Cablegram [UNY]312 CANBERRA, 29 October 1946
SECRET
At General Assembly [1] discussions on future relief1. Emphasise the important role Australia has played in UNRRA in the past.
2. Express the conviction that the time has now come to effect further relief as far as possible through the adoption of more positive measures which will assist in restoring self reliance in war devastated countries. Thus such organisations as F.A.O., the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, might now be more appropriately used than UNRRA and should be expected to play an important part in assisting the devastated countries.
3. At the same time additional and special relief may be required in 1947 to provide urgent supplies of basic essentials of life in some countries. Any agency for this purpose should be agency of Economic and Social Council in accordance with our general policy on formation of new organisations.
4. You must not, however, commit Australia to further relief without specific approval.
5. In particular there must be no further commitment of Australian funds at this stage. For your own information Treasury opinion is that Government would not agree to more than a token contribution to further relief.
6. There is no objection to the proposal that the residue of UNRRA assets should be used to create a fund for children and adolescents.
_
1 Matters of major policy on the future work of UNRRA were now within the scope of the Australian delegation to the U.N. General Assembly, though Brigden continued to act as Australian representative in the management of UNRRA.
_
[AA:A1067, R46/3/7]