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*
Having mentioned in the preceeding paragraph that remote sensing activities are undertaken
in some African countries, the focus of this Chapter will be: the form in which these can be seen,
and who the undertakers are: Chapter V of the paper will also concentrate on problems identi-
fied which have resulted in partial effectiveness of the application of the technology by the
African nationals themselves. It will also attempt suggestions for overcoming some of those prob-
lems.
As one intimately connected with the implementation of the African Remote Sensing Pro-
gramme in the secretariat of the Economic Commission for Africa, and an offeror of technical
advisory services to the countries of the ECA member States as well,as the co-ordinator of their
remote sensing activities for effective use, | can distinctly classify remote sensing undertakings
in Africa into the following three broad categories:
(a) Activities at international and regional level;
(b) Activities at subregional level: and
(c) Activities at national level.
4.1 Remote Sensing activities at international and regional level
Activities at this level are undertaken at the headquarters of the Economic Commission for
Africa, Addis Ababa and at Bamako, the Republic of Mali where the headquarters of the African
Remote Sensing Council is located. At the ECA headquarters, these are at both international/
inter-regional and regional levels, whilst at the headquarters of the African Remote Sensing
Council, the activities are confined to the implementation of the established regional programme
(ARSP).
As one of the regional commissions of the United Nations, the Economic Commission for
Africa has responsibility for co-ordinating the activities of its member States in space science and
technology for peaceful uses of the outer space. This responsibility required that it contributes to
the report of the United Nations Secretary General to the General Assembly on ''Co-ordination
of the Activities of the United Nations System on Peaceful Uses of Outer Spaces.” The contribu-
tions which are generally through the Outer Space Affairs Division at the United Nations Head-
quarters in New York, are based on information received from the subregional remote sensing
centres established under the auspices of the ECA and in pursuance of General Assembly resolu-
tions 2955 (XXVII) and 3182 (XVIII). The secretariat of the ECA also co-sponsors, or collabora-
tes with the Office of the United Nations Expert on Space Applications to organize regional and
interregional seminars and workshops on specific activities implementing the recommendations
of UNISPACE-82. Three such seminars were co-sponsored by the ECA secretariat in preparation
for the Second United Nations Conference on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, held in Vienna,
Austria in 1982. One of these was for the ECA member States (regional), another brought toge-
ther the representatives of the member States of ECA and ESCWA (interregional), whilst the third,
at the later level, mapped out the strategies for the implementation of UNISPACE-82 recommen-
dations. ECA is also represented at the Inter-Agency meetings, whenever its resources permit.
There is cooperation between it and the relevant Division of the United Nations Headquarters
and its specialized agencies in jointly implementing remote sensing activities of common interest.
Purely at the (African) regional level, the ECA activities in remote sensing are concerned with
the development of the technology and its applications both at subregional and national levels.
In its formative years, the programme was ‘’housed’’ at the secretariat of the Commission which
functioned in an ad interim capacity until it moved into its permanent headquarters in Bamako,
Mali (1982). As an ex-officio member of the African Remote Sensing Council, and active partici-
pant at the meetings of the Regional Management Committees of the established centres, ECA's
TA FS ME RE IS
Cn ATR ED ui t