APPROVING FOUR TEXTS, SECOND COMMITTEE CALLS FOR CONTINUING USE OF AID FOR INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT IN DEVELOPING AND TRANSITION COUNTRIES

Fifty-seventh General Assembly

Second Committee

39^th Meeting (AM)

APPROVING FOUR TEXTS, SECOND COMMITTEE CALLS FOR CONTINUING USE OF AID

FOR INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT IN DEVELOPING AND TRANSITION COUNTRIES

The General Assembly would call for the continuing use of official development assistance (ODA) for industrial development in developing countries and countries with economies in transition, according to the terms of one of four draft resolutions approved by consensus in the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) this morning.

By other terms of that draft on industrial development cooperation (document A/C.2/57/L.51), the Assembly would call upon donor and recipient countries to cooperate in using ODA more effectively for industrial development cooperation, and support developing and transition countries in promoting industrial development cooperation among themselves.

The Assembly would, by further terms, call on the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) to participate actively in coordinating field activities through common country assessment/United Nations Development Assistance Framework processes and sector-wide approaches, and encourage that organization to implement projects funded through the Global Environment Facility (GEF), particularly those involving technology transfer.  In addition, the Assembly would encourage UNIDO to emphasize initiatives supporting micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in developing countries, particularly the least developed and landlocked countries.

By further terms, the Assembly would encourage UNIDO to contribute actively towards the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), and encourage it to develop further its global forum capacity to enhance a common understanding of global and regional industrial sector issues and their impact on poverty eradication and sustainable development.

According to the second draft, on integration of the economies in transition into the world economy (document A/C.2/57/L.14), the General Assembly would call on United Nations bodies to collaborate with relevant non-United Nations multilateral and regional institutions in analyzing and providing policy advice as well as technical assistance to governments of countries with transition economies to strengthen their social, legal and political frameworks for completing market-oriented reforms.

By other terms of that text, approved as orally revised, the Assembly would stress the importance of further integrating transition countries into the world economy, according to the outcome of the International Conference on Financing for Development and the World Summit on Sustainable Development.

The third text, on establishment of the World Solidarity Fund (document A/C.2/57/L.52), would have the Assembly request the Secretary-General to entrust the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to take measures for the immediate operationalization of the World Solidarity Fund.  As a UNDP trust fund, it would be subject to the financial rules and regulations adopted by the Executive Board of UNDP and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

By other terms, the Assembly would decide that the Fund would support requests received from governments of developing countries to finance poverty alleviation projects, including community-based and small private-sector projects.  It would also encourage Member States, international organizations, the private sector, relevant institutions, foundations and individuals to contribute to the Fund.

According to the final draft approved this morning, on the United Nations University (document A/C.2/57/L.48), the Assembly would ask the Secretary-General to encourage other United Nations bodies to use the University more fully in mobilizing a worldwide network of applied policy researchers to assist the Organization -- through research and capacity development -- in resolving pressing global problems.  The Assembly would, by other terms, invite the international community to make voluntary contributions to the University's Endowment Fund, as a way of consolidating the institution's distinctive identity in the United Nations and the international scientific community.

The representative of Belgium introduced all four texts.

In other business this morning, the Committee took note of the Secretary-General's report on business and development (document A/57/591).

The Second Committee will meet again at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, 3 December, to continue its take up other draft resolutions.

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