General Assembly

Distr. GENERAL  

17 December 1991

ORIGINAL:
ENGLISH

 
                                                   A/RES/46/145
                                                   76th plenary meeting
                                                   17 December 1991
 
  46/145.   Regional economic integration among developing countries
 
  The General Assembly,
 
  Recalling its resolution S-18/3 of 1 May 1990, the annex to which contains
the Declaration on International Economic Cooperation, in particular the
Revitalization of Economic Growth and Development of the Developing Countries,
 
  Recalling also its resolution 45/199 of 21 December 1990, proclaiming the
Fourth United Nations Development Decade,
 
  Bearing in mind that regional economic integration is important in expanding
trade and investments, particularly in developing countries, and that regional
economic integration everywhere has the potential to strengthen global
economic growth, especially if accompanied by openness to the outside world,
 
  Recalling further its resolution 45/203 of 21 December 1990, on the Trade
and Development Board, in which it invited the United Nations Conference on
Trade and Development and the Trade and Development Board, as appropriate, to
continue to follow closely and analyse developments that have a major impact
on international trade relations, including economic integration and policy
reform in the world economy, technological change and the growing linkage
between flows of investment and trade,
 
  Bearing in mind decision 91/10 of 25 June 1991 of the Governing Council  of
the United Nations Development Programme, in which it was decided that
regional economic integration between developing countries should be included
among the specific areas of analysis of regional programmes,
 
  Bearing in mind also the relevant provisions of decision 90/34 of 23 June
1990 of the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme,
 
  Taking note of Economic and Social Council resolution 1991/76 of 26 July
1991, which encourages interregional cooperation in order to facilitate
international trade,
 
  Reaffirming that an open multilateral trading system is essential for the
promotion of economic growth and development,
 
  Convinced of the link between regional economic integration among developing
countries and the promotion of growth and development and of the need to
promote more economic cooperation between the members of the international
community,
 
  Noting the economic policy measures adopted by the developing countries to
facilitate their efficient and competitive participation in the contemporary
world economy,
 
  Recalling that regional initiatives have been agreed upon to set the process
of economic integration in motion within specific time-frames and with clearly
defined objectives,
 
  Aware of the need to coordinate measures at the international level to
guarantee the effective and efficient promotion of activities that encourage
regional economic integration and, thus, economic integration among developing
countries,
 
  Recognizing the need to support, inter alia, the preparation of studies and
implementation of measures to facilitate trade, as well as harmonization of
the macroeconomic policies and legal systems of the countries concerned, and
to explore the technological aspects of such industrial reconversion processes
as might be economically necessary during the process of integration,
 
  1.  Points to the substantive importance of integration among developing
countries, both for the international community in general and, in particular,
for the strengthening of growth and socio-economic development in the
developing countries;
 
  2.  Decides that in the context of the next revision of the medium-term plan
for the period 1992-1997, to be held in 1992, activities promoting regional
economic integration among developing countries should be given special
attention, and recommends that these activities be included as separate
subprogrammes under the Department of Technical Cooperation for Development of
the Secretariat, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and
the regional commissions, where appropriate, in the programme budget for the
biennium 1994-1995, taking into account the need for coordination and the
avoidance of duplication;
 
  3.  Requests the regional commissions, together with the United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development, to contribute to the identification,
preparation and implementation of specific projects to facilitate economic
integration and to submit them to bilateral donors, regional development banks
and financial institutions for their consideration;
 
  4.  Invites all States and regional economic integration organizations to
support these initiatives;
 
  5.  Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its
forty-eighth session on the progress made in the implementation of the present
resolution.