1.
CU INTERIOR PAN FROM Organisation of African Unity (OAU) delegation seated in African Hall in Addis Ababa, PAN TO members of World Health Organisation and other delegates
0.20

2.
CU: Executive Secretary of Economic Commission for Africa (E.C.A.) Dr Adebayo Adedeji speaking in English
0.37

3.
SVs: Delegates from Ethiopia, Gambia, Rwanda, Tanzania.
1.00

4.
CU: Dr. Adedeji speaking.
1.12

5.
SV: Delegates applaud
1.16

6.
CU Under Secretary General for Special Political Questions of the E.C.A. Mr. Abdulrahim Farah speaking in English
1.22

7.
CU PAN: Delegates from Lesotho Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger and the Sudan. (2 shots)
1.49

8.
CU: Mr Farah speaking.
1.59


TRANSCRIPT: SEQ. 4: ADEDEJI:"Emphasis in this document is placed on domestic policies, together with some of the supporting policies, needed from the international community to support the expanded domestic efforts of African least developed countries. It is hoped that the policies suggested will be examined critically and priorities identified and agreed to. The fourth task of the conference, if I may suggest, is to examine, on the basis of the above mentioned document prepared by the E.C.A. secretariat and supporting documents prepared by under-secretariats, the transit facilities for land-locked countries, in particular, action and assistance needed from this commission to improve collaboration with the efforts for the seventeen important transit transport corridors in Africa."



SEQ. 8: FARAH:"The conference takes place at a time when these countries are having to face severe adverse economic forces beyond their control forces which continue to have a serious impact on their already weak and vulnerable economies. The immediate interest of my office in this conference arises from the fact that it has been entrusted by the Secretary-General with the responsibility of co-ordinating special programmes of economic assistance for 13 countries in Africa. These assistance programmes were recommended to the international community by either the Security Council or the General Assembly."





Initials RH/





Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: The problems and prospects of the least developed African countries were discussed at a conference organised by the United Nations Organisation -- the Economic Commission for Africa (E.C.A.). The conference was held in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa from Monday (17 march) to Saturday (22 March).

SYNOPSIS: Among the speakers was the Executive Secretary of the E.C.A., Dr Adebayo Adedeji, who said the conference was log overdue in continent which had the lowest per capita income among all continents of the world. He referred to a United Nations documents on prospects for the least-developed countries.

Another speaker was E.C.A. official, Mr. Adbulrahim Farah.