Information paper on the special fund activities in Africa

UNITED NATIONS

ECONOMIC

AND

SOCIAL COUNCIL

ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA Third session

Provisional Agenda item 7(c)

KJ 4. Distr, GENERAL

E/CN,14/ ?6

26 January 1961

ORIGINAL: ENGLISH

INFORMATION PAPER ON

THE SPECIAL FUND ACTIVITIES IN AFRICA Prepared by the United Nations Special Fund

1» The Commission had before it at its second session an informa

tion paper on assistance to Governments rendered by the SjEcial Fund

(E/CN.14/53). Tne present paper is a follow-up report. It describes

briefly the spheres of activity of the Special Fund and its operations in

Africa during 1959 and i960, the first two years of its existence,

2. As was noted in document E/CN.14/53, the Special Fund concentrates

on relatively large projects likely to contribute substantially to an under developed country's economic'growth* Its major fields vf activity have

thus far been:

(a) resource surveys which lead to early results and have the

widest possible impact in advancing the economy of the

country concerned;

(b) training projects which concentrate on training local

vocational instructors and on advanced training of students in technology; and

(c) applied research projects which contribute to increased production, investment, and productivity.

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3« While the experience cf the Special Fund in its first two years of operation has proven the soundness of concentrating its limited resources

in these three major fields of activity, it has recently decided tc support also certain related pre-investment activities. One such new area of

assistance is in the field of secondary education, notably in setting up certain teacher training institutions in countries where the present number of students at the secondary level is so low that it presents a major impediment to economic development. The first such project was approved by the Governing Council last December — the establishment in Nigeria ef a Federal College fcr tte training of secondary school teachers.

Formal requests for similar projects have since been received from Cameroun, Ivory Coast and Sudan and are now under active consideration

by the Special Fund,

4. The Special Fund may also assist Governments in the field of * economic planning and -programming, working in close collaboration with the Hegi.nal emissions and other United Nations bodies. Such assistance may extend to the establishment and operation of regional institutes which' would have the dual function of providing, on governmental request, expert

services in the field of development planning and programming and of offer

ing practical case-study training for nationals.

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, 5, The Special Fund may also be interested in requests from Governments

to help carry out detailed manpower surveys especially in those countries where the absence of basic data on manpower availabilities and requirements

presents serious difficulties in the proper formulation of national educa tional and training programmes»

6. Within the above-noted spheres of its activity, the Special Fund

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has thus far approved 27 projects for African countries and territories, representing about one-fifth of the total funds allocated. The proportion of African projects in the programmes approved to date has increased, both in the number of projects and amounts allocated,. Thus, in 1959? seven, pro jects were approved for .^-"rica, accounting for 10$ of the amount allocated for the total programme that year; in I960 twenty"projects were approved for African countries and territories, representing 21$ of the total amount allocated last yearo

^ 7. The cost of the 27 approved projects is approximately $39,000,000 of which the Special Fund allocation is #18,025,500 and the counterpart contribution oy the recipient Governments is approximately $21,00C;CX, In addition tj these projects, a large number of African countries and . territories are participating in the Special Fund Denert Locust Survey, and

inter-regional project which also includes countries in the Middle East and Asia*

8, Progress in the execution of these projects is-generally satis^

factory. Plans of Operation governing the execution of 12 nf the 14

projects which had been apprrved by the Governing Council through May

I960 have been signed by the Governments a*id the Executing Agencies

concerned and by the Special Fund and negotiations on the remaining two are wsll advanced. Plans of Operation for the 13 projects approved by the Governing Council last December are in preparation.

9» Field operations ~»n 10 projects are at present under way in the

following countries and territories: Ghana, Guinea, Idbya, Morocco,

Nigeria,, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, and the United Arab Republic, The Desert.

Locust project is also under execution.

U. The status of each of the 27 approved projects as of January 1961 is summarized in the fallowing pages.

11. The Managing Director of the Special Fund recognizes the urgent needs

if African countries and territories fir assistance in the fields of pre- investment activity and is anxious tc see this assistance expanded. At present thirty requests are under active consideration by the Special Fund

and many more are believed to be under consideration by Governments,, The

Managing Director is currently visiting a number of the newly independent

countries in West and Central Africa to discuss with their officials the

assistance which could be rendred to them by the Special Fund.

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12, On the basis of the requests now under study it appears that the expressed and legitimate needs of the underdeveloped countries in all

regions of the wcrld for pre-investment assistance are outstripping the Special Fund's ability to meet them. A sizeable increase in the Fund's - resources is needed this year if it is to continue to make an effective

contribution in this field.

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STATUS OF SPLCIAL FU1TD PROJECTS IN AFRICA AS OF MILJ3Y 1961

Approved Special Plan of Hxecutj

"by Gover- Fund Operation of Proje ning ■ Allocation Signed Commence

Country and Project Council (.date) (date)

THIOPIA

Awash River Basin Development Survey May '60 $930,100 School for Veterinary Assistants Dec.'60 432,700

JHANA ■ ' ' ' '

Volta River Flood Plain Survey May '59 385,^00 9.12.59 8.1.60

GUINEA ' '

General Development Survey May '59 425,000 7-1-60 25.2.60

LIBERIA

Agricultural Training and Research Dec.'6O 1,006,900

T T~BYA '

Institute for Higher Technology Dec.'59 1,116,000 16.9-60 3.10.60 Radio and Telecommunications School Dec.'6O 523,600

t tpt? Af1 r* n

" Engineering School May '60 751,500 8.10.60 1.12.60 Rif Region Development Survey May '60 702,800 1.11.60

Civil Aviation School Dec.'60 624,200

J Niger River Dam Survey Dec.'59 735,000 7.3.60 10.3-60

Training of Teachers for Secondary

Schools Dec.'60 1,052,200

Agricultural and ater Surveys Dec.'6O 928,800

3UDAH

Animal Health Institute Dec.'6O 264,900

Hides, Skins and Leathers Development

and Training Project Dec.'6O 521,000

^Land aM Water Use Survey May -60 700,000 23-12.60 11.1.61

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Country and Project

TUNISIA

Agricultural Research in Central Tunisia

Civil Aviation School ED ARAB REPUBLIC

Drainage of Irrigated Land

Soil Survey from Aerial Photographs

QroundwtQr Re sources Survey

(Syrian Region)

Civil Aviation Training School Pood Processing Project

Cotton Research Laboratory Animal Health Institute

Vocational Instructor Training Institute

UNITED KINGDOM, UGANM Aerial Geophysical Survey

Approved

"by Gover ning Council

May '60 Dec.160

May '59 May '59

Dec.'59

May '60 Dec.'60 Dec.'60 Dec.'60

Special Fund

Allocation

$897?200

640,500

365,000 327,500

507,000 1,063,400 568,300 687,300 668,000

Plan of Operation Signed

(date)

13.9.60

27.12.60 10. 3.60 29. 9-60

Execution of Project Commenced

(date)

23.9.60

24.5.60

28.12.60

Dec.'60 888,100

May '60 313,500 30.11.60 15.12,60