Countries stricken by desertification and drought

 

RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Countries stricken by desertification and drought

  The General Assembly, Deeply concerned about the tragic consequences of the acceleration of desertification, combined with a persistent drought - the most serious recorded this century - which have been reflected in a substantial drop in agricultural production in many developing countries and which, in particular, have contributed to the worsening of Africa's current economic crisis, Noting with great anxiety that desertification continues to spread and intensify in developing countries, particularly in Africa, Deeply alarmed by recent trends indicating that far-reaching climatic changes have taken place in Africa and are making the current situation extremely critical, as demonstrated, in particular, by the disturbing outlook noted by the Scientific Round Table on the Climatic Situation and Drought in Africa held at Addis Ababa from 20 to 23 February 1984, Recalling its resolutions 32/172 of 19 December 1977, 35/73 of 5 December 1980, 38/163 and 38/164 of 19 December 1983 and 38/225 of 20 December 1983, Aware that desertification and drought problems are increasingly assuming a structural and endemic character and that real and permanent solutions must be found in increased global efforts based on concerted action by the stricken countries and the international community, Bearing in mind that the majority of the countries affected by desertification and drought are low-income countries and, for the most part, belong to the group of the least developed countries, particularly those in Africa, Noting the efforts made by the affected countries themselves and by the international community, including the organizations of the United Nations system, to combat desertification and drought, particularly in Africa, Bearing in mind the results of the Ministerial Conference for a joint policy to combat desertification in the countries of the Permanent Inter-State Committee on Drought Control in the Sahel and the Economic Community of West African States, in the Maghreb countries and in Egypt and the Sudan, held at Dakar from 18 to 27 July 1984, Aware that the prime responsibility in the struggle against desertification and the effects of the drought rests with the countries concerned and that such action is an essential component of their development, Considering the interdependence between developed countries and those affected by desertification and drought, and the negative impact of those phenomena on the economies of the countries concerned, Noting the positive action taken by the United Nations Sudano-Sahelian Office as part of a joint effort by the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Environment Programme to help twenty-one African countries, on behalf of the United Nations Environment Programme, in implementing the Plan of Action to Combat Desertification, Welcoming the praiseworthy efforts of the Permanent Inter-State Committee on Drought Control in the Sahel in fighting the drought in the Sahel region and its fruitful co-operation with Governments and with organizations and agencies of the United Nations system, Taking note of the decision made by six East African countries (Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, the Sudan and Uganda) to set up an intergovernmental body in order to combat the effects of the drought in those countries, Recognizing that, given the scope and intensity of desertification, the attainment of the objectives of programmes to fight it requires financial and human resources beyond the means of the affected countries,

1. Welcomes the results of the Ministerial Conference for a joint policy to combat desertification in the countries of the Permanent Inter-State Committee on Drought Control in the Sahel and the Economic Community of West African States, in the Maghreb countries and in Egypt and the Sudan, convened at Dakar on the initiative of the President of Senegal, and notes with satisfaction the final resolution adopted by the Conference;

2. Recommends that high priority should be given in the development plans and programmes of the affected countries themselves to the problem of desertification and to problems resulting from drought;

3. Recognizes that particular attention should be given to countries stricken by desertification and drought and that special efforts should be made by the international community, particularly the developed countries, in support of action taken individually or collectively by countries stricken by desertification and drought;

4. Recommends that the international community, above all the developed countries, should continue to provide coherent short-term, medium-term and long-term assistance to those countries in order to support effectively the rehabilitation process - in particular through intensive reafforestation - and the renewal of growth of agricultural production in the countries stricken by desertification and drought, particularly in Africa;

5. Recommends that, within the framework of bilateral and multilateral aid programmes, the fight against desertification and drought should be granted priority in view of the extent of those problems;

6. Takes note of decision 12/10 of 28 May 1984 on desertification, adopted by the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme, calls for its full and speedy implementation, requests the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme to have the United Nations Sudano-Sahelian Office establish specific biennial programmes for the ongoing implementation of the Plan of Action to Combat Desertification, with the requirement that these programmes be submitted for the consideration and joint approval of the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme and the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, and, lastly, emphasizes the urgent need for increased financial support by the international community for the activities of the Office and of the United Nations Environment Programme;

7. Emphasizes the fundamental importance of all forms of South-South co-operation in executing programmes to combat desertification and drought;

8. Appeals to all members of the international community, organs and agencies of the United Nations system, regional and subregional financial institutions, as well as non-governmental organizations, to continue to provide full support, in all forms - including financial, technical, or any other form of assistance - to the development efforts of countries stricken by desertification and drought;

9. Welcomes the decision of the Trade and Development Board to request the Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development to prepare a study on the impact of desertification and drought on the external trade of the countries affected;

10. Requests the appropriate organs and agencies of the United Nations to provide the Secretary-General with all relevant studies carried out in their respective spheres of competence, in particular with respect to food and agricultural production, development of water resources, industrialization and raw materials, for transmission to the stricken countries;

11. Requests the Secretary-General to ensure that in the activities of the organs and agencies of the United Nations, emphasis should also be placed on scientific knowledge of the causes and effects of the phenomena of desertification and drought and on the use of the most appropriate technology to overcome them;

12. Also requests the Secretary-General to place greater emphasis on the situation and prospects of these countries in the World Economic Survey;

13. Further requests the Secretary-General to take all necessary steps to ensure the implementation of the different activities mentioned above and to report to the General Assembly, at its fortieth session, through the Economic and Social Council, on the evolution of the situation in these countries, and to formulate proposals for specific, co-ordinated action.