General Assembly

Distr. GENERAL  

3 December 1984

ORIGINAL:
ENGLISH

                                                       A/RES/39/29
                                                       3 December 1984
                                                       Meeting no. 83
 
     39/29.  Critical Economic Situation in Africa
 
     The General Assembly,
 
     Alarmed by the critical economic situation currently prevailing in
Africa,
 
     Commending the efforts of the Secretary-General in sensitizing the
international community to the plight of Africa,
 
     Noting the increased concern of the international community for the
worsening plight of African countries affected by the crisis,
 
     Having considered the critical economic situation in Africa, the note by
the Secretary-General and his report on the subject,
 
     Taking note of the Declaration and resolutions adopted by the Assembly of
Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity at its
twentieth ordinary session, held at Addis Ababa from 12 to 15 November 1984,
 
     Taking note also of the statement of the Committee for Development
Planning, at the conclusion of its twenty-first session, held at Geneva from
19 to 21 November 1984, on the critical economic situation in Africa,
 
     Convinced of the need for concerted action by the international community
to assist the efforts of the African Governments by providing immediate
emergency relief, and medium-term and long-term development aid,
 
     1.   Adopts the Declaration on the Critical Economic Situation in Africa
set forth in the annex to the present resolution;
 
     2.   Requests the Secretary-General to take all appropriate measures for
the full and speedy implementation of the objectives contained in the
Declaration;
 
     3.   Also requests the Secretary-General to bring the Declaration to the
attention of all States, and intergovernmental and non-governmental
organizations;
 
     4.   Further requests the Secretary-General to continue to monitor the
situation, to assess the needs and the responses thereto, and to report
thereon to the General Assembly at its fortieth session through the Economic
and Social Council.
 
                                    ANNEX
           Declaration on the Critical Economic Situation in Africa
 
1.   We the States Members of the United Nations express our deep concern at
the profound economic and social crisis that Africa is experiencing.  Over the
last few years the situation has assumed alarming proportions, seriously
jeopardizing not only the development process but, more ominously, the very
survival of millions of people.
 
2.   We are alarmed by the spectre of widespread famine hanging over many
African countries.  Over 150 million people are facing hunger and
malnutrition.  Prolonged unprecedented drought, accelerating desertification
and other natural disasters have compounded an already serious situation,
dislocating normal life all over the continent.  Alarming shortages in food
and water supplies and the depletion of livestock have led to the displacement
of millions of people within and across borders.
 
3.   All these factors are further straining fragile economies crippled by
deep-rooted structural deficiencies, that is to say, weak physical and social
infrastructures, lack of trained human resources and dependence on the export
of a few primary commodities.
 
4.   Africa, despite its enormous potential, remains the least developed of
all continents, lagging far behind by every economic indicator.  Economic
performance of many African countries is characterized by declining per capita
incomes and stagnant or negative rates of growth.  Furthermore, food
production has not kept pace with population growth.  According to all
projections, prospects for recovery, growth and development remain very dim
unless the efforts currently under way in African countries are fully
supported by the international community.
 
5.   Furthermore, the international economic environment continues to affect
developing countries adversely and, particularly, it had a devastating impact
on the already fragile African economies.  This is manifested in deteriorating
terms of trade, sharp declines in export earnings, the heavy burden of
external debt and stagnating resource flows to African countries.
 
6.   We are aware that African countries recognize they have the primary
responsibility for their development and for addressing the present crisis.
They have therefore undertaken and continue to undertake painful adjustment
measures at very high social and political costs.  While recognizing the
determined efforts of African countries and the support provided by the
international community, much more needs to be done as the situation remains
very grave.
 
7.   We recognize that, in dealing with the present crisis, African regional
and subregional efforts towards economic co-operation and integration as well
as enhanced economic and technical co-operation among developing countries
play an important role in the achievement of national and collective
self-reliance and sustained development in Africa.
 
8.   We are aware that the maintenance of peace and security and the
strengthening of international co-operation are important for meeting the
challenge of development.
 
9.   We fully recognize that emergency relief aid on a massive scale is
urgently needed in the following areas:  additional food aid and other
emergency supplies, together with the technical and financial assistance
necessary for their transportation, storage and distribution to the affected
populations; improvement of water supplies; improvement of health and
nutrition, particularly for vulnerable groups, including refugees and
displaced persons; safeguarding national nuclei of herds of livestock;
establishment of income-generating projects and promotion of new and renewable
energy projects, particularly in rural areas.  In addition to the assistance
already provided by the international community, further urgent assistance
from bilateral and multilateral donors and non-governmental organizations is
required to meet the above and other identified emergency needs in a
comprehensive manner, as well as to strengthen the emergency prevention and
preparedness capacities of African countries.
 
10.  Of particular importance is the need to undertake urgent action to speed
up and support the recovery and rehabilitation process in African countries,
especially of the agricultural and industrial sectors as well as for physical
and social infrastructures.  Assistance for increasing the import capacity for
vital imports, through adequate balance-of-payments support and other relevant
measures, would help to establish a sound basis for the resumption and
acceleration of sustained economic and social development in Africa.
 
11.  We agree that in confronting the challenge of development, national
policies and measures, such as those outlined in the Lagos Plan of Action for
the Implementation of the Monrovia Strategy for the Economic Development of
Africa and the Special Memorandum on Africa's Economic and Social Crisis
adopted by the ECA Conference of Ministers, provide a framework for national
and subregional action and international support.
 
12.  We recognize that, in view of the high priority attached by African
countries to food and agriculture, the first urgent task is the early
attainment of national and collective self-reliance in food production.  In
this connection, as highlighted in the Harare Declaration adopted by the
thirteenth FAO Regional Conference for Africa, national food strategies and
integrated rural development plans play an important role, especially in the
achievement of food security.  Moreover, we recognize the important role of
women in rural development, particularly in food production, a role for which
greater support is needed.  Also important are the provision of appropriate
incentives, credit, improvement of storage and transport, reduction of food
losses, in particular post-harvest losses, achievement of a better balance
between agricultural export commodities and food production, diversification
of agricultural production and utilization of irrigation potential,
particularly in the drought-prone areas.
 
13.  Urgent action is needed at the international level to support national
and regional efforts to implement the Regional Plan of Action to Combat the
Effects of Drought in Africa and the Plan of Action to Combat Desertification.
 
14.  Increased resources for rapid implementation of the Industrial
Development Decade for Africa and the Transport and Communications Decade in
Africa are required.  Furthermore, efforts at national, subregional and
regional levels to develop the necessary and much needed skilled manpower, and
to build technological capacities, require increased international support.
 
15.  We fully acknowledge that, in the light of the worsening economic
situation in Africa, the interrelationship between the debt problem,
concessional flows and export earnings and their direct impact on recovery,
growth and development assume even greater significance.  It is vital,
therefore, to take urgent and mutually-reinforcing measures in those areas,
taking into account the Special Memorandum on Africa's Economic and Social
Crisis, the Addis Ababa Declaration on Africa's External Indebtedness and the
World Bank Special Programme for Sub-Saharan Africa, in order to complement
and support domestic adjustment efforts in African countries.
 
16.  Africa is experiencing a very serious debt problem, repayment and
servicing of which is taking a very high percentage of already reduced export
earnings.  The problem is further exacerbated by factors such as deteriorating
terms of trade, decline in concessional flows in real terms and increased use
of short-term commercial credit.  Without an increase in net capital inflows
and urgent debt relief measures, prospects for recovery and development in
Africa will be undermined.
 
17.  Bilateral and multilateral creditors should take concerted measures to
ease the debt burden of African countries.  For official and
officially-guaranteed debt, total or partial conversion of official
development assistance (ODA) debts into grants, longer maturities and grace
periods, lower or concessional interest rates and extended multi-year
rescheduling are among the measures to be dealt with urgently within the
framework of close consultation with each of the debtor countries concerned,
as well as any other measures to be agreed upon.  It is essential to ensure
the full and urgent implementation of Trade and Development Board resolution
165 (S-IX) of 11 March 1978.  Multilateral financial institutions should
expedite resource disbursement.  Reduction in international interest rates
would further alleviate the debt burden.  Moreover, the full co-operation of
commercial banks is indispensable.  The capacity of African countries to
manage their debt should be improved through the provision of technical
assistance, particularly by international agencies.
 
18.  We recognize that African countries, in view of their heavy dependence on
concessional financial flows and their limited access to alternative sources
of external finance, require a substantial and sustained increase in the
volume of these flows through bilateral donors and multilateral channels for
development finance and technical co-operation.  The international community,
in particular the developed countries and the multilateral financial
institutions, should endeavour to provide the additional financial resources
to maintain and increase a net transfer of resources to African countries.
The World Bank is strongly urged to explore with donors possible approaches,
including a special facility, in mobilizing the resources required to
implement the Bank's Special Programme for Sub-Saharan Africa.
 
19.  The full and speedy implementation of the Substantial New Programme of
Action for the 1980s for the Least Developed Countries, particularly with
regard to the ODA level, would greatly augment resource flows to many African
countries.  Supplementary funding for the International Development
Association and the early completion of the replenishment of the International
Fund for Agricultural Development would ensure at least the maintenance of the
real value of resources channelled to Africa.
 
20.  The heavy dependence of African countries on the export of a few primary
commodities renders them particularly vulnerable to the sharp price
fluctuations that result in drastic shortfalls in export earnings.  Urgent
action is therefore needed to stabilize commodity prices on long-term trends
and to improve and increase the use of compensatory financing arrangements for
export earnings shortfalls, such as the Compensatory Financing Facility of the
International Monetary Fund.  Improved market access for African primary and
processed products, efforts of African countries to diversify production, and
the early and effective operation of the Common Fund for Commodities require
intensified international action.
 
21.  The modalities and quality of ODA flows in terms of a greater grant
element, untied resources and simplified procedures for aid delivery should be
improved through, inter alia, speedier disbursements and greater reliance on
more flexible forms of assistance, such as non-project programme and sector
aid, including local and recurrent costs.
 
22.  We acknowledge that there is room for further improvement in the
co-ordination of assistance and the efficient and effective use of resources.
Co-ordination of multilateral as well as bilateral assistance is primarily the
responsibility of recipient Governments and, in this connection, effective
national co-ordinating mechanisms can play an important role.  The United
Nations system should extend technical assistance in this field to
Governments, upon request, and should pursue its own efforts to enhance
co-ordination at the programme and operational levels, in conformity with
relevant General Assembly resolutions.
 
23.  We are convinced that in addressing the critical needs of African
countries there are many areas where the United Nations could play an
important role both in mobilizing the necessary resources and in carrying out
specific activities.  In this respect, existing resources allocated for
programmes in Africa should, in consultation with African Governments, be
refocused to address identified priority areas.  There is need for further
improvement in the efficiency and programme delivery of United Nations
activities in Africa.  Furthermore, additional voluntary contributions should
be mobilized to ensure the implementation of projects and programmes in
priority areas.
 
24.  We urge all organs, organizations and bodies of the United Nations system
to give greater attention to Africa and to continue to mobilize resources for
assisting African countries in dealing with the current crisis and its
longer-term ramifications.
 
25.  We further urge bilateral and multilateral donors, as well as
non-governmental organizations, to take all necessary measures to support the
efforts of the African countries aimed at alleviating the critical economic
situation in Africa.
 
26.  We request the Secretary-General to continue his commendable efforts in
alerting and sensitizing the international community to the plight of African
countries, in mobilizing additional assistance to Africa, as well as in
co-ordinating the activities of the United Nations system in Africa and in
monitoring the situation, and to present periodic reports thereon.
 
27.  We are convinced that unless urgent action is taken the rapidly
deteriorating situation in Africa may well lead to disaster.  We are therefore
fully committed to supporting the efforts of African countries to meet the
dual challenge of survival and development by taking concerted and urgent
measures commensurate with the needs outlined in the present Declaration.