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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 
  
  
    
    
  
     
   
   
   
   
    
    
   
   
     
   
   
    
    
    
   
  
   
   
   
  
    
    
   
   
    
   
     
  
  
  
  
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