The General Assembly,
 
     Reaffirming the Vienna Programme of Action on Science and Technology for
Development, adopted by the United Nations Conference on Science and
Technology for Development and subsequently endorsed and reaffirmed by the
General Assembly,
 
     Reaffirming also its resolution 46/151 of 18 December 1991, the annex to
which contains the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in
the 1990s, having as its priority objectives the accelerated transformation,
integration, diversification and growth of the African economies, in order to
strengthen them within the world economy,
 
     Having considered the report of the Joint Inspection Unit entitled
"United Nations system support for science and technology in Africa", and the
conclusions and recommendations contained therein,
 
     Recognizing the crucial significance of science and technology, including
the related information technologies, for planning, development and
decision-making in science and technology and the promotion of endogenous
capacity-building in science and technology in the process of growth and
development,
 
     Recognizing also that the fundamental objective of science and technology
to meet basic needs should be to create conditions that increase the ability
of people living in poverty to gain access to, fully understand, integrate,
use and generate knowledge and technology creatively in order to satisfy their
basic needs,
 
     Stressing the importance of South-South cooperation in the promotion of
science and technology in Africa in the context of, inter alia, modalities for
economic and technical cooperation among developing countries,
 
     Noting the efforts being undertaken by African leaders within the
Presidential Forum on the Management of Science and Technology for Development
in Africa, 1995-2005,
 
     Taking note of the Cairo Agenda for Action, adopted on 28 June 1995 by
the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African
Unity at its thirty-first ordinary session,
 
     1.   Takes note of the report of the Joint Inspection Unit entitled
"United Nations system support for science and technology in Africa", and the
comments of the Administrative Committee on Coordination thereon;
 
     2.   Requests the Secretary-General to continue to promote and implement
activities in support of science and technology in Africa in the context of
the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s;
 
     3.   Also requests the Secretary-General, in consultation with the
organizations, funds and programmes of the United Nations system, to make
concrete proposals on activities, in the context of the mid-term review of the
United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s, to be
carried out in 1996, aimed at strengthening United Nations system support for
science and technology in Africa, taking into account the views and
recommendations contained in the reports mentioned above and other relevant
resolutions of the General Assembly, and to report thereon to the Assembly at
its fifty-first session.