Letter from the Director-General of the International Labour Office
to the Director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency
for Palestine Refugees in the Near East

Geneva, 20 March 1952.

Dear Mr. Blandford,

At its 118th Session, which has just closed, the Governing Body of the International Labour Office placed on record the importance which the International Labour Organisation attaches to the effective co-ordination of I.L.O. and U.N.R.W.A. activities in the Middle East.

The Governing Body recalled that it had, at its 111th Session (Geneva, March 1950) - following the establishment of U.N.R.WA. - indicated the willingness of the International Labour Organisation to co-operate with your agency in respect of certain manpower questions, and observed that there had since been contacts between International Labour Office and U.N.R.WA. officials and that the I.L.O. Manpower Field Office for the Near and Middle East would keep in close touch with the agency.

The I.L.O. Manpower Field Office for the Middle East is to be established at Istanbul with the co-operation of the Turkish Government and is expected to start work in the very near future. Its task will be to explore and clarify in full collaboration with the governments concerned the needs of the countries of the region for advisory assistance in the manpower field; to assist the governments in formulating their requirements for such assistance; to provide forthwith such assistance as may be appropriate and within the technical capacity of the Office; to arrange with I.L.O. headquarters for provision of assistance requiring additional experts; and to direct, co-ordinate and generally supervise the activities of the I.L.O. on manpower questions in the region.

The Governing Body had been informed of the consideration recently given by the Administrative Committee on Co-ordination to the question of co-operation between the specialised agencies and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees and of the importance you attach to such co-operation. It should be noted that such co-operation would be of particular importance in the months ahead in view of the extensive programme for establishing refugees in small industries, which is envisaged by your agency, and that the implementation of such a programme would involve questions of employment service organisation and training.

The Governing Body also reiterated the willingness of the International Organisation to co-operate with you by furnishing assistance on matters within the Organisation's competence and asked me to continue to maintain contact with you with a view to ensuring that the I.L.O. is associated with U.N.R.W.A. projects on matters within the Organisation's field of competence and so that I.L.O. assistance may be effectively related to the total assistance given by the United Nations and the specialised agencies to Palestine refugees.

In bringing the above decisions to your attention, I am happy to assure you once again of my keen desire that the Organisation should do everything possible to help you in your work. I shall, to this end, tell the I.L.O. Manpower Field Office for the Near and Middle East that I wish it to pay special attention to the co-operation it can give you. Moreover, I shall at any time be most pleased to receive from you any suggestions you may wish to make for the closer co-ordination of our activities and for closer co-operation between us.

Sincerely,

(Signed) David A. MORSE,
Director-General.

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Published in: Official Bulletin of the ILO, Vol. XXXV, 1952, No. 4