Records of external relations departments

Records of external relations departments relating to co-ordination of aid policy with international organisations and other national governments.

Comprises:

• International and General Department and successors, OD 9.
• Administrative Services Department, OD 21.
• United Nations Department, OD 33.
• Aid, Trade and Commodities Department, OD 48.
• Bi-lateral Co-ordination Department, OD 49.
• International Financial Institutions Department, OD 54.
• UN and Commonwealth Department, OD 55, OD 56 and OD 148.
• UN Department A, OD 61.
• UN Department B, OD 57 and OD 108.
• FAO Department, OD 64.
• Consultancies Section, OD 123.

Records of the Aid Co-ordination Department and the Aid Policy Department are in

OD 36

Topics

Trade and commerce

Aid and development

The work of providing aid to developing states has a very specific international element. While the United Kingdom has its own aid budget which is spent according to nationally drawn up priorities, it is also a member of, or contributes funding to, many international organisations which provide development aid. There is a need to co-ordinate the United Kingdom's policy with the various international organisations in the field so as to avoid duplication and to make the best use of the resources available. Additionally, where the United Kingdom and other states act independently in the same area, there is a need for co-ordination with other national governments. This co-ordination is provided by various international departments.

When the Ministry of Overseas Development was established, it included an International Division of three departments: Aid Co-ordination; International; and UN. There was also an UNESCO Department in the Education Division which dealt with relations with UNESCO. The UN Department handled the United Kingdom's relations with the United Nations Organisation and its development agencies.

Relations with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (also UNICEF and the World Health Organisation) became the responsibility of a separate department, FAO Department, in 1970, and in 1972 the UN Department was renamed the Multilateral Aid Institutions Department, and assumed responsibility for relations with bodies such as the World Bank and the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation, as well as the various UN agencies and commissions (except those dealt with by the other departments).

The following year, a separate United Nations Division was established consisting of these three departments and the Social Affairs Department. In 1976 the UNESCO and the Multilateral Aid Institutions Departments were merged to form a new UN Department, which was subdivided into A and B departments. The departments were reunited as the United Nations and Commonwealth Department in 1984.