CM/Res. 196 (XIII)
RESOLUTION ON AFRICA AND UNCTAD
The Council of Ministers of the Organization of African Unity, meeting in its Thirteenth Ordinary Session in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 27 August to 6 September 1969,
Having studied the report of the Administrative Secretary General on Africa and UNCTAD,
Aware of the fact that up to now very little progress has been achieved in solving the problems facing the developing countries in the field of trade and development,
Deploring that the industrialized countries’ political irresolution should be the main obstacle to the efforts made by the developing countries in their struggle against under-development,
Recognizing that with regard to its African objectives, the UN First Development Decade fell far short of expectations,
Noting that the preparations for the Second United Nations Development Decade are in the final phase and that the success of the decade will depend on effective pursuance of a well planned strategy for the decade,
Convinced of the usefulness of strengthening African permanent representation in Geneva,
Keeping in mind that it is essential that a ministerial meeting of the Group of 77 be convened before the third UNCTAD,
Noting further that the OAU Expert Committee on Trade and Development and the ECA Working Party on Intra-African Trade has met in Geneva from 18 to 23 August 1969 and harmonized African views and formulated recommendations relating to all aspects of trade and development,
DECIDES
to adopt the recommendations of the fourth joint meeting of the OAU Expert Committee on Trade and Development and the ECA Working Party on Intra- African Trade held in Geneva from 18 to 23 August 1969;
to urge African States, members of the Trade and Development Board, its standing Committees as well as its institutional machinery to defend those African views and recommendations with a view to having them accepted by the whole world community;
to ask the fourteenth session of the OAU Council of Ministers, meeting in February 1970, to give policy guidance on the subject of the offers of the OECD countries, and that a special meeting of interested African countries should be convened in Addis Ababa immediately after the fourteenth session of the Council which should include experts conversant with trade and tariff problems in order to consider the technical aspects of the offers from the OECD countries and to prepare the African position before the fourth session of UNCTAD’s Special Committee on Preference;
to instruct the OAU and the ECA Secretariat to expand their participation and servicing of the African group to include, besides the meetings of the Trade and Development Board, the meetings of the major standing committees of UNCTAD namely the Special Committee on Preference, the Committee on Commodities and the Committee on Growth, Finance and Aid, and to report to the Council of Ministers on what takes place during these meetings;
again to urge African countries who have not yet done so to establish permanent representation at Geneva;
to convene a ministerial meeting of the Group or 77 before the third UNCTAD;
to ask Member States of the OAU to intensify their efforts towards enhancing by all appropriate means the value of the product which they put on the market, and to organize, preferably on a collective basis, and effective marketing network;
REQUESTS the Secretary-General of the OAU to extend all assistance possible towards the implementation of this Resolution;
URGENTLY APPEALS to the industrialized countries to show greater understanding, and hence render more assistance in the implementation of the overall strategy of development as defined in the Algiers Charter and specified in the carious UNCTAD recommendations.