Far East
ARCHITECT & BUILDER
יויידוור
SIXTH IFAWPCA CONVENTION
THIS week (November 16), bustling Hong Kong ing the past week with representatives of these other
is the scene of the Sixth Annual Convention
of the International Federation of Asian and West- ern Pacific Contractors' Associations (IFAWPCA).
An intense programme of enter- tainments and visits of cultural and commercial interest has been prepared for the delegates and their ladies by the hosts, the Building Contractors' Asso- ciation of Hong Kong. The activities will be climaxed by a ball in the Hilton Hotel on Saturday, November 6, given by the convention president, Mr. Paul Y. Tso.
On the business side the conven- tion is expected to take further steps in cementing relations between construc- tors in the various countries of South East Asia and Australasia. An even more important development however, especially for the less economically de- veloped countries, is the work now be- ing pushed forward under the leadership of Australian, Mr. Henry Wilckens for the formation of a World Federation of Contractors.
associations. The formation of World Federation of Contractors is a natural progression from the establish- ment of international groups serving the interests of contractors throughout Europe, North and South America and the Far East.
IFAWPCA can be proud to have initiated the idea of a world body, which must be beneficial to the individual associations.
The theme of the sixth convention. “International Co-operation", is well taken. The possible World Federation would help IFAWPCA to achieve the aims which it set down at its inaugural meeting nine years ago: To bring about closer contact, international fellowship and co-operation among contractors; to exchange information on engineering construction technology; to develop and strengthen the relationship between Gov- ernments and contractors; and to estab- lish co-operative working arrange- ments in the furtherance of construction projects.
PAUL Y. TSO Convention President
Mr. Wilckens will be reporting to the convention on the response he has received from contractors' associations in the Americas and Europe. He recently returned from a world tour and has had meetings dur-
Far East Architect & Builder November, 1965
Hong Kong can point to several examples of co- operative working arrangements. International con- sortiums of firms from Britain, Sweden, France and Japan are at present working on large-scale projects in the Colony.
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