Distr.: General
14 June 1999
Original: English
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Fifty-fourth session
Item
46 of the preliminary list*
Causes
of conflict and the promotion
of
durable peace and sustainable
development
in Africa
Economic
and Social Council
Substantive
session of 1999
Geneva,
5–30 July 1999
Item
4 of the provisional agenda**
Coordination
of the policies and
activities
of the specialized agencies
and
other bodies of the United Nations
system
related to the following theme:
Development
of Africa: implementation
and
coordinated follow-up by the
United
Nations system of initiatives
on
African development
* A/54/50.
** E/1999/100 and Add.1.
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Development
of Africa: implementation of the recommendations in the report of the Secretary-General
to the Security Council and the General Assembly, specifically the implementation and
coordinated follow-up by the United Nations system of initiatives on Africa
Contents
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Paragraphs |
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Page
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I. Introduction............................................................................................................
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1–3 |
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3 |
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II. Overview...............................................................................................................
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4–9 |
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3 |
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III. Measures related to the implementation of the recommendations in the
report |
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10–56 |
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4 |
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A. Strengthening good governance................................................................ |
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11–18 |
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4 |
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B. Social
development......................................................................................
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19–26 |
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5 |
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C. Elimination
of all forms of discrimination against women..........................
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27–32 |
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7 |
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D. Improving
trade flows...................................................................................
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33–39 |
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7 |
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E. Improving financial resource flows............................................................. |
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40–50 |
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8 |
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F. Support for regional cooperation and integration..................................... |
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51–56 |
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10 |
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IV. Priority areas
under the current initiatives on Africa and possible priorities
in |
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57–75 |
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11 |
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V. Coordinated follow-up by the United Nations system of initiatives on
Africa............. |
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76–108 |
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13 |
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A. Coordination
of United Nations system initiatives...................................
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77–103 |
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14 |
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B. Harmonization of non-United Nations initiatives on Africa.................... |
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104–108 |
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18 |
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I. Introduction
1. Following its
consideration of the report of the Secretary-General on the causes of conflict and the
promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa (A/52/871-S/1998/318),
the Economic and Social Council, at its substantive session of 1998, decided to undertake
substantive discussions on the implementation of the relevant recommendations at its
substantive session of 1999 (decision 1998/283). The Council further decided that the
coordination segment of its 1999 substantive session would be devoted to the consideration
of the theme: “Development of Africa: implementation and coordinated follow-up by the
United Nations system of initiatives on African development” (decision 1998/298).
2. The General Assembly
invited African countries and their partners during the coordination segment of the 1999
substantive session of the Economic and Social Council to identify and rank priorities in
partnership, to define respective responsibilities and to agree on realistic and
measurable targets in priority areas (resolution 53/92).
3. In accordance with
those decisions the present report is divided into three substantive sections dealing with
measures taken relating to the recommendations in the Secretary-General’s report
(section III); priority areas (section IV); and coordination by the United Nations system
of initiatives on Africa (section V). The report draws on information provided by the
organizations of the United Nations system and donor countries, both developed and
developing.1
II. Overview
4. In order to enhance
the prospects for durable peace, the Secretary-General, in his report on the causes of
conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa, calls
for and highlights the importance of a substantial and sustained pace of economic growth
and social development in Africa. For a brief period in the mid-1990s, African countries
were able to reverse the years of stagnation and negative growth, and achieved growth
rates of more than 5 per cent per year. Since then, growth has declined and was only 2.7
per cent in 1997 and 2.5 per cent in 1998. This marked two years of virtual stagnation in
the region’s per capita output, since population grows at 2.6 per cent per year.
There was significant variation at the subregional level in 1998, with North and Central
Africa experiencing improvements over 1997 while growth rates in gross domestic product
(GDP) declined in eastern, western and southern subregions vis-à-vis 1997. Growth is
expected to accelerate to about 3 per cent in 1999 and to 3.5 per cent in 2000 as a result
of higher oil prices and higher demand for the exports of Africa. Moreover, growth in
Nigeria and South Africa, the two largest economies in Africa, is expected to improve in
1999.