§ Mr. Spearingasked the Minister for Overseas Development if he will list in the Official Report the names of international conferences, together with their sponsoring organisations, objects and scope to be attended by representatives of his Department in an official or ministerial capacity.
§ Mr. Prentice, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 10th June 1976; Vol. 912, c. 746], gave the following information:
In the next 12 months or so my Ministry expects to be concerned with the international conferences listed below. In addition, representatives of the Ministry will attend a large number of regular international meetings at a working level where detailed programmes are discussed and managed.
Internal meetings of the European Economic Communities have been excluded from the list.
615W616W617W
Name of Conference Sponsoring Organisation Objects and Scope Level {i.e. ODM Ministers or officials) Colombo Plan Consultative Committee Meeting. None. The Colombo Plan countries participate. To provide an opportunity for discussion of a wide range of topics of mutual interest to the twenty-one Regional developing members and to Britain, United States, Australia, Canada, Japan and New Zealand, all of whom attend as equal partners. Ministerial and Official. Commonwealth Education Conference Commonwealth Secretariat To provide for the exchange of information and experience between those responsible for education in Commonwealth countries and for consideration of forms of educational co-operation. Official. Ministerial attendance from other Departments. Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting. Commonwealth Secretariat To provide an opportunity for an exchange of views between Finance Ministers from Commonwealth countries on general economic, trade and aid questions. Official. Ministerial attendance from other Departments. Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. Commonwealth Secretariat To provide an opportunity for discussions by Commonwealth Heads of Government or their representatives on matters of particular concern and pressing common interest. Official. Ministerial attendance from other Departments. Commonwealth Science Council Commonwealth Secretarial To encourage scientific co-operation for economic development between Commonwealth countries. Official. Conference on International Economic Co-operation. None. Nineteen developing and eight developed countries participate, the European Economic Community counting as one. A forum for discussion of current world economic problems, known as "The North/South Dialogue". Originally conceived as a dialogue between oil producers and consumers, but broadened to cover Raw Materials, Development and Financial Matters. Opened and will close with a Ministerial Conference. Intermediate discussion carried on by officials in four Commissions at monthly intervals. Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research. IBRD/FAO/United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). To provide a forum in which bilateral support for certain international agricultural research institutions is discussed and agreed. Official. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Conference. FAO The Governing body for FAO's affairs which provides a forum for discussion of world agricultural problems. Ministerial and official. 618W
Name of Conference Sponsoring Organisation Objects and Scope Level (i.e. ODM Ministers or officials) International Labour Organisation (ILO) Annual Conference. ILO … The conference is concerned with all labour/industrial/social/trade matters. Official. Ministerial attendance from other Departments. Development Assistance Committee (DAC) Ministerial Meetings. OECD … To discuss the development aspects of work of OECD and to agree its future direction. Ministerial and official. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Ministerial Meetings. OECD … To discuss the economic situation, policies for social progress and development co-operation and to agree a common strategy for sustained economic expansion. Official. Ministerial attendance from other Departments. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) UN … The Council seeks to improve living standards and to help solve economic and social problems throughout the world. Official. World Food Council UN … The co-ordination of policies concerning food production, nutrition, food security, food trade and food aid. Ministerial and official. Conference on the Establishment of a Special Fund for Commodity Buffer Stock Financing. UNCTAD … As in its title. It stems from a resolution passed in UNCTAD IV in May 1976. It has not yet been decided at what level attendance might be. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) General Conference. UNESCO … Biennial meeting of the Governing Body. It will approve the programme and budget for 1977–78 and the Medium term plan for 1977–82. Mainly officials. A Minister from the United Kingdom may attend for a short period. Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF). World Bank and IMF (joint) … Broad Review of world Monetary and Development Finance questions. Reception of accounts of World Bank/IMF and other formal business. Official. IMF/International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) Development Committee. World Bank and IMF (joint) … Continuing consideration of questions related to the transfer of real resources to developing countries. Official. Meetings of Deputies for International Development Association (IDA). World Bank … Negotiation of the size of and contribution to the Fifth Replenishment of IDA. Official. The Council of Ministers established under the Lome Convention. EEC … General supervision of the application of the Convention. Ministerial and official.