ODA Files. Lot 60 D 512
Discussion Brief for Bilateral Talks on Colonial Policy To Be Held at London and Paris (Agenda Item IV (b) 10)
Item IV (b), 10—Questions Relating to Caribbean Commission (For UK talks only)
I. Problem: To determine how the Commission can be made a more effective body in the economic and social development of the area. British are critical of Carribean Commission accomplishments but do little or nothing to carry out recommendations of the Commission or its auxiliary bodies.
[Page 645]II. Recommended United States Position:
A. U.S. believes in purposes of Commission and will continue to support and strengthen it. At end of first five years of operation, helpful to assess its accomplishment and shortcomings.
B. We strongly endorse Commission’s placing the emphasis of its work programs in economic field for next several years. This, we belive, is sound procedure based upon five years of research into basic problems of region. Such projects might be in fields of housing, cooperatives, industrialization, fisheries, forestry, tourist facilities.
C. In order to achieve positive results and make best use of limited funds, Commission, we think, should devote greater proportion of annual budget to concrete projects; and without serious curtailment of essential research and informational services of the Commission, concentrate on carrying out several specific projects a year; and direct its Research Council to work out details of such projects.
D. We believe Commission can be really effective regional body only if the recommendations of the Commission and, so far as agreed on by the Commission, of its Research Council, and of the West Indian Conference are adopted by Metropolitan and Territorial Governments in terms of specific action programs. Some of the Caribbean peoples are critical and disillusioned because of lack of action upon recommendations they make through their own political and technical representatives. Technical conferences are increasingly popular and unless programs are based upon these recommendations, the Commission will fail of its purposes.