A/RES/37/244 GA

158 General Assembly-Thirty-seventh Session 37 /244. Long-term financial and institutional arrange- ments for the United Nations Financing System for Science and Technology for Development The General Assembly, Recalling its resolution 34/218 of 19 December 1979 by which it endorsed the Vienna Programme of Action on Sci- ence and Technology for Development, 214 Recalling also resolution 36/ 183 of 17 December 1981 in which the General Assembly, in considering the long- tenn arrangements for the United Nations Financing System for Science and Technology for Development, requested the Intergovernmental Committee on Science and Technology for Development to submit its recommendations, through the Economic and Social Council, to the General Assembly at its thirty-seventh session for consideration and decision, Taking note of the report of the Intergovernmental Com- mittee on its fourth session, 215 in particular of paragraph 7 on institutional and financial arrangements, of the statement of understanding of the Chairman incorporated therein,216 1. Decides that, in accordance with its resolution 36/ 183, the long-term financial and institutional arrangements for the United Nations Financing System for Science and Technology for Development shall be as follows: LONG-TERM FINANCIAL AND INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE UNITED NATIONS FINANCING SYSTEM FOR SCIENCE AND TECH- NOLOGY FOR DEVELOPMENT I. FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS 1. The United Nations Financing System for Science and Technology for Development shall be organized on a voluntary and universal basis, open to the participation of all States as full members. 2. The Financing System shall be endowed with sub- stantial resources and shall be composed of two types of resources: core and non-core. 3. Contributions to the core component of the Fi- nancing System shall be voluntary within the framework of a financing plan, covering a period of three years at a time. 4. The target for core resources for the period 1983- 1985 shall be at least $300 million based on a progressive build-up of resources. 5. The core resources of the Financing System for the period 1983-1985 shall be provided by developed and developing countries in freely convertible currencies. 6. Developed countries and developing countries shall contribute to the core resources of the Financing System. The pattern of contributions of both developed and de- veloping countries will be determined in the financing plan, which will reflect a mutual and joint undertaking. 7. Non-core resources will represent an important element of the Financing System and shall consist of a variety of resources, including co-financing, multilateral and bilateral contributions, cost-sharing, joint ventures, equity participation, trust funds and the like. The Inter- governmental Committee on Science and Technology for Development will evolve policy orientations for the mo- bilization and use of the non-core resources. 214 Report of the United Nations Conference on Science and Technology for Development, Vienna, 20-31 August 1979 (United Nations Publication, Sales No. E.79.1.21 and corrigenda), chap. VII. 215 Official Records of the General Assembly, Thirty-seventh Session. Supplement No. 37 (A/37/37). 216 Ibid., part two, para. 23. 8. The Financing System shall aim to establish area- sonable equivalence between the levels of its core and non-core resources in order to ensure an overall global target for the Financing System of not less than $600 million for 198 3-1985. 9. The Financing System shall dispense both grants and loans, which shall be provided on such terms as the Financing System deems appropriate in the light of the economic situation, the prospects of the recipient country and the nature and requirements of the activity concerned. Combinations of loans and grants may also be made where appropriate. The proportion of the resources of the Fi- nancing System to be committed in any financial year for financing operations shall be decided by the Executive Board of the United Nations Financing System for Sci- ence and Technology for Development with due regard to the long-term viability of the Financing System and the need for continuity in its operations. Loans will be provided on concessionary terms. Grants should be ex- tended mainly to the least developed countries and for the support of a number of high-risk research and de- velopment projects in developing countries. The secre- tariat of the Financing System shall submit projects and programmes to the Executive Board for consideration and approval. II. INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS 10. The institutional arrangements of the Financing System shall consist of the Intergovernmental Committee on Science and Technology for Development, the Ex- ecutive Board of the United Nations Financing System for Science and Technology for Development and a secretariat. A. Intergovernmental Committee on Science and Technology for Development 11. The Intergovernmental Committee on Science and Technology for Development shall continue to be the directing and policy-making body. Its principal functions shall be the following: (a) General policy orientation of, and direction for, the Financing System; (b) Decisions on policy proposals, including rec- ommendations on levels of resources; (c) General review and evaluation of the activities of the Financing System; (d) Election of members to the Executive Board in accordance with the criteria stated in paragraph 13 below; (e) Consideration of reports of the Executive Board. B. Executive Board of the United Nations Financing System for Science and Technology for Development 12. The Financing System shall have its own Exec- utive Board as an identifiable and separate entity, to be responsible for its operation and conduct. The functions of the Executive Board shall include: (a) Mobilization of resources; (b) Utilization of the resources of the Financing Sys- tem, particularly approval of projects, programmes and activities of the System; (c) Formulation of recommendations on levels of re- sources of the Financing System; (d) Decisions on financial planning; (e) Approval of administrative and financial arrange- ments involving the Financing System; (/) Monitoring of the operations of the System in relation to its objectives. V. Resolutions adopted on the reports of the Second Committel' 159 13. The Executive Board shall be an effective body and its composition shall reflect an appropriate balance between developed and developing countries as well as between donors and recipients. It shall be composed of 21 directors, to be elected by the Intergovernmental Com- mittee on Science and Technology for Development for a period of three years, one third to be drawn from de- veloped countries and two thirds from developing coun- tries reflecting an appropriate balance between donors and recipients. C. Secretariat arrangements 14. The Financing System will have its own secre- tariat to process and monitor projects and to carry out other activities mandated by the Intergovernmental Com- mittee on Science and Technology for Development and the General Assembly. The arrangements shall be as follows: (a) The overall supervision of the management of the Financing System shall be entrusted to the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, who shall be accountable in the exercise of this responsibility to the Executive Board of the United Nations Financing System for Science and Technology for Development; (b) The Administrator will report to the Executive Board on the operations and activities of the Financing System and bring forward projects for approval by the Executive Board; (c) In order to ensure close and continuous interaction between the Centre for Science and Technology for Development and the Financing System, the Director- General for Development and International Economic Co-operation or his representative will be invited on a permanent basis to meetings of the Executive Board; (d) The Director-General for Development and In- ternational Economic Co-operation, assisted by the Ex- ecutive Director of the Centre for Science and Technology for Development, will submit an annual report to the Executive Board on, inter alia, matters of mutual concern to the Centre and the Financing System; (e) The Director-General, in respect of both his re- sponsibility for overall co-ordination of operational ac- tivities in the United Nations system and his oversight of the Centre, shall be entrusted by the General Assembly and by agreement with the Administrative Committee on Co-ordination with the co-ordination with other organi- zations and bodies of the United Nations system, in- cluding the United Nations Development Programme and the Centre for Science and Technology for Development, of the work relating to the Financing System. Such co- ordination activities shall be carried out through the ex- isting mechanisms of the Administrative Committee on Co-ordination, particularly the Task Force on Science and Technology for Development; (j) The Centre for Science and Technology for De- velopment shall assist the Director-General in fulfilling the responsibilities assigned to him in the Vienna Pro- gramme of Action on Science and Technology for Development, particularly in providing the necessary substantive support to the Intergovernmental Committee, including its work relating to the Financing System; (g) In view of the expectations of continued use of the services and field network of the United Nations De- velopment Programme, the focus of the Governing Coun- cil of the Programme will in future be mainly on the co- operative arrangements between the Financing System and the Programme. Accordingly, the Administrator of the Programme will provide an annual report to the Gov- erning Council containing information on co-operation between the two organizations and on other matters of common interest; (h) The Administrator, in consultation with the Director-General, will report annually to the Intergov- ernmental Committee on the activities and progress of the Financing System; (i) The Centre for Science and Technology for De- velopment will play a meaningful role and, in line with its mandate and role, will, through appropriate arrange- ments and when required, co-operate with the secretariat of the Financing System in preparing, formulating and bringing to the attention of the Financing System_ suitabl_e projects and in appraising, evaluating and assessmg proJ- ects financed by the Financing System in the context of the Vienna Programme of Action; (j) There will be arrangements for exchange of de- tailed information between the Financing System and the United Nations Development Programme, especially where a common interest exists in specific programmes and projects. This collaboration may extend to co- financing arrangements as well as to technical areas in order to enable the two organizations to draw upon each other's special skills and experience; (k) The co-operation of the secretariat of the Financ- ing System will be sought by the Centre for Science and Technology for Development in elaborating the relevant major programme areas of the Operational Plan for the Implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action and in supporting the Intergovernmental Committee in the promotion of the optimum mobilization of financial re- sources to carry out the Vienna Programme of Action; (/) The secretariat will be small, reflecting its use of the facilities of other organizations according to agreed procedures; its administrative and support costs will con- tinue to be met from voluntary contributions; (m) The secretariat, under the overall supervision of the Administrator, will have an executive head; (n) The executive head of the secretariat will be ap- pointed by the Secretary-General on the recommendation of the Director-General for Development and Interna- tional Economic Co-operation and the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme; (o) The executive head will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the Financing System and for such other activities as may be necessary to ensure ef- fective operations of the System for both core and non- core resource activities; the secretariat of the System will provide secretariat support to the Executive Board; (p) Arrangements will be established with the United Nations Development Programme for the provision of administrative services; the nature and terms of such ar- rangements will be reviewed and evaluated as the oper- ations of the Financing System expand; (q) Reports to appropriate secretariat and intergov- ernmental bodies on financial audit and accounting mat- ters will continue to be provided in accordance with United Nations and United Nations Development Programme procedures and requirements. 15. The required level of resources and functioning of the Financing System shall be reviewed periodically, taking into account the increasing needs of developing countries. The first of such reviews will be held in 1985. 2. Also decides that the foregoing agreement on the long-term financial and institutional arrangements for the Financing System shall take effect as soon as the provisions of the financing plan have been established together with institutional arrangements for decision-making of the Ex- ecutive Board, in accordance with paragraph 1 hclow: in 160 General Assembly-Thirty-seventh Session the meantime, the existing operating procedures of the Sys- tem shall continue; 3. Further decides that the following special arrange- ments will be necessary in early 1983: (a) The Intergovernmental Committee on Science and Technology for Development will meet in special session for a period of one week in February or March 1983 for the purpose of: (i) Assessment of the resource situation for the Fi- nancing System for the year 1983 together with the outlook for the two following years; (ii) Establishment of the provisions of the financing plan and, in this context, rules for the voting pattern of the Executive Board; (iii) Confirmation (final pledges) of contributions for 1983 and, if possible, indications for 1984 and 1985; (b) At its fifth session in June 1983, the Intergovern- mental Committee on Science and Technology for Devel- opment will, inter alia, proceed to elect members to the Executive Board of the United Nations Financing System for Science and Technology for Development. 115 th plenary meeting 21 December 1982 37/'JAS. Situation of food and agriculture in Africa The General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions 3201 (S-VI) and 3202 (S-VI) of 1 May 1974, containing the Declaration and the Programme of Action on the Establishment of a New International Eco- nomic Order, 3281 (XXIX) of 12 December 1974, con- taining the Charter of Economic Rights and Duties of States, and 3362 (S-VII) of 16 September 1975 on development and international economic co-operation, Noting with grave concern that, over the past two dec- ades, the situation of food and agriculture in Africa has drastically deteriorated, resulting in a decline in food production per capita with detrimental effects on dietary standards, which are already well below the minimum requirements, as well as in an alarming increase in the number of people exposed to malnutrition, hunger and starvation, Recognizing the high priority attached to food and agri- culture in the Lagos Plan of Action for the Implementation of the Monrovia Strategy for the Economic Development of Africa,217 Recognizing the commitment and determination of Africa to devoting its limited resources on a priority basis to ag- ricultural development, in accordance with the Lagos Plan of Action, Recognizing that the responsibility for the development of food and agricultural prodµction lies primarily with the developing countries themselves and that there is an in- creasing effort and growing commitment by the developing countries to accelerate the development of their food and agricultural sectors, Recognizing the role of food-sector strategies, which emerged from the World Food Council as a means for in- terested developing countries to adopt an integrated ap- proach ~or increasing food production, improving consumption and attracting the necessary additional inter- national resources, 217 A/S-11/14, annex I. Welcoming the priority assigned to food and agricultural development in the deliberations of heads of State and Gov- ernment held in 1981 and 1982, Noting with interest the conclusions of the African Min- isters for Food and Agriculture at the World Food Council Regional Consultation for Africa, held at Nairobi on 16 and 17 March 1982,218 as well as the special attention devoted to food and agriculture by the Ministerial Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, held in Rome in November 1981, and by the World 'Food Council at its eighth ministerial session, held at Acapulco from 21 to 24 June 1982, 219 Convinced that increased international support to combat drought, desertification, African animal trypanosomiasis, African migratory locust and post-harvest losses, among other problems, is crucial to the attainment of food self- sufficiency in Africa, Further convinced that collective action at the global level can reinforce the efforts of the African countries to resolve the technological, managerial and financial resource gaps impeding food and agricultural production in Africa, 1. Takes note with satisfaction of the report of the Secretary-General on the situation of food and agriculture in Africa;220 2. Reaffirms its resolutions 35/69 of 5 December 1980 and 36/186 of 17 December 1981 and calls for their early and full implementation; 3. Urges all the countries of Africa to implement, in accordance with their national development programmes and priorities, measures to increase substantially their food and agricultural production; 4. Urges the international community to provide in- creased assistance in support of essential policy adjustments by African Governments, within the framework of the Lagos Plan of Action for the Implementation of the Monrovia Strat- egy for the Economic Development of Africa, to alleviate food deficits in Africa, taking into account the conclusions and recommendations adopted by the African Ministers for Food and Agriculture at the World Food Council Regional Consultation for Africa and endorsed by the Council at its eighth ministerial session; 5. Calls upon the international community to continue to support efforts undertaken by African countries at the national, subregional and regional levels to increase food production through, inter alia, the provision, on a priority and long-term basis, of additional financial and technical assistance to Africa by organizations of the United Nations system, such as the International Fund for Agricultural De- velopment, the United Nations Development Programme and other organizations involved in the financing of agri- cultural development, and through an increase in lending by the World Bank to the agricultural sector in Africa; 6. Also calls for the adoption by multilateral and gov- ernmental institutions, when providing financing for agri- cultural development in the form of grants and loans on concessional terms, of a positive and flexible approach which would take into account, inter alia, the recurrent expenditure arising from investment and the cost of factors of production; 7. Recognizes the role of the international community, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Food Programme, the World Food Council and the International Fund for Agricultural Devel- opment in mobilizing food aid and agricultural assistance 218 See Official Records of the General A.uemblv. Thirtv-seventh Ses- sion, Supplement No. 19 (A/37/19), annex III. · · 219 /bid., Supplement No. /9 (A/37/19). 220 A/37/390.

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