text: 30.15 Amongtheobjectives ofthedifferent sectors oftheeconomy oftheECA region, priority attention willbepaidtothosethatarecrucial indefining and accelerating thescopeandpaceofeconomic andsocialdevelopment oftheregionin the19905. Inthatcontext, highpriority willbeattached tohumanresources planning, development andutilization, withaviewtoabetterintegration ofall population groupsindevelopment. Thatwillbedoneinthecontext ofactivities tobeundertaken undersUbprogramme 1(Development issues andpolicies intheECA region). Highpriority willalsobegiventosubprogramme 2(Agricultural and ruraldevelopment), subprogramme 10(Industrial development), subprogramme 14 (Energy) andsubprogramme 17(Transport, communications andtourism). B.SUbprogrammes SUBPROGRAMME 1.DEVELOPMENT ISSUES ANDPOLICIES INTHEECAREGION (a)Objectives 30.16 Thelegislative authority forthesubprogramme derives fromvarious General Assembly, Economic andSocialCouncil andEconomic Commission forAfrica reSOlutions, themostrecent andpertinent ofwhichareAssembly resolutions S-13/2, 40/100, 41/142, 41/174, 42/54,43/194, 44/57, 44/78,44/169, 44/221, 44/222 and44/223; Council resolutions 1986/51, 1987/48, 1989/72 and1989/120; and Commission resolutions 601(XXIII), 631(XXIII), 633(XXIII), 644(XXIII), 658(XXIV), 659(XXIV), 673(XXIV)and676(XXIV). 30.17 Thesubprogramme addresses theproblems ofmaking keypolicydecisions with longgestation periods andrequiring acoherent macro-economic andsocial framework. Manycountries oftheregionexperience limited structural changeand socialtransformation andmodest economic growth. Productivity islowandlarge -7- Digitized by Dag Hammarskjöld Librarygroupsofthepopulation ofthosecountries livebelowthepoverty level. Links between theeconomic sectors aretenuous. Mostofthosecountries lackthe necessary resources, thetechnological infrastructure andtherequired capacity for development. Changes inthestructure ofproduction, tradeandconsumption patterns, aswellastheefficient useofscarceresources, arerequired inorder tosustain anequitable growthforAfrican countries andtheregion asawhole. 30.18Despite someprogress ineconomic andsocialdevelopment, ithasproved difficult totranslate objectives intospecific regional policies suitedtovery changing international andregional environments. Thereisstilladifferent understanding andassessment ofthesocial andeconomic forcesatworkinthe process ofdevelopment, oftheproperpolicyinstruments touseandofthe conditions required fortheirrespective applications intheregion. Further co-ordination ofregional policies ofeconomic andsocialdevelopment andthe creation ofeffective regional andinterregional integration arrangements are therefore essential. 30.19 Amongtheproblems affecting thedevelopment process intheregion, the crucial issueisthecoherent planning, development andutilization ofhuman resources. Theproblem isrootedininadequate educational andtraining systems, whichproduce individuals withgeneral knowledge andskillsnotsuitedtothe immediate needsofnational development. Atthesametime,severeshortages of skilled andhighlyqualified manpower inthekeysectors oftheeconomy have continued tobeexperienced. Thatproblem hasbeencompounded bytheuseofthe available skilled andhighlyqualified manpower intasksunrelated totheirfields ofspecialization. Oneobvious result, therefore, hasbeenanincreasing tendency torelyheavily onexpatriate personnel, especially inthescientific, technical andtechnological fields, asasolution tomeeting immediate development needs, whileefforts arebeingmadetoredress theeducation imbalance andbias. More important, however, isthathighlyqualified andskilled African personnel continue toleavetheircountries foremployment elsewhere, particularly indeveloped
analysis: The text appears to be focused on the development of the economy of the ECA region, with a specific emphasis on human resources, industrial development, energy, and transportation. It highlights the need for coherent planning and utilization of human resources, as well as the challenges faced by the region in terms of limited structural change, social transformation, and modest economic growth.