The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolutions 45/206 of 21 December 1990, in which it endorsed the Paris Declaration and the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the 1990s, 46/156 of 19 December 1991 on the implementation of the Programme of Action and 47/173 of 22 December 1992 on the implications of the application of the new criteria for identifying the least developed countries in the implementation of the Programme of Action,
Recalling also its resolutions S-18/3 of 1 May 1990, the annex to which contains the Declaration on International Economic Cooperation, in particular the Revitalization of the Economic Growth and Development of the Developing Countries, and 45/199 of 21 December 1990, the annex to which contains the International Development Strategy for the Fourth United Nations Development Decade, as well as the document entitled "A New Partnership for Development: The Cartagena Commitment", adopted by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development at its eighth session, and the texts adopted by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, particularly Agenda 21,
Taking note of the declaration adopted at the Ministerial Meeting of the Least Developed Countries, held in New York on 30 September 1993, in pursuance of the decision taken at the Ministerial Meeting held at Dhaka in February 1990,
Recalling that the prime objective of the Programme of Action is to arrest the further deterioration in the socio-economic situation of the least developed countries, to reactivate and accelerate their growth and development and to set them on the path of sustained growth and development,
Noting that while many least developed countries, for their part, have been implementing courageous and far-reaching policy reforms and adjustment measures in line with the Programme of Action, implementation of international support measures and commitments by a number of donor countries has fallen short of the provisions of the Programme of Action,
Expressing serious concern about the continued deterioration in the socio-economic situation of the least developed countries as a whole,
Also expressing concern about the heavy debt stock and debt-service burden of the least developed countries, the limited market for their products and the reduced flow of development resources,
Stressing that the mid-term review of the implementation of the Programme of Action provides a unique opportunity for the least developed countries and their development partners to take new measures as necessary, with a view to enhancing the implementation of the Programme of Action during the rest of the 1990s,
Also stressing that the implementation of the Programme of Action provides for a mid-term review conducted by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in accordance with paragraph 140 of the Programme of Action, the results of which will be submitted to the General Assembly,
Taking note with appreciation of the report of the Secretary-General,
1. Reaffirms the Paris Declaration and the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the 1990s;
2. Calls upon all Governments, international organizations, multilateral financial institutions and development funds, the organs, organizations and programmes of the United Nations system and all other organizations concerned to take concrete measures to implement fully the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the 1990s as a matter of urgency;
3. Welcomes the fundamental and far-reaching domestic reforms that have been or are being implemented by the least developed countries and notes that such efforts should be continued;
4. Notes the efforts of the international community, in particular the donor countries, to try to fulfil their commitments in all areas, as set out in the Programme of Action, and urges the provision of adequate external support to the efforts of the least developed countries, keeping under review the possibility of implementing further new steps in specific areas of importance to the least developed countries;
5. Calls upon the donor countries to fulfil their aid commitments as contained in the Programme of Action on a priority basis and to adjust them upwardly so as to reflect fully the additional resource requirements of the least developed countries, including those added to the list of least developed countries following the Second United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries;
6. Stresses that progress in the implementation of the Programme of Action will require effective implementation of national policies and priorities by the least developed countries for their economic growth and development, as well as a strong and committed partnership between those countries and their development partners;
7. Requests the Secretary-General, in conformity with paragraph 142 of the Programme of Action, to continue to ensure the full mobilization and coordination of all organs, organizations and bodies of the United Nations system in the implementation of and follow-up to the Programme of Action, in close collaboration with the Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the secretariats of the regional commissions and the lead agencies of aid programmes;
8. Calls upon the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development to initiate further innovative measures to provide and mobilize financial and technical support for the effective implementation of the Programme of Action;
9. Stresses the importance of effective follow-up and monitoring mechanisms for the Programme of Action, and notes that the annual follow-up of progress in the implementation of the Programme of Action undertaken by the Trade and Development Board on the basis of the annual report on the least developed countries helps to contribute to the development dialogue between those countries and their development partners and urges that that exercise be strengthened;
10. Notes with concern the constrained resource position of the United Nations Development Programme during its fifth programming cycle and its impact on the least developed countries, and urges all concerned to take steps to carry out their agreed development programmes;
11. Welcomes the initiatives of some donor countries to write off and/or reduce, as appropriate, the official debt of the least developed countries, and invites others to take similar measures;
12. Reiterates that increased opportunities for trade can help reactivate economic growth in the least developed countries, and calls for significantly improved market access for their products, particularly through the elimination, wherever possible, or substantial reduction of tariff and non-tariff barriers, as well as giving special attention to the problems of the least developed countries within the context of the Final Act of the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations, with a view to integrating them in the global trading system;
13. Notes with concern the environmental and development challenges facing the least developed countries and their vulnerability in this regard, and urges development partners to provide those countries with additional resources to enhance their capacity to achieve sustainable development;
14. Invites the preparatory bodies and all relevant forthcoming major meetings and conferences of the United Nations system, particularly the International Conference on Population and Development, the World Summit for Social Development, the Fourth World Conference on Women: Action for Equality, Development and Peace and the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), to take into account the particular needs and requirements of the least developed countries in formulating their final documents;
15. Welcomes the positive contribution of the non-governmental organizations in the least developed countries in the field of socio-economic development;
16. Decides to convene a high-level intergovernmental meeting to conduct a mid-term global review, in accordance with paragraph 140 of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the 1990s and General Assembly resolution 45/206, on the implementation of the Programme of Action, to be held in the early part of September 1995 or at any other suitable date during the second half of 1995;
17. Stresses the importance of timely, adequate and thorough preparations for the mid-term global review;
18. Requests the Trade and Development Board to consider, at its spring session in 1994, the elaboration of the preparatory activities for the mid-term global review meeting, including intergovernmental, expert, sectoral and inter-agency preparatory meetings and the substantive documentation;
19. Urges all Governments and international organizations, including multilateral and bilateral financial and technical assistance institutions, in particular the United Nations Development Programme, to take adequate steps to ensure appropriate preparations for an in-depth mid-term global review of the Programme of Action;
20. Requests all relevant organs, organizations and bodies of the United Nations system to submit reports containing a review of the implementation of the Programme of Action within their respective fields of competence, with special emphasis on areas where commitments have remained unfulfilled, and proposals for new measures, as necessary, as further inputs to the preparation for the mid-term global review;
21. Stresses the importance of maintaining the institutional identity and visibility of the Division for the Least Developed Countries in the secretariat of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, which is entrusted with the task of global-level monitoring of and follow-up to the Programme of Action, and welcomes the action taken by the Secretary-General to fill the vacant post of Director of the Division;
22. Reiterates its request to the Secretary-General, in resolution 46/156, to mobilize extrabudgetary resources to ensure the participation of at least one representative from each least developed country at the spring sessions of the Trade and Development Board, as well as at the intergovernmental, expert, sectoral and inter-agency preparatory meetings for the mid-term review process;
23. Decides to consider at its forty-ninth session the recommendations of the Trade and Development Board on preparations for the mid-term global review, as well as the question of meeting the cost of full and effective participation of representatives of the least developed countries at that meeting;
24. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its fiftieth session a report on the progress made in the implementation of the present resolution.
86th plenary meeting
21 December 1993
