Colombo-Plan

Colombo, Sri Lanka

English

November 28, 1950

The Colombo Plan was established in 1950 at a conference of foreign ministers of Commonwealth countries in Colombo (Sri Lanka, then Ceylon) decided. The standard of living, especially the nutrition conditions in the countries of South and Southeast Asia to be raised by large-scale investments. The beneficiary countries (Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Malaysia and Singapore) receive capital and technical assistance from other member countries, especially Australia, Canada (until 1992 ), New Zealand, Japan, Great Britain (until 1991 ) and the USA ( the bulk of the of money funding).

History

The Colombo Plan was designed as an idea on a Commonwealth Conference of Foreign Ministers in Sri Lanka in January 1950. At the meeting, the idea of a plan was set in motion, which is to through international cooperation to improve living conditions in South Asia. Originally, the plan was designed for six years. The founding members were all members of the Commonwealth - Australia, UK, Canada, Ceylon, India, New Zealand and Pakistan - to be developed, the plan to an international organization with 25 members today. In 1977 a new constitution, the name of the organization was adopted and "The Colombo Plan for Cooperative Economic and Social Development in Asia and the Pacific " changed to illustrate the extension of the tasks. In the earlier years of the Colombo Plan was responsible for coordinating the money and technology exchange. Beside the pure technical development of roads, hospitals, cement factories, universities and other infrakstrukturellen measures, was also inserted at the same time in the training of people who will care for the preservation of this infrastructure.

Current members

Currently taking 25 members of the Colombo Plan in part, including non- Commonwealth countries, as well as members of regional associations such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.

Former members

Four Member Countries are no longer included in the Colombo Plan, of which the two founding members in 1950, Canada and the United Kingdom. South Vietnam was after unification with the north to form the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and this came out in 1978. In the years 2001 to 2003 Vietnam but was re-admitted to the list of observers and accepted in 2004 as a new member.