870.00/2–1954
The Counselor of the Embassy in France (Joyce) to the Department of State
No. 2142
Subject:
- Ninth Session of the Commission for Technical Cooperation in Africa1
The Ninth Session of the “Commission for Technical Cooperation in Africa South of the Sahara” took place in London January 18–26. France was represented by three delegates: M. Jean Jurgensen, Chief of the African Section of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; M. Lavery, his Assistant, and M. Peyronnet of the Ministry of Overseas France. The report of the work of the Ninth Session was carried in a special bulletin of the Agence France Presse on January 26, a translation of which is enclosed.2
In a recent conversation with the reporting officer, Messrs. Jurgensen [Page 96] and Lavery expressed satisfaction over the London meeting and the future prospects of the Commission. They felt that while the latter had gotten off to a very slow start, perhaps inevitable because of the number of countries involved and the novelty of cooperating on a regional basis in Africa, it was now beginning to function more satisfactorily and contained the seeds of a fruitful common activity, limited for the moment to the economic and social fields but with political potentialities for the future.
To date the principal accomplishment of the Commission has been in setting up research bureaus in various fields for collecting and exchanging information on mutual problems encountered in the African territories of the members. Only one project—a Climatological Atlas of Africa—involving joint financing is under way. However, substantial development in the field of joint financing of regional projects can be expected. One project in particular which in the French view should be handled on this basis is a campaign against treponemiosis which is prevalent in French West Africa and adjoining British and Portuguese territories. A campaign carried on alone by France will serve little purpose unless extended to other areas where the disease is prevalent and in the Gold Coast, in particular, this presents a financing problem.
The Ministry officials commented that France would like membership in the Commission extended to include Liberia, Ethiopia and Italy (because of Italian Somaliland) so that it would become a truly regional body and not one made up entirely of the so-called colonial powers. The principal obstacle to such an extension is the Union of South Africa. The problem will perhaps become more acute when the Gold Coast achieves Commonwealth status. As it is, the relationship of Great Britain to its African colonies has complicated the activities of the Commission for, while all matters have to be dealt with through the British Government, the latter is frequently in the position of not being able to reach decisions until consultation with the territories involved. As yet, this situation does not pose a very serious problem but it may become worse as the political status of the various territories undergoes change.
The Embassy assumes that the London Embassy will be forwarding the Department the text of the Convention which was signed by the member Governments on January 18 and which gave legal status to the Commission. The French text has not yet been printed for public distribution.3