CM/Res. 245 (XVII)
RESOLUTION ON THE PERMANENT SOVEREIGNTY OF AFRICAN COUNTRIES OVER THEIR NATURAL RESOURCES
The Council of Ministers of the Organization of African Unity, meeting in its Seventeenth Ordinary Session in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 15 to 19 June 1971,
Guided by the purposes enshrined in the OAU Charter with a view “to harnessing the natural and human resources of our spheres of human endeavour”,
Referring to the Declaration of non-aligned countries on economic progress adopted at the Third Conference held in Lusaka in September 1970,
Recalling that the natural resources of developing countries constitute the basis of their economic advancement in general and their industrial progress in particular,
Recalling that the mineral wealth of Africa places it among the world’s richest continents in mineral resources and Africa today exports a substantial share of total world output of many major and minor minerals,
Endorsing resolution 4 on Energy adopted by the Ministerial Conference of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa at its session held in Tunis from 8 to 13 February 1971,
Bearing in mind resolution 2626 (XXV) on the international development strategy for the second United Nations Development Decade, which in paragraph 74 states that “the full exercise by developing countries of their permanent sovereignty over their natural resources will play an important role in achieving the aims and objectives of the second decade”, Unofficial translation.
REAFFIRMS the inalienable right of all countries, and of African countries in particular, to exercise permanent sovereignty over their natural resources in the
interests of their national development, in conformity with the spirit and principles of the United Nations Charter and the OAU Charter;
REAFFIRMS that the exploitation of natural resources in each country sh all always be conducted in accordance with its national laws and regulations;
RECOGNIZES the legitimacy of the measures taken by African countries which are producers of oil and other mineral, as well as of any measures that may be taken by the States of the Continent with a view to exercising their sovereignty effectively over their natural resources, and gives those countries its full support;
DENOUNCES the economic and political pressures which certain developed countries are attempting to bring to bear on African countries with a view to threatening their development efforts and hampering them in the exercise of their sovereignty over their natural resources;
NOTES with satisfaction the Declaration adopted by the ECA/OAU Conference of African Minister of Industry on 7 May 1971, whereby African States decided “to concert action that will lead to a fundamental reformulation of international economic relationships and to the creation of new forms of international industrial co -operation that will promote equitable sharing of benefits”;
RECOMMENDS the formation of an African Union of Mineral Exporting countries.