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The implementation of this resolution called for the fielding of another mission of technical
experts, led by the ECA, to several African countries to ascertain what the establishment of three
ground receiving and processing stations with locations at Kinshasa (Zaire), Ouagadougou (Bur-
kina Faso) and Nairobi (Kenya). Two main reasons guided this proposal, namely, the reception
coverage of at least 90 per cent of the continent and the existence of some tracking facilities
(Intelsat network) in the three locations proposed. In addition, the establishment of five trainer
and user-assistance centres was recommended in order to make available remote sensing facilities
to a wide range of users.
In January 1977 an intergovernmental meeting of experts prepared the Constitution of the
Supreme Organ — the AFRICAN REMOTE SENSING COUNCIL — which was to superintend
the programme. The ECA Conference of Ministers, convened in Kinshasa (Zaire) in March 1977,
adopted its resolution 313 (X 111) which approved the Constitution and reaffirmed the prepared-
ness of the African member States to co-operate in remote sensing activities. The secretariat
of ECA functioned as the ad interim secretariat of the Council until mid- 1982 when it moved to
its permanent headquarters in Bamako, the Republic of Mali. The Constitution cam einto force
in October 1979 when the required number of signatures had been secured; the inaugural meeting
of the Conference of Pleni-potentiaries of the African Remote Sensing Council was then held
at Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) that same year.
It is noteworthy that to-date the African Remote Sensing Council had established all but one -
of its subsidiary organs created under the Constitution. The Regional Management Committees
(RMCs), one of the these subsidiary organs, is worthy of mention here because of their unique
role in "reviewing, directing and controlling the financial, technical and other activities of the
Regional Remote Sensing Centres".
Although these centres are in themselves not subsidiary organs created under the Constitu-
tion, nevertheless they perform significant role in inplementing the African remote sensing
programme as they represent the hub of remote sensing activities in Africa at subregional level.
This will be seen to be so in the next chapter of this paper when remote sensing activities in
Africa will be discussed.
4. REMOTE SENSING ACTIVITIES IN AFRICA
Remote sensing activities in Africa are not as pronounced or actively pursued as in the
developed countries; this, however should not be taken to mean that the impact of its applica-
tions, in the hands of the.few that use this tool on projects implementation of times externally-
funded, has not been felt to yeild fruitful results. It will beunfair alsotosay that African nationals,
especially those connected directly or indirectly with resource planning and development, envi-
ronmental monitoring and protection, land coverland use management, water resources develop-
ment etc. are (totally) ignorant of the great potential
regard. This statement is borne out by the fact that as early as the 1970s, remote sensing appli-
cation by the African countries for their natural resources development has been warmly embra-
ced as symbolized in the establishment of an “African Remote Sensing Programme’’. The reader
may wish to make reference to Chapter lll of this paper which gives a brief account of the con-
certed efforts of the African governments towards the establishment of the Programme by a
resolution adopted by the African Ministers responsible for economic development. Its estab-
lishment clearly represents a classical example of technical co-operation among the African coun
tries (at regional level) on the one hand and with the developed countries (at international level),
on the cther.
s which the technology can offer in the above
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