Obituary: Sir Austin Robinson
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.YOUR OBITUARY of Sir Austin Robinson (by Professor G. C. Harcourt, 5 June) makes no mention of the very important role which Robinson played, when he was in his mid-seventies, as Senior Adviser to the United Nations Advisory Team to ASEAN (the Association of South East Asian Nations), of which I was the Deputy Team Leader, and whose recommendations were largely accepted by the ASEAN countries, writes Oliver Knowles.
In this his practical experience as a civil servant with Cabinet Office experience, his attention to detail, and his feeling for practical solutions, was crucial to the success of the team's work between 1970 and 1972. He was one of the few economists who have appreciated the importance of an optimum size for governments, a subject on which he had edited a book.
His capacity for hard work, particularly when handling a multiplicity of statistics, was greater than that of many younger members of the 40- man UN Team. He mistrusted our drafting capabilities, and the final report of the team was entirely drafted by him in a hotel at St Cergue. When there were delays by the UN over the printing of the report, Robinson paid for the report to be printed privately in London, as he felt that a well- printed report was essential for submission to the ASEAN governments. It was not until 1974 that the UN printed the report as issue no 7 of the UN Journal of Development Planning.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments