Silver Jubilee Anniversary

270 Pages·2014·9.89 MB·English

53-foo
Economic Commission for Africa
1958-1983
Silver Jubilee Anniversary
UNITED NATIONS
Economic Commission for Africa
Page
CONTENTS
PREFACE
By the Executive Secretary ofthe Economic Commission for Africa
I. ADDRESSES BY VISITING HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT,
THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITEDNATIONS ANDTHE
SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE ORGANIZATIONOF AFRICAN
UNITY
1. H.E. Comrade Mengistu Haile Mariam - Ethiopia 1
2. H.E. Rt. Hon. Daniel Arap Moi - Kenya 9
3. H.E. Dr. Kenneth Kaunda- Zambia 15
4. H.E. General Juvenal Habyarimana- Rwanda 23
5. H.E. Dr. Alex Ekwueme - Nigeria 29
6. H.E. PeterMmusi - Botswana 35
7. H.E. Leon Mebiame - Gabon 41
8. H.E. Ben Ndzibanze- Swaziland 47
9. H.E. Nzodomyo A'Dokpe lingo - Zaire 53
10. H.E. Javier Pere^ de Cuellar- United Nations 63
11. H.E. Edem Kodjo - Organization ofAfrican Unity 69
II. MESSAGES FROM HEADS OF STATEANDGOVERNMENT
(AFRICAN COUNTRIES)
1. Algeria 81
2. Benin 82
3. Botswana. 87
4. Cape Verde 88
5. Central African Republic 89
6. Congo 90
?• Egypt 93
8. Equatorial Guinea 94
9. Gambia 95
10. Ghana 96
11. Ivory Coast 98
12. Liberia 99
13. Malawi 101
14. MaH ]'[ ,102
15. Mauritania 103
16. Niger 104
17. Republic ofGuinea 110
18. Senegal HI
19. Seychelles H2
20. Sierra Leone H3
21. Sudan - H4
22. Tanzania H5
23. Togo '.','.'/.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.[ .116
24. Tunisia 117
25. Uganda ; H8
26. Upper Volta H9
111
III. MESSAGES FROM HEADS OF STATEANDGOVERNMENT
(NON-AFRICAN COUNTRIES)
1. Argentina 123
2. Brazil 124
3. Chile 125
4. China 126
5. Federal Republic ofGermany ., 127
6. German Democratic Republic 128
7. Poland 129
8. Pope John Paul II 130
9. Sweden 131
10. USA , 132
11. USSR 133
IV. STATEMENTS BY MINISTERS ANDLEADERS OF DELEGATION
(AFRICAN COUNTRIES)
1. Egypt 137
2. Mauritius 145
3. Tunisia 151
4. Zimbabwe 157
V. STATEMENTS BYMINISTERS AND LEADERS OF DELEGATION
(NON-AFRICAN COUNTRIES)
1. Representative ofthe Council ofthe European Communities 163
2. Czechoslovak Delegation 167
3. Council ofMinisters ofthe German Democratic Republic 171
4. French Delegation. 173
5. WestGermany Delegation 178
6. Mexican Delegation 179
7. Indian Delegation 181
8. Italian Delegation 187
9. USSRDelegation 191
10. Bulgarian Delegation 196
VI. STATEMENTS/MESSAGES BY ORGANIZATIONS
1. UNDP 199
2. UNIDO 203
3. GATT 205
4. FAO 211
5. World Bank 215
6. United Nations Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian
Affairs 219
7. UNCTAD 227
8. WFP 229
9. ICAO 235
10. WIPO 239
11. Intergovernmental Committee forMigration 241
IV
12. UNITAR 242
13. UNHCR '.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'..'. 243
14. Department of Technical Co-operation forDevelopment. . 244
«■ imo ;; 245
16. unep ; ;249
17. Economic Commission forEurope 255
18. TangierMULPOC
19. ilo .*.";;.";;:;;.";;;;;.":;
20. Union ofAfrican Journalists
:::::::::::::::::::::::J64
22. World Confederation of Labour 266
23. International Trade Centre 9fi7
24. SWAPO '.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.! ^273
25. International Confederation of Free Trade Unions ....[279
26. Pan AfricanistCongress ofAzania 283
27. United Nations Sudano-Sahelian Office ................. 287
28. International Fund forAgricultural Development... ...... ........ 291
29. United Nations Association ofEgypt 097
30. Tambek International TradingEnterprise 298
31. Ethiopian Building Construction Authority ! - I I I ! I 11 I 299
VII. WINDING UP THE SILVERJUBILEE
Statement by the Executive Secretary ofECA 303
The Addis Ababa Declaration adopted by the Conference ofMinisters
on the occasion ofthe SilverJubilee Anniversary celebrations ofthe
United Nations Economic Commission forAfrica 315
PREFACE
The development of Africa evokes serious concern both inside and outside the continent
and it is not often that Heads of State and Government and high public officials assemble
to focus attention on the problem in a concerted manner, using a most august and
propitious occasion such as the Silver Jubilee session of ECA, which took place from 27 to
29 April P$p> in Addis Ababa. In this volume, I have the honour of presenting addresses,
statements and messages of goodwill, felicitations and admonitions from African Heads of
State and Government — ten of whom graced the session with their presence; from non-
African Heads of State and Government; and from the distinguished Secretary-General of
the United Nations and the Secretary-Generalofthe Organization ofAfrican Unity.
The ECA Silver Jubilee session marked a significant milestone in the social and economic
evolution ofAfrica and in the involvement ofthe United Nations in Africa's socio-economic
development. As was made clear all throughout the celebrations, the occasion was for ECA
an auspicious moment for evaluating the successes and failures of the past quarter-of-a-cen-
tury, as well as for undertaking a serious assessment of the likely state and trend of African
development during the next 25 years — that is, up to 2008, the year of the Golden Jubilee
of the Commission.
In considering the contents of the statements and the goodwill messages, .the ECA
secretariat is heartened to know that member States appreciate and are willing to continue
to extend to the Commission their invaluable support in its endeavour to serve the con
tinent with greater dedication, effectiveness and efficiency. My colleagues and I have been
greatly moved by all the sentiments of goodwill and confidence expressed in our favour. We
are indeed both humbled and encouraged by them.
On my own behalf and on behalf of the entire secretariat, I would like to express my
profound appreciation to the international community at large, and in particularto all the
Heads of State and Government who personally graced the Silve? Jubilee session with their
presence, and to all Governments in Africa and other continents who sent representatives
to the celebrations nd goodwill messages to the Commission. My very special thanks go to
His Excellecy Comrade Mengistu Haile Mariam, Chairman of the Provisional Military Ad
ministrative Council and of the Commission for Organizing the Party of the Working
People of Ethiopia, and to his Government and the people of Socialist Ethiopia for hosting
the celebrations in a most fitting and generous manner.
I am confident that the Commission will forever draw inspiration and guidance not only
from these addresses, statements and goodwill messages, but also from the quality of the
deliberations that took place and the reaffirmation of the determination of the distinguished
representatives of member States of the Commission that their Governments and peoples
would do everything in their power to ensure that in the year 2008, when the Commission's
Golden Jubilee will be celebrated, they "would have succeeded in establishing at the na-
Vll
tional, subregional and regional levels in Africa truly dynamic, prosperous, self-reliant and
interdependent economies capable of functioning as true and reliable partners in tne inter
national economic system within the context of the Lagos Plan of Action and the Final Act
of Lagos". Indeed, the Addis Ababa Declaration which was adopted on 29 April 1983, ex
actly 25 years to the day of the establishment of the Commission, and which contains the
above quoted dedication and reaffirmation, marked a fitting climax to the Silver Jubilee an
niversary.
I am sure that the Commision and all individuals and institutions concerned with African
development will forevertirelessly whet their appetites for wisdom and guidance by reading
over and over again the stimulating and challenging ideas conveyed in these addresses,
statements and messages.
ADEBAYO ADEDEJI,
Executive Secretaryand
UnitedNations Under-Secretary-General
Vlll
I. ADDRESSES BY VISITING HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT
THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE '
SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AFRICAN
UNITY
COMRADE CHAIRMAN MENGISTU HAILE
MARIAM
Chairman of the Provisional Military Administrative
Council and of the Commission for Organizing the Party
of the Working People and Commander-in-Chief of the
Revolutionary Army of Socialist Ethiopia
Mr. Chairman,
Esteemed Heads of State,
Honourable delegates,
Comrades,
At this opportune time of your gathering in the city of Addis Ababa, the capital of
Africa, for the Silver Jubilee session of the Economic Comission for Africa it is my
pleasure to welcome you on behalf of the people and the Government of Ethiopia and on
my own behalf. I sincerely hope that your stay in Ethiopia, which is your second home wiU
be fruitful. '
To give colour to the Silver Jubilee anniversary celebrations of the Economic Commis
sion for Africa, various activities such as sports, cultural and film shows and exhibitions
have been in progress in our capital city since 7 April. These activities will continue until
the end ofour Conference.
We recall with happiness and pride that the first meeting of the Economic Commission
for Africa, which is observing its Silver Jubilee anniversary, was held in our capital citv 25
years ago. 3
Esteemed Heads of State,
Honourable delegates,
Comrades,
When we ponder over the situation in our continent at the time the Economic Commis
sion for Africa was established 25 years ago and compare it with the present situation we
reahze that there has been a big change.
That particular time reflected the legacies of the "scramble for Africa" by European
colonial Powers during the second half of the nineteenth century. We recall that although
some African countries had attained their independence after a protracted struggle many
were still under the yoke ofcolonialism when this Commission was established '
We all know that an intensive diplomatic struggle to establish the Economic Commission
for Africa was waged between independent African countries - Ethiopia, Egypt Ghana
Libena Libya, Morocco, the Sudan and Tunisia - on the one hand, and on the other the
then colonial rulers.
When the United Nations Economic and Social Council was establishing in 1947
economic commissions for Europe, Latin America and Asia, imperialists and colonialists
were obstructing the setting up of an economic commission for our continent under the
pretext that Afnca was unable to administer itself.
However, through the incessant demands and strenuous efforts of the then independent
sisterly Afncan countries, our Commission came into being in 1958 by a decision of the
United Nations Economy and Social Council. Since there were no more than eight inde
pendent African countries when the Commission was established, Goverments with colonial
lemtones in Afnca were made members of the Commission.
Because of the prevailing serious contradictions among members with divergent views
and fundamental positions, it was difficult to agree on policy measures for the economic
and social advancement of Africa.
While independent African countries were seeking ways to extricate our continent from
colonial rule, imperialists and colonialists were strongly opposing them and voting against
the decisions of the Commission in an effort to prevent the dawn of freedom in Africa
Although .ts membership was small at that time, we all remember that the Economic
TTeith ^'Ca,WaS thC S°'e f°rUm Wh6re AfriCan C0Untries could air
eitherpolitical or economic issues.
Realizing this, African countries which were members of the Commission used it as a
forum for deliberation on the political issues, and the diplomatic struggle they waged against
their imperialist antagonists, by placing on the agenda ofthe Commission's sessions the issue
ofdecolonisation, the primary question ofthe African continent, cannot be forgotten.
In the course of that struggle, South Africa and Portugal, which were adamant in their
policy of racism and colonialism, were barred from membership of the Economic Commis
sion for Africa in 1962, and in addition, membership of the Commission was revised to
enable African countries under colonial domination to become associate members in place
of the colonial rulers.
The historical events briefly cited above remind us of the struggle the Commission had
waged and the contributions it had made for the emancipation of our continent by playing a
vanguard role in the political field prior to making contributions subsequently in the
economic and socialfields.
The Economic Commission for Africa is an institution which has been established to as
sist in eradicating the plundering and exploitation of our continent's resources by im
perialists,to assist in the reconstruction of the development infrastructure of the continent
destroyed by imperialists and to help to chart out new development plans for African
countries individually and collectively.
In discharging these heavy responsibilities, the Commission has brought together African
professionals to undertake numerous tasks. In this regard, I would like to express sincere
thanks to all Africans who, for the last 25 years, have helped to establish and strengthen
the Commission, and particularly to those who were and still are in positions of leadership.
Esteemed Heads of State,
Although a number of African experts have been engaged in the task of working out
ways and means of accelerating development in Africa - and their contribution of the last
25 years has been significant — a great deal remains to be done.
African countries attained their political independence in the 1960s through immense
sacrifices, but they have as yet to assert their economic independence which should have
been advanced simultaneously. .
With regard to development, we find that the annual economic growth of African
countries was lower in the 1970s than in the 1960s. This was because, in the 1970s, the price
of raw materials was declining in relation to the progressive increase in the price of capital
and manufactured goods and because the advanced countries have given less and less sup
port to the efforts of the developing countries.
In the 1970s, the price of certain raw materials required for development suddenly in
creased threefold as developed countries on their part quadrupled the price of their in
dustrial products. The world economy in general began to enter into a period of crisis with
the resultant decline in the price of the primary commodities of developing countries and a
sharp decline in their foreign earnings. The adverse effects were most acute for African
countries. They faced difficulties in importing much needed capital goods for their develop-
^The advanced countries placed the structure of the world economy under their control
and pursued policies unfavourable to economic growth in the developing countries. As a
result the economies of African countries could not grow satisfactorily.
Furthermore, lack of willingness on the part of developed countries to honour aid
policies they had pledged at various international conferences in the 1960s contnbuted to a
decline inthe economicgrowth ofthe African region. ■_,.*■*•
The African region experienced in the 1970s unexpected severe drought, desertification,