CM/Res.928 (XL)
RESOLUTION ON THE CURRENT CRITICAL ECONOMIC SITUATION IN AFRICA
The Council of Ministers of the Organization of African Unity Meeting in its Fortieth Ordinary Session in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 27 February to March 1984,
Gravely concerned about the deteriorating economic situation in Africa,
Having considered the report of the OAU Secretary-General contained in Document CM/1232 (XL) Add.V presented by the delegation of Egypt as well as the statement of the ECA Executive Secretary reporting on the initiative taken by the UN Secretary-General with respect to the present economic crisis in Africa,
Recognizing that the effective implementation of the Lagos Plan of Action, adopted by the Second Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government, constitutes the most effective way of solving the current crisis and creating favorable conditions for a development based on the principles of self- reliance and self-sustainment,
Noting with appreciation the initiative of the United Nations Secretary-General to mobilize the international community to respond more adequately to the critical economic and social problems confronting Africa,
Conscious of the alarming degree of food shortages resulting from natural calamities such as prolonged drought, desertification, cyclones and floods,
Noting with concern the prevailing international economic situation and its delibitating effects on the economies of most African countries, through unfair terms of trade, sharp rises in the price of petrol and industrial goods as well as the ever-increasing and staggering foreign debt burdens,
Mindful of the disappointing results of recent major international conferences, particularly the UNCTAD VI in relation to the serious economic problems facing African countries,
Seriously concerned about the adverse effects that OAU Member States, particularly the least developed among them will suffer as a result of current intentions by some major contributors to the IDA to substantially reduce their level of contribution to IDA:
TAKES NOTE of the report of the OAU Secretary-General on the activities of the General Secretariat and its Regional Offices; and of the ECA Executive Secretary on the initiative and efforts of the Secretary-General of the UN in which they highlighted the serious economic problems facing Member States of the Organization;
FURTHER TAKES NOTE WITH APPRECIATION document CM/1232
(XL) Add. V Annex 1 presented by the delegation of the Arab Republic of Egypt on the current economic crisis in Africa;
EXPRESSIS ITS FULL SUPPORT for the initiative and the efforts of the Secretary-General of the UN to mobilize the support of the international community to Africa’s development effort, his call for an adequate response to the critical economic problems confronting Africa and the designation of the ECA Executive Secretary as his special representative on economic crisis in Africa;
NOTES WITH APPRECIATION the decision of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC), in its organizational session in
February 1984 to accord high priority to the critical economic situation in Africa during its Second regular session in July 1984;
CALLS UPON the Secretary-General of the OAU to co-ordinate the activities of African Groups in the United Nations Centres and take all necessary measures with a view to contribute to the successful conclusion of the United Nations Secretary-General’s efforts;
URGES all Member States to intensify their national collective effort to implement the Lagos Plan of Action through, inter-alia, a readjustment of their national plans and programmes in order to lay a solid foundation for self-reliance and self-sustainment;
URGES FURTHER all African regional organizations to formulate concrete programmes of implementation of the Lagos Plan of Action, within their areas of competence, so as to contribute to the effective satisfaction of the needs of OAU Member States;
STRONGLY APPEALS to those governments that have indicated to reduce their contribution to the IDA, to seriously review their intentions, in the interest of a more meaningful international co-operation;
CALLS UPON the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on the Economic crisis in Africa to work in close collaboration with the OAU Secretary-General, and ensure that the activities of the proposed regional office in Nairobi are co-ordinated with those of the OAU Secretariat;
INVITES the ECA Ministerial Conference in its forthcoming meeting in April 1984 to consider the United Nations Secretary-General’s initiative with a view to draw up specific recommendations;
REQUESTS the Secretary-General of the OAU, in collaboration with the Executive Secretary of the ECA, to present a progress report on the
foregoing to the Forty-first Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers, and subsequently to the Twentieth Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government.