Cooperation Between the UN and the Organization of African Unity, G.A. res. 50/158, 50 U.N. GAOR Supp. (No. 49) at 71, U.N. Doc. A/50/49 (Vol. I) (1995).


 
      The General Assembly,
 
      Having considered the report of the Secretary-General on cooperation
between the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity,
 
      Recalling the provisions of Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United
Nations on regional arrangements or agencies, which set forth the basic
principles governing their activities and establishing the legal framework for
cooperation with the United Nations in the area of the maintenance of
international peace and security, as well as resolution 49/57 of 9 December
1994, the annex to which contains the Declaration on the Enhancement of
Cooperation between the United Nations and Regional Arrangements or Agencies
in the Maintenance of International Peace and Security,
 
      Recalling also the agreement of 15 November 1965 on cooperation between
the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity as updated and signed
on 9 October 1990 by the Secretaries-General of the two organizations,
 
      Recalling further its resolutions on the enhancement of cooperation
between the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity, in
particular resolutions 43/12 of 25 October 1988, 43/27 of 18 November 1988,
44/17 of 1 November 1989, 45/13 of 7 November 1990, 46/20 of 26 November 1991,
47/148 of 18 December 1992, 48/25 of 29 November 1993 and 49/64 of 15 December
1994,
 
      Recalling that, in its resolutions 46/20, 47/148 and 48/25, it, inter
alia, urged the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the relevant
agencies of the United Nations system to extend their support for the
establishment of the African Economic Community,
 
      Recalling also its resolution 48/214 of 23 December 1993 on the
implementation of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa
in the 1990s,
 
      Taking note of the resolutions, decisions and declarations adopted by
the Council of Ministers of the Organization of African Unity at its
sixty-second ordinary session, held at Addis Ababa from 21 to 23 June 1995,
and by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of
African Unity at its thirty-first ordinary session, held at Addis Ababa from
26 to 28 June 1995,
 
      Considering the important statement made by the representative of the
current Chairman of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the
Organization of African Unity before the General Assembly on 27 September
1995,
 
      Mindful of the need for continued and closer cooperation between the
United Nations and its specialized agencies and the Organization of African
Unity, in particular in the political, economic, social, technical, cultural
and administrative fields,
 
      Noting that the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and
Resolution of the Organization of African Unity is developing its capacity in
preventive diplomacy,
 
      Also noting the efforts of the Organization of African Unity, and the
support and assistance of the United Nations, to promote the peaceful
settlement of disputes and conflicts in Africa and the harmonious continuation
of the process of democratization,
 
      Deeply concerned that, despite the policies of reform being implemented
by most African countries, their economic situation remains critical and
African recovery and development continue to be severely hindered by the
persistence of lower-level commodity prices, the heavy debt burden and the
paucity of funding possibilities,
 
      Aware of the efforts being made by the Organization of African Unity and
its member States in the area of economic integration and of the need to
accelerate the process of implementation of the African Economic Community,
 
      Deeply concerned also about the gravity of the situation of refugees and
displaced persons in Africa and the urgent need for increased international
assistance to help refugees and, subsequently, African countries of asylum,
 
      Acknowledging the assistance already rendered by the international
community, in particular to refugees, displaced persons and African countries
of asylum,
 
      Recognizing the importance of developing and maintaining a culture of
peace, tolerance and harmonious relationships in order to contribute to the
prevention of conflicts and wars in Africa,
 
      1.    Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on cooperation
between the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity and of his
efforts to strengthen that cooperation and to implement the relevant
resolutions;
 
      2.    Notes with appreciation the continued and increasing participation
of the Organization of African Unity in the work of the United Nations and the
specialized agencies and its constructive contribution to that work;
 
      3.    Calls upon the United Nations organs, in particular the Security
Council and the Economic and Social Council, to continue to involve the
Organization of African Unity closely in all their activities concerning
Africa;
 
      4.    Welcomes the fact that both the United Nations and the
Organization of African Unity have agreed to strengthen and broaden their
cooperation in measures to prevent and resolve conflicts in Africa, and in
this regard invites the United Nations to provide the Organization of African
Unity with the necessary support for the promotion of a culture of peace,
tolerance and harmonious relationships in Africa;
 
      5.    Calls upon the United Nations to coordinate its efforts and to
cooperate with the Organization of African Unity in the context of the pacific
settlement of disputes and the maintenance of international peace and security
in Africa, as provided for under Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United
Nations; 
 
      6.    Commends the efforts of the Organization of African Unity to
strengthen its capacity in the field of conflict resolution and to
operationalize its Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and
Resolution in Africa;
 
      7.    Also commends the United Nations and the Organization of African
Unity for their ongoing cooperative activities in the resolution of conflicts
in Africa, and stresses the need to enhance and strengthen the existing
pattern of exchange of information and consultations, especially in the areas
of preventive diplomacy, peacemaking and peace-keeping operations;
 
      8.    Invites the United Nations to assist the Organization of African
Unity, within existing resources, in strengthening its institutional and
operational capacity in the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts
in Africa, in particular in the following areas:
 
      (a)   Establishment of an early-warning system;
 
      (b)   Technical assistance and training of personnel, including a staff
exchange programme;
 
      (c)   Exchange and coordination of information between their respective
early-warning systems;
 
      (d)   Logistical support;
 
      (e)   Mobilization of financial support;
 
      9.    Urges the United Nations to facilitate the participation of the
Organization of African Unity in its peacemaking and peace-keeping operations
and, with the consent of parties concerned, in joint fact-finding missions in
Africa, by providing technical assistance and assisting in the mobilization of
financial and logistical support;
 
      10.   Notes with appreciation the assistance provided by the United
Nations and its agencies to African countries in the context of the
democratization process;
 
      11.   Urges the United Nations to continue to support the Organization
of African Unity in its efforts to manage a peaceful democratic transition in
Africa, in particular in the areas of education for democracy, election
observation, human rights and freedom, including technical support to the
African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights;
 
      12.   Urges all Member States and regional and international
organizations, in particular those of the United Nations system, as well as
non-governmental organizations, to provide the necessary and appropriate
economic, financial and technical assistance to refugees and displaced
persons, as well as to African countries of asylum, taking into account recent
disquieting developments in this respect;
 
      13.   Commends the continued efforts of the Organization of African
Unity to promote multilateral cooperation and economic integration among
African States, and requests United Nations agencies to continue to support
those efforts;
 
      14.   Stresses that the economic, technical and development assistance
provided to Africa by the organizations of the United Nations system must
continue, and emphasizes the current need for those organizations to accord
priority to Africa in this field;
 
      15.   Urges the Secretary-General, Member States, regional and
international organizations, in particular those of the United Nations system,
and non-governmental organizations to extend their support to the operations
of the African Economic Community and to assist in economic integration and
cooperation in Africa;
 
      16.   Requests the Secretary-General to support the efforts of the
Secretary-General of the Organization of African Unity, in particular in the
preparation of the first meeting of the Economic and Social Commission of the
African Economic Community, the strengthening of the regional economic
communities, and the preparation of the protocols to the Treaty Establishing
the African Economic Community, its popularization and the strengthening of
its institutional support;
 
      17.   Requests the agencies of the United Nations system working in
Africa to include in their programmes at the national and regional levels
activities that will enhance regional cooperation in their respective areas
and to facilitate the realization of the objectives of the Treaty Establishing
the African Economic Community;
 
      18.   Calls upon United Nations agencies to intensify the coordination
of their regional programmes in Africa in order to create interlinkages among
them and to ensure the harmonization of their programmes with those of the
African regional and subregional economic organizations;
 
      19.   Emphasizes the urgency of the need to adopt appropriate measures
to ensure the effective implementation of the United Nations New Agenda for
the Development of Africa in the 1990s, in particular in the areas of resource
flows, debt relief and diversification of African economies;
 
      20.   Invites the Secretary-General to associate the Organization of
African Unity closely with the follow-up and monitoring of the implementation
of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s,
including the conduct of the mid-term review of its implementation in 1996;
 
      21.   Recalls its resolution 48/214, in paragraph 10 of which it invited
the Secretary-General to reinforce the capabilities of the Office of the
Special Coordinator for Africa and the Least Developed Countries of the
Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development of the
Secretariat to follow up and promote the responses of the United Nations
system and the international community to the development concerns of Africa,
as expressed in the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in
the 1990s;
 
      22.   Takes note with satisfaction of the recommendations of the meeting
between the secretariats of the Organization of African Unity and the United
Nations held at Addis Ababa from 6 to 9 November 1995, and endorses the
convening of a meeting in 1996, at Addis Ababa, to review and evaluate the
progress made in the implementation of the recommendations agreed at the
November meeting and to adopt new and effective joint action;
 
      23.   Calls upon the relevant organs of the United Nations system to
ensure the effective, fair and equitable representation of Africa at senior
and policy levels at their respective headquarters and in their regional field
operations;
 
      24.   Requests the relevant organs of the United Nations system to
assist the Organization of African Unity to strengthen its capacity for
information gathering, analysis and dissemination through the training of
personnel and the mobilization of technical and financial assistance;
 
      25.   Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly
at its fifty-first session on the implementation of the present resolution and
on the development of cooperation between the Organization of African Unity
and the organizations of the United Nations system.
      

 

 



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