Statement About the Special Message on Reform of the Foreign Assistance Program

THE MESSAGE which I have just signed contains my recommendations to the Congress for sweeping reform of the U.S. foreign assistance program:

--Reform of our security assistance, to support our new approach to international cooperation, which has been called the Nixon Doctrine.

--Reform of our humanitarian assistance, to implement it more effectively. --Reform of our development assistance, to make it part of a truly international partnership among donors and recipients. In the future, we will channel our development assistance increasingly through the international lending institutions. But we will continue to need an effective bilateral development program, to work within this international framework. It is therefore my present intention to propose the establishment of:

--A U.S. International Development Corporation, to handle our bilateral lending on a more businesslike basis.

--A U.S. International Development Institute, to bring U.S. science and technology to bear on the problems of development.

I also recommend a number of measures to encourage and enable the private sector, through trade and investment, to play an increasing role in the international development process.

These proposals will provide a fresh start for the U.S. development assistance program, and hence for a critical element of U.S. foreign policy.

I look forward to consultations with the Congress on our aid objectives and the ways in which we can achieve them, as a solid foundation for the legislative proposals which I shall submit next year.