XVIII. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED ON THE REPORTS OF THE THIRD COMMITTEE
1915. Community action

The General Assembly, Bearing in mind Economic and Social Council resolution 390 D (XIII) of 9 August 1951 which suggests that Member States should provide assistance to other countries in the field of community development, Council resolution 585 C (XX) of 23 July 1955 and resolution 975 E (XXXVI) of 1 August 1963 referring to programmes of community development, as well as General Assembly resolution 1708 (XVI) of 19 December 1961, Taking into account the fact that community action has been a method traditionally used in many countries, and more especially in the developing countries, to carry out schemes of economic and social value Considering that community development is particularly appropriate for areas, both rural and urban, where a large proportion of the population is marginally employed and therefore represents a considerable potential resource for economic and social development, Recognizing that community action is especially valuable for the carrying out of land reform since, in addition to contributing directly to the formation of an economic and social infra-structure, it facilitates the spread of agricultural knowledge and techniques and the establishment of co-operatives, and that there is a close interrelationship between land reform and community action, Taking into account the fact that community action can be a method of ensuring sustained and systematic effort towards economic and social development producing excellent and positive results, Considering that community action, incorporating as it does the principles of self-help and mutual assistance, constitutes one of the most direct, rapid and efficient methods of channelling the unco-ordinated efforts of members of the community into projects of benefit to it and to the nation as a whole, Realizing that the necessary willingness of members of the community to take an active part in schemes of common interest is often frustrated or hampered and , in some cases, wasted for lack of sustained and effective support in the form of financial and technical aid and supply of material and equipment, Observing that the effects of community action promote not only economic development but also social solidarity, national integration and cultural development, Recognizing the importance of the activities which the United Nations and the specialized agencies are carrying out in community development and of the assistance which they are rendering to member countries in that field,

1. Affirms that community action is a valuable and effective instrument for achieving economic and social development;

2. Invites Member States to make the fullest and best possible use of community action in their efforts to promote economic and social development, especially in sectors where there is a marginally employed population and in co-ordination with land reform;

3. Requests the Secretary-General, when establishing the activities of the Economic Projections and Programming Centre, to suggest the desirability of including community action in the formulation of plans and programmes of economic development for the developing countries;

4. Requests the Secretary-General to give special attention to the present and possible future contribution of community action towards the attainment of the objectives of the United Nations Development Decade and to prepare regular reports on the progress of community action in the developing countries, with special reference to the exchange of information on experience and methods in connexion with the various types of community action;

5. Recommends the Member States, the specialized agencies and other international bodies to give special attention to the provision of technical and financial assistance to those countries which request it for the purpose of planning and executing economic and social development schemes, especially in connexion with land reform, that make use of community action;

6. Requests the Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance, the Special Fund and other international agencies providing technical and financial assistance to help Governments in preparing community development programmes as part of their national development-including projects for the establishment of rural centres to supply tools and equipment, to carry out research and provide training - in order to make programmes of community action as effective as possible.

1274th plenary meeting,
5 December 1963.
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