A N
SOCIAL COUNC
f
ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA Sixth sessionAddis Ababa, 19 February - 3 March 1964
PROVISIONAL
E/CN.14/C«l/SR
3 March 1964 ENGLISH
Original FRENCH
COMMITTEE I
PROVISIONAL SUMMARY RECORD OF TEE TWENTY-FIRST MEETINi Held at Africa Hall, Addis Ababa,
on Friday 2c February 1964, at 4»15 pomo
Chairman
Secretary 1
Mr. SIDIKOU (Niger)
Mr. SWING
CONTENTS
Statistics (e/CNd14/255? E/CN.14/256)(item 5 (h) of the agenda) (0 on t inue d)
Surveys (item 5 (f) of the agenda)
(i) Progress Report on the Economic Survey of Africa (e/cn.14/252)
Agriculture (item 5 (c) of the agenda) (continued)
Preliminary Report on the African Timber Trends Study
(E/CN.14/242) (continued)
The Place of Agriculture in the Harmonization and Co-ordination
of National Development Plans in Africa (E/CN.14/L.180)
Participants wishing to have corrections made to this provisional summary record are requested to write them on a copy of the record and to send the corrected copy to the Translation Section, Room 60, as soon as possible. If necessary> the corrected oopy may be sent by post (to the
Translation Sections Economic Commission for Africa, P.0o Box 3001,
Addia Ababa, Ethiopia) after the session, in that case? it should arrive
not later than 30 April 1964.
64-906
E/C¥.14/C.l/SR.21(VI)
STATISTICS .(E/CN. 14/255, E/CN.14/256)(item 5 (h) of the agenda) (continued)
Mr. EL-TAIFIL (Secretariat) replied to various observations made
by the delegations during the preceding meeting.
He stated in reply to the representative of Kenya that as the debate on the establishment of a middle-grade statistical training centre for East Africa had apparently given rise to the impression that funds would be available for the establishment of that centre already in 1964? it was' necessary to dispel the misunderstanding. It was unfortunately not the Economic Commission for Africa that decided on the apportionment of Technical Assistance funds, which were, moreover, allocated two years in advance0 Nevertheless, the Economic Commission for Africa would attempt to discover if there were any funds lying idle for 1964. Failing those funds? the projected centre could perhaps be established at the beginning of 1965.
With regard to the data processing unit of the Economic Commission for Africa, 30 per cent of its activities should, in' principle, be devoted to the work of the secretariat of the Economic Commission for Africa9 the remainder being at the disposal of the African countries. If the unit was not operating at full capacity, that was because a number of countries had not yet. entrusted it with their work. ' ■
It had been proposed recently to extend the utilization of statistical data in Africa, and the Commission was considering whether it would be appropriate to- replace the standard data processing equipment with elec tronic equipment^ l^t no decision had yet been reach.
The Economic Commission for Africa did not see any prospect of taking action on the suggestion of the Ghana delegation to set up a standing committee on Agriculture to deal with agricultural statistics. The.
Statistical Division would therefore continue to carry out its duties in that sector in conjunction with the Food and Agriculture Organization,
E/CN.14/Cl/SR.2l(Vl)
0
It was only recently, as the. result of a meeting on the question
of evaluating capital formation, held in October 1963, that the Statistical Division had included statistics on capital formation in its range of
activities.
The CHAIRMAN declared the debate on statistics closed.
SURVEYS (item 5 (f) of the agenda)
(i) Progress report on the Economic Survey of Africa (e/CN.14/252)
Mr. STAMMKOVIC (Secretariat) said that the Survey on the Economic Situation in Africa had been undertaken under a decision of the Commission at its fifth session,
The Economic Commission for.Africa had organized a special team composed mainly of members of the staff of the section for Economic Surveys, but also of some members from other divisions. The Survey could thus be considered as a joint enterprise of the whole secretariat.
Work had commenced with tours of various countries, followed by. the preparation of a number of monographs which were designed to serve as working documents, and which so far numbered seventeen.
At the conclusion of the first phase, an analysis of the main sectors of economic activity from the sub-regional point of view had
been undertaken.. That analysis was almost completed, and the preparation of three integrated surveys, each of which dealt with one of the three sub-regions, had began. Like the definitive Survey, each sub-regional survey would fall into three parts, a table showing the economy of the sub-region since I960, the growth trends and forms of growth observed from I95O -to 1962,. and the existing development situation, together with future prospects and possibilities of growth, including economic and social policies that should promote more rapid developments in the
sub-region.
E/CK.14/C.l/SR.21(VI)
Page 3
In response to the wishes expressed at the fifth session, the
secretariat was paying particular attention to giving -greatest importance
to the third part of the Survey.
Although the Economic Commission for Africa had reason to congratulate itself on the work accomplished up to that date, it did not doubt that it would- hay.p to, overcome enormous difficulties by reason of the lack of
information,'"that was 'pa'ri^cularly noticeable in the case of West Africa.
It would not be possible to fill in all the gaps, specially as regards basic data, such as the internal gross product and the other economic
aggregates.
The Survey of the Economic Situation in Africa must not be considered as a definitive document: the purpose of that document was only to serve
as a foundation for future work.
The CHAIRMAN considered that the report E/CN.14/252 did not lend itself to discussion, as there still remained a great deal to.be.., done before the Survey was completed. He therefgre proposed that note
should be taken of the document.
It was so decided.
E/CN.14/C.l/SE.2l(VI)
Page 4 ■
AGRICULTURE (item 5(c) of the agenda) (continued)
Preliminary Report on the African Timber Trends Study (e/CN.14/242) (continued) Mr. KISSIN, (ECA/FAO Consultant) said he had been unable to take
part in the discussion on that item and outlined the aims of the study undertaken by ECA in collaboration with FAO. It was a survey of the timber situation in Africa, similar to surveys already undertaken, for Europe, Asia and the Far East, and more recently; Latin America. The
primary purpose of the survey was to gain an over-all piotute 6f the r$««\ircee}
production; and present and future consumption of wood and wood products in Africa, combining in a single document all the available information, which was widely dispersed. Estimates of future consumption, calculated for a
period up to 19751 were'particularly important for the guidance of national
development plans. The aim was not to make' a study of each individual country- but to givo a general outline which national authorities concerned could use for--their own ends; ' ■ ■ ■: ■ . -
Compared with other studies -of the-kind, the African study laid
particular oi^phasis 011 trade in wood, for :two reasons: firstly, because that sector was of great importance for African economies^ and secondly because . it was estimated that wood would be in short supply in many important
maikets, European markets in particular5 a fact which sfi.ou'1'd 'be "advant-a-geous for African products.
The CHAIRMAN, on behalf of the Committee, took note of Mr. Kissin's statementj and hoped that ECA and FAO would continue with the useful work they had undertaken.
The placo of agriculture in the harmonization and co-ordination of national
development plans in Africa (E/CN.14/L.18O)
The CHAIRMAN said that the representative of Ghana had put forward orally the proposals contained in the paper now before the Committee,
(E/CN.14/L.I80). Many of the matters mentioned had already been dealt with by tho Committee in its discussion on agenda item 5(c), "Contribution
of African agriculture to the economic and social development of the
continent"; the Committee now had to decide what further action should be taken on that important document.
E/CN.14/C.l/3R.21(VI)
Page 5
Mr. M'DAW (Mali) considered that the adoption of the proposal made
"by the representative of Ghana for "One Government, one plan" for the whole continent, involved a radically new attitude;, and should therefore be
communicated to the Organization for African Unity.
The aims outlined by the delegate of Ghana were in fact fully in keeping with the aspirations of most African States, hut it would undoubtedly be some considerable time before those aspirations became a reality. The idea of
"beginning the integration of Africa with agriculture, which was more suited than any other doctor to such a scheme on account of the complementary nature of the different climatic zones, seemed an excellent one. Since the matter was outside the Committee's terms of reference, however, his delegation would not take up a position the matter. He would bring the attention of the Bamako
authorities, concerned, to- -that interesting suggestion-^ ■■ for which he thanked the
delegate of Ghana. . ■ ■" .... ■ -■
Mr. MAZIGH (Tunisia) said he would only give a few of his preliminary impressions on a.document which was extremely interesting both from the
viewpoint of politic-.,! ideology and of economic development.
The importance of agriculture as part of the general economy and as the foundation of industrialization was generally recognized. Because of their extremely political character, however, the proposals of the delegate of Ghana should t'iret be submitted to the Organization of African Unity. The Ghanaian Government should itself communicate its proj.os.ul to the Organization of African Unity, as well as to the other African Governments. The
Conference of African Planners which was to be held shortly should also be informed.
Mr. RABELAORO (Madagascar) thought that a single development plan for the whole African continent would bo unworkable at the present time,
when so many national plans were at different stages of advancement. In any event5 all attempts at harmonization should first be made on a theoretical levelj the rest would follow more easily,
Mr. BROUGH (Kenya) stressed that co-ordination of agricultural
programmes at an all-African level was entirely in keeping with the views of the Kenya Government., but since the Committee had not had time to giveE/CN.14/C.l/SR.2l(Vl)
Page 6
sufficiently full consideration to the proposals of the delegate of Ghana, he supported the suggestions with1 regard to them made "by the delegate of Tunisia.
Mr. ASM (Ghana) pointed out that the Commission had added the *
question raised by Ghana to its agenda, and had passed it to the Economic .,*
Committee for consideration. The proposal made fey Ghana had thus "become an official document of the Conference, on which appropriate action should be taken.
Mr. CURTIS (Guinea) proposed that the Committee should take note
of the statement made "by the delegate of Ghana, declare it outside tho Commission's terms■ of reference, and recommend that it should "be submitted to the Organization of African Unity for decision.The Committee decided to request the delegates of Ghana, Guinea and Tunisia to draw up a draft resolution to that effect.
The mesting rose at 5.30 P.m.
