342

  • Issue: July 1965
  • Designer: M. & G. Shamir
  • Plate no.: 148
  • Method of printing: Photolithography

Close to 50 disputes and conflicts among nations now afflict the world. Some of them are between neighboring states, a few are of a global scope and most have been lingering on for years. On the other hand, states, public and private organizations and individuals of different countries are cooperating in countless fields of human endeavor. This cooperation is taking place within the framework of scores of international inter-governmental organizations and agencies and many hundreds of international non-governmental associations.

Faced with this world reality, the late Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, declared in his address to the United Nations General Assembly on November 10, 1961: "The essential thing about this world is cooperation, and even today, between countries which are opposed to each other in the political or other fields, there is a vast amount of cooperation. Little is known, or little is said, about this cooperation that is going on, but a great deal is said about every point of conflict, and so the world is full of this idea that the conflicts go on and we live on the verge of disaster. Perhaps it would be a truer picture if the cooperating elements in the world today were put forward and we were made to think that the world depends on cooperation and not on conflict."

Prime Minister Nehru suggested that the Assembly call upon all countries of the world to devote a year to the furtherance of the idea of international cooperation and thus create an atmosphere for solving international problems more easily.

Mr. Nehru's proposal was met with universal approval, and, in an unanimous resolution of November 21, 1963, the UN General Assembly designated 1965, the twentieth anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations, as International Cooperation Year (ICY).

The main purpose of ICY was to direct attention to the extent and significance of existing International cooperation. It was hoped that an increased public awareness of this cooperation would lead to a better appreciation of the common interests of nations, to intensified international cooperation and understanding.

The central theme of ICY was thus "Peace and Progress Through Cooperation." This theme is symbolized by two joined bands framed by an olive wreath.

Since its re-born independence Israel has actively participated in the many fields of international cooperation. Israel is a member of more than 40 inter-governmental organizations; public and private associations which are affiliated with about 500 international non-governmental organizations. On a bilateral level Israel cooperated with about 90 developing countries, some of them in their pre-independence stage, in technical assistance and training programs. Thousands of men and women from those countries were afforded training facilities in Israel and hundreds of Israeli experts served in African, Asian, Mediterranean and Latin-American countries.

Israel joined ICY in a spirit of human solidarity and international amity.

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International Cooperation Year