countries.
160. In the discussion that followed the presentations, one representative congratulated the Tanqier-based MULPOC for making the issue of integration of women in development a major concern and Egypt for making a women's programme co-ordinator available to that MULPOC. She requested the ECA secretariat and member countries of the North African MULPOC to supplement that action by making appropriate ^o^
available for the activities of the women's programme co-ordinator. She hailed the establishment of the Maghreb Union as an economic integration o^"1"4'0"™
requested the Committee to send a motion of congratulations, to the Maghreb Union and asked ECA to admit the Union as an observer to its meetings. She expressed surprise at the fact that the meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Niamey-based MULPOC had not taken any decisions regarding the integration of women in the development
process.
161. Several representatives stressed the importance of the MULPOCs and reiterated the need to strengthen their human and financial resources so as to permit them to identify projects and implement them. They also stressed the need to harmonize the
activities of intergovernmental organizations and to strengthen cf^Pfrat'0"^^
the MULPOCs and subregional organizations. An appeal was made for the reinstatement of the post of women's programme co-ordinator in each MULPOC.
162. The Chairperson of the West African subregional co-ordinating committee for the integration of women in the development process deplored the fact that her organization a subsidiary body of the Commission, had not been invited to the eleventh meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Niamey-based MULPOC. She stressed the need to take
into account the problems of women when considering the economic problems of Africa.
163. In his intervention, the observer for UNDP while underscoring the importance of the role being played by the MULPOCs emphasized that the results of the mission to review and evaluate the MULPOCs must be awaited in order to appreciate what the problems were and which solutions to apply. He remarked on the nature of women s activities as envisaged in the MULPOC framework and suggested that the ^esponsibihty for such activities should be taken over by the permanent mechanisms of ECA. UNUK, within the framework of its fourth Regional Programming Cycle for Africa, had decided to lay emphasis on the financing of operational and substantive activities rather than on administrative posts. He confirmed that UNDP had received the request of the Council of Ministers and Commissioner of State of the Gisenyi-based MULPOC for the reinstate ment of the women co-ordinator's post and the matter would be raised with the Director
fIrInceUof M^nfsters"31 BUreaU ** ^^ ^^ ^ fifteenth mee*ing of the ECA
Con-164. The observer for UNIDO stated that his organization was working in close nrTfumn™ "'♦ the MULPOCs and ^regional organizations. He informed the meeting
of UNIDO s activities in connection with the implementation of resolution 6 adopted by the Council of Plenipotentiaries of the North African MULPOC. He appealed to African countries to prepare requests for funds within the framework of the special funds allocated to the Industrial Development Decade for Africa (IDDA) for short-term?uT!!?m™ hilG stressin9 that resources were limited, he reassured African States
that UNIDO would do everything possible to reply positively to such requests.
165. The Executive Secretary replied in general to the various questions raised by the participants. First, he observed that the discussions reflected the importance and interest member States attached to the MULPOCs. He informed the meeting that the team of experts currently in the field to review and evaluate the MULPOCs was expected to return to Addis Ababa in time to share its preliminary findings and conclusions with
the Conference of Ministers.
166. The Executive Secretary recalled that when the MULPOCs were set up, UNDP had agreed to finance them for some time only and that that had been the case for four years. Certain core posts had subsequently been approved by the General Assembly.
The financial crisis in the United Nations had affected the whole organization, including the MULPOC programme. He indicated that staff redeployment had been carried out in so far as available resources had allowed and in the light of the need to ensure the smooth running of the work programme at ECA headquarters itself. He further observed that it had been understood that member States would second their own experts to the MULPOCs for limited periods, to take charge of specific projects which necessitated special competence. He also hoped that the report of the MULPOC evaluation mission would provide answers to several outstanding questions, including especially the additional level of resources needed from the General Assembly; UNDP's continued support for the MULPOCs; and the possibility of member States seconding personnel to.the MULPOCs
for limited periods.
167. He then referred to relations between the MULPOCs and subregional intergovern mental organizations, and stated that measures to rationalize the activities of the inter governmental organizations had been undertaken by the West African MULPOC at the request of ECOWAS, but that the results were still poor. He indicated that all intergovernmental organizations were invited to ECA meetings as would be the Maghreb Union once the secretariat of that organization was established. He recalled ECA's efforts to maintain the women's co-ordinator posts and proposed that the Committee should meet with the Director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa during the meeting of the ECA Conference of Ministers, just as the representatives of the Gisenyi-based MULPOC intended to do with the Administrator himself. Finally, he appealed to all African countries to follow Egypt's example in seconding experts to the MULPOCs.
168. The Committee took note of the five reports, endorsed the resolutions and recommendations contained therein, and adopted draft resolution 4 (X).
The Situation of food and agriculture in Africa TagAnria item 5(b)J
(i) Increased use of inputs and statistical information in the development of African
agriculture:
a. Inter-country co-operation in the production and distribution of agricul tural inputs (document E/ECA/CM.15/9);
b. Improvement of marketing policies and programmes with emphasis on agricultural inputs, rural savings and credit facilities for smal farmers and livestock producers, particularly women (document E/ECA/CM.I5/I0J;
c. Improvement of the agricultural data base for women (document
E/ECA/-CM.I5/1I).
(ii) Measures taken to harmonize livestock development policies in Africa: The performance of the subsector and the impact of structural adjustment pro grammes (document E/ECA/CM.15/I2);
(iii) Campaign against migrant locust and grasshoppers; and
(iv) Non-conventional food resources in Africa (document E/ECA/CM.I5/I3).
169. In introducing the item, a representative of the secretariat first drew particular attention to the magnitude of the problems Africa might face in meeting its food needs by the year 2000 and beyond. Recent FAO projections had indicated that Africa would, by the year 2010, need to spend about $US 28.5 billion on food imports while at the same time realizing less than $US 12 billion in its agricultural export earnings. It was therefore very likely that even given surplus food in world markets, many African countries could be financially constrained to obtain the required food imports to meet the needs of
their population.
170. Africa, he said, was the only continent where the Green Revolution had yet to take place as desired. Moreover, programmes initiated by the developed countries had under mined the agricultural export potentials of the African region. In this connection, he made reference to a series of commodities that were traditionally produced and exported by Africa, but which were now being produced in the laboratories of the developed coun tries. Bio-reactors were used to increase animal production and worse still, these artifi cially produced products were in high demand. As it was, Africa had been caught unaware, and if present trends continued, arrangements such as Stabex of the Lom£
Convention could have insignificant impact on Africa's development.
171. Following that preliminary remark, the representative of the secretariat highlighted the essential elements in documents E/ECA/CM.15/9, E/ECA/CM.15/10, E/ECA/CM.I5/II,
E/ECA/CM.I5/I2 and E/ECA/CM.I5/I3.
172. With respect to inter-country co-operation in the production and distribution of agricultural inputs, the representative of the secretariat indicated that at the moment, production and usage of agricultural inputs such as fertilizers were inadequate within the region. He also noted that there was need for fertilizers to account for at least 60 per cent of total inputs to the agricultural sector in order to sustain the desired level of development. Present fertilizer production plants were operating well below capacity with many of them operating at less than 20 per cent. He emphasized that Africa could be self-sufficient in fertilizer production if only existing facilities were made fully operational. As a strategy, inter-country, subregional and regional co-operation in the production and distribution of agricultural inputs was needed.
173. With regard to the improvement of marketing policies and programmes for the development and use of agricultural inputs, rural savings and credit facilities for small farmers and livestock producers, the representative of the secretariat pointed out that small farmers and pastoralists had little or no access to agricultural inputs and credit services. In that regard, he stressed the need for particular attention to be paid to women given their crucial role in the development of the agricultural sector as well
as the fact that they constituted the backbone of the rural economy. He then drew attention to the lack of specific statistics on women's participation in agriculture, which