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The Colombo Plan
The Colombo Plan, started in 1950 following a meeting of Commonwealth
foreign Ministers in Colombo, Ceylon, is among the more notable
international undertakings initiated since the end of the war. The
Plan’s continuing objective is to provide assistance to the countries
of South and South-East Asia in such a way as to help those countries
to help themselves. To this end, Canada—in concert with Commonwealth
and other countries—has been contributing equipment and machinery as
well as technical advice. Thus, the cause of international economic
welfare is being served. The countries of South and South-East Asia
are getting an opportunity to expand the productivity of their resources
and their lands; at the same time, their people are being given the type
of training likely to aid in economic development. ‘There are also long-
term benefits accruing to the donor countries. They are being provided
with an opportunity to help in the development of countries which are
destined in years to come to play an increasingly important part in
international trade, to come to know these countries and thus to build
a bridge of understanding.
Among the outstanding projects which have already been under-
taken successfully are the production of hydro-electric power, the irri-
gation and drainage of lands and the setting up of cement and other plants.
Many of the projects are still in the process of being completed and
others are yet to be started; but it is unanimously agreed that the results
to date and the prospects for the future confirm the wisdom of the
undertaking as a whole.
These developments are taking place in India, Pakistan, Ceylon,
Burma, Indonesia, the Federation of Malaya, Nepal, Thailand and
Viet Nam. Canada’s chief contributions to date have been to India,
Pakistan and Ceylon and the principal projects so far assisted by Canada
have been in the fields of food production, transportation and public
utilities.
Canada, among others, has been giving special training to Asians
in various aspects of agriculture and industry; these men, in turn, are
able to pass along the training they have received to their fellow-country-
men. In this way, there is assurance of the long-term benefits of the
Plan and the successful achievement of the principal objective, namely,
self-help.
Already, the Plan has played a useful part in meeting an emergency.
When food supplies were critically short in India and Pakistan, Canada
shipped quantities of wheat which these countries sold to their people
and earmarked the revenues for other aspects of the Plan. There have
been problems too. For a time, a decline in prices of raw materials
reduced the revenues of many countries. The planners have also had to
face rising costs of the development programs. But these difficulties
have been, and are being, overcome by patience and resourcefulness.
The Consultative Committee of the Colombo Plan is meeting in
Canada for the first time this autumn. The representatives of the member
nations will, once again, review the progress made and chart a course
for the future.
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