Background

The Federal Republic of Germany was proclaimed an Associate Member of SEAMEO on February 5, 1990, but has been a dependable and generous supporter of SEAMEO since the early 1970's through the agencies of the German Academic Exchange Service and the German Agency for Technical Cooperation.

Development and Forms of Assistance

SEAMEO Educational Development Fund

The SEAMEO Educational Development Fund (SEAMEO EDF) was established in 1971 to serve as a repository for gifts to SEAMEO for support of Special Funds requirements. Since F.Y. 1973/74, the Federal Republic of Germany has made contributions in the form of scholarships, which are now classified under the SEAMEO EDF.

Tied Contributions are restricted for use by a particular Centre/Project or for a particular category of Special Funds in line with terms and conditions laid down by Germany. Untied funds are unrestricted in nature and are allocated to appropriate Centres/Project by the SEAMEO Secretariat. Currently, the SEAMEO Special Funds (untied) are used to finance training and research scholarships; governing board meetings; seminars and special conferences and personnel exchanges. Germany's tied contributions to the SEAMEO EDF are in the form of German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) scholarships, earmarked for SEAMEO SEARCA and TROPMED, and special projects through the GTZ. The DAAD has provided scholarship grants to SEAMEO since F.Y. 1972/73, with SEAMEO TROPMED as the first beneficiary, receiving US$ 17,440.00.

SEAMEO received a voluntary contribution of US$ 5,000 for F.Y. 1997/98 for Untied Funds. For F.Y. 1997/98, 18 DAAD scholarships totaling US$ 185,400 were awarded to SEAMEO TROPMED, shared by 27 students at three TROPMED Centres. For SEAMEO SEARCA, 11 DAAD scholarships totaling US$ 92,400 were approved for first year students and US$ 214,800 for second and third year students, also for F.Y. 1997/98.

Other Contributions

Germany's assistance to SEAMEO is not limited to DAAD scholarships and Associate Member Contributions. Throughout the years, the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) has supported SEAMEO Centres/Project in a wide variety of ways.

The FRG in 1981, through its embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, donated technical books on marine science, forestry and pests science to SEAMEO BIOTROP, valued at DM2,000.
SEAMEO INNOTECH, in 1985/86, received FRG assistance for short-term training programme and seminars, as well as donations of 8mm and 16mm educational science films, and technical books.
The FRG assistance to SEAMEO RECSAM began in 1973, when the Bonn Government, through the German Foundation for International Development (DSE), funded the Centre's Workshop on Production of Low-cost Teaching Materials for Primary Level Science and Mathematics.
4. In 1978, the FRG seconded a consultant to the then SEAMEO SPAFA Project. This resulted in a donation from the FRG in September 1980, of underwater archaeological equipment including: decompression chamber with accompanying treatment chamber, underwater communications system and sets of diving gear, to the then SEAMEO SPAFA Sub-Centre for Underwater Archaeology.

German Agency for Technical Cooperation

The German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ) has been providing support to SEAMEO since 1973 when the SEAMEO Regional Centre for Education in Science and Mathematics (RECSAM) entered into an agreement with GTZ. The support from GTZ has been in a variety of forms such as workshops, secondment of experts and special training courses.

For F.Y. 1997/98, GTZ and FRG supported SEAMEO TROPMED in sixteen special projects, with a total budget of US$ 298,669. These projects were composed of the following:

? Study visits on school health and AIDS education

Seminars and workshops on AIDS education, advocacy and production of audio visual materials

Special training courses and conferences on safe motherhood

Management training programmes for health workers

Planning and consultative meetings on HIV/AIDS

Current Programmes/Projects in the Region

Currently, FRG contributes annually to: the SEAMEO Secretariat for the Associate Membership contribution; SEAMEO EDF in both Tied and Untied Funds; and to special projects involving SEAMEO Centres/Project.