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United States economic foreign policy has two major functions: to protect and advance public and private economic interests and to promote American political interests abroad. A complex decision-making process is necessary to formulate economic foreign policy. To decide any specific issue, the government must consider the multitude of varied interests involved. The final policy decision will necessarily be a compromise, rarely satisfying all the interested parties. Recent developments in two areas of economic foreign policy— foreign trade and foreign aid programs—have required, in or der to continue the policy objectives in these fields, the formula tion and execution of new measures. One important change is the deficit in the United States balance of payments. Meas ures have been taken by the government to counteract this deficit. The rapid rate by which countries are becoming in dependent poses a new problem for foreign aid programs. The government will continue its share of technical and material as sistance to these countries and, in addition, will co-operatively seek to augment the assistance offered by the other industrial ized countries.—Ed.

La Conferencia Mundial sobre Población celebrada en Bucarest en 1974 fue un hito en la historia social de la humanidad. Por primera vez, hubo consenso general entre los 136 gobiernos representados en el sentido de que las políticas en materia de población deberían ser parte integral de las estrategias socioeconómicas de desarrollo. La Conferencia instó a los gobiernos a adoptar las medidas necesarias para proporcionar a todas las parejas e individuos la información, educación y medios para decidir libre y responsablemente el número y espaciamiento de sus hijos como un derecho humano básico. El Simposio Internacional de Tokio hizo un repaso de los avances hechos desde Bucarest y recomendó las acciones complementarias que se requieren. A partir de la Conferencia de Bucarest, muchos más gobiernos han adoptado políticas oficiales de apoyo a los esfuerzos de planificación familiar. Más aún, se están instrumentando políticas mucho más eficientes y de mayor amplitud con un éxito notable en varios países. Sin embargo, las necesidades especiales de las áreas rurales, que no habían sido subrayadas en Bucarest, recibieron especial atención en este Simposio.

There is a widespread interest by United Nations agencies in family planning programs; this is evidenced by large scale financial aid that is offered. The UN has some advantages in providing support in national efforts to include population planning in their development plans: a) since the issue is highly political the existence of an institution such as the UN where the whole world is represented helps operate the family planning field; b)as this is an international operation it is possible to make use of international talent and experience; and c) because practically the whole world has shown some interest in the issue and is undertaking official programs it is good that a highly select staff is acting as a guiding hand. The author urges that the forthcoming World Population Conference establish a new UN unit situated above the existing organization for this purpose.