The General Assembly,
 
     Recalling its resolution 48/60 of 14 December 1993 and its decision
49/434 of 19 December 1994 on a United Nations initiative on opportunity and
participation,
 
     Reaffirming that one of the fundamental prerequisites of the achievement
of sustainable development is broad-based public participation in
decision-making,
 
     Acknowledging the relevance of opportunity and participation in the
economic and social development agenda of the United Nations, as reflected in
the various international conferences and agreements related to the follow-up
of the Rio process,
 
     Commending the South Pacific Forum Vision Statement, adopted by the
Twenty-sixth South Pacific Forum, held at Madang, Papua New Guinea, from 13 to
15 September 1995, which promotes opportunities for international and regional
cooperation leading to growth with equity, broad-based participation and
capacity-building for self- reliance,
 
     Noting that the United Nations Panel on Opportunity and Participation met
at United Nations Headquarters from 15 to 19 May 1995,
 
     1.   Welcomes the report of the United Nations Panel on Opportunity and
Participation;
 
     2.   Takes note of the Panel's contribution to the completion of an
agenda for development and the follow-up arrangements to the World Summit for
Social Development, held at Copenhagen from 6 to 12 March 1995;
 
     3.   Invites Member States and relevant organizations and agencies of the
United Nations system to consider the insights and the recommendations of the
Panel, particularly the sections of its report related to the efforts to be
made for the development of small and medium-sized enterprises in developing
countries as an effective measure for promoting opportunity and participation
in the context of national development and the economic and social development
of all peoples;
 
     4.   Invites the Commission for Sustainable Development, in the overall
framework of trade, environment and sustainable development, alleviating
poverty and promoting sustainable agriculture and rural development and
small-scale fisheries development, to draw upon the work of the Panel;
 
     5.   Invites the Committee for Development Planning, in accordance with
its mandate, to take into account the recommendations of the Panel in its work
in 1996 in the context of the International Development Strategy for the
Fourth United Nations Development Decade;
 
     6.   Encourages the relevant agencies and organizations of the United
Nations system, in particular the United Nations Development Programme and the
regional commissions, to increase their efforts to promote opportunity and
participation, and to develop those concepts and incorporate them into their
strategies and programmes, including regional and national workshops and
seminars;
 
     7.   Invites Member States and international organizations to make
voluntary contributions to these efforts;
 
     8.   Encourages support for the widest possible dissemination of the
report of the Panel to the international community.