CM/Res. 702 (XXXII)
RESOLUTION
ON THE PROJECT FOR THE PREPARATION OF A HYDRO-GEOLOGICAL MAP OF AFRICA
The Council of Minister of the Organization of African Unity, meeting in its Thirty- Second Ordinary Session in Nairobi, Republic of Kenya, from 23 February to 4 March, 1979,
Having examined the Report of the Administrative Secretary-Genera (Document CM/963 (XXXII) on the first meeting of experts on the proposed Preparation of a Hydro- geological Map of Africa, held in Addis Ababa from 6 to 8 November 1978 in accordance with Resolution CM/Res. 450 (XXV0 of Kampala, from 18 to 25 July 1975,
Bearing in mind Resolution CM/Res. 336 (XXIII) Mogadiscio, from 6 to 11 July 1974 and CM/Res. 450 (XXV), Kampala, from 18 to 25 July 1975 which underlined especially the need for defining an overall continental strategy to combat drought and desertification in Africa and to undertake urgent and decisive actions to eradicate them,
Recalling the important recommendation of the UN Water Conference held in Mar del Plata (Argentina) from 14 to 25 March 1977, especially concerning the inventory and the evaluation of water resources for regional cooperation in this field,
Recalling further the important recommendations of UN Conference on Desertification held in Nairobi, from 29 August to 9 September 1978 especially recommendations 5, 18 and 26,
Aware of the fact that the preparation of a Hydro-geological map of Africa should facilitate a better implementation and harmonization of national policies for the development of inventory projects and exploitation of the underground water resources of all Member States,
Conscious of the fact that experts from many Member States could not attend the first meeting of Experts held in Addis Ababa from 6 to 8 November 1978 especially those from the numerous countries faced with the acute problem of assessing the availability underground water resources,
Conscious of the urgent action to be taken on Resolution CM/Res. 450 (XXV):
TAKES NOTE of the Administrative Secretary-General’s Report contained in Document CM/963 (XXXII);
CALLS UPON the Administrative Secretary-General to urgently convene a second meeting of experts of all Member states to gather the views of the maximum number of Member States and to review the manner in which this project is to be implemented;
CALLS UPON the Administrative Secretary General, to send to all Member States as early as possible the minutes of the first meeting of experts in preparation for the second meeting;
APPEALS to all Member States as well as their national research institutions and universities to participate actively in the meeting of experts as well as in the implementation of the project by especially cooperating with the work of collecting and analysing the necessary data for the project;
AUTHORISES the Advisory Committee on Budgetary and Financial Matters to appropriate funds for the second meeting in para 2 above.