on Environmental Matters. This group assures effective cross-programm ing between
?he concerned agencies of the United Nations system, through the
Sys*em;wlder^oIum-term Environment Programme (SWMTEP) and the Inter-agency Workmg Group on
Desertification (IAWCD).
117. A report on the management of environmental degradation, particularly drought and desertification aspects, in the implementation of Africa's Priority Programme for Economic Recovery was presented to the ECA Conference of Ministers at its twenty-fourth session in April 1989 (E/ECA/CM.15/14).
118. In the area of the development of manpower capabilities and the creation of environ mental awareneTs through environmental training and education activities, two major activities have been carried out. The first concerned the incorporation of environmental components into the programmes of ECA-sponsored intergovernmental institutions. The second was the servicing of seminars and study tours to China and to the^Soviet Union
in June and October 1988 respectively. J/CtIa^* tAu^-i [X- ^J 4 J A-119. In order to implement General Assembly resolutions 41/186 and 41/187 on the UNEP Perspective for the Environment to the Year 2000 and the Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development respectively, a series of activities on environmental management for sustainable development have been undertaken. One of the main ones was the preparatory work on the organization of a Regional Conference on Environment and Development in Africa, scheduled to be held in Kampala, Uganda, from 12 to 16 June 1989. This meeting is being organized by ECA and UNEP in close collaboration with UNESCO, UNDP, FAO and UNIDO. The conference will be at ministerial level and will bring' together Ministers of Environment, Planning and Education, as well as policy-makers in non-governmental and youth organizations operating in the field of environment. The theme of the conference will be the challenges of incorporating environ
mental considerations into national economic and social development programmes.
120. During iQftft arfvUnry services on combating desertification and the management of drought were undertaken in Ethiopia^imbabwe, Somalia and Djibouti, as well as to the Inter-governmental Authority on Drought and Development (IGADD).
121. In Ethiopia, the mission focused on the establishment of a central authority to co ordinate desertification control activities, including monitoring, evaluation and mapping of the desertification process, reclamation of salinized lands, the search for alternative energy sources to fuelwood and afforestation of degraded lands. The expansion of meteoro
logical services was also addressed.
122. Activities to promote public participation in environmental conservation, self-sufficiency in food production, establishment of woodlots and afforestation were noted in Zimbabwe. The advisory services, therefore, focused on controlling over-grazing in communal lands, the expansion of afforestation programmes, strengthening the search for alternative sources of energy, promoting environmental education at all levels and the need to establish a central authority on environmental matters.
123. Somalia has completed the formulation of a plan of action to combat desertification.
The advisory .services emphasized sand-dune fixation, management of range and salinized lands and the mobilization of public participation in resource management for sustainable
development.
124. Djibouti has produced an inter-ministerial report on the formulation of strategies to mitigate the effects of drought. The advisory mission centred on the establishment of a ministry or department of environment, rather than a forestry department, to address adequately the diverse environmental issues facing the country. 1GADD has formulated a plan of action for combating drought through development within the subregion. The advisory services centred on promoting the establishment of an anti-desertification research institute in a member State and also on the encouragement and support of transboundary environmental programmes, including inter-country study tours and the exchange of information, seeds and plant materials.
Marine affairs
125. During the period under review, there were no regular budget staff available to implement this programme. Bilateral experts provided by the Government of France, however, rendered advisory services to several member States: to the Comoros, on manpower development in the sector; to Seychelles, where a feasibility study was carried out on the establishment of a pilot project for marine and fresh-water shrimp breeding in Mahe, and on the potential for algae export marketing; and to Ethiopia on upgrading the crocodile farm at Arba Minch.
Transport, communications and tourism Transport and tourism
126. During the period under review, the secretariat continued to provide advisory ser vices, undertake studies, issue technical publications and organize and service professional meetings.
127. In the field of general and multimodal transport, advisory services were rendered to Burundi, Rwanda and Zaire to determine the extent to which they could containerize exports and imports through the ports of Dar-es-Salaam and Mombasa. Recommendations were put forward which could help in the opening up of the land-locked CEPCL countries.
128. A study was conducted on costing and rate setting for rail freight traffic, with the aim of reviewing the problems in costing and marketing rail services. Recommenda tions were put forward on increasing commercial efficiency and establishing standard costing systems to facilitate intra-railway rate setting.
129. Activities undertaken in the field of railways dealt with the review of existing policies, plans and projects aimed at developing relevant African industry.
130. The secretariat also prepared guidelines for the evaluation and harmonization of international road transport practices, including the facilitation of international road traffic. They aim to establish standard practices for adoption by all African countries to ensure the smoother operation of international road transport. The recommendations put forward focus on the reduction of non-physical road barriers.
131. Particular attention has been given during the period to the promotion of an African industry to manufacture transport equipment and spare parts in order to reduce imports.
Reports on the subject were prepared and presented at subregional MULPOC meetings.
Member States were urged to pay more attention to long-term development projects thaV would promote such manufacturing industry and also to allocate s.gn.f.cant
invest-ment resources to these projects.
132. In the field of shipping, the main activities undertaken were:
(a) An assessment of Africa's capabilities to promote a shipbuilding and repair industry, with the view of recommending appropriate measures to overcome the problems
that impede the smooth development of such an industry;
(b) The identification of the main bottlenecks hampering the smooth flow of
African maritime trade and proposed solutions;
(c) An attempt to establish a ministerial conference on maritime transport for Eastern and Southern Africa as a permanent mechanism to prepare and implement a global and co-ordinated shipping policy within the subregion in order to optimize the
utilization of scarce resources.
133. Several port-based activities were undertaken:
(a) Promotion of the manufacturing and repair of cargo-handling equipment in order to reduce the import dependence of ports in African countries; also reports to the MULPOCs on the existing situation and recommendations;
(b) Strengthening the Port Management Association for Eastern and Southern Africa (PMAESA) by the continued provision of secretariat services;
(c) Preparation of the Regional Seminar for Senior Officials on Port Organization Planning and Management which is planned for August 1989;
(d) Preparation of a technical publication, in co-operation with the North African Port Management Association, on the facilitation of traffic through ports, in order to ensure the smooth flow of goods (to be published late in 1989).
134. On inland water transport, the main activities were:
(a) Identification of transport facilitation problems and the ways and means of easing Africa's international traffic flow;
(b) Study of activities to ensure the safety of navigation on lakes Kivu and Tanganyika: hydrology, navigational meteorology, ship-to-shore telecommunications and information, dredging and buoyage.
135. The main activity in air transport was the preparation of an African policy to meet changes in the air transport environment, i.e., deregulation in the United States of America, liberalization in Europe, noise restrictions and the introduction of a computerized reservation system. In October 1988, the secretariat organized a Special Meeting of African Ministers responsible for civil aviation to discuss the issues. The meeting resulted in the adoption of the Yamoussoukro Declaration on a new African air transport policy in which the African ministers agreed individually and collectively to promote the necessary climate of co-operation and solidarity to safeguard and develop international air transport activities in Africa. The secretariat was designated to co ordinate the implementation of the Yamoussoukro Declaration.
136. During the period under review, the secretariat also continued to provide technical assistance to countries and African organizations in the field of air transport.
J w ♦ adAvJs.orv ferv.ee m.ss.on on tourism was undertaken to the Economic Community
of West Africa (CEAO) headquarters in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso to assist CEAO to redynamize its tourism programme. The creation of a Tourism Unit within the CEAOsecretariat was proposed.
138. The secretariat maintained close contact with the Preferential Trade Area for Eastern and Southern African States (PTA) by making suggestions on its tourism pro gramme and with the EEC which indicated a willingness to contribute substantially to the organization of the proposed African fair within the framework of the Lome
Convention.
139. Two documents, Le repertoire des experts africains d., tn..r^mf and Le repertoire ties moyens <fe formation pour les metiers du tourisme are under reproduction.
140. In June 1988, the secretariat organized a co-financing meeting in Bujumbura, Burundi, for transport and communications projects of the eastern corridor.
141. The first Inter-agency Co-ordinating Committee meeting of the second United Nations Transport and Communciations Decade in Africa (UNTACDA II) was held in Addis Ababa on 16 and 17 March 1989.
Communications
142. During the period under review, activities in the field of communications (telecom munications - i.e., telephone, telex and its derivatives, broadcasting and postal services) included studies, the organization of seminars, technical assistance to member States, technical publications, participation in professional conferences, continued technical support to UNTACDA I and the preparation of the programme for UNTACDA II,
143. As part of its programme of co-operation with the USSR, the secretariat, in collaboration with UNDP and ITU, organized the second Regional Seminar on Satellite Communications Technology in Moscow in July 1988, which was attended by 33 participants from 30 African countries. The objective was to provide a short training course to upgrade knowledge and improve the professional competence of senior officials concerned with policy, planning and the operation of satellite communication networks.
The programme included study tours to the International Satellite Communication Centre and the International Experimental Centre at Dubna and Sochi respectively.
144. Under the bilateral technical co-operation arrangements with the Federal Republic of Germany, the secretariat, in co-operation with ITU, also organized the second Seminar on Planning of Rural Telecommunications for French- and Portuguese-speaking African countries, held in Yaounde, Cameroon in October/November 1988. The seminar provided a forum for planners from African national telecommunications organizations to share their experiences on the planning, development and expansion of telecommunications to the rural communities and to assist them to determine the best way of using telecom munications systems in support of development efforts. It was attended by 57 participants from 25 African countries, as well as representatives of international organizations
and equipment manufacturers.
145. Fellowships to enable their attendance were provided to all African participants in both of these seminars under the ECA/USSR and ECA/Federal Republic of Germany
co-operation programmes.
146. Technical assistance missions were undertaken at the request of the telecommunica tions organizations of Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Chad and Sao Tome
and Principe:
fa) In April 1988, to assist the Uganda Posts and Telecommunications Corporation with plans to introduce digital technologies in the national network and develop proposals
for the next stages of network development;
(b) In June 1988, to the Tanzania Posts and Telecommunications Corporation to prepare plans and strategies for the development of rural telecommunications services using subscriber access systems based on population census data provided by the Ministry
of Planning and Economic Affairs;
(c) In September 1988 to Chad, to assist in formulating plans and strategies for the extension of telecommunication services to the rural areas;
(d) In June 1988, to Sao Tome and Principe, to assist in formulating postal services policy for the reorganization of a mail routing plan.
147. In its role as a member of the Inter-agency Co-ordinating Committee (IACC), com posed of 10 international, regional and subregional organizations, the secretariat provided short-term technical advisory services to Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Uganda in the preparation of their national reports for the feasibility study of the African Regional Satellite Communication System (RASCOM), which is to be completed in the mid-1990s.
148. A publication on the Organization and evaluation of existing mail and parcel routing networks in Africa (E/ECA/CMU/28) was completed in November 1988 and despatched to all ministries of posts and telecommunications in member States and to relevant
regional organizations.
149. Several reports were prepared and presented at various meetings:
(a) In October 1988 and in collaboration with the IACC, a Progress report on the RASCOM feasibility study was prepared for review by the first meeting of the Interim Executive Committee of RASCOM;
(b) Development of telecommunications in Africa during the programme of the United Nations Transport and Communications Decade in Africa (E/ECA/CMU/24), prepared for the meeting of the Annual Regional Telecommunications Conference (ARTC/PANAFTEL) of the Eastern and Southern African countries, held in Kampala,
Uganda, in September 1988;
(c) Telecommunications development in Africa - Process and policy (TRANSCOM/224), a report prepared in January 1989 for the meetings of the Councils
of Ministers of the MULPOCs.
150. In addition to the preparation of the programme for UNTACDA II, other activities included preparations for the establishment of a rural telecommunication pilot project and for the organization of a seminar on the economic aspects of expansion and modernization of national telecommunication networks for English-speaking countries.
International trade and development finance Domestic trade
151. During the period under review, the secretariat carried out a study entitled Alterna tive patterns of domestic trade structures and mechanisms for the establishment of more rational distribution channels and domestic financial markets (E/ECA/TRADE/88/20), which analysed the historical background to the domestic
production and distribution of food products, the items of industrial production involved in domestic trade and the import of consumer goods.
152. The study was presented to the Meetings of Officials and the Councils of Ministers of the five MULPOCs. A recommendation was made that the material be updated.
Intra-African trade
153. As part of secretariat assistance to the member countries of the North African MULPOC, a mission went to Egypt, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Morocco and Tunisia to brief those countries on the technical issues involved in establishing the Preferential Trade Area for North Africa and advising them on the national action required to promote the PTA. As a result, the countries visited determined to participate in the negotiations to establish the PTA and showed their readiness to assist in preparing the studies which would form the basis for their mutual co-operation.
As part of the continuing assistance to ECCAS member States, consultants were recruited to undertake two studies, one on harmonizing and standardizing trade documentation and procedures and the other on transit trade in the Central African
subregion.
Trade promotion
155. Pursuant to the recommendations and decisions of the eighth session of the Con ference of African Ministers of Trade, which called upon the OAU and ECA to assist member States in organizing the fifth All-Africa Trade Fair, the secretariat participated in that event, which took place in Kinshasa, Zaire, from 16 to 31 July 1988. A trade information pavi 11 ion was set up to popularize United Nations and ECA activities for Africa's socio-economic development. Workshops and seminars on intra-African trade and the Industrial Development Decade for Africa (IDDA) were organized. At the seminar on intra-African trade, the following papers were presented: (i) The development and expansion of intra-African trade: a policy paper; (ii) Statistical analysis of intra-African trade; (iii) Compendium of decisions, recommendations and resolutions on intra-African trade; and (iv) Issues of the African Trade Bulletin.
156. The papers were discussed and several recommendations were made that efforts should be increased to reduce and eventually remove all trade and customs barriers to intra-African trade within the existing subregional groupings; national investment policies should be rationalized; efforts should be increased to create industries based on the processing of locally available inputs; transport and banking facilities should be improved; and recourse made to counter trade to reduce clearing house imbalances
and the use of foreign currencies*
157. At the seminar on the link between agriculture and industry within the framework of the IDDA, a paper entitled A strategy of dynamic link between agriculture and indus trial developments was presented. The recommendations put forward at the seminar included priority to the development of agriculture, with strong emphasis on promoting industries manufacturing agricukural machinery; the rehabilitation and restructuring of industries producing goods destined for the rural majority; the strengthening of small-scale rural industries and the creation of small-small-scale engineering industries manufacturing spare parts for the maintenance of rural infrastructures.
158. In the context of the dissemination of information to member States, publications such as Flash on Trade Opportunities, African Trade Bulletin and the Directory of Cham bers of Commerce, Industry, Agriculture and Mines was prepared and distributed.
of the necessary office space and equipment and it was agreed in principte to grant
immunity to FACC staff. As a follow-up, a delegation from Egypt visited ECA to con-dude negotiations before the headquarters agreement was finalized by the appropnate
Egyptian authorities.
160. The secretariat participated in the Workshop on the Unit£ N.tUw Electronic Data Interchange for Administration, Commerce and Transport CEDIFACT), which was held in Baghdad, Iraq, on 14 and 15 December 1988. It was organized by the Economic