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Technical Assistance The Report on Technical Assistance to be presented to the United Nations, after a most favourable discussion and the addition of words stressing the importance of collaboration with scientific organizations, was adopted unanimously. On the whole, the National Commission may regard the findings of the Programme and Budget Commission with considerable satisfaction and may rest assured that the enthusiasm and energy of the Director-General will become more and more effective. The National Commission should realize that the fifth General Conference at Florence will be an important one where many major programme issues will be dealt with, and that as strong a delegation as possible should be sent. OFFICIAL AND EXTERNAL RELATIONS COMMISSION Chairman : His Excellency Antonio Castro Leal ('Mexico) Vice-Chairmen: Mr. Y. S, 'Yen {China) Mr. S. M. Sharif (Pakistan) Rapporteur: Mr. F. Charpentier (Canada) The Commission held five meetings of its own, and two others sitting jointly with the Programme and Budget Commission. The New Zealand delegate, suffering from a clash of meetings, was unable to attend most of these, but not quite all. The work of this Commission involved some long and very animated discussions, including one, on liaison with member States and National Commissions, at which the Director-General was present and spoke with great emphasis in defence of his plans. The difficulty of keeping in close touch with UNESCO without real continuity of representation and really close examination of certain plans was very clearly illustrated in this particular discussion, on which the New Zealand brief was to support with some reservation the Director-General's plans. The New Zealand delegate in speaking gave a support even more qualified than was suggested. Regional Office for the Western Hemisphere This has already been established at Havana, in Cuba; and according to the Cuban delegate his Government has been most generous in the provision of accommodation. The Commission did not seem very happy about the scheme on the whole, but accepted the assurances given; the Director-General is to report on the future activities of the Office to the fifth session, in the light of experience. It is really difficult to say at this stage what the