23-JUN-1993 18:13
DEL (UK)
33 1 45249837
P.04
The meeting concluded with a look at the Centre's suggestions for policy dialogue next year. The UK line that the list of suggested activities in CD/AB (93)3 accorded well with the principle, to which we attached importance, that the Centre's outreach should complement and derive from its research programme and that they therefore could be supported commanded general assent. Except from the Dutch Ambassador (van Damm) who (cutting across Bonvin's assurances in response to earlier criticisms on the work programme that the Centre did take Africa seriously and would be ensuring it got attention) chose to launch a diatribe about the proposed meeting on 'What future for Africa' (paragraph 11 of CD/AB (93)3. There were too many such meetings on Africa. It was presumptuous for OECD to talk about the future of Africa. Africa should be left to the Africans etc. The gist of his remarks could be summed up in let Africa stew in its own juice; there were more important areas of concern. These remarks were very likely a personal intervention by van Damm (who is the leading supporter in the OECD Council of the proposed studies of interlinkages between OECD and major non-OECD economic players set out in Deputy-Secretary General Taniguchi's paper which was discussed at the May ECSS) rather than a Dutch Government position. It commanded no support. But, following the meeting, I noted my American colleague in the DAC, who has been posted to Paris from an African assignment, gently remonstrating in a corner with van Damm about the latter's observations on Africa which had clearly irked him considerably.
fu
CC:
Thomas
S Chakrabarti Esq., APD, ODA I Ruff Esq., ERD, FCO
TOTAL P.04
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.