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(c) The 1.L.0. and Asia The New Delhi Conference adopted a resolution which emphasized the significance for Asian countries of vocational training. This resolution invited the Governing Body to instruct the Office " to study, with the assistance of the Governments concerned, the facilities for vocational training now available in Asian countries and, in the light of international experience, to suggest practicable measures for extending and improving them." In pursuance of this resolution, in June, 1948, an expert of the International Labour Office carried out an inquiry in all Asian countries with a view to ascertaining what vocational and technical training facilities were in existence at the time and also what obstacles prevented these countries from developing such facilities. The results of these investigations are to be found in an 1.L.0. report entitled " Training Problems in the Far East." Following this, an 1.L.0. Asian Field Office to deal with man-power problems has been established at Bangalore, India. Likewise in the spirit of the New Delhi resolution concerning employment service, recruitment, and vocational training, the Governing Body convened an Asian Begional Technical Training Conference in Singapore in September, 1949. New Zealand was represented by the Commissioner of Apprenticeship, Mr. H. C. McQueen. The decisions taken at this Conference were considered by the Committee set up at the present Conference to deal with the item on the Agenda, Organization of Man-power, with special reference to the development of employment services and training (see page 14 of this report). The New Delhi Conference also recommended the convening of a preparatory Conference of representatives of labour inspection services in Asian countries which would, in the first instance, study problems relating to inspection in industrial and agricultural undertakings and whose findings would be submitted to the next Asian Regional Conference. The preparatory Conference held at Kandy, Ceylon, in November, 1948, adopted a report which was submitted to the present Conference. Apart from these developments, the 1.L.0. has also set up Committees on indigenous labour and plantations on which Asian representatives have been included. Missions of 1.L.0. experts were also sent to Ceylon and the Philippines in 1949 to advise the Governments of these countries on the formulation of social security schemes. In preparation for the present Conference a Mission of officials of the Office was sent to visit Asian countries. The Mission visited Burma, Ceylon, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Thailand and discussed with the officials concerned, and in most cases with representatives of employers' and workers' organizations as well, an outline of the reports on the items of the Agenda to be submitted by the Office to the Conference with a view to making these reports comprehensive and up to date. The Mission proved to be most useful, was warmly welcomed in all countries visited, and accorded every assistance. 2. REPRESENTATION AT THE CONFERENCE As at the New Delhi Conference, many Asian countries were invited, although not fully self-governing. The following territories were represented with full voting status : Afghanistan, Australia, Burma, Cambodia, Federation of Malaya, France, Hong Kong, India, Laos, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of Indonesia, and Vietnam.

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