THAILAND
SINGAPOOR
PHILIPPINE
Carnentiae
oration of Asian & Menters Pacilia Contractors §.
NO MALAYS A REA
JAPAN AUSTRALA
IFAWPCA CONVENTION
T 'HE day may come during the next decade when a Confedera- tion of International Contractors' As- sociations has its own headquarters building in Geneva within shouting distance of the International Labour Organisation.
Such an idea was not mentioned during the convention of the Interna- tional Federation of Asian and West- ern Pacific Contractors' Associations (IFAWPCA), held in Hong Kong last month. But with the convention tak- ing the first concrete steps towards the formation of a world body, it is not impossible that international co- operation will have got that far by the time it is Hong Kong's turn again to be hosts to IFAWPCA.
The proposal to form a world body IFAWPCA approved a resolution that it be named the Confederation of International Contractors' Associations
cannot be said to have been met with a boundless enthusiasm by the representatives of the European and American contractors' associations who attended the recent convention.
As Sr. Haroldo Lisboa da Graca Couto. representing the Inter-Ameri- can Association of the Construction Industry, said at the first general assembly, there were too many ques- tions such as financing and organisa-
tion to be answered before any associa- tion could commit itself to the idea.
However Sr. Couto and Col. Tord Lindblad, who represented the Inter- national Federation of Buildings and Public Works of Europe, showed an honest interest in the idea. Col. Lind- blad said that a merger among the three federations in the building in- dustry would require mutual know- ledge of the conditions for the indus- try in the different parts of the world. He suggested that collaboration could in the beginning take place through informal contacts among leading per- sons of the three federations and later be developed to an extent suitable for more organised co-operation.
Joint Ventures
The two representatives promised to lay before their own organisations the convention resolutions seeking an exchange of publications, proceedings, constitutions, bye-laws and contract documents. Mr. Henry Wilckens. chairman of IFAWPCA's Committee on World Federation, was nominated to continue his work as liaison officer among the three international bodies.
Apart from its discussions on a world federation, the convention took steps to increase international
Far East Architect & Builder December, 1965
Co-
to
First steps
steps taken World Confederation
operation within its own organisation. A resolution aimed at promoting international joint ventures among member nations was adopted. It called for a stepped-up interchange of information on such subjects as im- migration policy, laws governing foreign finance of joint ventures, pro- fits to be taken out of the country and wage rates,
Mr. Paul Y. Tso, chairman of the convention, said that joint ventures were a modern tendency in the cons- truction industry and had become a must as projects grew bigger and big- ger. They opened up a new horizon for contractors to pool their resources in finance, staff and technical know- how, he said.
Member nations of IFAWPCA have been asked to complete a ques- tionaire on the subject and to submit it to the secretariat in Manila before January 31, 1966.
Two new members were elected at the convention, the Singapore Contrac- tors Association and the Thai Contrac- tors Association, so that IFAWPCA now has an 11-nation membership, including: Hong Kong. Singapore, Thailand. Australia. Taiwan. Japan, South Korea, Philippines. Malaysia. New Zealand and South Vietnam.
On both the business and enter-
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