UNICEF, that name having been derived from the initial letters of its full name. It has been explained to you that I am a representative on the Executive Board of UNICEF. I would like to point out to you also that I hold a position on what is known as the Program Committee of the Board. All matters of program come before that Program Committee before they are submitted to the Executive Board of the organization, in order that a very thorough study may be made of the type of work that is being undertaken. I speak of this because I would like to outline briefly for you how UNICEF works. I sometimes think that we who try to represent to the Members of Congress these organizations do not tell you really how the organizations operate. I am not only on the Board and the Program Committee, but I am a member of a joint policy committee between the Board of UNICEF and the World Health Organization. That joint committee is a very important committee, because in the meetings of that committee there is laid down for the benefit of UNICEF, a policy with respect to the health programs to which UNICEF gives support. It is in that committee also that the policy is determined as to what programs, what health programs, UNICEF shall take part in and how UNICEF will dovetail its work with the operations of the World Health Organization. Now, I would like to tell you why I am in a position to give you some of this background. Six years ago when UNICEF was first started, I had the opportunity of serving as a member of the staff of that organization to outline for them their first programs in the European countries, and I made the first technical visits to the European countries for the organization to assist them in laying down the plan for that emergency program of those days. That was initiated in 1947, 1948, and 1949, as I am sure the members of this committee know well. Following that brief sojourn with that organization of 4 months, I served as a general advisor to them for a period of time. Then, in June of 1949, I became Assistant Director General of the World Health Organization, and went to Geneva to serve there for 2 years in that capacity. While working for the World Health Organization I had in my job of assistant director general responsibility for advisory services to governments. I had the responsibility of working out policies with UNICEF, so that I have worked with this organization not only from within, but from the point of view of the World Health Organization, in cooperating with this organization. During the 2 years I was with the World Health Organization I think I may say that great progress was made in working out good working relationships between the 2 organizations. I took special interest, because of my earlier concern for the program of UNICEF, in seeing that the two programs could work together. If more detail is needed on that, I will be glad to supply it for you. I think the upshot of it all was that the working relationships of these two international organizations today are very good. I think, therefore, I am reasonably familiar with the working of UNICEF and its current program. I have been on the Executive Board of UNICEF ever since September 1952. Recently, and in connection with the future program of UNICEF, I have been in the position to review with the Board and with the executive director of UNICEF the proposals that are being made for the work that would be carried forward if the UNICEF itself were to be continued by the General Assembly next fall. I would like to speak just a word with respect to the way in which UNICEF works, what the characterization of its program is. In the first place, it really serves in the international field as the spokesman for children. It focuses attention on the needs of children, the needs of all sorts in the different countries. The representatives of this organization that are placed in the regional offices of the organization discuss with the governments what the governments themselves feel are the greatest needs of children in their countries. The representatives of UNICEF seek help from the special professional members of the specialized agencies of the United Nations system, namely, World Health Organization, Food and Agriculture Organization, and others, in defining the professional or the technical aspects of the programs that are to be carried out. This work is done particularly with the World Health Organization and with the Food and Agriculture Organization. These representatives also advise the governments that make requests for help on how the proposals can best be carried out. Not only does the representative of UNICEF go to the country that makes a request, but it is UNICEF's policy to invite representatives of the specialized agencies to go with the UNICEF representatives when they visit the country to develop the plan. They offer advice together on the personnel that would be required from outside the country to carry out the proposals of the country, and on the kind of equipment or supples that would be required. The representatives of UNIFEC together with the specialized agencies develop with the country a written plan. There is an actual written plan for every project that comes forward. There is developed an agreement between the Government and the United Nations organizations, which shows exactly what contributions the government itself will make, what contributions WHO, for instance, will make, and what contributions UNIFEC will make. I speak of these things just to show you that there is a really sound planning process that goes forward. Mr. Henderson has told you of the change in the character of the program, and I would like you to know that I was still with WHO when this change took place, and I know that there was a material change. This change really was based upon the recommendations made by the United States Government at that time. I presume that you know about the programs that are carried on. If there are questions that you would like to ask me about the longrange programs of development of maternal and child-health centers, the control of communicable diseases, the programs for training the local people so that the programs will be practical and not too elaborate so that the countries themselves can carry on the job, I will be happy to answer them. I think probably this is sufficient. make is that this program works. The last statement I would like to about it, in these countries I have visited many, many of the countries that I am referring to, and I have seen it actually working myself. Chairman CHIPERFIELD. Thank you, Dr. Eliot. Are there any questions? Mrs. BOLTON. You are satisfied with the amount that is asked for? I am sure you are not satisfied, but can you do a job with it? Dr. ELIOT. We can do a job on it. Mrs. BOLTON. Can you do a job for less? Dr. ELIOT. Of course, a job can be done with less, but it will not be an adequate job to meet the need of the countries. Mrs. BOLTON. It might be temporarily a possible thing to do, however, because of the very grave financial situation in which the United States finds herself, and because of the importance placed by the President upon certain cuts being made. Dr. ELIOT. May I say one thing in connection with that: This program reaches villages. It reaches people. The people in these villages know from whence the supplies come. The people in these villages know that this is a United States-supported program. I think that for the United States to spend on a year's basis, which this request would authorize, $9 million, to make this type of program in behalf of children known throughout these underdeveloped countries, is a modest sum, indeed. In this day, I think that it is a sum which will bring tremendous applause to this country if we can see our way clear to go forward with helping this program which we really feel is good. Mrs. BOLTON. I have a sense that you and I are in agreement over the fact that the only real riches any country has is its children; that there is no knowing what child that is saved through such program might become a leader in an area, or across the world, and possibly save a situation 25 years from now, or 20 years from now, or 15 years from now. I think the children's program has an appeal in itself that is universal; it is something that this country should take under very great advisement before it does anything to interfere with an adequate program. No waste, no possibilities of overstaffing, no possibilities of anything of that kind, so that the countries themselves know that we are doing it at cost to ourselves-that is vital-and that we could not propose to do it wastefully. Dr. ELIOT. I think all of that is very true and that the countries really are most concerned and interested that this program should go forward. At the recent Board meeting of UNICEF in March, 1953, when the various countries were stating their position with respect to the continuation of this program, there was an overwhelming majority in favor of its continuation because of the way in which it reaches the villages, the families, the children. I think I may say that it reaches probably more individual families and children and villages than any other of the U. N. operating programs. I think there is no doubt about that. I think that people who are helped realize that this country is very materially involved and very much concerned with that help. Mrs. BOLTON. I think that you in your turn will have to recognize the fact that there was almost an agreement made with the Congress, and there was a great deal of feeling stirred by the action that was taken 2 years ago or a year ago, in the matter of stopping the program. It was understood that it should end. I would not be too sure of that, but I know there is antagonism in the Congress that we will have to meet. I am simply saying that to have it on the record. Mr. BENTLEY. Dr. Eliot, this is a United Nations project, and a very worthwhile one, but I am wondering if you can explain the reason that the United States gets the credit you say it does for this assistance, when the assistance is given as United Nations projects. Am I correct? Dr. ELIOT. That is perfectly correct. The assistance is given in the name of UNICEF. The reason I know that the United States is understood well as one of the major sponsors is that the supplies which go to the countries in many, many instances are coming from this country. It is a policy of UNICEF to retain the packages and the marks of the country from which the supplies come when they are delivered in the countries and in the villages. That is true not only for the supplies that come from the United States but the supplies from all of the countries that are distributing in one way or another-and the equipment. For instance, when I was in Delhi and saw them setting up an X-ray outfit, the equipment had been shipped from the United States and it was clear that it had come from the United States. So, I have seen wherever I have been-and I took special interest in this, obviously, because I am a citizen of the United States, and therefore was interested to see the extent to which the United States was known in these countries. Many of the people in the localities that I visited were the UNICEF people, or were the World Health Organization people. They knew I was an American, and they would ask me many questions about the interest of the United States in these programs. Mr. BENTLEY. In other words, so far as the effect upon the recipients is concerned, it might just as well be direct United States aid? Dr. ELIOT. I am not sure of that, either, Mr. Bentley. Most of the countries who are receiving this help belong to the World Health Organization, as I say. Many of them are represented in the Board of UNICEF. Not all of them, though, because UNICEF provides help-well, during the current year, to 69 countries, all but 5 of which are in the underdeveloped areas of the world. These supplies also are marked with the name of UNICEF. There is no question about that. The programs are developed with the countries by the UNICEF program. I think there are great advantages of having aid of this sort going through the United Nations, because they have a feeling that they belong to these organizations, and that they are themselves contributing not only to their own country when they put in supplies and personnel, and their own local currencies, to make these programs go forward, but many of these underdeveloped countries that are receiving help in one way or another are actually themselves giving help to another country in a way that they can afford to give. You see, the program of UNICEF is a program of providing supplies that cannot be provided within the country where the project is being developed. They are entirely supplies coming from the outside; and, therefore, the fact that this is a great group of countries working together in the program to help themselves, to help each other, I think is something that we like to, as Americans, support. Mr. BENTLEY. Thank you very much for your interesting statement, Doctor. Mr. SMITH. I am wondering if we could have for the record, Mr. Henderson, a statement, showing the participating countries, and the amounts that have been contributed. Mr. HENDERSON. Yes, sir. I can furnish that back to 1947, sir, from the beginning of the program. Mr. SMITH. I think that would be very fine, for the record. United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund |