Implementation of the Recommendations of the United Nations Conference on Desertification with Respect to Financial and Technical Assistance to the Least Developed Among the Developing Countries

A/RES/32/169View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 62c United Nations Conference on Desertification, published in 1978.

What subjects does this mandate have?

4 subjects

Conferences Desertification Development Assistance Least Developed Countries

What’s in this document?

76 operative paragraphs

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Bearing in mind the pertinent provisions of 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 Economic Order and 3281 (XXIX) of 12 Dccember 1974 containing thc Charter of Economic Rights and Duties of States,

Recalling further its resolutions 3175 (XXVIII) of 17 December 1973, 3336 (XXIX) of 17 December 1974, 3516 (XXX) of 15 December 1975 and 31/186 of 21 December 1976 on pcrmanent sovereignty over national resources in the occupicd Arab territories,

Takes note of the report of the Secretary-GeneraFº on the adverse economic effects on the Arab States and peoples resulting from repeated Israeli aggression and continued occupation of their territories;

Notes that, owing to the time constraint, incomplete coverage and technical and other limitations, the report did not cover ali pertinent losses, such as:

The ad verse economic effects extending be- (a) yond the ye ar 197 5;

Losses in the Arab territorics still under Israelí ( b) occupation;

Human and military losses;

The loss of and damage to items of the national, religious and cultural heritage;

Losses in the traditional sectors, including the (e) retail trading, small industries and farming sectors;

The full impact on thc development process of the Arab States, territories and peoples subjected to Israeli aggression and occupation;

Emphasizes the right of the Arab States and peoples whose territories are under Israelí occupation to full and effective permanent sovereignty and control over their natural and all other resources, wealth and economic activities;

Reafjirms that ali mearnres undertaken by Israel to exploit the human, natural and all other resources, wealth and economic activities in the occupied Arab territories are illegal and calls upon Israel immediately to desist forthwith from ali such measures;

Further reafjirms the right of the Arab States and peoples subjected to Israelí aggression and occupation to the restitution of, and full compensation for the exploitation, depletion and loss of and damages to, their natural, human and ali other resources, wealth and economic activities, and calls upon Israel to meet their just claims;

Calls upan all States to support and assist the Arab States and peoples in the exercise of their abovementioned rights;

Calls upan all Sta tes, international organizations, specialized agencies, investment corporations and all other institutions not to recognize, or co-operate with or assist in any manner in, any measures undertaken by Israel to exploit the resources of the occupied ter-

79 A/32/204. General Assemhly-Thirty-second SC6sion

ritories or to cffect any changes in the demographic composition or geographic character or institutional structure of those territories.

I

Decides that the Economic and Social Council shou!d transform the Committce on Housing, Building and Planning into a Commission on Human Settlements, which will havc fifty-eight members to be clected for thrcc-year terms on the following basis:

Sixtecn seats for African States;

( h)

Thirteen seats for Asían Statcs;

Six S':ats for Eastern European States;

( d \ Ten seats for Latin American Statcs;

Thirteen seats for Western European and other Sta tes;

Decides that the Commission on Human Settlemcnts will discharge, ínter alia, the responsibilities at present exercised by the Committee on Housing, Building and Planning;

Decides that thc Commission on Human Settlements will have the following main objectives:

To assist countries and regions in increasing (a) and improving their own efforts to solve human scttlements problems;

( h) To promote greater international co-operation in order to increase the availability of resources of dcvcloping countries and regions;

To promote thc integral concept of human scttlements and a comprehensive approach to human settlements problems in ali countries;

( d) To strengthen co-operation and co-participat ion in this domain among ali countries and regions;

Decides that the Commission on Human Settlements will have the following main functions and responsibilities:

To develop and promote policy objectives,

priorities and guidelines regarding existing and planned programmes of work in the field of h~man settlem~nts, as formulated in the recommendat10ns of Habitat: United Nations Conference on Human Settlements and subsequently endorsed by the General Asscmbly;

( b) To follow closcly the activities of the organizations of the United Nations system and other international organizations in the fi.eld of human settlements and to propase, when appropriate, ways and means by which the over-all policy objectives and goals in the field of human settlements within the United Nations system might best be achieved;

( c) To study, in the context of the recommendations for national action of Habitat: United Nations Conference on Human Settlements, new issues, problems and especially solutions in the field of human settlements, particularly those of a regional or international character;

To give over-all policy guidance and carry out supervision of the operations of the United Nations Habitat and Human Settlements Foundation;

To review and approve periodically the utili- (e) zation of funds at its disposal for carrying out human settlements activities at the global, regional and subregional levels;

To provide over-all direction to the secretariat (f) of the Centre referred to in section 111 below;

To review and provide guidance on the pro- (g) gramme of the United Nations Audio-Visual lnformation Centre on Human Settlements established by virtue of General Assembly resolution 31 /115 of 16 December 1976;

Decides that the first session of the Commission on Human Settlements shall be held in the first half of 1978;

Decides that the reports of the Commission on Human Settlements will be submitted to the General Assembly through the Economic and Social Council;

III

I.

Decides that a small and effective secretariat shall be established in the United Nations to service the Commission on Human Settlements and to serve as a focal point for human settlements action and the co-ordination of activities within the United Nations system, to be named "United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) ", hereinafter referred to as "the Centre";

Decides that the Centre shall be headed by an Executive Director, at a level to be determined later, who shall report to the Secretary-General until such time as any relevant recommendations of the Ad Hoc Committee 011 the Restructuring of the Economic and Social Sectors of the United Nations System can be taken into account;

Decides that the Executive Director shall be responsiblc for the management of the Centre, which shall comprise the posts and budgetary resources of the following:

The Centre for Housing, Building and Planning of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the Secrctariat;

( b) The appropriate section of the Division of Economic and Social Programmes of the United Nations Environmcnt Programme directly concerncd with human settlemcnts, with thc exccption of the posts required by that Programme to exercise its responsibili~ ties for thc environmental aspects and consequcnccs of human settlements planning;

The United Nations Habitat and Human Settlements Foundation;

( d) As appropriate, selected posts and associated resources from relevant parts of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs;

Decides that the United Nations Habitat and Human Settlements Foundation shall be administered by the Executive Director referred to in paragraph 2 of thc prcsent section and shall have the tcrms of refcrcnce set out in the annex to General Assembly resolution 3327 (XXIX), with appropriate amcndments to reflect the new relationship to the Commission on Human Settlements and its secretariat;

Decides that the Centre, under the leadership of its Executive Director, shall be entrusted, ínter afia, with the following responsibilities:

To ensure the harmonization at the intersecretariat leve! of human settlements programmes planned and carried out by the United Nations system;

To assist the Commission on Human Settle- (b) ments in co-ordinating human settlements activities in the United Nations system, to keep thcm under review and to assess their effectiveness;

To execute human settlements projects;

(d)

To provide the focal point for a global exchange of information about human settlements;

To pro vide substantive support to thc Commission on Human Settlements;

To <leal with interregional human settlements matters;

To supplement the resources of the regions in formulating and implementing human settlements projects when so rcquired;

To promote collaboration with, and involvement of, the world scientific community concerned with human settlements;

To establish and maintain a global directory (i) of consultants and advisers to supplement the skills available within the United Nations system and to assist in the recruitment of experts at the global leve!, including those available in developing countries;

To initiate public information activities on human settlements in co-operation with the Office o( Public Jnformation of the Secretariat;

To promote the further and continued use of audio-visual material relating to human settlements;

To carry out the mandate and responsibilitics previously assigned by the appropriate legislativc bodies to the secretariat units to be absorbed in thc central staff;

To implement programmes until thcy are transferrcd to the regional organizations;

Decides that the Director of the United Nations Audio-Visual lnformation Centre on Human Settlcments shall report to thc Exccutive Director;

Decides that there should be close links between the Centre and the United Nations Environment Programme, and that for this reason the location of the Centre should be at Nairobi;

Decides that during the period 1978-1980 a significant portion of ali posts in the Centre will be assigned to the regions for work on regional human settleinents questions;

IV

Recommends that the regional commissions should consider the establishment of regional intergovernmental committees on human settlements, comprising all members, in cases where such committees do not already exist;

Recommends that such regional committees should be established as soon as possible and should then co-ordinate their activities with those of the Commission on Human Settlements and report to it through the appropriate regional commissions;

Recommends that the responsibility for implementing regional and subregional programmes should be gradually transferred to regional organizations;

Recommends that each regional committee should be served by a unit of the secretariat of the parent regional commission under an executive officer, that these units should preferably be established as soon as possible and that they should be provided with the necessary resources for their operations;

Decides that the regional committees shall be responsible for the formulation of regional and subregional policies and programmes and for their implementation;

Recommends that the budgetary and personnel resources available to each regional secretariat unit should consist of those available from the regular budgetary resources and those redeployed from the aggregate posts available to the central secretariat, voluntary contributions, including those made to the United Nations Habitat and Human Settlements Foundation, as well as selected resources currently available to each region;

Recommends that the principal functions of the regional secretariat units should be:

To serve the regional committees referred to in paragraph 1 of the present section;

( b) To review progress in the implementation of programmes with the regions;

To promote the active collaboration of governmental representatives in activities related to human settlements;

To assist Governments of countries in the region in the formulation of their requests for assistance from the appropriate bilateral and multilateral bodies;

To establish close links with the appropriate financia! institutions at the regional and global lcvels and with regional units of the specialized agencies;

To formulate, implcment and supervise regional and subregional programmes and projects, cspecially regional training programmes;

To execute regional human settlements projects;

Recommends that the regional secretariat units, with the approval of the regional committees, should identify those national and regional institutions which are best able to provide services, training and assistance in rescarch rclating to human settlements;

V

I.

Decides that human settlements achv1t1es and programmes at both the global and regional lcvels shall dcal in particular with the following subject areas:

Settlement policies and strategies;

( b) Settlement planning;

Institutions and management;

( d) Shelter, infrastructure and services;

Land;

(/)

Public participation;

Decides that the formulation of global programme priorities within these broad subject areas shall be undertaken by the Commission on Human Settlements and that of regional programme priorities by the regional committees, on the basis of the needs and problems of the region and of the countries within the region;

Recommends that the following functions should be considered on a priority basis, in relation to the subject areas mentioned in paragraph 1 of the present section:

Identification of the problems and possible solutions;

( b) Formulation and implementation of policies;

Education and training;

Identification, development and use of appropriate technology, as weU as limitation of hazardous technology;

Exchange of information, including audio- (e) visual information;

Implementation machinery;

Assistance in the mobi!ization of resources at the national and international levels;

( h) Promotion of the establishment of an international information pool on building materials, plants and equipment;

VI

Urges, in particular, that the Executive Director of the Centre and the bureau of the Commission on Human Settlements should meet biannually with the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme and the bureau of its Govcrninn Council to review togcther their respective prioritie~ and programmes for improving human settlcments and to strengthen and extend co-operation between the two organizations;

Urges also that the Executive Director of the Centre and the Executive Director of thc United Nations Environment Programme should participatc in and addrcss the annual meetings of their noverning bodies;

Decides that there must be a sustained and dctermined effort, on the part of all organizations most closely connccted with human settlements, at both the regional and global levels, to concert their planncd programmes and projects;

Decides further that the existing mechanisms of the Administrative Committee on Co-ordination must be strengthened to ensure that co-ordination in the field of human settlements is effective throughout thc wholc United Nations system;

VII

I.

Recommends that the Centre and the secretariats of the regional commissions should establish working relations, as regards the question of human settlements, with the principal financia! institutions at the regional and global levels;

Recommends that special co-operation should exist at the global, regional and national levels between the United Nations Development Programme and the Centre;

VIII

Recommends that, at the global and regional levels, co-operation should be sought with universities, research and scientific institutes, non-governmental organizations and voluntary groups, in order to make ful! use of their knowledge and experience in the field of human settlements; at the intergovernmentaI leve!, this co-operation should be formalized and at the secretariat leve! it should be brought about by the establishment of appropriate working relations.

32/163. Strengthening of operational activities in the field of industrial development in the least developed among the developing countries

Commends the United Nations Industrial Development Organization for its efforts in favour of the lcast developed countries and requests it to intensify its activities in connexion with the implementation of the special measures adopted in their favour and to devote the maximum resources possible to mcet their needs and requirements;

W elcomes the establishment of a section within the secretariat of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization to deal with the needs and requirements of the least developed countries;

Urges the Industrial Development Board to allocate a sizable sum from the United Nations Industrial Development Fund to the needs and requirements of the least developed countries, taking into consideration General Assembly resolution 31 /202 of 22 December 1976;

Requests the Secretary-General, in co-operation with the Executive Director of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, to report to the General Assembly at its thirty-third session on the implementation of the provisions of the present resolution.

32/164. Third General Conference of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization84

85 See A/32/232.

INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION IN THE FIELD OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS CüMMISSION ON HUMAN SETTLEMENTS

so Report of Habitar: Vnited Nations Conference on Human

General Assem.bly-Thirty-second Session

UNITED NATIONS CENTRE FOR HUMAN SETTLEMENTS (HABITAT)

Resolutions acloptr<l on the repm·ts of the Seeonil Committee TERMS OF REFERENCE ÜRGANIZATION AT THE REGIONAL LEVEL

CONCERTED ACTION ANO CO-ORDINATION

General Assemhly-Thirty-second Session WORKING RELATIONS WITH FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS CO-OPERATION WITH ORGANIZATIONS OUTSIDE THE UNITED NATIONS SYSTEM

81 Official Records of the General Assembly Thirty-second 84 See also sect. VIII, resolution 32/212 sect. VIII Session, Supp/ement No. 16 (A/32/16).

' ' · 83See A/10112, chap. IV.

. 86_Offic[al Records of the General Assembly, Thirty-second .\esswn, Supplement No. 16 (A/32/16), para. 139.

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

What subjects does this mandate have?

What’s in this document?

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III

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IV

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VII

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VIII

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