•   1818 H :;:)·tREET, N.W., WASHINGTON    D. C. 20433   TELEPHONE:   EXECUTIVE   3-6360




          November 26, 1969                                Subject:      India ConsortilDD


                  (The following anm,•-::··.ct!ment has also been issued in Stockholm and in Paris.)


                  "The Consortium of governme?nts interested in development assistance to Indi&

         met in Stockho?.m on November 24 and 25, 1969, under the chairmanship of the World

          Bank.
                  "The meeting was attended by representatives of the Governments of Austria,

          Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden,

          the United Kingdom and the United States.         The presence of Norway as an observer



•         for the first time was welcomed.       The Organization for Econ~mic Cooperation and

         Development and the United Nations also sent observers.

                  "The purpese of the meeting was to review the problems and progress in India's

         Family Planning Programme, and to discuss the poss.ibility of further external

         assistance. b~ing provided to the Programme.

                  nThe delegation representing the Government of India, led by Dr. I. G. Patel,

         Special Secretary to th~ Government of India, Ministry of Finance, and

         Mr. B. P. Patel, Secretary to the ~vernment of India, Ministry ~f ~ealth and

         Family Planning, described recent activities in the Family Planning Programme

          and the requirements of the Programme for the next few years.

                  "A United ~a.tions Advfaoey Mission, at the request of the Government of India,

          had conducted an evaluation of India's Family Planning Pttog;rtrume.             The Report. of

          this Missi:fm had beer, distributed to members in advance o.f the meeting.             Members

•         agreed with the Report's conclusion that India had established a large FamilJ:

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             Unn. ~ank p.r. - India Consortium



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             Planning Prograllt'ne which was making substant.ial progi:·ess.    Members also wel-

             comed the Government of India's determination to continue to give it the

             hi.ghest priority.    The Report also noted, and members agreed, that the basic

             approach of India's Programme was commendable especially with regard to its

             vn]unt-~ry n~rn..-o, rho   1100   cf all availabl~ communications media and the

             emphasis on the need for the Progranme's integration with maternal and

             child health care.     However, it was also agreed that there was scope for

             continued improvement and room for accelerating the expansion of family

             planning activicies.

                  "The Indi. ~m delegation reported steps that their Government had taken

             to carry out many of the recommendations discussed in the United Nations

             Report and by the Consortium, and that India would continue to take steps

             to improve the implementation of the Programme.         The delegation also pointed
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             out that India was already connnitted to keep under review the possi.bility of

             augmenting the resources allocated to the Programme in the light of avail-

             ability of funds generated within India and assistance made available by

             donors.
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                      Members agreed that the Programme could absorb substantial amounts of

             additional resources.       It was recognized by most members, however, that if

             external assistance were to mdke a significant contribution it would have

             to be available, in large part, to finance locai currency expenditures.

             Some members indicated that they were willing to move in this direction."


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