verification. The study was completed in July and adopted by the unanimous consent of its participants, including the United States. An essentially procedural resolution in 1990 titled "Study on the role of the United Nations in the field of verification" was adopted as resolution 45/65. It noted the importance of verification and compliance with arms limitation and disarmament agreements, noted the form and modalities of verification depend upon the purpose, scope and nature of the agreement concerned, and welcomed the study. The resolution was adopted without a vote. INTERNATIONAL ARMS TRANSFERS The First Committee also adopted by consensus decision A/C.1/45/L.3 noting the ongoing study by a group of government experts on international arms transfers, and placed the matter on the agenda of the 46th session. Economic Affairs INTRODUCTION Chapter III of the UN Charter established the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) as the principal organs of the United Nations responsible for the issues covered in this part of the report. ECOSOC consists of its plenary body; five regional economic commissions; several functional commissions; and a varying number of subcommissions, working groups and expert groups. Its limited membership (54 countries), however, has led developing countries to focus their efforts on the General Assembly and its subsidiary bodies for substantive discussion and action on international economic development issues. The General Assembly has created entities for such issues. The most important of these is the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Major fora for North/South economic dialogue in 1990 were the UN Special Session Devoted to International Economic Cooperation, meetings to prepare the International Development Strategy (IDS) for the 1990s and the Second UN Conference on Least Developed Countries. During its regular sessions, the General Assembly is organized into seven committees. The Second Committee is responsible primarily for economic affairs, and the Third Committee for cultural, humanitarian and social affairs. The Second and Third Committees receive some of their issues from the General Assembly plenary, but most are passed to them by ECOSOC. All elements of the UN system primarily concerned with the issues in this section usually report to the General Assembly through ECOSOC. The latter is authorized only to comment on reports from other bodies before conveying them to the General Assembly. Summary/Highlights Major issues before the Second Committee in 1990 were the 1992 Conference on Environment and Development, the international debt crisis and development, entrepreneurship, commodity problems in developing countries, and consequences of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident. Other important issues included completion of the International Development Strategy for the 1990s, the impact of driftnet fishing on marine life, operational activities for development, and economic stabilization programs in developing countries. The Second Committee adopted the U.S.-drafted entrepreneurship resolution by a vote of 121 (U.S.) to 1 (Cuba), with 0 abstentions, after developing country anxieties that the resolution prescribed free enterprise to the exclusion of all other economic mechanisms were allayed. The resolution embodied the aspirations of many countries in Eastern Europe whose economies are in transition, and promoted principles of free enterprise and the primacy of the individual in the economic, social and political order. In a follow-up to last year's driftnet fishing resolution, the United States negotiated a consensus resolution noting the Secretary General's report, which called for continued implementation of internationally endorsed measures to control and mitigate large-scale, high seas driftnet fishing. For the first time in 3 years, the United States was able to join consensus in adopting a resolution initiated by the Group of 77 (G-77) on the international debt crisis and development. It addressed a major U.S. concern by giving more emphasis than previous resolutions to the need for structural reform and other economic policies conducive to growth in developing countries. On operational activities for development, the interrelationship among the various UN development agencies was examined. A G-77 draft resolution, calling for an increase in donor resources to fund development activities and giving prominence to the concept of immediate national execution of UNfunded development activities, failed to gain consensus during lengthy informal discussions. The United States and other donor countries sought to balance the resolution by reducing excessive calls for more resources, and by seeking more measured progress to national execution depending on a country's capacity to assume control of UN-funded development projects. Informal discussions came close to achieving consensus, but an impasse remained over resource availability. As a result, the draft resolution was deferred to the second regular session of ECOSOC in 1991 for further consideration. The United States joined consensus on a number of resolutions calling on the world community to provide increased assistance to developing countries in difficult economic circumstances and those hard hit by natural disasters. Among these were Somalia, Angola, Liberia and Haiti. The United States, however, cast a negative vote on the resolution on assistance to the Palestinian people. The resolution contained an unbalanced condemnation of Israel and language that implied Palestinian statehood. The Third Committee considered questions on human rights, racism, refugees, narcotics, the status of women, social development and crime. It adopted resolutions on the human rights situations in occupied Kuwait, El Salvador, Iran and Afghanistan. The U.S. initiative on formalizing UN mechanisms to provide electoral assistance on request from member states, a step proposed by President Bush during his October 1 address to the General Assembly, was adopted by the Third Committee, as was a U.S. resolution on the right to own property. The United States disassociated itself from a consensus resolution on the right to development, on the grounds that development was not a "right" but a societal goal on a different plane than basic human rights and fundamental freedoms. After recommendation by the Third Committee, the General Assembly adopted six resolutions on refugees in Africa, but the United States declined to participate in their adoption since it would have been more appropriate and effective to adopt one comprehensive resolution that dealt with the problems in all six countries. The Third Committee also approved the holding of a world conference on human rights in 1993. ECONOMIC AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES The Critical Economic Situation in Africa In May 1986, the General Assembly, at the request of the African Group, convened the 13th special session of the General Assembly on "The Critical Economic Situation in Africa" in New York City. The special session issued a declaration in which Africans affirmed their commitment to economic reform and the international community gave a political commitment to support African efforts. The declaration's language on major financial and assistance issues closely paralleled U.S. policy. The special session also adopted by consensus resolution S-13/2, which contained the UN Program of Action for Economic Recovery and Development 1986-1990 for Africa. On October 6, 1989, the UNCTAD Trade and Development Board adopted a balanced resolution on the Program of Action emphasizing mutual commitment and cooperation between the African countries and the international community in Program of Action implementation and appealing for more assistance from the international donor community. Speaking on behalf of the Western countries, the U.S Delegate said all countries could not help but be impressed with African desires to achieve sustainable development and the need to help African countries help themselves to attain this goal. He noted that Africa's economic problems were serious but solvable through a mixture of economic reforms relying on realistic, well-defined, and long-term structural adjustment programs, increased concessional financing and grant assistance, and national and international policies which stimulate trade and increase foreign investment. On December 19 the General Assembly adopted by consensus, resolution 45/178, calling for establishment of an ad hoc Committee of the Whole to prepare the final review and appraisal of implementation of the UN Program of Action for African Economic Recovery. This Committee, which is to meet September 1991, will propose concrete measures and recommendations for sustained and sustainable growth and development in Africa beyond 1991. The resolution requests relevant UN organs to cooperate and closely coordinate with the Program and asks the Secretary General to submit a report on the status of its implementation to the 46th General Assembly. In joining the consensus, the United States supported consideration of special measures to help the poorest countries, but stipulated that such a program should recognize countries' responsibility for their own development, that economic and political reforms are mutually reinforcing, and that domestic resources be mobilized alongside international resources. International Assistance for the Economic The General Assembly agreed October 26 to a request by Cape Verde, on behalf of G-77 countries, to include an item on its agenda on international assistance for Angola's economic rehabilitation. A Cape Verdian draft resolution stated Angola was entitled to redress for damage suffered from both drought conditions and South African destabilization policies, and called on the international community to render financial, material and technical assistance for its rehabilitation. Resolution 45/233 on this issue was adopted without a vote by the General Assembly on December 21. The United States was able to join consensus after references to reparations for past acts of destabilization by South Africa were excluded from the resolution and after positive moves by the Government of Angola to effect national reconciliation. International Development Strategy for the 1990s Negotiations on the IDS resulted in referral for adoption by the 45th General Assembly of an agreed text detailing the goals and objectives of economic development; policies and measures to implement them; special situations, including those of least developed countries; and a review and appraisal process. Although the document adopted by the General Assembly was not perfect from the U.S. perspective, it was a reasonable compromise which reflected a gradual convergence of views among developed and developing countries on the need for sound macro-economic policies, enhanced competition and greater flexibility, innovation and openness. The IDS contains useful observations on the importance of sound national economic policies and national responsibility, the role of the market, human rights, and political and economic pluralism. |