CM/Res. 675(XXXI)
RESOLUTION ON THE 21ST ANNIVERSARY OF ECA (1979)
AND TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS DECADE IN AFRICA (1978 -1988)
The Council of Ministers of the Organization of African Unity, meeting in its Thirty-First Ordinary Session in Khartoum, Democratic Republic of the Sudan, from 7 to 18 July 1978,
Having received and considered the report of the Administrative Secretary-General on the forthcoming 21st Anniversary of the United Nations Economic Commission for African (UNECA),
Having in particular examined ECA’s document E/CN.14/ECO/141, which gives a summary account of how the Commission proposes to celebrate its 21st birthday,
Cognizant of the valuable contribution which the Commission has made and continues to make to the development of Africa in the economic and social fields,
Cognizant also of the imperative need for the OAU and the ECA to cooperate in promoting Africa’s development,
Bearing in mind the cooperation Agreement between OAU and ECA and the determination, many times reiterated, of the Organization of African Unity and the Economic Commission for Africa to co-operate closely in order to place their complementary vocations and their experience at the service of the greater socio-economic well-being of the peoples of Africa.
Recalling:
The Charter of OAU, Article II, paragraph 2(b) of which provides that Member States will co-ordinate and harmonize their general policies, in particular in the field of the economy, transport and communications,
The African Declaration on Co-operation, Development and Economic Independence adopted at Addis Ababa on 24 May 1973 by the African Heads of State and Government and particularly Chapters II and IV thereof,
ECA Conference of Ministers Resolution 291 (XIII) of 26 February 1977 which recommends that the international community should proclaim a Transport and Communications Decade in Africa,
United Nations Economic and Social Council Resolution 2097 (LXIII) of 29 July 1977 by which the United Nations General Assembly was recommended to proclaim the Decade,
Noting General Assembly Resolution 32/160 of 19 December 1977 endorsing the recommendations made in Conference of Ministers Resolution 231 (XIII) proclaiming Transport and Communications Decade in Africa for 1978 to 1988,
Aware of the prime importance of transport and communications for the socio- economic development of the African region;
Recalling further Resolution ECA (XVIII) Res. 2 of the ECA Executive Committee of 4 March 1978 requesting, inter alia, to the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa to take the necessary steps, in collaboration with the Administrative Secretary-General of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), to bring the matter of the United Nations Transport and communications Decade before the next meeting of the Organization of African Unity,
A
CONGRATULATES the ECA on its attainment of the age of 21;
APPROVES the programme of activities contained in the document on the commemoration of the Twenty-first Anniversary of the Economic Commission for Africa, and in particular;
The theme of reflection on “economic interdependence and collective self- reliance in Africa'’
the holding of a conference on the various possible development systems and life styles for the African region;
The organization of a publicity campaign through the press, radio and television in each Member State and in co-operation with the minister of information in order to make all social strata aware of the problems of socio- economic development;
MANDATES the Administrative Secretary-General to intensify the cooperation between the OAU and ECA both in organising and servicing the meetings scheduled by ECA in its Document ECA14/ECC/141 and in other projects intended to promote economic and social development of Africa;
URGES AOU/ECA Member States to participate fully in the meetings being organised by the Commission to mark its 21st Anniversary:
COMMENDS both the report of the Administrative Secretary-General of the OAU and the report of the Executive Secretary of the ECA on this question to the attention of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government at it Fifteenth Ordinary Session.
B
APPEALS to all Member States to:
Proclaim the Decade at the national and sub-regional levels so as to make African States aware of its goals;
Assume an active role in the implementation of the programme for the Decade;
Join their efforts to mobilize international resources for the implementation of various transport and communications projects with a view to opening up the various regions of African countries completely, due to attention being paid to the special case of the semi-land-locked and land-locked countries, and to facilitate the strengthening of intra-African cooperation;
URGES Member States to support the Decade in terms both of financial contributions and of the political support which the Economic Commission for Africa would need to pursue its negotiations with the various sources of financing;
APPEALS to the Secretary-General of the United Nations to arrange for the convening of a meeting of donor countries and other institutions as soon as possible for the purpose of mobilizing the resources required for implementing the work programmes for the Decade;
APPEALS FURTHER to all African regional and inter-governmental organizations, as well as African financing institutions, such as ADB, SADEA and similar institutions to provide every assistance needed for the implementation of the work programme for the Decade;
REQUESTS the Administrative Secretary-General of the Organisation of African Unity and the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa to convene jointly by February `979, a meeting of African Ministers concerned with matters relating to transport and communications work and planning to define Africa’s global strategy for the development of transport and communications, in the region and to prepare a detailed programme of action for the implementation of the Decade;
FURTHER REQUESTS the Administrative Secretary-General of the Organization of African Unity and the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa to take all necessary measures to secure the most effective support for the success of the Decade;
INVITES THE Administrative Secretary-General of the Organization of African Unity and the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa to submit annually to the Conference of Heads of State a Progress Report on the Implementation of the Decade.