United Nations Conference on Desertification.
- Author: UN General Assembly (32nd sess. : 1977)
- Document source:
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Date:
19 December 1977
32. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED ON THE REPORTS OF THE SECOND COMMITTEE*
172. United Nations Conference on Desertification
1. Approves the report of the United Nations Conference on Desertification, held at Nairobi from 29 August to 9 September 1977;[2]
2. Expresses its gratitude to the Government and people of Kenya for acting as host to the Conference;
3. Expresses its appreciation to the Secretary-General of the Conference for its efficient preparation and organization;
4. Calls upon all Governments to consider, on a priority basis, the recommendations for national action contained in section IV of the Plan of Action to Combat Desertification[3] and, where necessary, the desirability of establishing a national authority to co-ordinate, consolidate and implement national anti-desertification action programmes;
5. Recommends that subregional co-operation be initiated or intensified, as considered necessary, among countries affected by desertification, with the required assistance from the United Nations Environment Programme and other organizations concerned, with a view to formulating specific joint programmes and requests for development assistance for implementation of the Plan of Action;
6. Requests the regional commissions to undertake intensified and sustained action in support of national efforts to combat desertification, to assist Governments, at their request, in the implementation of the Plan of Action to Combat Desertification and to convene as appropriate, in co-operation with interested Governments and regional organizations, intergovernmental regional meetings, technical workshops and seminars to consider the immediate implementation of the recommendations contained in section V of the Plan of Action;
7. Requests the organs, organizations and other bodies of the United Nations system to support international action to combat desertification within the context of the Plan of Action;
8. Decides to entrust the Governing Council and the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, as well as the Environment Coordination Board, with the responsibility of following up and co-ordinating the implementation of the Plan of Action, in accordance with recommendation 27 thereof,[4] and requests the Governing Council to report, through the Economic and Social Council, to the General Assembly at its thirty-third session and every two years thereafter;
9. Calls upon all countries, in particular developed countries, as well as multilateral financial institutions and non-governmental donors, to provide and increase their assistance to countries suffering from desertification, especially for the financing of their subregional and regional programmes and projects with-in appropriate consortium arrangements, such as those pertaining to the Sahel green belt, and urges developing countries to give due priority to desertification problems in their development assistance requests;
10. Authorizes the Executive Director to convene immediately a consultative group, which would meet as and when required, comprising representatives from the organizations referred to in paragraph 7 above, such other organizations as might be required, donor countries, multilateral financial agencies as well as developing countries having a substantial interest in combating desertification, to assist in mobilizing resources for the activities undertaken within the framework of implementing the Plan of Action;
11. Endorses in principle the creation of a special account within the United Nations for implementing the Plan of Action;
12. Requests the Secretary-General to prepare and submit a study on the establishment and operation of such an account to the General Assembly at its thirty-third session, through the Governing Council and the Economic and Social Council;
13. Invites the Governing Council to have prepared, by a small group of high-level specialists in the international financing of projects and programmes, a study of additional measures and means of financing for the implementation of the Plan of Action, and to submit a final report on the subject of additional measures of financing to the General Assembly at its thirty-third session, through the Economic and Social Council;
14. Requests the Secretary-General to approach Member States and competent organizations and bodies within the United Nations system, as well as the scientific institutions concerned outside the system, for further research, development and refinement of the data pertaining to desertification, in order to close any existing gaps in scientific knowledge and technology, and for further development of the world map of desertification on the basis of the relevant recommendations of the Conference;
15. Also requests the Secretary-General to invite intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations concerned with desertification problems and their impact on development to participate in the implementation of the Plan of Action with a view to co-ordinating their activities within world-wide and regional programmes;
16. Further requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its thirty-third session on the implementation of the resolutions adopted by the conference,[5] especially resolution 2 of 9 September 1977 on financial and technical assistance to the least developed countries and resolution 4 of 9 September 1977 on the effect of weapons of mass destruction on ecosystems.
107th plenary meeting19 December 1977
[1] A/32/257 and Corr.1. [2] A/CONF.74/36. [3] Ibid., chap. I. [4] Ibid., chap I, sect. VII. [5] Ibid., chap. II.
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