I had not intended to bring this proposed contribution before Cabinet at the pre­sent time. However, I am informed by the Minister of Fisheries that the Fisheries Prices Support Board is anxious to dispose of a balance of 27,000 quintals of Lab­rador fish.

2. An enquiry of UNICEF indicates that that agency can dispose of 460 short tons immediately for Yugoslavia and/or Greece and possibly 340 additional short tons at a later date (a total of 800 tons, or approximately 14,286 quintals). UNICEF hopes to be able to arrange shipping on April 17 for 460 tons if the gift is approved. The 460 tons have a cost under the price guarantee of approximately $120,000, dried, packed, and ready for shipping f.a.s. dockside St. John's. The further 340 tons would cost approximately $90,000, or a total of $210,000.

3. Under these circumstances I think it may perhaps be wise to consider, in con­junction with the gift of fish, what other gift in cash the Canadian Government might appropriately make to UNICEF during the current fiscal year.

4. The General Assembly, at its Fifth Session, decided to extend the life of UNICEF for a further three-year period. Although there is to be an increasing shift of emphasis in the activities of the Fund towards technical assistance to national governments to help them develop and maintain their own programmes of child welfare, there remains a need for supplies of foodstuffs to carry out supplementary feeding programmes in certain areas.

5. The most recent Canadian Government contribution to UNICEF was in April 1950, when dried fish to the value of $600,000 ($546,000 U.S.) was donated to the Fund.

6. During the calendar year 1950 a total of $4,171,000 was given by a total of thirty countries, excluding the United States. Major contributions were as follows:

The United States, during the same year, contributed the sum of $4,754,000.

Since the beginning of the calendar year 1951 contributions have been made by the following countries:

Moreover, the Supplementary Relief Bill recently submitted to the United States Congress includes an item of $12.5 million for UNICEF. This amount has been cut to $5 million by the House, but may later be restored by the Senate to the original figure. The Bill provides for the funds to be used on the same matching basis as the former United States contribution, namely, $72 (U.S.) for each $28 from other gov­ernments. It is possible that Congress will limit its appropriation to the total neces­sary to match other contributions received or guaranteed up to the date on which Congress approves the Bill. Since the authorization for a United States contribution expires at the end of their fiscal year, June 30, 1951, an immediate Canadian contri­bution will not only be useful in itself, but will probably ensure a matching contri­bution from the United States appropriation.

7. An appropriate Canadian Government contribution to UNICEF for 1951, both in terms of the proposed United States contribution and in relation to those of other countries, might be $500,000.

Recommendation

8. It is recommended that Parliamentary approval be sought in the Supplementary Estimates for 1951-52 for a Canadian Government contribution to UNICEF of $500,000, this amount to include a maximum of $210,000 for the purchase of Lab­rador fish.⁴⁹

L.B.PEARSON

⁴⁹ Approuvé par le Cabinet, 1e 13 avril 1951./Approved by Cabinet, April 13, 1951.