§ Mr. Juddasked the Minister of Overseas Development whether he will now provide adequate backing for the United Kingdom delegation to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation by increasing the number of its members permanently posted at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation headquarters from one to at least three.
§ Mr. OramThe delegation already has adequate backing for its tasks. Although the deputy permanent delegate is the only member continuously resident in Paris, the permanent delegate, who is also head of the U.N.E.S.C.O. Department of the Ministry, spends up to half of his time in Paris and is there whenever necessary; this combination of functions has proved312W advantageous. The delegation is further strengthened in numbers for the twice yearly meetings of the Executive Board as well as for the biennial General Conferences.
§ Mr. Juddasked the Minister of Overseas Development what aspects of British life affected by, and relevant to, the work of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, such as trades unions, political parties, churches and media of mass communication, are represented on the United Kingdom National Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.
§ Mr. OramWhen the National Commission was reconstituted last year it was limited, in the interests of effectiveness, to a body of just over 20 people chosen as individuals for their personal ability, through experience and knowledge, to advise me on the work of U.N.E.S.C.O. A list of the members was provided in the reply given on the 2nd August, 1966, to my hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mr. Rowland). The Commission is assisted by four advisory committees, a public relations committee and a development committee, and in total more than 60 individuals are directly associated with its work. Between them they cover the aspects of British life affected by and relevant to the work of U.N.E.S.C.O., including those aspects specifically mentioned by my hon. Friend. —[Vol. 733, c.58–9.]
§ Mr. Juddasked the Minister of Overseas Development what arrangements exist to ensure that all members of the United Kingdom National Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation are fully briefed on the history, structure, methods and objectives of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cutural Organisation and have the opportunity to formulate comments and suggestions on the entire range of British policy towards the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation and on the Organisation's draft programmes and budgets.
§ Mr. OramMembers of the National Commission are provided with the basic documents essential for an understanding 313W of the history, structure, methods and objectives of U.N.E.S.C.O., and receive regularly the monthly U.N.E.S.C.O. Chronicle. Also, to help them advise on British policy towards the Organisation, they are given the detailed draft programme and budget for each biennium and other relevant major documents prepared for General Conferences, as well as supplementary papers prepared by the secretariat of the National Commission. The National Commission meets two or three times a year—and its specialised advisory committees rather more frequently—to keep policy under review and to help brief the United Kingdom delegation to the General Conference. It is already beginning to give attention to U.N.E.S.C.O.'s possible programme for the biennium 1969–70 and as part of this process the chairmen of the advisory committees will be paying short visits to the headquarters of the Organisation in the course of the next few months.
§ Mr. Juddasked the Minister of Overseas Development how many members of the United Kingdom National Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation have been included in each United Kingdom delegation to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation since 1959; and what are the plans in this respect for the future.
§ Mr. OramGeneral Conferences of U.N.E.S.C.O. are held biennially. Members of the National Commission have been included in United Kingdom delegations to recent Conferences as follows:
11th Session, 1960 … … 3 12th Session, 1962 … … 5 13th Session, 1964 … … 5 14th Session, 1966 … … 6 I expect that, according to the nature of the business on each occasion, our delegations to future General Conferences will include a similar number of members of the National Commission.
§ Mr. Juddasked the Minister of Overseas Development what specific steps have been taken by his Department to make the activities and publications of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation better known in Great Britain.
§ Mr. OramA Public Relations Committee was created last year when the314W United Kingdom National Commission for U.N.E.S.C.O. was reconstituted. This Committee considers how the aims and activities of U.N.E.S.C.O. can be more effectively publicised in Britain and how appropriate non-governmental organisations can be informed and involved in the work of the Organisation and of the National Commission. A meeting of representatives of these organisations was held at Lancaster House last September, and a series of similiar but more specialised meetings is currently being held to acquaint voluntary bodies with the outcome of the recent General Conference of U.N.E.S.C.O.
Celebrations were held in London last October to mark the 20th Anniversary of U.N.E.S.C.O. and on that occasion my Department published and distributed to universities, technical higher and adult educational institutions, secondary schools, public libraries and other interested organisations in the United Kingdom a 32 page illustrated booklet entitled "Britain and U.N.E.S.C.O." which had been prepared by the Central Office of Information. The Secretariat of the National Commission now provides speakers for schools and voluntary bodies wishing to arrange talks on U.N.E.S.C.O.'s work.
The Information Department of my Ministry is responsible for press publicity in connection with activities of the National Commission, and also distributes to the British Press, radio and television, material emanating from U.N.E.S.C.O.'s own Press Division, Her Majesty's Stationery Office is the official agency in this country for U.N.E.S.C.O. publications and books, and arranges to give them all necessary publicity. The holding of seminars in this country in conjunction with U.N.E.S.C.O. has provided some additional opportunity for making the work of the Organisation better known.
Much valuable work in connection with schools is done by the Council for Education in World Citizenship.
§ Mr. Juddasked the Minister of Overseas Development what studies he has made of staff efficiency, conditions of service and morale in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation; and what measures he is 315W prepared to propose to secure any necessary improvement.
§ Mr. OramI have not asked our representatives to U.N.E.S.C.O. to make special studies of staff efficiency, conditions of service or morale; but the close interest taken in these matters by both the United Kingdom member of the Executive Board and the permanent delegation is well known in the Organisation, and our representatives endeavour to participate fully and constructively in all Executive Board and General Conference discussions relating to them. Questions of conditions of service in the specialised agencies are often for determination centrally in the United Nations Organisation. I have no measures to propose at present in respect of U.N.E.S.C.O. but we shall continue to give careful attention to these matters with the aim of helping to bring about improvements as they appear necessary.
§ Mr. Juddasked the Minister of Overseas Development whether he is satisfied with existing arrangements for ensuring that long-term staff members of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation headquarters have adequate opportunities for keeping in touch with field developments and for academic and professional refresher courses; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. OramI am not dissatisfied with the existing arrangements, but it is recognised in the Organisation that they could be improved and steps are being taken to that end.
§ Mr. Juddasked the Minister of Overseas Development what research he has undertaken to discover how the programme of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation could be strengthened to ensure a more widespread and immediate impact and to focus more directly on vital world problems.
§ Mr. OramOur endeavour in all our activity concerning U.N.E.S.C.O. is to help the Organisation use the resources available to it to the maximum effect for the purpose of achieving, within its fields of competence, the aims set out in its Constitution. To this end, with the help of the National Commission and the other sources of expert advice open to316W the Ministry, constant attention is given in our policy towards U.N.E.S.C.O. to the need for concentration and co-ordination of effort, and a right order of priorities, in the programmes. We give specially close consideration to the Organisation's work in the field of development.
§ Mr. Juddasked the Minister of Overseas Development (1) what plans he has now formulated for a regular annual subscription to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation World Literary Programme and for supplying personnel to participate in the programme at all levels of its administration and field work:
(2) what plans he has formulated for providing in kind suitable supporting services for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation World Literary Programme; and what initiative he has taken in helping to co-ordinate the activities of all relevant non-governmental organisations in support of the programme.
§ Mr. OramHer Majesty's Government have no plans for a regular contribution to the cost of the World Experimental Literacy Programme other than through its contribution to the regular budget of U.N.E.S.C.O. and to the United Nations Development Programme.
An important contribution is being made by this country through the provision of skills. The International Recruitment Unit of the Ministry is actively engaged on U.N.E.S.C.O.'s behalf; and facilities for training are also provided. Beyond this, I have no general plans for providing supporting services in kind, but some of our existing bilateral aid programmes may well be able to contribute to functional literacy work in particular countries. The relevant non-governmental organisations already have their own arrangements, through the Voluntary Committee on Overseas Aid and Development, for co-ordinating their activities in all forms of overseas aid.
§ Mr. Juddasked the Minister of Overseas Development whether he will propose to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation a major programme of educational exchanges at all levels between its member states party to the Warsaw Pact and those 317W party to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation; and whether he will provide special financial assistance for such a programme.
§ Mr. OramNo. While we welcome the possibilities for educational exchanges which already exist under certain parts of U.N.E.S.C.O.s programmes we have found in general that bilateral contacts and exchanges between countries can be more easily adjusted to take account of differences between educational systems; and for that reason, if exchanges are to take place on a fairly large scale, bilateral arrangements are preferable to multilateral ones. Moreover, we do not think that it would be appropriate for any U.N.E.S.C.O. major programme of this kind to be confined to the member States my hon. Friend has in mind.