International Affairs: the Political Dimension

Abstract

Operating as it must within the guidelines set by governmental directives, the main limitation on Secretariat initiatives in the economic and social sphere is financial. The presence of CFTC experts and advisers is welcomed even where they are playing a direct role in policy formulation and implementation; recipient governments freely admit that they lack manpower resources of their own and are unable to handle national development without outside assistance. Moreover, the Commonwealth Secretariat is not regarded by Third World governments as any kind of wolf in sheep’s clothing — the IMF and World Bank are viewed with much more suspicion. It has built up a solid reputation for effective, if small-scale, practical assistance using local or regional expertise wherever possible and ensuring that indigenous personnel are being trained for the future performance of necessary tasks.