Sub-series AC/31 - Working Group on Social and Cultural Co-operation

The AC/31 chronological series contains the records of the Working Group on Social and Cultural Co-operation. This group was set up by the Council in September 1952 in order to continue the studies undertaken by the Atlantic Community Committee(1) and to ascertain how to implement the approved projects. The Working Group met for the first time on 10 December 1952. Its first task was to more closely define the scope of its work and develop a Programme of Work. Initially, it focused its efforts on developing proposals aimed at promoting cultural co-operation at the international level, whether within various international, government or other organizations, or within the framework of bilateral and regional agreements which were given concrete form, for example, by exchanges of teaching staff, students and documents. The Group also addressed issues involving NATO scientific research, and looked for ways of fostering cultural co-operation with the Armed Forces of the NATO nations. In July 1953, further to a Council decision, the Working Group on Social and Cultural Co-operation merged with the Working Group on Information Policy(2) to form the Committee on Information and Cultural Relations(3).