/36/812) by vote (112-0-20), 16November (meeting 40); draft by Algeria, for Group of 77(A/C.2/36/L.64); agenda item 70 (g).
United Nations Special Fund for
Land-locked Developing Countries
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolution 31/177 of 21 December 1976, by
which it approved the statute of the United Nations Special
Fund for Land-locked Developing Countries,
R e c a l l i n g a l s o i t s r e s o l u t i o n s 3 2 / 1 1 3 o f 1 5 D e c e m b e r
1977, 33/85 of 15 December 1978, 34/209 of 19 December
1979 and 35/82 of 5 December 1980,
Taking account of resolution 123(V) of 3 June 1979 of the
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and
decisions 80/21 of 26 June 1980 and 81/3 of 19 June 1981
of the Governing Council of the United Nations Development
Programme,
Recall ing i ts resolution 35/56 of 5 December 1980, the
annex to which contains the International Development
Strategy for the Third United Nations Development Decade,
and the relevant provisions of the Strategy, in particular para-
graphs 152 to 155,
Recalling further the relevant paragraphs of the Substantial
New Programme of Action for the 1980s for the Least Devel-
oped Countries, adopted by the United Nations Conference
on the Least Developed Countries,
Convinced that access to world markets at the least possi-
ble cost is an integral part of meaningful economic develop-
ment of land-locked developing countries,
Bearing in mind that a large number of countries classified
as least developed are land-locked developing countries.
Expressing deep concern at the consistently very low level
of contributions that have been pledged to the Fund since its
establishment,
Noting that, according to the report of the Secretary-
General prepared in response to General Assembly resolution
34/207 of 19 December 1979, contributions to the Fund
must increase significantly if it is to be effective in meeting
the large requirements for reducing the réal costs of transit
for land-locked developing countries,
Noting further that the demands for assistance from the
Fund are additional to, and generally different from, the types
of activities financed from other sources of the United Nations
system,
1. Urges ail Member States to give due consideration to
the special constraints affecting the economic and social de-
velopment of land-locked developing countries;
2. Appeals to all donor countries to review their position
with respect to the United Nations Special Fund for Land-
locked Developing Countries, with a view to extending greater
support to it;
3. Also appeals to all Member States, in particular devel-
oped countries, and to multi lateral and bilateral f inancial
institutions to contribute significantly and generously to the
Fund in order to implement the measures relating to land-
locked developing countries provided for in the International
Development Strategy for the Third United Nations Develop-
ment Decade;
4 . Requests the Administrator of the United Nations Devel-
opmen t P rog ramme , i n consu l t a t i on w i th t he Sec re t a ry -
General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and De-
velopment and the executive heads of other related bodies, to
continue to pursue action in favour of land-locked developing
countries within the framework of the interim arrangements,
bearing in mind that each country concerned should receive
appropriate technical and financial assistance.
General Assembly decision 36/319
Adopted without vote
Oral proposal by President; agenda item 17 (e).
Election of the members of the Board of Governors
of the United Nations Special Fund for
Land-locked Developing Countries
At its 103rd plenary meeting, on 17 December 1981, the
General Assembly, on the proposal of its President, decided
to defer to its thirty-seventh session the election of the mem-
bers of the Board of Governors of the United Nations Special
Fund for Land-locked Developing Countries.
General Assembly decision 36/321
Adopted without vote
Oral proposal by President: agenda item 18 (I)
Confirmation of the appointment of the Executive
Director of the United Nations Special Fund
for Land-locked Developing Countries
At its 103rd plenary meeting, on 17 December 1981, the
General Assembly took note of the information contained in
the note by the Secretary-General.
F i n a n c e s o f t h e F u n d
Contributions. In 1981, a total of $39,570
was collected from 12 States in contributions to
the Special Fund for Land-locked Developing
Countr ies , and 14 States pledged a total of
$69,291 for 1982 (see table on following page).
Most of the contributors were land-locked devel-
oping countries. The pledges were made at the
1981 United Nations Pledging Conference for
Development Activities, held at United Nations
Headquarters in November (p. 426). Contribu-
tions pledged during the five years of the Fund’s
existence amounted to about $1 million.
Financial regulat ions. The General Assem-
bly , on 18 December 1981,( 2 )
author ized the
Governing Council of the United Nations Devel-
opment Programme ( U N D P ) to adopt the f inan-
cial regulations of the Special Fund for Land-
locked Developing Countries and, in the mean
time, to apply the UNDP Financial Regulations
to the Fund. Regulations for the Fund would
Development and international economic and social policy 4 1 7
CONTRIBUTIONS AND PLEDGES TO THE UNITED NATIONS
SPECIAL FUND FOR LAND-LOCKED DEVELOPING
COUNTRIES FOR 1981 AND 1982
(As at 31 December 1981; in US dollar equivalent)
1981 1982
Country p a y m e n t p ledge
Afghanistan 5 ,000 5 ,000
Bhutan 1 ,000 1 ,000
Bolivia - 5 0 0
B o t s w a n a 1 ,529 1 ,714
Brazil 20 ,000 10 ,000
Democratic Yemen 1 ,000 - .
Lao People’s
Democratic Republic 1 ,000
Lesotho - 1 ,000
Malawi 2 ,000 2 ,100
Mall 5 0 0 -
Nepal 2 ,000
Philippines 2 ,500
Swaziland - 1 ,070
Thailand 2 ,000 1 ,000
Togo - 707
Tunis ia 1 ,913 2 ,200
Uganda 128 -
Zambia 40 ,000
Zimbabwe - 2 ,000
Total 39 ,570 69,291
first be reviewed by the Advisory Committee on
Administrat ive and Budgetary Quest ions and
would be reported to the Assembly following
their adoption by the Council. This arrangement
was to apply during the interim period before
the Fund’s own policy and management machin-
ery was established.
This action modified a provision of the Fund’s
s ta tute ,( 1 )
adopted by the Assembly in 1976,
which specified that the Financial Regulations
and Rules of the United Nations would apply
until the Assembly approved new ones on the
recommendation of the Fund’s Board of Gover-
nors. The Assembly’s 1981 action was taken at
the request of the Council, which asked on 30
June 1981(3)
for authority to formulate financial
regulations in respect of all funds which it ad-
ministered, including the Special Fund (p. 451).
Resolutions and decision:
Resolutions: GA: ( 1 )
31/177, annex, art . 9, 21 Dec.
1976 (YUN 1976, p. 357); (2)
36/227, para. 3, 18 Dec.
1981 (p. 451).
Decision:( 3 )
U N D P C o u n c i l ( r e p o r t , E / 1 9 8 1 / 6 1 /
Rev.1): 81/28, para. 3, 30 June.
Island developing countries
In accordance with a 1979 resolut ion of the
United Nations Conference on Trade and Devel-
o p m e n t ( U N C T A D ) , ( 3 )
t h e U N C T A D s e c r e t a r i a t
issued in January 1981 a note for the Trade and
Development Board( 1 )
describing UNCTAD stud-
ies on common problems of island developing
countries.
The note suggested six areas which might be
examined by an intergovernmental group of ex-
perts, in the event that the Board established
such a group, to examine the specific problems
of developing island economies, as had been sug-
gested in 1980:(4)
statistics policy for effective
planning; investment policy for national savings
and for foreign capital; employment, training
and migrat ion policy; integrat ion of marine
space into national economic planning; response
to technical change in transport and communica-
tions; and marketing and export promotion of
goods and services.
On 20 March 1981, after considering the ques-
tion, the Board decided to remit to its March
1982 session a draf t decis ion, submit ted by
Mexico on behalf of the Group of 77 developing
countries, which would have the Board decide
that an intergovernmental group of experts be
convened to prepare a comprehensive action pro-
gramme to al leviate the special problems of
island developing countries.(2)
Special economic assistance programmes co-
ordinated by the United Nat ions were under
way in three island developing countries in the
Africa region during 1981: Cape Verde (p. 500),
the Comoros (p. 506) and Sao Tome and Prin-
cipe (p. 518). Multiagency missions, studying
economic assistance needs resulting from hurri-
cane damage and other problems, visited four
Caribbean island nations: Dominica (p. 525),
Grenada (p. 526), Saint Lucia (p. 527) and Saint
Vincent and the Grenadines ( 528). Severalp.United Nations agencies were providing assis-
tance to Tonga, in the Pacific (p. 530).
Note: ( 1 )
UNCTAD s e c r e t a r i a t , TD/B/841.
Report: (2)
TDB, A/36/15.
Yearbook references: (3)
1979, p. 569; (4)
1980, p. 551.
UN Special Fund for the mostseriously affected countries
On 4 December 1981, the General Assembly
decided without vote to continue performing the
funct ions of the Board of Governors of the
United Nations Special Fund pending further
consideration of the matter in 1983.(3)
It recalled
its 1978 decision to suspend ad interim the activi-
ties of the Fund for lack of contributions.(2)
The
Fund was established by the Assembly in 1974
to assist countries most seriously affected by
economic crises.
The 1981 decision was recommended by the
Second (Economic and Financial) Committee,
which approved without vote on 20 November a
draft by its Chairman.
During the Committee’s discussion of develop-
ment and international economic co-operation,
Sri Lanka urged react ivat ion of the Fund to
meet the grave difficulties faced by the least de-
veloped countries.
Resolution and decisions:
Resolution: (1)
GA: 3202(S-VI), sect. X, 1 May 1974
(YUN 1974, p. 330).
4 1 8 Economic and social questions
Decisions: GA: (2)
3/431, 19 Dec. 1978 (YUN 1978,
p. 425); (3)
36/424, 4 Dec. 1981, text following.
Meeting records: GA: 2nd Committee, A/C.2/36/SR.3-6,
10-32, 42 (24 Sep.-20 Nov.); plenary, A/36/PV.84 (4
Dec.).
General Assembly decision 36/424
Adopted without vote
Approved by Second Committee (A/36/694/Add.11) without vole. 20
November (meeting 42); draft by Chairman (A/C.2/36/L.90); agenda
item 69 (n).
United Nations Special Fund
At i ts 84th plenary meeting, on 4 December 1981, the
General Assembly, on the recommendation of the Second
Committee, recall ing i ts decision 33/431 of 19 December
1978, in which it had decided, inter alia, to suspend the ac-
tivities of the United Nations Special Fund, ad interim, and to
perform the functions of the Board of Governors of the Fund,
decided to continue performing the functions of the Board of
Governors, within the context of its consideration of the item
on development and international economic co-operation,
pending subsequent consideration of the question by the As-
sembly at Its thirty-eighth session.
Chapter II
Development assistance
T o t a l c o n t r i b u t i o n s b y G o v e r n m e n t s t o t h e
United Nations system to finance operational
act ivi t ies for development amounted to $5.3
bil l ion in 1981, compared to $5.6 bi l l ion in
1980 (p. 420). Despite the drop in income, net
transfers of resources for development purposes
from the United Nations system to developing
countries rose to $6 billion in 1981, up from
$4.8 bi l l ion in 1980 (p . 419) . Of this to ta l ,
technical co-operation expenditures amounted
to $2 billion, compared to $1.8 billion in the
previous year (p. 431).
Expenditures by the United Nations Develop-
m e n t P r o g r a m m e ( U N D P ) , i n c l u d i n g t h e t r u s t
funds it managed, exceeded $1 billion for the
first time; the share of UNDP in total system-wide,
grant-financed technical co-operation remained
at the same level as in 1980-about 50 per cent
(p. 432). The United Nations itself, excluding
the specialized agencies, delivered a technical
co-operat ion programme of $297 mil l ion, of
which $204 million came from UNDP (p. 459).
Development assistance, also referred to as
operational activities for development, remained
by far the largest component of United Nations
operational activities. Some of this was rendered
by United Nations programmes active in specific
fields, of which the largest were the World Food
Programme (p. 726), the United Nations Fund
for Population Activities (p. 781) and the United
Nations Children’s Fund (p. 999).
Expenditures by the United Nations system
on humanitarian and other assistance not direct-
ly related to development came to $648 million
in 1981, raising the value of all operational ac-
tivities to $6.7 billion. Such assistance included
disaster aid, other emergency assistance and spe-
cial economic assistance to countries undergoing
unusual hardships (p . 471) , as wel l as pro-
grammes of assistance to refugees (p. 1027). In
addit ion to direct mult i lateral assis tance, the
United Nations promoted special measures for
particular categories of countries, notably the
least developed (p. 401).
Pledges for 1982, made to 19 United Nations
funds and programmes covered by the 1981
United Nations Pledging Conference for Devel-
opment Activities (New York, 3 and 4 Novem-
ber), totalled just over $1 billion as at 30 June
1982, compared to $1.1 billion in payments re-
ceived for 1981 (p. 426). The General Assembly
expressed deep concern in December that contri-
butions to the funds and programmes included
in United Nations pledging conferences for de-
velopment act ivi t ies had been s tagnat ing and
urged a rapid and substantial increase of contri-
butions to the United Nations system’s opera-
tional activities for development on a predictable
and continuous basis.(9)
The United Nations Director-General for De-
v e l o p m e n t a n d I n t e r n a t i o n a l E c o n o m i c C o -
operation submitted his first annual report to the
General Assembly on operational activities for
development,(2)
forming a basis for discussion by
the Second (Economic and Financial) Commit-
tee of financial and management aspects of de-
velopment assis tance by the United Nations
system (p. 428).
For UNDP, 1981 marked the final year of its
second development co-operation cycle, a five-
year forward plan of comprehensive program-
ming for technical co-operation (p. 432). Despite
indications that resources available in the third
cycle, spanning 1982-1986, might fall short of
the total envisaged, the UNDP Governing Coun-
cil, at its twenty-eighth session( 3 )
(New York,
9 June-l July), decided to retain, for purposes of
forward planning, the level of resources previous-
ly envisaged, which assumed a 14 per cent aver-
age annual growth of voluntary contributions
(p. 444). Both the Economic and Social Council,
in July,(5)
and the General Assembly, in Decem-
ber,(10)
urged Governments to renew their effortsto provide the resources necessary to estab-