A/RES/56/187 which recognize the critical need for support for African countries in addressing the supply-side constraints on their integration into the world economy, Welcoming the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, which is a pledge by African leaders, based on a common vision and a firm and shared conviction, that they have a pressing duty to eradicate poverty and to place their countries, both individually and collectively, on a path of sustainable growth and development and at the same time to participate actively in the world economy and body politic, bearing in mind that the Partnership is anchored in the determination of Africans to extricate themselves and the continent from the malaise of underdevelopment and exclusion in a globalizing world, and urging that further steps be taken to operationalize it, Recognizing the importance of industrialization as a key element in promoting sustained economic growth and sustainable development in Africa and its role in facilitating efforts to eradicate poverty, inter alia, through the enhancement of agrobased industries, the promotion of competitiveness, productive employment, capacity-building, gender mainstreaming and the empowerment of women and effective and efficient management systems, Recognizing also the commendable efforts of African countries to engage their respective private sectors and civil society in policy dialogue at the highest levels and the need to continue such efforts to improve further the capacity of the private sector, including micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, Recognizing further the need for African countries to continue their efforts to create a climate favourable to private sector development and foreign direct investment and the commitment of African countries to using both human and financial resources more efficiently in the process of industrialization, and emphasizing the continuing need for the mobilization of adequate resources through domestic initiatives and international support, inter alia, through enhanced official development assistance, investment guarantees, debt relief, as appropriate, and enhanced market access, Recognizing the opportunities for and challenges of exploiting information and communication technologies and e-commerce for the overall industrial development of Africa, and in that regard noting the establishment of the Information and Communication Technologies Task Force, Welcoming the progress made in the consolidation and programmatic reform of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, including through the instrument of integrated programmes to promote sustainable industrial development in African countries, and its approach to field activities through joint programming with the United Nations resident coordinator system in the United Nations Development Assistance Framework, 1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the programme for the Second Industrial Development Decade for Africa (1993– 2002); 6 2. Notes with concern that, despite the Second Industrial Development Decade for Africa, which ends in 2002, little progress has been made in the overall industrialization of the continent and in some countries industrialization has _______________ 6 2 A/56/139.