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 resolution 48/171 of 21 December 1993,
in which it decided to convene a high-level intergovernmental
meeting to conduct a mid-term global review, in accordance with
paragraph 140 of the Programme of Action and its resolution 45/206,
of the implementation of the Programme of Action, to be held in
the early part of September 1995 or any other suitable date during
the second half of 1995,
Taking note of the Declaration adopted at the Ministerial
Meeting of the Least Developed Countries, held at United Nations
Headquarters on 4 October 1994, in pursuance of the decision taken
at the Ministerial Meeting held at Dhaka in February 1990,
Recalling further 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 economic growth and sustainable development,
Expressing serious concern about the continued deterioration
of the economic and social situation of the least developed countries
as a whole,
Also expressing concern about the limited progress achieved
so far in the implementation of the Programme of Action,
Recognizing that the mid-term global review of the implementation
of the Programme of Action is of particular significance as it
will provide an opportunity to the international community to
set out new and corrective policies and measures, including strengthened
external support to the least developed countries in all areas,
to support their efforts so as to ensure the timely, effective
and full implementation of the Programme of Action during the
remainder of the decade,
Stressing the importance of timely and adequate preparations
for the mid-term global review of the implementation of the Programme
of Action,
Also stressing that adequate resources should be provided
to ensure the full and effective participation of the least developed
countries in the High-level Intergovernmental Meeting on the Mid-term
Global Review of the Implementation of the Programme of Action
for the Least Developed Countries for the 1990s,
Recalling decision 412 (XL) of 29 April 1994 of the Trade
and Development Board on the High-level Intergovernmental Meeting
on the Mid-term Global Review of the Implementation of the Programme
of Action,
Taking note of agreed conclusions 413 (XL) of 29 April
1994 of the Trade and Development Board on the review of progress
in the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least
Developed Countries for the 1990s, which were underpinned, inter
alia, by The Least Developed Countries 1993-1994 Report,
1. Reaffirms the commitment of the international community
to the Paris Declaration and the Programme of Action for the Least
Developed Countries for the 1990s, and 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 and effectively the
Programme of Action in all areas as a matter of priority;
2. 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 strong and committed
partnership between those countries and their development partners;
3. 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 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;
4. Decides:
(a) To convene the High-level Intergovernmental Meeting on the Mid-term Global Review of the Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the 1990s in New York from 26 September to 6 October 1995, to be preceded by a one-day meeting of senior officials on 25 September 1995. In the event that any Member State offers to host this Meeting, the Trade and Development Board, at its spring session in 1995, would accordingly consider that offer. The Meeting shall carry out the mid-term global review, consider new measures as necessary, and report to the General Assembly on progress made in the implementation of the Programme of Action;
(b) To convene one session of the Meeting of Governmental Experts of Donor Countries and Multilateral and Bilateral Financial and Technical Assistance Institutions with representatives of the least developed countries in early 1995 in Geneva, for a duration of one week, in order to prepare for the High-level Intergovernmental Meeting;
(c) To organize regional follow-up meetings by the relevant United Nations regional commissions, in close coordination with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, to improve and strengthen existing cooperation arrangements at the regional and subregional levels and provide appropriate inputs to the High-level Intergovernmental Meeting;
(d) To invite the organs, organizations and programmes of the United Nations system to undertake sectoral appraisals in their respective fields on the implementation of the Programme of Action;
(e) To request that an inter-agency meeting be convened in early 1995 to ensure the full mobilization and coordination of all organs, organizations and programmes of the United Nations system as part of the preparations for the mid-term global review;
5. Also decides to defray the cost of participation
of two representatives from each least developed country in the
High-level Intergovernmental Meeting by the utilization of unexpended
extrabudgetary funds from the voluntary trust fund established
in accordance with General Assembly resolution 44/228 of 22 December
1989 and through the reallocation of existing resources of the
regular budget, if necessary. Extrabudgetary resources should
also be explored for this purpose, including for financing the
cost of participation of one representative from each least developed
country in the meeting referred to in paragraph 4 (b) above;
6. Welcomes the steps initiated by the secretariat of the
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development to convene
preparatory expert group meetings, and invites donors to provide
adequate extrabudgetary resources for that purpose, including
for the preparation of substantive documentation;
7. 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 session of the Trade and Development
Board, as well as the adequate participation of least developed
countries at the preparatory, expert and sectoral meetings for
the mid-term global review process;
8. Urges all countries, as well as multilateral and bilateral
financial and technical assistance institutions, to take the necessary
steps to ensure appropriate preparations for the High-level Intergovernmental
Meeting;
9. 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
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;
10. Invites the Secretary-General to make recommendations
to the General Assembly at its fiftieth session, with a view to
ensuring that the secretariat of the United Nations Conference
on Trade and Development has sufficient capacity to undertake
an effective follow-up of the outcome of the mid-term global review,
and to follow up the conclusions and recommendations relating
to the least developed countries adopted by major United Nations
conferences;
11. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General
Assembly at its fiftieth session a report on the High-level Intergovernmental
Meeting and on the implementation of the present resolution.
92nd plenary meeting
19 December 1994