339. Memorandum From Secretary of State Rusk to President Johnson 1

SUBJECT

  • U.S. Pledge to the UN Expanded Program of Technical Assistance and the Special Fund

Recommendation:

With the recent recess of the General Assembly until September, I recommend that we proceed to make our pledge for calendar year 1965 to two related UN development programs—the Expanded Program of Technical Assistance and the Special Fund.2

Background:

While most other countries previously contributing to these programs have announced their pledges for 1965, the U.S. deferred making its pledge, pending developments with respect to the resolution of the UN constitutional and financial crisis. Now that the General Assembly has recessed without prejudice to the application of Article 19, I believe that we should go ahead with our pledge of up to $60 million. These funds are available within the FY 1965 appropriation in the A.I.D. program for voluntary contributions to international organizations.

Any further delay in the pledge is likely to produce a considerable amount of disorder in the implementation of technical assistance projects already underway. It will likewise inhibit the program planning process of the Special Fund. I believe that the point has been made that the United States should not be taken for granted. I feel that any further delay will only complicate our position rather than helping it.

Dean Rusk
  1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Agency File, United Nations, Vol. 1. No classification marking.
  2. President Johnson checked the approve option.