REPORT OF THE UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON THE LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES Paris, 1 to 14 September 1981 (~\ UNITED NATIONS ~ New York, 1982· ......,.~ NOTE Symbols of United Nation; documents are composed of capital letters combined with figures. Mention ofsuch a symbol indicates a reference to a United Nations document. A/CONF.104/22/Rcv.1 UNITED NATIONS PUBLICATION Sales No. E.82.1.8 01000 [Original: Bnglish} (28 March 1982) CONTENTS Paragraphs INTRODUCTION I. Background to the Conference ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 1 - Ii 1 II. Documentation •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 7 - a 2 PART ONE: THE SUBSTANTIAL NEW PROGRAM.ME OF ACTION FOR THE 1980s FOR THE LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES A. Text of the resolution adopted by the Conference at its 19th meeting, on 14 September 1981, entitled "The SUbstantial New Programme of Action for the 1980s for the Least Developed Countries" ••• ~ ••••••• 1 3 B. Statements made upon the adoption of the SUbstantial New programme of Action •••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 2 - 66 40 PAnT 'lWO: PROCEEDINGS OF THE CONFERENCE 1. Inaugural address by the president of France•••••••••••• 1 - 2 so II. Opening statements (agenda item 1) ••••••••••••••••••••• 3 - 9 Sl III. Tribute to the memory of the President and Prime Minlster of Iran ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 10 52 IV. Statements by Heads of State ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 11 - 30 52 V. Messages from Heads of State or Government ••••••••••••• 31 56 VI. Statement by the Secreta~-Generalof the Conference ••• 32 - 37 56 VII. General debate (Agenda item 8) ••••••••••••••••••••••••• 38 - 91 57 VIII. Consideration of the repor~s of the individual country review meetings (agenda item 9) •••••••••••••••••••••••• 92 - 93 69 IX. Finalization and adoption of the SUbstantial New Programme of Action for the 19608 for the least developed countries (agenda item 10) ••••••••••••••••••• 94 - 97 69 X. Closing statement by the President of the Conference ••• 98 - 108 70 PART THREE: ORGANIZATIONAL, ADMINIS'fRATIVE AND REIJ\.TED MATTERS A. Opening of the COnference (agenda item 1> •••••••••• 1 72 -iii- CONTENTS (continued) Paragraphs Page D. Election of the President (agenda item 2) •••••• ~~ •• 2 72 C. Adoption of the rules of pr~edure (agenda item 3) 3 72 D. Report of the Chaintan of the Consultation among Senior Offic~al••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 4 72 B. Adoption of the agenda and organization of work (agenda item 4) ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 5 9 12 P. Establishment of sessional bodies (agenda item 5) • 10 21 74 1. Report on the work of Committee 1 ••••••••••••• 11 17 75 2. Report on the work ot Committee II •••••••••••• 18 - 21 75 G. Election of officers other than the President (agenda item 6) ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 22 .. 23 76 H. Credentials of repre.entatives to the Conference (agenda item 7) ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 24 .. 31 76 1. Appointment of members of the Credentials Committee ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 24 76 2~ Report of the Credentials Committee ••••••••••• 25 .. 31 77 I. Appointment of "Friends of the Rapporteur-General" 32 78 J. Attendance •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 33 .. 39 78 K. Financial implications of the decisions of the Conference •••••• 0 •••••••••••••• _ •••••••••••••••••• 40 82 L. Expression of gratitude to the Government and people of France (agenda item 11) ••••••••••••••••• 41 - 42 82 M. Adoption of the report of the Conference (agenda item 12) •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 43 82 N. Closure of the Conference • •••••••••••••••••••••••• 44 83 Annexes I. Resolutions adopted by the Conference • ••••••• v ••••••••••••••••••• 94 1. Consideration of the reports of the individual country review meetings ••••••••••••••••••••••••• O ••••••••• ~ •••• ~..... 84 -iv- CONTENTS (continued) 2. Credentials of repre..ntativ•• to the ~nit.d Nations Conferenc. on the Least Developed Countries •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 85 3. Expresaion of gratitude to thm Government and people of Prance 85 II. Report of the Credential. Co~itte~ ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 86 III. List of head~ of delegation, chi.f execu~ive officers of int.rgov.r~.ntal bodi.s, and other representatives and observ.rs who made atatements during the general d~bat. ••••••••••••••••••••• 89 IV. Check list of documents •••••••••• ~ •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 95 -v- ABBRI:.VIATIONS DAC Development Assistance COmmittee (of OECD) EeA Economic COmmission for Africa BEe European Economic COmmunity ECWA Economic Commission for Western Asia E&CAP 2Conomic and SOCial Commission for Asia and the Pacific PAO FOod and Agricult~re Organization of the united Nations GATT Ge:leral Agreement on Tariffs and Trade GDP Gtoss domestic product GNP GtOBS national product GSP Generalized system of preferc~ces IFAD International FUnd for Agricultural Development IMF International Monetary Fund LDC(s) Least developed country (iea) OAU Organization of African unity ODA Official development a6sistance OEOD Organisation for Economic CO-operation and Development OPEC Organization of the Petroleum Exporting COuntries SNPA Substantial New programme of Aotion UNCTAD united Nations COnference on Trade and Development UNDP united Nations Development programme UNESCO united Nations Educational, Scientific and CUltural Organization UNIDO tllited Nations Industrial. Development Organization WHO World Health Organization -vi- " I N'l'RODOC'I ION I. Background to the OOnferenc~ 1. ~e General Assembly, in its resolution 34/203 of 19 December 1979, decided to convene a united Nations COnference on the Least Developed COuntries in 1981 to finalize, adopt and support the SubBtantlal New programme of Action for the 19908 for the least developed countries, outlined in UNCTAD resolution 122 (V). !I In the same resolution it designated Intergovernmental Group on the Least Developed COuntries of UNCTAD to act as the preparatory COmmittee for the COnference and designated the secretary-General of UNCTAD as Secretary-General of the Conference. 2. 'l1le preparatory oommitt.ee welcomed t.he offer of tile Government of France to host the COnference in Paris and made detailed recommendations on the organization of the united Nations COnference. ~ese recommendations were subsequently endorsed by the General Assembly in its resolution 35/205 of 16 December 1980, in which the Assembly also accepted with appreciation the offer of the Government of Prance to act as host to the Conference. 3. ~epreparatory COmmittee decided to make individual least developed count.ry revi~wB the wasls for the preparations for the COnference. !I Accordingly, each least developed country was invited to prepare a presentation of its development programme for the 1980s, for review at individual meetings with its development partners. ~e COnference secret~riat sent missi~ns to almost all of the least developed countries to discuss these pre~ratlons. Specific inputs were provided by the COnference secretariat with the support of UNDP, bilateral sources and otller united Nations organizations, in collaboration with the Director-General for Development and International Economic Co-operation. 4. Each least developed country was left to decide which countries and multilateral agenoies or other bodies it wished to invite to its review meeting. 5. In accordance with the decisions taken by the preparatory committee, four rounds of conSUltations were organized for the least developed countries and their development partners, with the financial support of aever~l countries. !I ~e presentations of the least developed countries of Asia and the Pacific ~ere reviewed in Vienna from 30 March to 10 April 1981, those of eastern Africa in Addis Ababa from 4 to 15 May 1961, those of western and central Africa and of y see proceedings of the united Nations oonf,erEtllce on Trade and DevelOpment, Fifth se~!}on, vol. I, Report and Annexes (united Nations publication, sales NO. E.79.II.D.14), part one, sect. A. ~ ~e preparatory Committee held three sessionsl ftom 4 to 16 February 1960, from 9 to 17 october 1980 and from 29 June to 10 JUly 1981. FOr tlIe reports on the first and second sessions see pfficial Records of the General Assembl Thirt -€ifth session SU lement No. 45 (A/35/4S), for that on the tlIird sesion see ~., Thirty-sixth session, supp ement No. 45 (A/36/45). 11 ~atria, canada, Denmark, Finland, Iraq, Japan, Kuwait, Mexiao, Netherlands, N:>rway, Qatar, saudi Arabia and SWeden. -1- SOmalia in 1he Hague from 25 May to 5 June 1991, and those of southern Africa3 of GUinea-Bissau and of Haiti in Geneva from 22 to 26 June 1991. !I 6. Additional preparations for the COnference at the regional level included the first meeting of the ~nference of Miniaters of African least developed countries, held in Addis Ababa from 26 to 30 July 1901, and the Ministerial meeting of member states of ESCAP and ECWA in Bangkok from 10 to 11 August 1991. iI II. Docum~ntation 7. In addition to the reports of the preparatory conunittee and of the review rn~etings and one of the regional meetings referred to in paragraphs 5 and 6 above, ~ie COnference had before it a number of other documents as a basis fo~ itB work. Ca) A report by the secretary-r~neral of the OOnference entitled "~e least developed countries in the 19900" CA/CONF.104/2 and OOrr.l and Add.l and oorr.l and Add.2 and oorr.l and Add.3), 21 (b) A synopsis of the proposals made at the t~lird session of the Preparatory Committee on the draft SUbstantial New programme of Aotion CSNPA), prepared by the Chairman of the Oommitt~e at the request of the