that member has complied with the requirements of its own constitutional procedures. It is clear, therefore, that the convention does not supersede any U.S. law-Federal or State. Will OECD be a kind of Western creditors' or lenders' club in dealing with newly developing countries? On the contrary, the OECD will consult on methods for making assistance available on terms that take into account the development needs of recipient countries rather than merely the commercial advantages of donor countries. In fact, depending upon the desires of other regional organizations such as the Organization of American States, the way is open for liaison arrangements through which less developed member countries of other regional groupings can be kept informed of OECD activities of interest to them. The OECD will not dictate aid terms or itself administer aid programs. Its aim will be to mobilize increased resources to expand assistance to the less developed nations. What will the OECD do for the "little man"? Speaking at Paris at the signing of the OECD convention on December 14, 1960, Douglas Dillon, now Secretary of the Treasury, referred particularly to this point when he declared: "It is essential in the troubled conditions which face us today that the benefits of our work in the OECD reach down to the ordinary citizen. It is fitting, therefore, that our convention calls upon member governments to consult and cooperate not only to improve the economic well-being of our peoples but to promote their social advancement as well. This is a goal to which the United States attaches great importance. Many of you will recall that the United States emphasized this aspect of international cooperation in the Act of Bogotá, which was signed last September by the nations of the Americas. "It is our hope that the various committees of the OECD will be concerned with the social implications of their activities. It is also our hope that the secretariat will include specialized personnel concerned with social questions in order to assure adequate support for this aspect of the work of the OECD." Won't OECD detract from the aid efforts of the United Nations? On the contrary, it will supplement and complement them. OECD will not operate any aid programs. It will stimulate increased efforts for programs now in existence. Does OECD have bipartisan support? Definitely yes. In fact, the idea of creating the OECD originated with the previous administration, and President Eisenhower strongly urged U.S. participation in the new Organization. Equally strong support came from President Kennedy. The Senate's approval of the OECD convention further demonstrated firm bipartisan support; of the Senators voting, 48 of the 59 Democrats and 24 of the 31 Republicans voted for U.S. participation in OECD. U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1961 O-587584 |