The General Assembly,
Recalling the international strategy for the fight against locust infestation, particularly in Africa, adopted by the Economic and Social Council in its resolution 1989/98 of 26 July 1989 and endorsed by the General Assembly in its decision 44/438 of 19 December 1989,
Also recalling its resolution 42/169 of 11 December 1987 on the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, which included locust infestations among the types of natural disasters to be covered by the Decade,
Deeply concerned at the exceptional seriousness and real dangers of the current locust infestation in Africa and concerned at its resulting economic, social and environmental consequences, including the reduction of agricultural output and the displacement of affected populations,
Aware that current campaigns for locust control have so far been unable to put an end to the infestation, in particular because of the limited financial resources of the affected countries, and convinced that the fight against this plague, because of its recurrent nature, requires increased and coordinated mobilization of appropriate human, scientific, technical, material and financial resources,
Bearing in mind the recommendations of the meeting of the Ministers of Agriculture responsible for locust control of the countries of the Maghreb and of the Sahel, held at Algiers on 27 September 1993,
1. Expresses its deep concern at the worsening locust infestation in Africa, especially in the Sahel and Maghreb regions, which threatens other regions of Africa, and reaffirms the need to accord high priority to locust control and eradication;
2. Notes with satisfaction the efforts of the affected countries, and expresses its gratitude to donor countries, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and other competent institutions of the United Nations system for their efforts to contain the locust infestation in Africa;
3. Calls upon the international community, particularly the developed countries and the United Nations system, to support fully the locust control programmes undertaken at the national, subregional and regional levels by the affected countries;
4. Invites the Food and Agriculture Organization speedily to implement the emergency plan adopted by the experts from the region at their meeting held at Tunis on 1 and 2 September 1993 and to undertake the relevant complementary activities with a view to controlling the situation in the front-line countries;
5. Requests the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization, in collaboration with the Secretary-General, to keep the situation under constant review and to organize a pledging conference as early as possible in the first quarter of 1994 with a view to mobilizing the necessary financial and other resources such as aircraft, appropriate chemicals and technical personnel to provide effective assistance to affected countries in their efforts to combat the locust infestation in Africa;
6. Requests the Secretary-General, in collaboration with the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization, to submit to the General Assembly at its forty-ninth session a report on the implementation of the present resolution.
58th plenary meeting
19 November 1993
