text: Thechangewouldbereflected inthefinalversion oftheproposed programme budget. *UnitedStatesofAmerica. -50-271. crit spec dist reso sect' tot ofU inclcrit' 272. bindi progr notm thro 273. hadr Plan onth bee~ thes 1986- /t·".'for .ict Isof :ies lost. to nent 113 ~for m )0of )leum Jdget.r !2.Discussion 269.Anumberofdelegations soughtclarification ofthecriteria employed inthe determination oftheoverall budgetary allocation fortheprogrammes ofthe Commission. Onedelegation feltthattherateofgrowthof1.6percentofthe proposed budgetofECAwasinsufficient. Several delegations expressed theview thattheactivities included intheproposed programme budgetforECAdidnot reflect theimportance givenbytheGeneral Assembly totheeconomic situation in Africa, whichhadalsobeenrecognized bytheEconomic andSocialCouncil in deciding onthepriorities tobeobserved andbytheSecretary-General inlaunching hisinitiative concerning Africa. 270.Withregardtothequestion ofcriteria foroverall bUdgetary allocations, the Director oftheOfficeforProgramme Planning andCO-ordination informed the Committee thatnof.inancial targets wereestablished inconnection withthe preparation ofeithertheproposed programme budgetofECAorthatofanyother regional commission. Similarly, notargets wereappliedatanystageduringthe internal reviewoftheproposed programme budgets oftheregional commissions. The matterwasfurtherclarified bymeansofadescription ofthesalient aspects of thereviewprocess wherein thelevelofrequired reSOurces forthevarious budget sections isdetermined inthelightofsubmitted programmes. 271.Therepresentative oftheBudgetDivision pointed outthat,inrelation tothe critical situation inAfrica, theSecretary-General hadbeenpursuing anumberof special measures. Theyincluded programmes andcorresponding budgetary allocations distinct fromthoseofECA,aswellasactivities financed fromextrabudgetary resources. Consequently, thosemeasures andtheircostswerenotreflected in section 13oftheproposed programme budgetfor1986-1987. Healsodrewattention tothefactthattheprogrammes ofmanyUnitedNationsentities, especially those ofUNICEF, UNDPandtheDepartment ofTechnical CO-operation forDevelopment, included activities whichaddressed problems directly related tothecurrent critical situation inAfrica. (a)Policy-making organs 272.Aquestion wasraisedconcerning paragraph 13.4onexternal printing and binding, andspecifically onthemeaning ofthephrasenredeployments fromother programmes". Therepresentative oftheBudgetDivision statedthatthephrasedid notmeancurtailment ofstaffresources. Itreferred tosavings accrued toECA through reduction ofprinting costs,resulting fromthepurchase ofnewequipment. (b)Foodandagriculture inAfrica 273.Onedelegation recalled thattheCOmmittee atitstwenty-second session 11/ hadrecommended that,inthemedium-term planfor1984-1989, thewords"theLagos PlanofAction" shouldbereplaced bythewords"General Assembly resolution 35/64 ontheLagosPlanofAction" inallprogrammes ofECA.Thatrecommendation had beeQsUbsequently adopted bytheGeneral Assembly andthedelegation suggested that thesamephrasing shouldbeusedalsointheproposed programme budgetfor 1986-1987, notonlyinprogramme element 1.2ofprogramme 1butthroughout. -51-. I····:····, i,,277.Inaccordance withitspolicyofopposing theestablishment ofnewposts withintheregular. budget, onedelegation* reserved itsposition regarding the establishment offournewpostsinECA.276.Inresponse toaquestion concerning output(iii)ofprogramme element 1.1 (Techncial co-operation fordeveloping national environmental capabilities) ofthe programme onenvironment, therepresentative ofECAstatedthattheactivity was carried out ~nco-operation withtheWorldMeterological Organization (WMO).2 ar c t pr re in an28r
analysis: The text discusses the proposed programme budget for the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the activities included in it. It mentions the importance of addressing the economic situation in Africa, which suggests a focus on economic development. The text also mentions specific programs and activities, such as technical cooperation for developing national environmental capabilities, which could fall under the category of Natural resources and environment. Additionally, the text mentions the establishment of new posts in ECA, which could be related to Employment.